Welcome winter: wellness and relaxation in the warmth! How to make fun and colorful scrubs and bath bombs

The winter season is just around the corner… the temperatures outside are dropping considerably and the warmth of our homes invites us more and more to hole up. To spend time with our children and engage them in some manual activity, why not take the opportunity to create a moment of relaxation of our own ?

Taking care of your body can also be learned as a child. The desire to enhance oneself, beauty rituals and the pursuit of well-being are something atavistic for both women and men: the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans are proof of this.

How to make a homemade scrub

Many of the products we buy in pharmacies, online, in shops or in shopping malls can be replaced with ecological and natural products that can be easily made at home with the help of our children.

Body scrubs , if used regularly, make our skin smooth and elastic, eliminate dead cells and small imperfections. Among the most used ingredients are honey, olive oil, yogurt, salt, sugar, bicarbonate, lemon, coffee, cocoa and essential oils.

Mix the olive oil or honey with a spoonful of sugar, trying to make a product with a consistency that is neither too liquid nor too solid. Sugar has an exfoliating power, which can change intensity over time, as it melts slowly becoming more and more delicate. If you want a more energetic treatment, you can replace the sugar with table salt, in this case the effect you will obtain will also be disinfectant and purifying .

Even olive oil can easily be replaced by other oils: sweet almond oil has a strong elasticising action and prevents stretch marks (I used it a lot during pregnancy to pamper my belly), coconut oil instead it is more hydrating.

Finally, apply your scrub on damp or dry skin. Each area of ​​the body should be massaged with circular movements starting from the bottom up . Harder and rougher areas, such as heels, knees and elbows, can be massaged more intensely. The final sensation will be one of total well-being .

Fun and colorful shampoos and bath bombs

Even preparing bath products can become an engaging activity for the whole family! To create a completely natural shampoo you can use:

• a spoonful of honey
• three tablespoons of water (preferably mineral)
• 3-4 drops of olive oil
• essential oil (depending on your taste)

In a bowl, mix the honey and the olive oil, gradually add the water and a few drops of essential oil until you obtain a fluid mixture to be applied to wet hair, from the scalp to the ends. Then rinse.

The sparkling, colorful and scented bath bombs are loved by children, but also by adults … to make them, take:

• 200 grams of corn starch (maizena)
• 200 grams of citric acid
• 60 drops of essential oil
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• cocoa powder, turmeric, cinnamon or natural dyes
• 300 grams of baking soda

Put the baking soda, acid and starch in a bowl. In a glass, pour the olive oil and the drops of essential oil you prefer. Add the contents of the glass to the container, previously prepared, and start mixing well. Spray the water with a spray bottle and continue to mix everything delicately with a spoon, preferably wooden, and gradually add the ingredients to color the bath bombs (cocoa powder, turmeric, cinnamon or natural dyes).

Keep splashing the water and stirring until all ingredients are well blended. Then pour the mixture into small containers (ice moulds, yogurt pots, silicone molds and other non-rigid plastic containers). If you decide to use silicone molds or ice cube trays, place them on top of a heavy object, such as a dictionary or package of pasta or rice, to prevent the bath bombs from expanding too much . Leave to rest for at least 1 or 2 hours, then turn the molds upside down and place your bath bombs on a tray. Let them dry for at least a full day (the surface should not be damp) before using them in the bath. Have fun and relax to all of you!