Imagine stepping into a tranquil herbal world and leaving all that behind.

A spa is a wonderful place where the only thing that matters is you. The whole you. Your body, mind and attaining inner peace.

Think you can't afford to indulge your self to an afternoon or evening of the mind, body, and soul enrichment that can only come from a spa?

Well think again!

Maybe you don't have any free time or money at the end of the week to splurge and take yourself to a spa. But you CAN schedule some free time, get a baby sitter, or send them to your Mom's or even after they are in bed. The secret is to plan ahead and be prepared.

You can visit your local herbal and aroma therapy supplier and stock up, on essential oils, but you may be surprised to hear that most of what you need to whip up some luxurious masks, baths and oils are probably already in your house.

Here are some great recipes using very common ingredients, but the end results are anything but common.

A little on essential oils

Please take time to read this before you go on!

First of all, I don't want to spend to much time with the technical stuff, but since not everyone is familiar with essential oils, I want to mention some things that you need to know, and for safe handling. Essential oils are oils that are extracted from herbs, flowers, grasses, shrubs, trees, resins and spices. I'm sure you won't want to be bothered with making your own, it is a time consuming process of steaming distilling, bottling and labeling. If you are interested in making your own, then you have more free time than most. You can find some really good books on this in my gift shop. Why do we need essential oils? With out them you have no spa!

Essential oils are extremely concentrated, and SHOULD NEVER BE APPLIED UNDILUTED DIRECTLY TO SKIN!

Essential oils should never be use before properly diluted. For a massage use a carrier oil, such as sweet almond, jojoba, or calendula, and you can put drops directly into your bath water, for a luxurious soothing or invigorating bath, depending on the oil. You can make compresses, mix oils with alcohol for a refreshing room spray, or vaporized in a burner, or drop on to light bulb rings for a truly exotic atmosphere or just because.

I'll give you a list of oils, with a drop to water ratio below.

Essential oils properly prepared can be inhaled, which effects the brain via the olfactory system…. Again I don't want to get too technical. Essential oils can also be absorbed through the skin, and can reach the blood stream. That is one of the reasons you need to have good quality, and follow the directions on the bottles.

And please take into consideration, that people have allergic reactions to all kinds of things, and essential oils are not excluded.

More on safety:

· KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN, AND THE ELDERLY.

· Do not use around your eye area. And again NEVER use directly on your skin, undiluted.

· Never use internally, unless under the supervision and care of a specialist. Even then make sure you know any adverse reaction to watch for, and check your "specialist's credentials carefully! I once became very ill following the advice of a so called- rather self-called, specialist.

· Always store in airtight containers in a fridge. Some oils will solidify, but can easily bring back to the desired consistency, by placing in a bowl of very hot water.

· If you store your oils in a refrigerator that is shared with food, make sure that your label is readable.

· Most oils have a shelf life of 2 years. Except pine and citrus, which lose some of their potency after about 6 months.

· Color of oils may change with time, but not necessarily does this change the potency.

· And like all things in life, not all essential oils should be mixed together.

· I recommend a glass, rather that plastic blender, it cleans easier

· And last but not least, I am not a doctor and nothing in this site should replace medically trained treatment for serious health problems.

Dilution Ratio

Safety and effectiveness are my main concern and the most effective aromatherapy is also the safest. I recommend a blend at a 2-½ % concentration rate. The number of drops will vary slightly with the density of the oil, and the diameter of the dropper opening. None the less, this ratio is good for the purposes of the recipes that I will give you. After blending store tightly covered in a glass jar and most will keep up to a year if stored in the frigde, or cool dark place. Both essential Oils and Base Oils can be found in health food stores. There are also some available in my Gift Shop.

Alphabetical List of most used Essential Oil

You can look up the Latin name if you like, but again I don't like to get too technical.

If you have known allergies, you should check to make sure that none of these are derived from that source.

NOTE THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVISE, NOR SHOULD YOU BEGIN ANY NEW ROUTINE BEFORE CHECKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR!

