Herbs for beauty

All the beauty products in your bathroom cabinet, from soaps to moisturiser, have their origins in plants, and many are easy to reproduce at home using herbs you can find in our garden centre in Basingstoke. Here are just some of the ways you can garden yourself beautiful:

Lavender bath water: put one part lavender flowers with two parts bay leaves, four parts fine oatmeal and four parts bran in a saucepan with water and simmer for an hour. Strain and add a cupful to your bath to guarantee a good night's sleep.

Marigold moisturiser: you'll find easy-to-grow pot marigold seed in our garden centre. Melt 150g emulsifying cream over a pan of boiling water, then add 70g glycerol and 80ml water and stir. Stir in 30g dried marigold petals, and simmer for three hours: strain and store in the fridge.

Herbal foot bath: pick a large handful of mixed fresh herbs: sage, thyme, sweet marjoram and bay work wonders. Put in a large bowl of boiling water with a tablespoon of salt and when it's cooled a little, sink your feet in. The ultimate reviver after a tiring day.

Please ask the staff in our Basingstoke garden centre for more information and advice about growing herbs to use as cosmetics.