You’ve made lists of gifts to buy, cookies to bake, holiday events to schedule, and to-dos to complete at home. But, something is missing. What is it? Discover an essential oils relaxation recipe! You’re probably too busy to see it, but I can. In this season of laughter, love, and a bit of crazy, the missing item on your list is YOU! How will you find rest, relaxation, and relief from your symptoms in the months ahead?

Let me show you how!

In today’s post, I’ll share a quick recipe that you can make in a blink of Rudolph’s nose. Seriously. It takes just a few minutes and just a few ingredients.

I’m a fan of self-care made easy. I prefer to make recipes from scratch when able, but who isn’t in a time crunch during the holidays? Shortcuts aren’t simply nice this time of year, they’re mandatory! The good news is that sometimes shortcuts come with nifty perks.

Take the products made by Village Naturals Therapy for example. Their Aches + Pains Relief collection of products are created for the busy, overtired, and overworked person who truly needs a break. I was very excited when they offered to send free products in exchange for me playing around with a few ideas on how I’d like to use them.

Really? Awesome products in exchange for play? I’m in!

I first tried their Aches + Pains Relief products with Epsom salts and found them simple to use. I usually use plain Epsom salts and add my own concoctions of healthy skin oils, aromatic essential oils, and other soothing ingredients. It was a nifty change of pace to have many of the benefits I look for contained in one package.

I may like to create

my own bath products from scratch,

but you don’t have to.

Village Naturals Therapy offers their own blends of magnesium-rich salts, essential oils, and other ingredients known to promote soothing benefits for tired muscles, achy joints and the stress of the day. As I mentioned, I like to make my own body care products, but there are circumstances when I don’t happen to have all the individual ingredients I need. Or, perhaps I’m crunched for time.   

Why not hybridize?

Why not take a shortcut by using store bought products such as the Village Natural Therapy products and add healthy ingredients to make your own personalized and unique creations?

For those of us tired of shopping, standing in the kitchen, running from one commitment to another … here’s a recipe to the rescue! Treat your tootsies to a soothing scrub and soak. It’s sure to tame your tension woes and enhance a feeling of calm. Perfect to use as a before bedtime routine!

It Takes a Village Tension-Tamer Foot Soak

Here are the items and ingredients that I used:

• Village Naturals Therapy Aches + Pains Nighttime Relief Concentrated Bath Soak
• Village Naturals Therapy Aches + Pains Nighttime Relief Foaming Bath Soak (includes Lavender, Chamomile, Menthol)
• Glass bowl, measuring spoons/cups
• Glass mason jar for leftover storage
• Exfoliating gloves (optional)
• Foot Soak Tub (an inexpensive plastic one is fine, or just use your bathtub)
• Old towels
• Socks/slippers

RECIPE:

1 Tbs. -Therapy Nighttime Relief Concentrate

3/4 Cup – Therapy Nighttime Relief Foaming Bath Soak Epsom salts

1/4 Cup – Sweet Almond Oil (can sub. olive oil or other oil preference)

2 Tbs. – Raw Honey

DIRECTIONS:

• 1) Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl or jar and allow to sit while you prepare the foot bath.
• 2) Fill the foot bath with hot water and put on exfoliating gloves if you have them.
• 3) Massage small amounts of the foot scrub onto your foot (one at a time), while holding it over the foot bath or an old towel. This is delightfully messy! If you’re positioned over the foot bath, you get the added benefit of steam or warm air on your feet.
• 4) Take your time! Massage the foot soak scrub in small circular motions on the bottoms of your feet, around your toes, over your heels, and across the top of your feet, too. Use a pressure and motion that feels soothing. (If an area feels tender, skip it.)
• 5) The added benefit of massaging slowly is that your water has time to cool to your desired perfect temperature. Test it periodically with your hand and dip your feet in when ready.
• 6) Soak … inhale deeply … relax! The time allotted for this is up to you.
• 7) When done, wipe off your feet with an old dry towel, and put on your choice of either cotton socks, or slippers. Natural fibers are good. Just realize that your feet will still have some oil on them. (That’s a good thing for your feet, but may not be such a good thing for your floors and/ or sheets.)

Doing this before bed can help you drift off into blissful slumber. Just remember to keep your socks on. And, don’t forget the leftover foot soak scrub. Store the remains in a glass jar with a sealable lid. Or, go one step further. Consider increasing the recipe quantities and make enough for you and more to make as gifts!

Her are a few EXTRA Foot Soak Tips:

• Got foot or toe fungus? Yikes! Fungus can happen to anyone and is extremely common for those with fibromyalgia and autoimmune conditions. There’s a connection to Leaky Gut but that’s a story for another day. For now – add a few drops of Tea Tree (Melaleuca) essential oil to the scrub recipe for antibacterial benefits.
• Want to use this scrub for your legs, hands, arms or other areas that may have tender skin? Try “blending” the Epsom salts (just a bit) in your blender first before mixing in other ingredients, for a finer-grade feel.
• Use a measuring cup for the almond oil first, then spoon the honey into that same cup. It’ll then slide out easily – no sticking.
• To enhance sleep, even more, consider adding one or maybe a few of these sleep-inducing essential oils to either the scrub or the soak water: Lavender, Clary Sage, Helichrysum, Lemon, Orange, Marjoram, Ylang Ylang, Vetiver, Rose, or Frankincense.
• Want an even shorter shortcut? Simply add a bit of your favorite oil (almond, olive, etc.) to a palmful of the Village Naturals Therapy Nighttime Relief Foaming Bath Soak and do a quick once over of your feet before stepping into your next evening bath.

***

Why not try Village Naturals Therapy products for yourself?