Rose, jasmine, lotus are the best flowers for a flower bath.

Valentine’s Day, Birthday, Women’s Day, several other special days and then… Xmas and the New Year. Run out of gift ideas already?

Honey, do something wild

Get some forest honey, gift-wrap it. The fun thing is that you can taste the massage or bath “oil” as you are enjoying either activity. Mix a bit of lemon juice to the forest honey to make a perfect mixture for the massage. “We could mix five portions of honey with one portion of lime and one portion of olive oil. And after the massage you could wrap your body (in a nylon wrap) for 30 minutes (in summer) to 40 minutes (winter time). The mixture of honey, lime and olive oil will make your skin soft and shiny,” says Nguyen Lan Huong, owner of ZenSpa Vietnam, a member of Hong Kong-based Asia Spas.

Get fresh with me

In northern Vietnam, many mothers cook a big pot of coriander for the whole family to wash their face with cool water on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Water boiled with coriander seeds gives you a fresh as a New Year smell. My Indian friend tells me you can drink coriander water for health as well! You just wash and cook them in a big pot until the fragrance permeates the whole house. Then you put the mixture in the bathtub and add cold water to get the temperature you want. Some people prefer to add a mixture of ginger, cinnamon, citrus leaves, lemon, orange, lemongrass and star flower to the bath.

What’s greener on the other side?

A special foot massage with ground grass is just the thing. Pick some grass from your garden (or other places where they grow wild) and slice it thin with a sharp knife. Get a big bronze basin and put the cut grass inside it. That’s it. Now all you have to do is sit on a chair and sink your feet into the grass and play with it for as long as you feel like it.

Smelling like a rose

Rose, jasmine, lotus are the best flowers for a flower bath. You could add some bathing salts into a bathtub full of flowers and warm water. It will be more relaxing if the bathroom is open to the garden.

The seductive touch

Ground coconut is just great for wiping out dead skin and relaxing at the same time. The best coconut for the massage is one that is not too old. After massaging the ground coconut all over the body for 10 minutes, you can wrap your body with a cloth so the coconut oil goes deeper into your skin. After 20 minutes, massage all over the body for another 10 minutes and then have a warm shower. The smell of ground coconut is very relaxing and seducing; and your skin gets softer than ever.

Easily available

All the above-mentioned ingredients can be found at markets or supermarkets in Vietnam at reasonable prices.

Reported by Huyen My