Coconut milk and honey bath soak

So there I am on Saturday evening, having just made my favourite salad with the chicken and rice poached/cooked with a mix of water and coconut milk, and I was about to put the half a tin of coconut milk left into a bowl and into the fridge …

And then I thought, but wouldn’t that be amazing and gorgeous and nourishing in a bath?

So I ran a very hot bath and threw it in along with a tablespoon of honey.

I made the bath very hot to make sure they melted and blended and dispersed so didn’t get into it for quite a while after to let it cool down of course but when it was I also added a few drops of lavender essential oil.

It was so good I thought I really should work up a more instant, useable and elegant way to enjoy a coconut milk and honey bath soak.

This time I started by putting the coconut milk and honey together in a pan and heating very gently, stirring, until they were just warm and combined, and then removed from the heat and allowed to cool before pouring into a bottle.

It made enough for two baths and it lasted perfectly well overnight on the bathroom windowsill without any ill effects or separating again.

Next time I’ll try keeping it in the fridge to see how that works as an alternative.

This is such a lovely super-moisturising bath soak - it’s so simple to make too and feels really luxurious.

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Simple, natural, softening bath 'milk'

When I was in my early teens I was obsessed with natural remedies for health and particularly for beauty products.  

I was brought up in a family that was very into organic products, and eating natural foods (yep, I was that kid with the smelly celery soup in a flask and a carrot slice for my packed lunch when everyone else had white-bread cheese sandwiches and a packet of crisps - hard actually at the time but I'm so grateful for it now).

My sisters and I were taken as often to homeopathic doctors and to the reflexologist as we were the GP, and I was always (especially as a complete bookworm) reading my parents' cookbooks and books on herbalism and natural health.

And of course, I started making all sorts of lotions and potions .... and after a very long break (although I've always maintained an interest in organic products and natural health) I've started making some things again.

Recently I made an Argentinian cake recipe shared with me by my friend Marcela - and one of the ingredients was oats.

After making it - and it was good, here's the recipe - I had tons of oats left over. I don't like oats or porridge but didn't want to throw them away (HATE food waste!) and suddenly remembered one of my favourite teenage beauty treatments - making the simplest ever bath milk with oats.

You just need some little muslin bags - like those ones you use to make bouquet garni (or my tom yum noodles!) - that are easy to find and buy online.

You scoop in a handful or two of oats and then let the hot water run over the bag - or pop the bag straight into the bath of course.

The oats release the most beautiful milky substance that's great for keeping your skin soft ... I even squeeze the bag out more once in the bath and use it as a quick exfoliator by rubbing the bag over my skin.

I also usually add a few drops of a favourite pure essential oil - lavender or wild orange usually.

And that's it. Super simple, super cheap - and very good.

Also on my bathroom shelf are Epsom Salts which I use in a morning 'detox shower' and my home-made body scrub made with sugar.

There's just something that to me feels so good about using natural ingredients and making something easy yourself that's also really lovely to use.

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My winter health 'rules'

I very rarely get ill, or even get colds.  

Partly I think it's because living in London and getting tubes and buses every day means that my immune system is on super-fit ninja germ-fighting form.

Partly it's because I build those defences from the inside out, eating fresh food made from scratch so I know exactly what's in it. 

I don't do as much as I could - I really know I should prioritise exercise and sleep a little more.

But I do follow my winter health 'rules' to avoid picking up colds and infections.

Drinking lots of water.  The most important glass of water is probably the first; we are dehydrated after hours of sleeping and so a big glass of water first thing is necessary.

Eating chillies.  Good for clearing a stuffed-up nose, your body releases endorphins when you eat them, making you feel HAPPY!  Try this easy and incredibly delicious sauce/dressing - I had it yesterday on fish tacos but it will go with so many other things too! 

1/2-1 ripe (it's gotta be ripe!) mango, peeled and pieces put in a hot dry frying pan with 1 long green chilli, just cut in half longways. Fry for a few mins each side until a little charred. Then pop in a blender or food processor with juice of 1/2 a lime, a tiny splash of water and a small handful of coriander.  Blitz! 

Red wine. No explanation needed.

Getting up and outside for a quick walk first thing, fresh air and some stretching is a great way to wake up (unless it's raining of course - going out in the rain first thing in the morning isn't my idea of fun).

A drop of Frankincense essential oil under the tongue each morning (no it doesn't taste great) and a drop of On Guard blend on the soles of my feet.

On Guard is also a favourite to diffuse this time of year too. It's a blend formulated to support healthy immune function and is a blend of  wild orange essential oil, combined with clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary.

Using uplifting essential oils such as Grapefruit, Wild Orange or Lime in a morning 'detox shower'.

Eating fresh food and spicy salads. Less meat and more fish and vegetables.

I'm going to add sleep to this list too, even though I don't always prioritise it as much as I think I should.

What are your winter health tips? Please share!

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I am a huge fan of doTerra essential oils and have been using them for about 18 months now. I use my oils daily for health and sometimes to cook with! I am also a doTerra consultant so if you're interested in finding out more about essential oils, start here ...

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