NOTE when I say conditioner here, it is a skin conditioner, unless otherwise stated. Common name Common uses, Precautions: 1. Ajowan improving circulation, muscle pain Careful on sensitive skin 2. Angelica for strengthening, restoring and anchoring. Do not use in sun 3. Aniseed for cramping and indigestion Don't use if pregnant 4. Armoise tense muscles, emollient Don't use if pregnant 5. Basil toning and relaxing, tense muscles Uses sparingly 6. Bay stimulate, and energize Can cause skin irritation 7. Bergamot skin antiseptic, conditioner, soothing agent PHOTOTOXIC 8. Birch Tar tense muscles, soothing agent Don't use if pregnant 9. Black Currant Seed PMS, source of Vit. C 10. Black Pepper Muscle relaxant 11. Cabreuva calming, increases alertness 12. Cajeput improves mood, stimulates, antiseptic 13. Camphor soothing agent, muscle relaxant, conditioner Don't use if pregnant or epileptic 14. Cananga Skin conditioner, deodorant 15. Caraway muscle relaxant Slight dermal toxicity 16. Cardamom soothing agent, muscle relaxant, conditioner 17. Carrot Seed soothing agent, muscle relaxant, conditioner 18. Cedarwood Virginia antiseptic, conditioner, deodorant, soothing agent 19. Celery Seed toner 20. Chamomile Moroc muscle relaxant, skin conditioner 21. Chamomile Roman muscle relaxant, skin conditioner 22. Cinnamon Bark skin condition, anti-inflammatory agent can cause skin irritation 23. Citronella insect repellent, skin conditioner 24. Clary Sage conditioner, soothing agent, astringent, relaxant Don't use if pregnant, mix with alcohol or drive 25. Clove Bud muscle relaxant, soothing agent can cause skin irritation 26. Copaiba Balsam Increases circulation, reduces stress 27. Coriander soothing, muscle relaxant use sparingly 28. Costus Root calming 29. Cumin stimulating can cause skin irritation 30. Cypress astringent, antiseptic, soothing conditioner FLAMMABLE 31. Cypriot aids digestion 32. Eucalyptus conditioner, soothing, antiseptic 33. Evening Primrose dry skin, eczema 34. Fennel (sweet) soothing, antiseptic, muscle relaxant use sparingly 35. Frankincense soothing, skin conditioner 36. Galbanum muscle relaxant, skin conditioner 37. Geranium astringent, skin refresher 38. Ginger astringent 39. Grapefruit astringent, skin conditioner, soothing 40. Hyssop skin conditioner, soothing agent 41. Jasmine Absolute soothing agent, antiseptic, emollient 42. Juniper skin detoxifier, astringent soothing agent FLAMMABLE 43. Labdanum skin conditioner 44. Lavandin soothing, conditioner, muscle relaxant, astringent, 45. Lavender muscle relaxant, conditioner, soothing, astringent 46. Lemon antiseptic, soothing agent 47. Lemongrass soothing, muscle relaxant, antiseptic conditioner can cause skin irritation 48. Lime astringent, skin conditioner, soothing 49. Mandarin astringent, skin conditioner, soothing 50. Manuka healing to skin and relieves aches and pains 51. Marjoram calming, antiseptic 52. Mimosa skin conditioner, muscle relaxant, soothing 53. Myrrh emollient, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory agent use in moderation if pregnant 54. Myrtle astringent, muscle relaxant, soothing, conditioner 55. Neroli emollient, antiseptic 56. Nutmeg Myristica fragrans antiseptic, muscle relaxant, soothes irritated skin use sparingly 57. Orange skin conditioner, astringent, soothing agent 58. Origanum increases energy can cause skin irritation 59. Palmarosa emollient, soothing, muscle relaxant, conditioner 60. Patchouli antiseptic, astringent, anti-inflammatory agent 61. Peppermint muscle relaxant, antiseptic, emollient can cause skin irritation 62. Petitgrain relieves stress and anxiety 63. Pine antiseptic can cause skin irritation 64. Rose Absolute skin conditioner 65. Rose Otto astringent 66. Rosemary muscle relaxant, soothing agent antiseptic, conditioner Don't use if pregnant, or have high blood pressure 67. Rosewood muscle relaxant 68. Sage soothing agent don't use if pregnant or Epileptic 69. Sandalwood emollient, antiseptic astringent, soothing, conditioner 70. Spearmint astringent, muscle relaxant, antiseptic, soothing agent use sparingly 71. Tarragon astringent 72. Tea Tree antiseptic may cause skin irritation 73. Thyme toner, antiseptic can cause skin irritation 74. Vanilla emollient 75. Vetiver reduces blood pressure, emollient 76. Violet Leaves skin conditioner, soothing agent 77. Yarrow reduces scarring 78. Ylang-Ylang reduces stress and tension 79. Zanthoxylum reduces stress and tension

