Step away from the spa, and find your beauty bounty right here on Padstow’s shoreline, with these three DIY spa treatments that won’t cost you a penny.
Think fresh– Make sure that you’re picking fresh seaweed, it may seem obvious, but steer clear of the smelly and dried out stuff. Low tide, as close to the shoreline as possible is the best time and place to gather your seaweed spoils.
Clean cut– Always use a pair of scissors when you’re cutting seaweeds. This means they won’t be dislodged from their holdfast on the rock face.
Keep it cool– Once harvested, fresh seaweed will last for 2 weeks when refrigerated and can be re-used within that 2 week period.
If you’d like to wander the wild and learn more about what the hedgerow and shoreline have to offer, then Rachel’s wild walks and private foraging tours in and around the Padstow area are a great place to begin.
*If you suffer from a medical condition, or if you’re taking specific medicine related to your thyroid, then consult your GP before trying out any of these DIY treatments for yourself.
Beyond the fish in its seas and the fare in its fields, there’s a foraging movement afoot. But this is about more than digging in nature’s larder, it’s about looking in its beauty cabinet too.
From anti-ageing to softer skin, weight-loss to all-round better wellbeing, nature’s got a fair few tricks up her sleeve, especially when you head to the shoreline. We spoke to foraging expert Rachel Lambert of Wild Walks Southwest to learn some beach-side beauty foraging tips, helping you soak, scrub and lather your way to a healthier you.
“It’s all about brown seaweeds,” says Rachel. “They’re chock full of minerals, which are really good for your skin. Plus they’re full of iodine – which is really important for our thyroid glands, and is linked to weight loss.” Brown seaweeds can be found all over the shore, and are really easy to use for making your own at-home spa treatments.
Here are three of Rachel’s seaweed suggestions for some indulgent DIY pampering:
Bladderwrack bath soak – Easy to spot, and growing plentifully around the Padstow coastline, this spindly seaweed with little bubbles is a mineral-rich beauty elixir. As it’s slightly tougher than other seaweeds, bladderwrack works best as a bath soak. When added to hot water it releases vitamins, minerals, amino and alginic acids, turning your bath into a nourishing skin serum. As you soak, your skin drinks in all the goodness released.
DIY it: Cut around 100-200gs of bladderwrack, wash it well and pop it into the bath for ten minutes for the oils to dissolve into the warm water before jumping in.
Kelp facemask – Growing like wildfire on the Cornish coast, kelp, also known as kombu or sea ribbon, is ideal as part of a treatment for those in need of a little moisture. Plus its anti-inflammatory properties means kelp is great for those who suffer breakouts and very dry skin.
DIY it: To make your kelp facemask, cut around 500g of kelp, blend with 3 tbsp natural yoghurt 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp honey, and the juice of half a lemon. Apply liberally over your face and neck area, and leave for fifteen minutes before washing off with warm water. Pat your face dry.
Serrated wrack hair treatment – This toothed-edged, flat seaweed has high concentrations of Vitamins A, B, C and E, making it a great ingredient for revitalising and treating skin and hair. Due to its high oil levels it’s also used in lots of fancy and expensive lotions and potions, as it’s said to possess anti-ageing properties. We think it also works well as a hair mask, leaving your locks luscious and shiny.
DIY it: To make your own serrated wrack hair mask, simply wash 200g of freshly picked seaweed, pop in a blender, add an egg yolk and 3 tbsp of water and slather liberally over your hair. Leave for 15 minutes and wash off.
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