HOT OFF THE PRESS: THE BOOK OF BEAUTY

It sometimes takes a long time to make a dream come true. This week, mine finally arrived in four boxes. My first official publication, The Book of Beauty: Making Skin Care Products with Aromatherapy and Ayurveda. When I was six years old, my mother bought me my first brand new book, Martine à la mer. Right there and then, I knew I wanted to become an author. I spent most of my career writing as a reporter, as a communications officer or in some other capacity but it did not meet this urge deep within. Now this one did and propelled me to start another one.

The Book of Beauty summarizes everything I learned over the past 15 years about making skin care products. I share with readers the basics of Ayurveda as it relates to skin types and provide a test that allows you to assess your own and other people's dosha or constitution with photos that support the teachings.


The book contains a list of oils with their characteristics and abilities to meet the needs of your dosha, as well as hydrosols and other ingredients needed to make skin care products. Recipes are suggested from the most simple to more complex ones until you have a complete understanding of what each ingredient can do for you. Exercises, tips safety measures and photos also enrich your knowledge. In the end, you will be able not only to make those recipes but also to adapt them to specific needs, and even create new ones.

The Book of Beauty is available both as a soft-cover paper book and as an e-book.

Below is the Table of Content and a few excepts of The Book of Beauty.

Table of Content

Foreword                                                                                         

Preface by Bhuvaneswari

CHAPTER 1 – LONG-LASTING BEAUTY, EVERY DAY

Basic Ayurveda and the doshas: Know yourself first

- Vata

- Pitta

- Kapha
- The Ayurvedic test

- The Ayurvedic perspective

Words of wisdom

From theory to application

Knowing your ingredients

Organic versus non-organic

Creating your own recipes for everlasting beauty

Caution

Words of wisdom

References

CHAPTER 2 - OILS FOR ALL YOUR BEAUTY NEEDS

Carrier oils: Your skin’s best friends

A list of oils and their properties

Macerations

Creating your own recipes

Tip: Preserving and extending the vitality of oils

Recipe: Lip balm

References

CHAPTER 3 - PLANTS WANT TO SERVE YOUR BEAUTY

The magical world of plants

Herbs, fruits, flowers, trees, spices, grains

Essential oils, absolutes and attars

Systems of knowledge in aromatherapy

Essential oils: their versatility and loyalty

Safe use of essential oils

5 Essential oils for your everyday needs

RECIPES: Essential oil blends for the 3 doshas

TIP: Preserving your essential oils and blends

References

CHAPTER 4 – LIFE-GIVING WATER

Hydrosols: The subtle partners

Decoctions and macerations

Flower essences

Aloe vera gel

Bathing in nature’s beauty

Recipe: Toners for the 3 doshas

Tips: Preserving the vitality of hydrosols

References

CHAPTER 5 - WE OWE MUCH TO ANIMALS AND INSECTS

Dairy

Cleopatra and your grandma knew

What’s in milk? Which one?

Ghee

Recipe

MACERATIONS REVISITED

Honey

Recipe: Unctuous cleansing mask

Tip

References

CHAPTER 6 - MAKING MOISTURIZERS AND SALVES

The fun of creating your own recipes

The most important ingredient: your energy

Basic recipes

Cough salve

Moisturizing cream

Safety

Tip

Keeping track of your results

CHAPTER 7 - THE STORY OF Émotions - Chakra Creams

CHAPTER 8 - IT’S NOW UP TO YOU

Excepts 

About the Kapha dosha: 

"Typically, those with oily skin resist using oil in their beauty care regimen. However, light grape seed oil or the more warming mustard seed oil are allies to balance natural sebum production. Fortunately, there are wonderful alternatives in the vegetal world for those who won’t change their mind."

About the vegetal world:

"‘Weeds’ are only plants that we judge to be useless, invasive or ugly. That is simply because we do not know them or how to live with them, and do not appreciate the role they play in the garden of life. Some are protectors, some are healers, and they provide food to the animal and insect world, which we need. They all purify the air we breathe, protect the soil from erosion, and so on."

About essential oils:

"You also need to know that essential oils, being quite subtle, travel quickly in the physical body, affect the mind and emotions, and are powerful allies when you do energy work in the subtle fields of the aura."

About honey:

"Natural honey contains vitamin E that penetrates layers of the skin and reduces the formation of free radicals that interfere with healing. Vitamins B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, amino acids and enzymes that facilitate digestion and cell metabolism are also present in honey. It is anti-bacterial, promotes moisture absorption and helps heal burns and other wounds."

You can purchase The Book of Beauty directly from Face to Grace via Paypal (contact me at info@facetograce.com in Ottawa, Canada), at AuthorHouse.com, on Amazon, Kindle and other book distributors.

I hope it joins the recipe books in your kitchen and that you get hours of enjoyment experimenting with it.