1. Common Carrier Oils AKA Base oils 2. Almond all skin types, softens and relieves itchy skin 3. Apricot kernal facial massages, restores glow and rehydrates 4. Avocado dry skin, plumbs up and is easily absorbed 5. Borage gamma linolenic acid, and anti aging properties, treats eczema & psoriasis 6. Calendula heals rashes and cracked skin 7. Carrot Seed restores elasticity rejuvenates and reduces signs of aging, & scarring, relieves itchiness 8. Coconut retains skin moisture, great for cracked or brittle skin 9. Evening Primrose dry skin, very high in essential fatty acids. 10. Grapeseed great for full body massage because it is absorbed easily and odorless 11. Hazelnut oily skin 12. Jojoba good emollient, anti inflammatory, anti bacterial, hydrating 13. Macadamia help attain and maintain natural moisture level of skin 14. Olive Oil healing, disinfects, soothing, great for chapped skin 15. Passion fruit helps maintain skin elasticity 16. Rosehip helps promote skin and tissue regeneration, use on wrinkles, burns and scars 17. Safflower has light texture and is easily absorbed 18. Sesame ordorless, use for sunscreen 19. Wheat Germ dry skin, natural antioxidant, aids in muscle and lymph function but has strong odor

Now that we got the technical stuff out of the way, let's get to the good stuff!

Each month a new recipe will be featured here in the SPA of Crossroads Inn Time B&B and Spa. So be sure and check back often! We will always include the above info along with this WARNING AND DISCLAIMER: You should always check with a dermatologist or doctor or licensed esthetician before trying ANY of the recipes on this site. We are happy to freely share with you, but it's your responsibility to chose whether or not to try them.

That being said.... Let's start with the basics. A good soothingly relaxing bath. Aaaahhhh!

Bath

Add 1 to 10 drops to bath water and soak for 20 minutes, You can also add 10 drops to an ounce of coconut oil and pour into bath.

Again, a little preparation goes a long way. Take the phone off the hook, or at list turn off the ringer, and turn the answering machine very low. Put on some soothing music, and light some aromatherapy candles. Don't forget your bath pillow, and oh yes, a good mellow book to read. Nothing too exciting or needing concentration. Hi-coo or Poetry is wonderful. As long as it is uplifting and not too deep.

Great Tip: Add sparkling mineral water to your herbal bath for a truly sensual spa.

Massage

Of course, a spa is not complete with out a good massage. There are some great videos, and books teaching the art of massage. It doesn't take a lot of effort to coax a spouse or close friend into to a joint venture, when they know that you will reciprocate. Add 15 drops to one ounce of carrier oil and massage directly into skin. Use protective covering to keep oils off beds or upholstery because some oils stain. I picked up a couple of flat cotton sheets that I reserve for my personal spa. One to lie on and one to wrap myself in.

More next time on Facials, Hair treatments, Hand Treatments, Foot treatments and allot more bath recipes... and well just alot more! so check in again- and remember- no reservations required here at Crossroads INn B&B and Spa!