DIY Clear Your Head Aromatherapy Blend

This blend will open your sinuses, clear your head and clear your mind. This handmade blend is a great gift. Blend a bottle for yourself. Inhale as needed to clear your head. Massage onto scalp and sinuses for rapid headache and congestion relief.

Keep this bottle in your purse, gym bag or car console. This Clear Your Head Blend travels well as long as it's in a proper blue or amber glass bottle protecting the essential oils from the light. Keep it in a cool dark place, like the medicine cabinet at home. Do not leave in a hot car. 

To make your blend, you will need:

• Half ounce of organic sunflower blending oil
• 16 drops ESS Organic Pepermint Essential Oil
• 9 drops ESS Organic Eucalyptus Essential Oil
• 8 drops ESS Organic Rosemary 
• 20 drops ESS Organic Grapefruit Essential Oil
• 1 half ounce size blue glass bottle and dropper top

Blend the ingredients in the order listed, fasten the top on your bottle and turn it upside down several times. Let your blend sit 30 minutes before applying directly to your skin. Do not apply to sensitive skin. 

Enjoy!

Spa Gifts For Under $20

For delicious smelling gifts that bring comfort and joy home for the holidays, Urban Sanctuary is your one stop shop! Shop with us online or stop by the spa and browse our vast selection of eco-friendly, man-friendly, organic and natural gifts for bath and body, house and home. These are some of our favorite items available for under $20.

• Good Karma roll on aromatherapy $15
• Calm Bath Salts by Herbivore $18
• Fig and Honey soap wrapped in beautiful craft  paper $8
• Zum Body Lotion Sandalwood  $7
• Prayer Bead Bracelets handmade by our own Sheri Stout $12
• Clear Head Soy Candle Tins by Way out Wax $8.50-$14.50
• Lavender Chamomile Bubble Bath $14
• Vitality Tea handcrafted by Naturopathica $18
• Eucalyptus and Lime Bath Bombs $3 for one or $18 half dozen
• Menthol Cucumber Shower Bombs pack $7.99
• Hand In Hand Vetiver Candle $12
• Zum Goat's Milk Soap Bundles $10

How To Make: Peace Of Mind Body & Bath Oil Blend

This is a lovely aromatherapy blend combining essential oils that promote relaxation, well being, peace of mind and comfort. The blend is in an organic sesame oil base which makes it a great choice for a body oil, massage oil or a bath oil.

This makes a very nice hand made gift. An 8 ounce bottle of this blend lasts many months as a bath and body oil and has a fairly long shelf life if kept in a cool dark cabinet when not in use. It could last a year or longer.

For Peace of Mind Blend, you will need:

- 8 ounces of Organic Sesame Oil

- a blue glass 8 or 16 ounce bottle/lid

- Organic Grapefruit Essential Oil

- Clary Sage Essential Oil

- Organic Cedarwood Essential Oil

- Sweet Basil Essential Oil

- Wintergreen Essential Oil

Blend 20 drops of Organic Grapefruit Essential oil into your Organic Sesame Oil base. Drop in the Grapefruit, put the cap on your bottle and gently shake. Next add your Clary Sage Essential oil. 12 drops. Add 12 drops of Organic Cedarwood aromatherapy oil, 8 drops of Sweet Basil and 4 drops of Wintergreen. Fasten the lid tightly and shake the blend gently. Let it sit for 30 minutes before applying to your skin or bath to allow time for the essential oils to bind.

Rub Peace Of Mind oil onto your chest and temples at bed time to slow down a racing or restless mind. Use for therapeutic massage, foot massage. Use 1/2 ounce to a full ounce in a warm bath to release mental and emotional stress. Enjoy...

