From my first book "Lisens Örtspa" (Prisma 2008) come these recipes that I still swear by - they make me warm and soft and put me in a good mood.
Vanilla-scented sugar scrub, your very own organic skincare product
This is a real luxury scrub with muscovado sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and ginger. The scent of vanilla roses and nutmeg is dizzyingly lovely.
2 tablespoons oatmeal
1 tbsp dried rose petals
1 vanilla pod
1 dl granulated sugar
1 dl almond oil (or sunflower oil)
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 pinch nutmeg
(20 drops of ginger essential oil)
Blend the oatmeal and rose petals into a powder in a spice grinder/blender. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the vanilla seeds. Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix thoroughly. Pour the sweet scrub into a clean glass jar and let it sit for at least 2 days before using to allow the scent to mature.
Use: take a handful of sugar scrub in your hand and massage it all over your body with a light hand. Shower off the scrub. You don't need to apply any cream afterwards as your skin has absorbed the fragrant oil.
The scrub will last for about 6 months at room temperature.
Are you craving more vanilla? Ok here is the recipe for my best vanilla oil. I started making it many years ago after a trip to India where I got hold of some fantastic vanilla pods and bought a couple of kilos with me, that's a lot of vanilla pods! The vanilla we get here in Sweden is rarely of the same high quality, so I recommend that you enhance the scent with natural vanilla extract (available to buy online, check companies that sell ingredients for natural cosmetics. In the same stores you can buy almond or jojoba oil).
Vanilla oil
2 dl almond or jojoba oil
1-2 vanilla pods
a few drops of vanilla oil
2 drops of rose essential oil
or
10 drops of lemon essential oil
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Pour the oil into a suitable bottle, stir in the vanilla seeds and add the remaining peel.
Put the lid on and let it sit for a week. Drop in essential oil and shake.
Usage: pour a little of the oil into your hand and massage your entire body with it.
I promise you will feel like the most wonderful person in the world!
Stay warm and happy!
The Lisen
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