SHARON D! WELCOME HER AS SHE XPLORES THE XOTIC!

Sharond here! I am honored to be the new reviewer for Xplore the Xotic. We all know that something from another part of the world is exotic, however exotic can be intriguingly unusual or different; excitingly strange. I hope to introduce you to xotic items that perhaps you had not heard of.

A few years ago, my husband and I took a dream vacation and cruised from Miami across the Atlantic and then continued on for another 12 days to see the Baltic. One of the things I love about cruising is the spa. They usually are more expensive than their land based counterparts; however there is nothing that can compare to a great massage while gazing out the window watching the waves. Elemis, which have flagship spas in London, Miami and Hong Kong, were the proprietors of the spa on this ship. In the United States you can buy Elemis products on line from timetospa.com. Signing up for their mailing list can get a savings of 10%, sometimes more, and occasionally they will throw in free shipping. The best bargain is their gift packs. Along with orders, you can select from several samples to try. Packages come within a week, well packed and in good condition.

On this cruise, I tried the salt glow massage. My massage therapist was from Zimbabwe and was excellent; not only at giving a good massage, but instructing me to their secret to the best, most relaxing salt scrub I ever had. She suggests the following ritual:

Make it private. Close the door to keep out intruders, however if your significant other wants to massage the scrub in, by all means; welcome. Mood lighting. Scented candles. Induldge. Pour a glass of wine or your favorite beverage. Condition. Use an all-over salt scrub to exfoliate and hydrate the skin. Use a deep conditioner on your hair at the same time.

First use a natural bristle brush and brush your legs and arms with long strokes starting at the hands and feet towards the body. Her recipe for the salt scrub was a combination of two of Elemis's products, the Skin Nourishing Milk Bath and the Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow. She mixed about two-three heaping tablespoons of the salt glow with the milk bath until it was gelatinous and easy to spread on. Next rub this mixture all over using small circular motion again working from your extremities toward your body with special emphasis on your dry areas. On your body, use a clockwise motion to help push toxins out. I suggest lying on a towel or bath sheet as the salt will fall off as it dries. I like to just relax, listen to soft music, inhale the wonderful fresh citrusy lime yet subtly soft camellia scent, let the moisturizers go to work and the ginger time to stimulate your metabolism. After about 15 minutes, shower off using a small amount of the milk bath on a washcloth. After your shower, dry with a fluffy towel and put more milk bath on neat. It is a wonderful moisturizer and the scent makes you feel sexy and fully relaxed. I was impressed at how smooth and moisturized my skin felt. I was hooked.

The Milk Bath can be used daily in the shower. For really dry skin, Elemis suggests using Milk Bath in your warm (not hot) bath every other day for nine days.

I can not think of a better home treatment to get your skin soft and silky for New Years Eve.

Who else is an Elemis fan!

Elemis! BUY IT HERE