Great Gifts For Under $50

•  Half Hour Swedish Massage $45
•  Brocade Neck Pillows $44
•  Herbal Ease Canvas Neck Pillow $39
•  Asian Foot Massage Gift Certificate $45
•  Fig + Yarrow Hygene Kit $36
•  Patch NYC Stag Soy Candle $36/$48
•  Sweet Birch Mineral Bath Flakes $36
•  Scalp Massage Gift Certificate $45
•  Cardamom Coffee Body Scrub $48
•  Hot Stone Pedicure $40
•  Acupressure Neck Pillow from Bed Of Nails $39
•  Monarch Deluxe Spa Bathrobe $40

12 Great Gifts For Him

• Scalp Massage Gift Certificate $55
• Arnica Muscle and Joint Gel by Naturopathica $28
• Acupressure Neck Pillow by Bed of Nails $39
• Hour Massage Series Package of Seven $480- $540
• Konjac Loofa and  Body Sponge with Bamboo Charcoal $15
• Peppermint Volcano Soap by Level Naturals $6
• Herbal Ease Neck Pillow $45
• Alpha Fit Clarisonic Brush for Men $189
• Cedar and Bergamot Post Shave Elixer from Herbivore Botanicals $22
• Patch Fedora Solid Fragrance $22
• Ninety Minute Deep Tissue Massage $125

10 Great Gifts For Her

These lovely hand  crafted Lavender Neck  and Body Pillows can be used hot or cold.

• Four Seasons Herbal Steam Fig +and Yarrow $24
• Cucumber Wasabi Cilantro Soy Candle In Glass by Level Naturals $19.99
• Brass Cameo Locket crafted by My Sweet Nomsa in black or pink $36
• 2 Hours of Spa Time $190
• Little Barn Apothecary's Cedarwood + Rose Body Scrub $24
• Aromatic Alchemy Essential Oils Blends Kit from Naturopathica $98
• Meadow Bath & Body Oil from Fig and Yarrow $44
• Lavender Neck and Body Pillow by Whispering Willow $39
• Herbivore Botanicals' Coconut Milk Bath $18 or $32
• Queen For A Day Gift Certificate $302

DIY Holiday Gifts: Energizing Aromatherapy Salts

Aromatherapy salts make a great holiday gift or party favor. If you make your aromatherapy salt blends in big batches to portion out in a dozen or more containers, you can really stretch your gift list dollars!

Have fun blending your salts. It is not time consuming and there is lots of room for variation and creativity. Get the kids involved!

This recipe yields approximately 6-12 gifts depending on the size jar you choose. Substitute 6 ounce clear potpourri bags to yield more gifts from your batch.

This blend can be used for smelling salts and foot soaks. Not recommended for a body soak (too tingly) due to the quantity of peppermint oil.

Aromatherapy has many well being benefits, including stress relief, relaxation, increased energy, relief from headaches, PMS, insomnia and much much more.


You will need:

• 12 cups salt
• 32 drops Organic Peppermint essential oil
• 32 drops Organic Rosemary essential oil
• 16 drops Lemongrass essential oil
• mason jars and lids
• sprigs of fresh rosemary or pine clippings
• decorative ribbon or raffia

Dump your salt into a big mixing bowl. We recommend using Epsom salts, Sea salts or Himalayan salts for their healing and pain relief benefits. Choose a bowl that will not be reused for food. The essential oils will forever flavor any future foods blended or served in this bowl. A clean beach bucket or paint bucket will work for mixing also.

Drop your Organic Peppermint essential oil, Organic Rosemary and Lemongrass and blend thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Let the blend sit for 10-30 minutes and portion out into your mason jars or potpourri bags. Tie the containers with a bow and tie or tuck your decorative sprigs onto the container. Use a marker to write on the jar or a note card with instructions for use.

Instructions for use: Inhale this energizing blend as needed for a boost. Use 2-4 tablespoons in warm water for an energizing foot soak.

Do have the window open while you make your energizing salt blend. These essential oils will seriously pep you up. Rosemary and Peppermint are powerful natural stimulants, so use sparingly to avoid getting over stimulated. If you suffer from insomnia, do not make this blend at night. You may feel as though you drank coffee before bed.

