As we hurtle towards Christmas once again, you may find that the ‘spirit’ of the celebrations have become a bit lost in the hustle and bustle of preparing everything. The festive season which used to be so magical, seems to become more stressful with each passing year as the commercial bandwagon thunders louder and longer through the lead up to Christmas. Read more…

The genus Mentha comprises of over 20 individual species with a diversity of varieties and chemotypes, most of which have aromatic foliage. However, only the essential oil extracted from Mentha piperita and Mentha arvensis (Cornmint), has the sharp, crisp and familiar aroma we associate with the term ‘peppermint’. Read more…

Here’s a question for you. When was the last time you spent more than just a few fleeting moments pampering your hard-working tootsies? It’s easy to forget about your feet, so if you’re at all like me I’m willing to bet it’s been a while since you really gave them some serious TLC. How long has it been? Hmmm, I thought so.

Despite spending hours and hours every year applying luxurious beauty treatments to our faces, necks and hands, our poor old feet are lucky to get more than a quick toe-nail clip or lick of nail varnish! Read more…

During the summer many people want to make up for lost time and get outside more to enjoy the sunshine whilst cycling, hiking or perhaps taking long walks. Walking outdoors is such a joy, and apart from being your body’s most natural form of exercise it is also safe, simple, and best of all it costs you absolutely nothing. There’s no doubt about it, walking is really good for your health.

Research has shown that walking can reduce the risk of numerous serious conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, hip fractures and even glaucoma. Medical studies conducted in 2005 discovered that walking builds aerobic fitness at both moderate and high intensity, and a 20 year Nurse’s Health Study found significant decreases in breast cancer and Type II diabetes in women who engaged in ‘brisk’ walking. Read more…