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Carved Pumpkins

Halloween – what about the pumpkin?

There’s more to Halloween than pumpkin

Halloween that we celebrate on 31st October wasn’t always about pumpkins! has its roots it the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts believed that Samhain was a time of the year when the dead could easily pass from their world in to the world of the living.  The souls of the dead would revisit their homes looking for friendly faces and a cup of something nice. People left offerings of food and drink for the dead and believed that if they did this they would have some protection against the winter months

Feasts were even held and the souls of dead relatives were invited to attend and a place would be set for them at the table.

Now a days of course we carve pumpkins and trick or treat.  Carving pumpkins can be really creative but once carved what do you do with the pumpkin flesh?  If you can’t eat it all why not make some useful skin products? Pumpkin is packed with vitamins,  antioxidants and natural enzymes to fight free radicals so it is really good for your skin

Here are three to get you started

 

  • Pumpkin Sugar Body Scrub
Pumpkin body scrub

Pumpkin body scrub

Grate some pumpkin flash and mix with sweet almond oil and a little honey.  Mix well and then add enough raw cane sugar to make a dry constituency.  Now scrub your skin with the mix to slough away dead skin cells and feed your skin with the nutrients.  You will end up with smooth, glowing skin that looks rejuvenated and silky soft.

  • Pumpkin and honey baking soda facial scrub

Puree some pumpkin flesh and mix with honey and baking soda to get a smooth blend. Then put some of the mix in the palm of your hands and warm for a few seconds.  Apply to the face with gentle circular motions to help to give your skin a welcome boost. You can use this a face mask too – just leave on for 5 to 10 minutes. Wash off and pat dry.

  • Pumpkin salt foot scrub

Salt is a little more exfoliating than sugar so good to use in a foot scrub. Puree your pumpkin and mix with a little olive oil and course sea salt.  Mix it into a rough paste. Rub the mix on to your feet – it’s a bit messy so do it over a towel or something. Then massage it into your feet paying close attention to areas of hard skin. Your feet will feel like they could walk 10,000 miles and then walk 10,000 more!

I feel the need for a disclaimer – try these at your own risk and make sure you aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients before you indulge!


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