Body Oil ,Body Wash and Body Scrubs by little barn Apothecary

The wildly popular Coffee + Mint Body Scrub smells like chocolate.

We had the opportunity to meet with artisan product creators and Little Barn Apothecary founders, Joshua and Brad at Urban Sanctuary yesterday. It was amazing to learn the story of how they created their new natural products line. They shared their stories and a some of the science, art and love behind each holistically crafted blend.

Brad and Joshua insist on using only ethically sourced essential oils, herbs and ingredients in ALL of their products. This is not just lip service. They actually grow and harvest their own Thyme, Coriander, Mint, Lemon Balm, Eucalyptus, Lavender and more in their very own back yard.

The intelligence, artistry and love that goes into these products is incredible. After spending a few hours with Brad and Joshua, I can honestly say that we are star struck.

We will be adding their soy candles, face cleansing oils and several other aspect of the line to our inventory within weeks. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, check out the scrubs, soaks and body oils available at Urban Sanctuary now!

• Coffee + Mint Body Scrub is toning, tightening and renewing $26
• Cedarwood + Rose Body Scrub is softening, gentle and calming $24
• Rosemary + Juniper Body Scrub is invigorating and smoothing $24
• Honeysuckle + Grapefruit Body Oil is at once healing and  intoxicating $34
•  Lemongrass +Mint Body Oil is nurturing and refreshing $26
• Rosewood + Ylang Ylang Body Wash soothing and softening $16
• Ginger + Rosemary Body Wash detoxing and awakening $16

Natural Face,Hair and Home Products By little barn Apothecary

Cocoa Cardamom Detox Mask  feels delicious! Available at Urban Sanctuary Athens, Georgia.

At Urban Sanctuary we search far and wide for the best available earth friendly, high quality, hand made natural products to carry at our spa store and share with you for your skincare, body care, house and home. We seem to have struck gold this season, thanks to the efforts of Emileigh Ireland at our front desk! Practically in our own back yard, Little Barn Apothecary was launched in early 2015 in Stone Mountain, North Atlanta.

Pure and natural, Little Barn Apothecary products are made in small batches by hand using whole botanicals in high concentration with no synthetics. Their formulas are innovative and effective and provide your skin with earth given nutrients to unveil a state of harmony and provide a clear, radiant, and healthy glow.

Certified organic, wild crafted and responsibly harvested ingredients are used in these GMO free, cruelty free, earth friendly products. Urban Sanctuary and Little Barn Apothecary are a match made in heaven. Co-founders Joshua and Brad share a love for all things natural and holistic and we are very happy to share these gorgeous products with you!.

Here is a list of the face, hair and home Little Barn Apothecary products available at Urban Sanctuary in our Athens, Georgia spa store and our online products store:

• Flowers + Pink Clay Dry Shampoo $16 
• Chamomile +Rosemary Hair Oil $20 
• Aloe + Rosewater Balance Mist $16
• Lemon + Rice Powder Brightening Mask $24
• Cocoa + Cardamom Detox Mask $24
• Lemongrass + Basil Air Water $16
• Ylang Ylang + Coriander Air Water $16

  

New Fall Teas, Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

Exquisite Vienna Cinnamon Tea is available online and at Urban Sanctuary in Athens, Georgia

Fall is here. Windy sunny afternoons,chilly mornings and chilly nights are upon us. It is the season for pumpkin soup, zucchini bread, warm baths and hot teas. We have some very fine teas for fall, just in from Tea Forte. Along with a warm neck pillow and some lovely music, we recommend unwinding at night with one or more of the following blends available in our store all fall season.

• Pumpkin Spice -Black Tea with Pumpkin, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Clove, a great blend to ease aches and pains and warm the body
• Vienna Cinnamon -Loose Leaf Black Tea and Cinnamon, Cinnamon is good for circulation and great for easing hypertension
• Warming Joy- A sampler box of Harvest Apple Spice, Ginger Plum, Rum Raisin Biscotti and several other warming tea blends