Spa Girl says "OH MY" feet

As I desperately try to hold on to summer, it's becoming painfully clear--as temperatures continue to dip--it's time to put on the socks and shoes and pack away my wonderful summer sandals.

My feet get cold very easily so most of the winter I am looking for solutions to keep these tiny tootsie warm.  I have wonderful handmade wool socks from Newfoundland, terry cloth foot warmers with lavender and sage fillers that can be heated in the microwave, and my favourite, a binder full of recipes for some great foot soaks.

In preparation, I had a spa pedicure this week.  I asked the esthetician to cut my nails nice and short (don't you just go crazy when your toes go through those expensive tights) and my favourite French pedicure polish.  Pedicures keep your feet happy and healthy and should be part of your regular overall body care routine.

One of the best foot soaks combines the cooling effects of peppermint essential oil with the soothing, relaxing and subtle sweetness of lavender.

Peppermint & Lavender Tender Tootsie Soak

 4 TBL dead sea salts

4 TBL baking soda

4 TBL citric acid

4 drops peppermint essential oil

4 drops lavender essential oil

1/2 teaspoon 

glycerine

Peppermint oil, which dates back from 1000 BC, contains menthol, which is great for skin as it nourishes dull dry skin and helps improve blood circulation.  Peppermint is native to the Mediterranean region, but is also cultivated in Italy, USA, Japan and Great Britain.

According to Greek mythology the nymph Mentha was hotly pursued by Pluto, whose jealous wife Persephone, trod her ferociously into the ground, whereupon Pluto then turned her into a herb, knowing that people would appreciate her for years to come.

Lavender is native to the mountainous zones of the Mediterranean where it grows in sunny, stony habitats. Today, it flourishes throughout southern Europe, Australia, and the United States--and in my garden!

The name lavender comes from the Latin root lavare, which means "to wash." Lavender may have earned this name because it was frequently used in baths to help purify the body and spirit. 

One of the most widely used essential oils, lavender has many therapeutic properties which include healing, pain relief, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and many more. It is often used to treat minor cuts and scrapes, burns, acne, respiratory disorders and insomnia.