Enjoy Your Home Spa

We all love to pamper ourselves once in a while don’t we? It helps us relax and leaves our skin healthy and smooth, but not all of us have spa appointments all planned out in our schedules and sometimes the cost can be a bitch. Besides, what’s better to do at home than having a nice up of tea, a book you enjoy and a DIY home spa when it’s raining outside?

For your body:

Milk Bath
You’ll need:

* 8 cups powdered milk
* 1 cup oatmeal
* 1 cup ground almonds
* 1 cup cornmeal

Mix the ingredients together and store in a sealed container. When you’re ready to use it, scoop the desired amount onto a cheesecloth (or something like a J-Cloth) and tie it securely. Drop it into the bathtub before filling it with water. Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil for added relaxation. A milk bath keeps your body moisturized and soft.

Papaya Body Polish
The papaya contains enzymes that soften and revitalize the skin when absorbed and help remove dead, flaking skin.

All you need to do is puree a ripe papaya (including the skin) and spread it over your body without rubbing. Wrap yourself in a plastic sheet for 20 minutes and allow your body to sweat. Wash it off and enjoy your soft skin!

For your Face:

Avocado Mask

Mash the creamy insides of one avocado into a soft paste and apply to your face using the avocado pit to massage the paste into your skin using small, upward, circular motions. Leave on for a few minutes then wash off with warm water. Avocados are naturally rich in vitamin E and leave your skin feeling soft.

Make your own Lip Balm, Hairspray & Body Scrub

Feeling organic and in the mood for DIY? Try making your own eco-friendly everyday cosmetic products. ThreadBanger shows you how and where to get the materials. Honey lip balm (Shea butter if you’re vegan) , lemon hair spray and sugar cane body scrub sound natural and fruitful. It’s about time to pamper yourself without killing the planet. Oh and they meet vegan standards too!

“Groundbreaking” Eco-friendly Apartment: Bought by Leonardo DiCaprio

The Titanic star, who is also an outspoken environmentalist has just purchased a ‘green’ flat in New York’s pioneering Riverhouse complex. DiCaprio’s representative confirmed the sale but did not reveal how much the star had paid. A statement was released, however, saying “Riverhouse is a prime example of how green technology is both accessible and achievable for new residential developments – it is a groundbreaking building.”

What we know is that Riverhouse offers one-bedroom properties from $835,000 and four-bedroom homes from $2,975,000, so it’s somewhere in between.

The 264-unit complex in Rockefeller Park was built using locally acquired renewable materials, is partly powered by solar energy,offers a 24-hour fresh-filtered air system and boasts green rooftops planted with pine trees.

Riverhouse residents also have access to a children’s playroom, media cafe, fitness centre, dog spa and a treehouse. DiCaprio has long been an ardent campaigner on green issues. He was one of the first people to buy a hybrid car and has established his environment awareness organisation the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.