Stephanie Tourles: A Mother’s Day Gift Created Especially for Her

Homemade Floral Bath and Body Oil

This Mother’s Day, instead of giving your mom the usual bouquet of flowers and a card, surprise her with your creativity and thoughtfulness. Show her how much you really care, how much you love her and appreciate all that she’s done for you by creating a naturally fragrant, handmade gift that will soothe, soften, deeply condition, and pamper her skin — leaving her smelling delicately sweet and feminine, reminiscent of a spring garden.

The following bath and body oil recipe is simple to make using easy-to-find ingredients. She’ll be glad to know that it is completely natural and chemical free, too. Be sure to create a custom label for your storage bottle, and attach a gift card with your personalized message and simple directions for use.

Floral Oil for Bath and Body

1 cup jojoba base oil
30 drops each of the following essential oils: lavender, geranium, sweet orange

To Make: Combine all ingredients in a beautiful, 8-ounce, cobalt blue glass bottle or a plastic squeeze bottle. Tightly cap the bottle, and shake the mixture vigorously.

Storage: Store oil blend at room temperature in a dark cabinet. If the storage area becomes cold, jojoba oil will harden. To soften it before use, simply leave it at room temperature for an hour or so or set the bottle in a shallow pan of hot water for 10 minutes. No refrigeration is required, but for maximum fragrance and potency, please use within two years.

Application Tips: To use as a bath oil, add 2 teaspoons to running water. For application as a body oil following a shower or for massage, use as needed.

Stephanie Tourles is a licensed holistic esthetician who has been practicing and teaching healthy living for more than 20 years. She is also a certified aromatherapist, with extensive training in the nutritional sciences, and is the author of Organic Body Care Recipes, among other books on natural body care. Stephanie lives in Maine with her husband and pets. You can find her Web site at www.stephanietourles.com.

NOTE: This recipe was adapted from the book Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles, Lic. Holistic Esthetician (Storey Publishing, 2007). Illustration © Kate Quinby, from Organic Body Care Recipes.