I’m not a fan of cheesy cliches. But I am a fan of all things yellow citrus and that includes meringue pie, essential oil, lemon barley water, and the scent itself (I’ll pass on ‘The Cleanse’ – I really can’t deprive myself that much.) My neighbor has a bountiful lemon tree and leaves me with a generous bag on my gate every few weeks. This little fruit is a powerhouse! No, I’m serious- I clean, cook, and drink (with) it. Maybe I’ll feature some of my favorites, but for now, here’s what I do when it’s hot and I want to cool off or before I’m going out or just want to look swell. I use my pit bull’s baby pool (you read that right) but any old plastic foot bucket will do, or your bathtub. If you do use the olive oil, bear in mind it will coat whatever surface you’re using.
supermarket lemon vs Hollywood yard tree lemon
1 cup sugar (I like white, because it’s grainier)
juice of 1 large (tree) lemon or 2-3 small (supermarket kind)
2 tbsp olive oil (optional, depending)
mix together in bowl
If you want to get tingly you can add a few drops of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap, which is great when it’s hot. Or if you are winding down, the Lavender. Warning: never use essential oil directly – dilute it with the olive oil or another kind you like (jojoba oil is good, and you can get it at Trader Joe’s.) If you need some extra exfoliation, you can save the lemon rinds and scrub your feet with ’em. I’m not a fan of salt scrubs of any kind because if you have any kind of abrasion…it stings.
Sit down!
Scrub mixture over your lower legs and feet and relax before you rinse off.
Make someone else clean up after you.
