R & R

After a weekend of college football, which included two flights in 48 hours, bench seats and "not my own bed" I returned home from the USC/Notre Dame game weekend with a sore back, heavy eyes and dry lips. Sounds pleasant, huh?

I decided to turn to simple past proven remedies to treat my moderate ailments.

1. An epsom salt and lavender bath.

Begin filling your tub with water at whatever temperature you prefer. As the water is filling up disperse the epsom salt around. My technique: I take the bag or carton and pour all around the tub. You can get epsom salt at the drug storeor grocery store for pretty cheap so I am quite generous with the amount I put in.
Then I add Johnson and Johnson Lavender Baby Oil, to keep my skin moisturized and add a bit of an aromatherapy component for relaxation.


2. A warm cup of tea.

My husband and I did a late night run to Ralphs last week and stocked up on tea. My favorite for times I need some R&R mentally and physically is Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer, a brilliant blend of eleuthro, an Asian herb known used for centuries because of the sense of calm it imparts, cooling peppermint, spicy ginger and West Indian lemongrass a chamomile.

3. Cool cucumbers.

This one has been around forever but I tell you there is a reason why. The soothing properties are remarkable. I cut thin rounds, put them in the freezer for just a minute and the lay them on my eyes for a bit. Another one that I have heard works well but have yet to try is wetting two tea bags, putting them in the refrigerator for a little while and putting them on the eyes.

4. A gentle lip balm applied often.

My favorite for lips is Smith's Rosebud Salve which has been around since 1895.