I can’t do sitting still if I don’t have anything to focus on.
No, my breath DOESN’T count.
If I’m not in my jammies and unconscious, this brain has to stay activated. Point of fact, blanking my mind is actually very difficult for me. And considering the waves of articles and conversations touting the importance of stilling your thoughts, and being present, and serenity now, et cetera, it took me a long time to realize that my level of required thought processing is 100% okay! I’m a babbling brook, not a still pond. As long as you can relax in your own way, neither metaphorical body of water is better than the other.
Although one has fewer mosquitoes, just saying.
When it’s time for me to find my happy place, I have a few physical practices that are keeping me from becoming a serial arsonist; and one of the most meditative in my relaxation repertoire is making my own hair and body butters.
That’s my kit!
At least, it’s what all I could fit in this shot. Kind of a ‘Little Mermaid’ scenario, except less waterlogged. But it’s not a static collection by any means!
The only thing more exciting than researching the effects of different oils, waxes, and butters is getting to try and buy them all! I have simple pleasures…or at least you could say that if my collection weren’t as extensive as it is. I proudly live out the woman-targeted stereotypes of loving to heal and loving to shop, and the sheer breadth of different types of raw materials you can purchase for just as many purposes makes my head spin in the best way!
I take my skin health seriously—never forget that it’s literally a bodily organ, and the largest one you have!! Caring for it isn’t some shallow pursuit—dryness, cracking, infection, movement inhibiting scars, and more can be ameliorated with the right kind of pampering. And when that skin is your scalp specifically, that translates to better hair health as well. The seriousness factor doesn’t keep me from having fun with unboxing and butter hauls, but it’s there!
Protip: If you’re acquiring raw materials in the summer, do it in person, or face the melty consequences.
Once I’ve got everything in place and a “recipe” in mind, getting down to work is fulfilling as well. Watching and smelling everything melt and meld together over my tea light trivet is refreshing! It’s a lot like cooking:
- Gather ingredients
- Blend until harmonious
- Slather all over your hair and body
…in fact, the way I eat sometimes, it’s exactly like cooking. But unlike all of my unfortunate alfredo sauce incidents, I get to get in a little auto-massage therapy afterward, and even during the creation process. The ‘I just made whipped hair butter’ all-over glow is REAL y’all.
As far as getting results go, I’m okay with leaving things to the professionals sometimes. I’ll admit that nothing I’ve made so far works as a hair lotion or style holder, and I’m too busy getting melted hemp butter everywhere to remember writing down any silly things like ‘measurements’ or ‘jar labels’. But where my spirit’s health is concerned, making my own emollient blends can’t be beat. I feel more in touch with my inventive nature and my ancestors through my craft, and I love having a tangible reward to go with my relaxation! It’s like a swag bag from a refreshing party for one.
