We are having a long, cold, winter here in the northeast. Here is a wonderful, quick remedy to help your skin survive.

Don’t waste your money on expensive exfoliating skin care products; you can make your own with just a few easy-to-find ingredients. Not only are you saving a bundle, but many skin care products contain chemicals that you really do not want on your skin. Remember, your skin absorbs the good and bad ingredients in your lotions, soaps and cosmetics. Rather than trying to figure out which ones are safest and purest, I prefer to simplify the whole process and make my own.

All you need is a small, clean, glass jar with a lid, a good oil, a good salt, and some essential oil. That’s it!

1. The Oil: I tend to use apricot kernel oil, grape seed oil, avocado oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or sweet almond oil. Find these oils at your local health food stores, or purchase online.
2. The Salt: I use sea salt, because it works well and keeps the cost very low. You could certainly use some of the salts rich in minerals (Real Salt, Celtic Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt).
3. Essential Oils: Choose your preferred essential oil. I find lavender essential oil to be both uplifting and calming, so I use that one most often. Lavender essential oil is also helpful in many skin conditions.

Now blend equal parts oil and salt (¼ cup oil to ¼ salt – depending on the size of your jar).

Add several drops of essential oil – but do not add too much, too quickly. Add a few drops, mix well and wait a moment. See if you like the scent. It’s easier to add a couple more drops, then to discover you have gone overboard and need to dilute the whole thing.

Use in the shower as you would any exfoliating scrub – scrub gently with a small amount of scrub on a washcloth and rinse off well. A little jar goes a long way. Be careful, though – too much oil makes a shower slippery!

Enjoy!