HoMedics PAR200 ParaSpa Deluxe Paraffin Bath

Healing 

Warm paraffin is so comforting in the winter when the skin on your hands and feet can start to dry out more than in the summer months. You may also notice your feet needing extra attention in the summer months due to wearing open shoes. 

So, this paraffin bath is perfect year round. While you can find smaller paraffin baths (one sitting on the bathroom counter is nice), the larger size is more versatile if you only want to buy one.

Once you have your paraffin bath all set up, turn on the heat the day before you want to dip your hands, feet or elbows. 

When the paraffin wax starts getting low, you can reorder more wax and add it to the bath as needed. To use, simply dip your hand, elbow or food into the warm melted wax and then dip again so you get two coats. 

Parrafin Wax Six 1-lb. Bags of Paraffin Beads - Peach Beads

You will feel as if you just put on a warm glove. Now, to increase the benefit of the heat, I first put on some great hand cream and then dip my hands. That way the cream is absorbed and your hands feel soft and smooth. You can slip your hands into the disposable gloves and sit and watch TV for 15 minutes. Then, slip off the wax which is now hardened on your hand. 

A few paraffin hand dips at a salon will cost you more than one paraffin bath, so it is worth the initial cost of purchasing your own and you can also use it before a manicure to help your cuticles. Put some almond or vitamin E oil on your nails and cuticles and then dip your hands, the results are amazing!

~The Rebecca Review

Masada TOTAL TRANQUILITY TREAT GIFT BASKET

Spa Lovers List

Palms Spa - Palm Springs

Oaks Spa - Palm Springs

Nob Hill Spa  - San Francisco

Willow Stream Spa  - Scottsdale, Arizona - They feature outdoor massage, heated waterfalls and sports. 

Beaver Creek - Beaver Creek, Colorado - Aromatherapy massage and warm honey foot scrubs. 

Red Mountain Spa - Ivins, Utah - Features gourmet food and workout centers. 

Burt's Bees Delicious Body Products

Salish Lodge  Washington (near Seattle) - River Rock massages and the food is amazing! 

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa  - Ojai, California - Fresh flower facials and citrus honey body wraps. 

Vista Clara Ranch  - Galisteo, New Mexico 

Lush Golden Slumbers Bath

Intoxicating Lavender Bath, December 11, 2006

Depending on your mood (and the time of day you take a luscious bath with the Golden Slumbers bath ballistic) you could either end up feeling especially sleepy or especially interested in going out on a date or staying home swapping massages with the lovely LUSH massage bars. The comforting warmth of the bath with generous quantities of lavender oil and lavender flowers is blended with chamomile oil and Neroli oil. The Golden sparkle is pretty, but washes off easily.

Most of what you feel while in the bath is the lavender blossoms tickling your skin as you move about. The water was silky, fragrant and simply intoxicating. The bath ballistic won't give you any bubbles, so a bit of a bubble bar should do the trick. Follow this bath with the lovely Sleepy Head massage bar for an even more dreamy sleep. The Therapy bar is great for couples or any of the bars are fun just to spoil your skin with rich dreamy oils and cocoa butter.

If the little bits of lavender don't sound appealing, then you might prefer other ballistics with rose petals (Romance In a Stone) or one of the buttery bath ballistics without the flowers/herbs. The LUSH bath ballistics are so fun to use and instead of standing over the tub dropping in essential oils, you just toss one of these in the tub and watch is spin around in the water, fizzing your bath into a supremely luxurious experience. 

Golden Slumbers is especially moisturizing, skin soothing and relaxing. Invite your partner to scrub your back with some lovely sea salts and then promise them a massage later. This bath ballistic could be the start of a very lovely relaxing evening. Spoil yourself, you deserve it.

~The Rebecca Review

The Japanese Bath

Soul Warming Read, September 14, 2004

In spring, one enjoys gazing at the fragile white petals of plum and watching the cherry blossoms fall; in summer, the rich green wisteria leaves threaten to climb through the window into the bathroom; in autumn, while taking a bath, one can watch how the brilliantly colored Japanese maples darken in color day by day; and, in winter, the perfect complement to a hot steamy bath is the cold wind that brushes through the bare silvery branches covered with crisp white snow. ~Bruce Smith and Yoshiko Yamamoto

If you dream of bathing in a forest as the moon rises over pine trees, then this book will inspire you to keep dreaming and I knew I was not the only person in the world to wish to bathe outdoors. Bruce Smith and Yoshiko Yamamoto have created a book filled with bathing experiences to cleanse the soul. This is about the philosophy of the bathing experience and how to recreate this experience in your own home. You will find information on the setting of the bath, what the entry should look like, how to create scenery and how to create lighting with lanterns.

The authors do not recommend use of bath salts in the wooden baths, but I don't see why you could not use them in other materials. If you are thinking of building your own Japanese bath, there is a section on resources, mainly companies in California and New Mexico. There are also a number of websites for further research. The list of Public Baths may inspire a visit to a Hot Spring style spa. The Glossary is a quick reference for the Japanese names like lanterns and plum tea.

After reading this book, I'm even more determined to find a vacation spot complete with a private Japanese bath. I found the text to be soul warming, the pictures inspirational and a part of my heart understands the need for soaking in solitude, preferably in a beautiful garden by the light of the moon, with the reflection of a mountain dancing in the ripples.

What we have given up with morning showers! After reading this beautiful work of art, you may find yourself longing for the luxury of bathing in deep water. I loved the picture of the Japanese bath in the winter snow. If only there was a view from my garden tub. At least there are many ideas you can incorporate into your bathing experience, even if it is indoors.

