Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/191415
Homemade Holiday Treats Why not make your own holiday gifts for clients to take home? Giving a homemade treat is a personal touch that shows off your skills. Package each gift in a small, colorful cellophane or muslin bag from the party supply aisle, tied with raffia or a ribbon, and attach your business card along with directions for use. Here are a few recipes to get you started: CANDY CANE FOOT SCRUB 1 cup dry milk 1 cup fine cornmeal 20 drops peppermint essential oil Dry milk (also called powdered milk) can be bought at any supermarket. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Makes 20 individual packets. Directions for use: Wash feet and pat off excess water. While skin is still damp, apply scrub and massage each foot, focusing on rough, calloused areas. Rinse and apply a body lotion. SEA BREEZE SOAK 3 ¾ pounds coarse sea salt ½ cup dry lemongrass ½ cup aloe powder 40 drops lemon essential oil Combine all ingredients and mix well. Makes 20 individual packets. Directions for use: Add the contents of this packet to your bath for muscle relaxation and tension relief. FOREST ESCAPE SCENTED PINECONE Gather or purchase one pinecone per gift recipient. For each pinecone, add: 2 teaspoons balsam fir pine needles 1 dry rosehip bud 1 teaspoon rose petals 2 drops balsam fir essential oil Put all ingredients into a resealable plastic bag. (A clean trash bag will work if you are making a large number of scented pinecones at once.) Seal and shake the bag, then let it sit unopened for a week to allow the scent to develop. Directions for use: Enjoy the aroma of this pinecone potpourri as a holiday decoration in your home. MILK AND HONEY BATH 5 cups dry milk ½ cup powdered lavender 20 drops lavender essential oil 2 ½ cups powdered honey ½ cup powdered royal jelly (optional) If you can't find powdered honey, lavender, and royal jelly at a natural foods store, they are available online from various suppliers. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Makes 20 individual packets. Directions for use: Add the contents of this packet to your bath for skin hydration, softening, and soothing. Be a Gift to Your Clients During the holiday season, and for the rest of the year, you have one special ingredient that's more important than all the others—you! You get what you give, and your own gifts as a person and as a skin care professional are too numerous to count. Cherish them, nurture them, and use them to make your practice into a tangible gift clients will praise and remember. Lynn Parentini is a respected author, educator, esthetician, massage therapist, former makeup and skin care salon owner, and supporter of Dress For Success. She is a member of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the National Cosmetology Association, and is the author of The Joy of Healthy Skin (Prentice Hall, 1995) and Stone Journey (Esthetic Alternatives Inc, 2000). Contact her at lparentini@ymail.com. Get connected to your peers @ www.skincareprofessionals.com 19