Saturday Morning Book Review

Organic Body Care Recipes, 175 Homemade Herbal Formulas for Growing Skin and a Vibrant Self
by Stephanie Tourles

Are you tired of hearing about lead in your lipstick? Are you tired of spending a fortune on strong smelling, irritating skin care products? This is the book for you. I picked up this edition from one of my favorite book stores in the country, Gazebo Bookstore in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, which, also happens to be my favorite place in the whole world. One day I will live there, but I digress. Organic Body Care, by Stephanie Tourles is a useful book to have around for many different reasons.

The most obvious reason to get this book is for the great bath and beauty products that you can make with simple ingredients that you either already have on hand or can pick up quickly online or at you favorite health food store. Some of my favorite recipes are: "Basic Cold Cream and Makeup Remover" on p. 117, "Herbal Soapy Skin Wash" on p. 118, and "Ever-so-Gentle Soap Lover's Floral Face and Body Wash" on p. 119. These are the only recipes I have had time to make so far. I use the "Basic Cold Cream" as my nightly moisturizer on my cracked heal and elbows and I use the other two items as shower gel. A few of the other interesting items that I want to make are "Fragrant Hair Sheen," "Herbal Shampoo for all Hair Types," "Foot Scrub," "Salt of the Earth Body Scrub," and the "Healing and Cooling Lip Balm and Gloss."

The next great reason to get this book is to be able to make wonderful unique gifts for family and friends. I know that no one wants to think about gifts right now because we have just finished Christmas, but people have birthdays all year long. You could find out what your best friends favorite scent is, get that essential oil and use it in several different products that you can give to her in a cute gift bag. These items would also be great homecoming gifts for new moms. There are wonderful explanations of what properties different essential oils have, so you can tailor any gift to a special need.

That leads to to the third reason you might like this book. On the first 108 pages, Tourles explains the basics of skin care, what to use on different types of skin, the different ingredients used in making beauty products, the different tools needed, and a brief explanation of different essential oils. Everything you needed to know about bath and beauty products, but were afraid to ask.

This book is a fun, informative read and it is great to have on had to play and experiment with.

Happy Reading,
Laura