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Salt scrubs are easy to make and are great for exfoliating the skin.  Start by pouring a carrier oil into a jar - about a third of the jar size.  This can be a basic Sweet Almond or Grapeseed oil or you could choose a thicker oil for added benefits such as Avocado or Rosehip oil. 

Then add Dead sea salt to the jar until you are happy with the consistancy.  The salt will sink in the jar so you can more as you go or top up with oil, depending on your personal preference. 

If you wish to add an essential oil fragrance oil then you can add approx 5% of the oil you put in. So if you add 100ml of carrier oil at the beginning you can add upto 100 drops, generally half of this is enough.  Ensure you select cosmetic fragrance oil.

Sweet Almond oil is one beauty item you should always have on hand, it has a high fat content and contains vitamins B1, B6, B2, A and E, virtually colourless and odourless and whats more it's cheap and affordable. But whats it for?

Sweet almond oil is one of the most popular carrier oils used in massage therapy and aromatherapy.  Used to massage essential oils safely into the skin it is also great for moisturising the skin, soothing irritation to strengthening hair.

Sweet Almond oil can be used:

Dry skin : Lightly massage into the body after washing to lock in moisture. Even add a couple of drops to regular body cream for extra moisture or essential oils for skin benefits. It is also know to sooth itchy skin, as well as being good for chapped lips.

Eye Make Up Remover: Almond oil is great for removing heavy make-up, especially mascara and eye shadow. Place a few drops on a cotton ball and wipe over your eyes. Follow with your usual cleanser and eye cream.

Body Moisturiser: The upper torso begins can be a problem for most women as they pass 40. We tend to moisturise our face and neck but not our chest, so along with the sun exposure, this area ages before the rest of your body.

Cuticle softener : Sweet almond is a great alternative to cuticle cream, just moisturise a little each night onto your hands and cuticles to keep them soft.

Hair : Pour a few drops of sweet almond oil in your palm and apply gently on your scalp, massaging your scalp to encouraging blood flow. If you suffer from dry hair, apply the oil to your hair and leave for an hour wrapped in a damp towel then rinse.

When you mention Lavender to most people they think of it’s wonderful fresh fragrance, I remember Lavender growing near my school and picking bunches of them for my mum's drawer.

Using Lavender in your wardrobe and clothes drawer can have a several benefits. Firstly, of course, its scent will penetrate your clothes leaving them subtly fragrances with Lavender. It's also a natural freshener so any clothes that have not been worn recently or are in storage can be rejuvenated just by being hung or stored near some dried lavender.  Furthemore, dried lavender can also be used as a natural moth repellent and is far more appealing than the old fashioned moth-balls which have a strong odour.

Dried lavender buds can be bought in bulk to make your own lavender bags, pomanders and fragrant sachets that can be stored in between layers of linen, suspended from your clothes rail or simply placed in drawers amongst your clothes and linen to release it’s scent alternatively dried loose flower heads can be used in an organza bag or sachet.

Dried lavender has a long shelf-life and therefore can be used throughout the year, refreshening with Lavender essential oil where required.

Although Neem oil has and awful smell, the best I can describe would be beef stock, Neem oil is a very popular ingredient in Skin and hair care products.

It restores damaged hair and is an excellent moisturiser. At the same time it soothes irritated skin, such as eczema and is believed to kill harmful bacteria. Due to its excellent properties Neem oil is often used to make soap, lotions and shampoos and blended with Essential oils the Neem odour can be masked.

Not only is Neem oil used for skincare products but it is commonly used for animals to keep ticks, fleas and other parasites at bay.  There are many Neem shampoos available for our cats and dogs but it is also widely used in equestrian circles to treat pinworm eggs and the itching caused.

The other main and popular use for Neem oil is as a natural non toxic garden insect spray as it is very effective in dealing with a huge range of garden pests and can also be used as a preventative measure. As this is a natural method of pest control it is not going to harm other wild life such as bees and birds etc.