Winter's Glow (and How to Stay Hydrated)

I'm not sure where I got this recipe anymore. It's so basic, it's pretty much the same anywhere you go on the internet. Some recipes even use sugar, instead of salt.

Last summer at the Renaissance Faire, I tried a salt rub hand massage. My mom had given me some body polish a few years ago, but, frankly, I didn't know what to do with it then ... Now I get it! With a scent you like, it can be addicting--and great for rubbing out calluses and hangnails and for keeping dry skin hydrated. Even Oliver tried it this morning with a batch of Red Clover Tea.


This year, I decided to make some lip balm, There are many recipes out there on the web, and I tried a few of them. Here's the recipe I liked (from Mystic Mountain Sage) :

Honey a la Creme Lip Balm
45 grams Sweet Almond Oil
15 grams Cocoa Butter
10 grams Coconut Oil
10 grams Lanolin
20 grams Beeswax
1.5 grams honey

I added : 1 tsp Lemon Juice
Measure all ingredients into a heat-proof jelly jar. Set the jar in a pan of water on the stove. As the water boils, the oils will melt. Once melted, pour into containers. Actually, I used a plastic spoon and spooned it into the pots.

This could use a little more flavoring ... something to think about for next time. I left the remainder in the jelly jar. When I need a refill, I'll just warm it up again and fill a few more pots.

I couldn't buy the chap stick cylanders locally, so I opted for the next best thing : In the beading section of Joanne's, they had these little containers for storing beads. It was $7 for 12 little "pots." That worked for me!