I am delighted to introduce you to Janey Lee Grace: best-selling author and co-host on BBC Radio 2's most successful daytime programme `Steve Wright in the Afternoon` - currently enjoyed by over 6 million listeners daily. If you haven't read her latest book - Imperfectly Natural Woman The Pocketbook - then I suggest you get a copy as it is packed full of all her best kept secrets, to fast-track you to the best in realistic holistic living. I've included a link to it at the end of this article.

Before we get onto what to apply remember skin brushing is incredibly important, I know you’ve read about it and probably thought its not really essential but trust me its worth investing 5 minutes before a bath or shower.

Using a natural bristle brush work upwards from your feet in small circular movements making sure to include your arms, chest neck and as much of your back as you can reach. It will feel tingly to start with but you’ll soon feel invigorated and it will help encourage elimination of toxins.

Save yourself a fortune on body scrubs and save on packaging too. Before you head off to buy any yummy body butters or scrubs check your kitchen cupboards or use up your fresh leftovers.

Oats
Oats are great for soothing irritated skin and just add seasalt, honey or simply water to help with exfoliation.


Fruity Body Scrub
For a lovely fruity body scrub, Papaya is excellent for the skin as it contains Papain enzyme which has been proven to dissolve dead skin cells but almost any soft fruit pulp will do the job. Mix pulped strawberries, kiwi, tomatoes, plums – anything - with ground almonds, oatmeal or whatever you have to hand. This one smells good enough to eat (and it is!).

Banana Scrub
A yummy scrub for all over dry, sensitive skin all you need is:

* 2 teaspoons rolled oats
* 2 teaspoons mashed banana
* 1 teaspoon of honey (Manuka honey is great)
* 1 teaspoon fresh milk

Mix ingredients, apply all over face or body, then leave for a minute and wash off.

Natural Oils
Without doubt, natural oils will moisturise the skin much more efficiently than petrochemical-laden products, so try sweet almond oil, borage and even just extra virgin olive oil, which are both wonderful for skincare. In Europe and Asia, these have been the mainstay of women’s skincare and beauty regimes for centuries. But here, if you haven’t heard it before, is my top tip for moisturising the body so ditch your expensive lotions and body butters. The cheapest and best moisturiser you’ll ever find is coconut oil. (Yes, you can eat it too!)

If possible, source organic virgin coconut oil. It solidifies if left in normal to cold temperatures (65°F) but you simply spoon it out of the jar, rub your hands together and apply it. When it’s warmed it turns to liquid so you can smear it all over your body. You’d think it would be greasy or smell of coconuts which, let’s face it, is OK if you’re on the beach but not ideal all year round. However, incredibly, it has only a faint smell and isn’t greasy. Just give it a few minutes to soak in as usual.

It’s fantastic for pregnancy too, so you can forget all those expensive ‘tummy oils’. This is all you’ll need. It’s also an incredible hair conditioner, as it softens the hair and conditions the scalp. It’s rich in various nice minerals such as calcium, potassium and iron and, if you have dry damaged hair, using the oil as a pre-wash conditioner can revitalise it and rid you of dandruff better than a medicated shampoo.

Lather it on to damp hair, wrap a bath cap and towel around your head and sleep on it, you may need a couple of washes to get it all out the next morning but your hair will be soft and silky.

Coconut oil is wonderful for hands and feet too. If you’re not expecting a night of passion, slap it on your feet under thick socks and on your hands under cotton gloves and sleep tight. My favourite is the ethically traded Coconoil from Sri Lanka which is availabe from www.coconoil.com.

Janey Lee Grace runs a fantastic holistic website and thriving forum at her website www.imperfectlynatural.com so pop along and say hello!