I recently went on a work trip to the beautiful island of Nevis in the West Indies. Though I do love my day job doing public relations for sea turtles, I ended up with turtle babysitting duties for two nights. What exactly is turtle babysitting? Well we attach satellite-transmitters on sea turtles, and someone's got to watch the turtle between the time we get her on the beach and sunrise when we can start attaching the transmitter. That's where I came in...
However fun and exotic turtle sitting may seem, it's a little torturous for me because bugs really, really love me. I spent both nights soaked in Beat It! Natural Insect Repellent, made without DEET, but the bugs just wouldn't quit. Beat It! smells wonderful and does work when there's only a few bugs out and biting. But these mosquitoes in Nevis were relentless, and as a result my legs looked like I had the chicken pox.
For the past two weeks, I've been letting my skin heal naturally so no shaving allowed. Today I realized I did not have any more scabs, so I wanted to really pamper my abused legs. I started by making my Floraesthetics Soothing Scrub. I combine oatmeal, honey and lavender flowers with nourishing oils to create an all-natural, earthy scrub that feels luxurious!
In the shower, I slowly worked the scrub into my legs using a little bit of water and soft, circular motions. Then I sat back and let it soak in to let the oatmeal and honey do their healing-moisturizing thing.
According to benefits-of-honey.com, "honey's natural antioxidant and anti-microbial properties help to protect the skin from the damage of the sun's rays, supports the skin's ability to rejuvenate and refresh depleted skin, leaving it feeling silky soft and supple."
According to RN Guide to Skin Care's website, "silicon and other minerals in oatmeal soothe the skin and can help relieve itching or inflammation. It contains both avenanthramides and beta-glucan. In addition to reducing irritation or inflammation, they can also help the skin to heal after sun exposure or other stresses." Plus, oatmeal is cleansing, hydrating and the texture is great for exfoliation!
After a 5-minute soak, I rinsed the scrub off with cool water. It came right off and left my legs feeling smooth and moisturized. I really wanted to leave it at that, but my leg hair was too long even for me. Using not-so-natural shave cream (haven't found a natural version that works), I took off all the hair and rinsed again using just water. Finally, I treated my legs to L'Occitane's Lait Corporel lotion for dry skin, which I brought from the resort in Nevis.
My Bug Bite Therapy was a success! My legs haven't felt so soft or smooth in a long time and "shadows" left behind by the bug bites seem less noticeable. Can anyone say 'skirt time'?
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