This book would make a perfect gift inside a small cedar bucket along with bath salts, lotions, essential oils, body brush and a fluffy towel or robe/yukata. This is a book you can read in the tub or curl up with in bed after a warm bath.

~The Rebecca Review

Lush Bath Big Blue

Mermaid Bath, January 19, 2007

Swimming in the sea with seaweed all around you seems normal, but looking into your tub and seeing so much seaweed swimming around made me a little nervous (normally I'm more brave) and I did consider looking for a strainer. However I said to myself: "Self, you get in that tub and stop being so silly." And so I did and the experience was rather pleasant. I'm used to rose petals floating about, but this was actually even better as the seaweed doesn't tickle.

So, what happens when you add this bath bomb to the tub? Well, it is one of the prettiest Lush baths which foams around the bath, first creating an island that looks also like a volcano bubbling up from the tub. Then the colors appear about as the bath bomb swirls beneath the foamy island, creating a seashore and waves. It is actually very interesting.

Finally, you have a deep blue bath with Atlantic Sea Salt. The lavender oil and lemon oil seem to deep cleanse the skin and the lemon oil is rather refreshing. The Seaweed seems to float about, but then it just keeps to itself until you stir it back up into the water by moving around.

So, if you are looking for a deep cleansing spa-like experience and you don't mind swimming about like a mermaid in seaweed, then this might be for you. If you don't like the seaweed, you might be able to put this in some cheesecloth, tie it up with a string and still get all the benefits, without all the seaweed floating about. It would be cute if they packaged this in some netting with a string.

Big Blue is perhaps the most adventurous Lush bath product I've tried. If you prefer rose petals, try the Romance in a Stone bath ballistic (has a romantic poem inside). I'm also looking forward to trying "Still Life" with sunflower petals, lemon and wild sweet orange. Life would be less fun without Lush. The therapy massage bar is lovely after this bath and you might enjoy the Sea Vegetable Soap - it also seems to have the same seaweed in it.

~The Rebecca Review

Spa Girl Selections

Little Indulgences	So Comforting Warm -Pillow-Heart you heat in the Microwave
Luxury Foot Massager	Organic Cotton Towels
Milk and Honey Spa Treats	Burt's Bees Queen Bee Kit
Spa Music for Relaxation	Make your own Bath & Body Products

Review for Queen Bee Kit: 

Pampering , November 30, 2005

"Cleopatra, renowned for her beauty, bathed in milk and almonds to keep her skin silky smooth and well nourished. Modern day goddesses can also enjoy the relaxing and cosmetic benefits of herbal bathing, a simple ritual almost forgotten in these tense and hurried times." ~Burt's Bees Herbal Milk Bath

The hand woven Abaca bag creates a little mystery because you can't quite see all the treats in the bag. What you will find when you open this luxurious Burt's Bees sampler bag is the following surprises:

A Lavender Mask - Blocks out all the light so you can relax. A delicate and very natural lavender fragrance is subtly relaxing and not overpowering. The silk is quite luxurious and this is a comforting item that will last for years.

Burt's Bees Pore Refining Mask - Ingredients (they have changed the ingredients to make it work even better than before): French green clay, bentonite, fragrance, peppermint leaf, shavegrass herb, calendula, rosemary leaf and sage. This mask is a lovely avocado green and will make you feel more calm. I loved how the powder can also be mixed with my favorite moisture mask or with natural ingredients for variety.
I've rarely seen a product clean pores this well. You can simply pour some of the green powder into your hand and mix in a little water. After applying, let dry and then rinse.

Burt's Bees Royal Jelly Eye Crème - A rich eye crème that is more like the consistency of a salve. You may be tempted to use this on hands and feet for a little healing luxury. The ingredients are delicious and include apricot kernel oil, aloe, grapefruit extract, royal jelly and vitamin E. Tempting to use as a lip gloss.

Burt's Bees Moisturizing Herbal Milk Bath - If you were addicted to the Burt's Bees Baby Buttermilk bath, this is a nice grownup alternative. It contains milk powder, buttermilk powder, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, rosemary oil and peppermint oil. Very relaxing and you may find yourself reading a little longer as you soak away your cares. You may notice your skin being especially healed and moisturized.

Burt's Bees Calm Balm - A yummy lemon balm made from sweet almond oil, olive oil, beeswax, lemon oil, vitamin E, comfrey root extract, rosemary leaf, lavender, lemongrass oil and lemon verbena. You may start to imagine you are very close to a lemon meringue pie and wonder if you should probably make one. A delicious relaxing scent of lemony bliss.

Burt's Bees Calming Candle - The tiny candle in this kit is super relaxing and can take you from stressed out to especially calm in a matter of minutes. I tried this candle when I was stressed and it definitely works. Would be a wonderful item to take with you when traveling as it has a lid.

Burt's Bees Repair Serum - This product supports skin repair and renewal and works to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Borage and Evening Primrose oils help to promote healthy skin. The oils absorb quickly and soothe and heal the skin. Ingredients: Rosehip seed oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil, vitamin E, evening primrose oil, borage seed oil, wheat germ oil, hazelnut oil, neroli oil, rose oil, calendula extract, green tea extract, beta carotene, tocopherol, vitamin C, vitamin A.

Burt's Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Crème - A luxurious blend of shea butter and cocoa butter, not to mention lavender, calendula, rose oil and rosemary. Not only will this heal and soothe your skin, it is emotionally calming and beautifully scented.

As a gift, this is filled with healing ingredients that will create a very memorable experience. If you want to sample some of the best of Burt's Bees, it is also an ideal introduction to the world of natural skincare.

~The Rebecca Review

 

Fantasy Bath Set	Body Cream with Rice Bran
Stone Set with Heater	The Beauty Buyble