This latest title from esthetician, -aromatherapist, herbalist, and reflexologist Tourles (Naturally Bug-Free; Hands-On Healing Remedies) begins with overviews of skin care, product tools, and basic techniques. Product recipes work from head to toe, including facial toners and cleansers, body scrubs and moisturizers, and foot and nail treatments. Much like a cookbook, the recipes delineate the amount yielded, preparation time, and directions for making and using the product. All recipes recommend skin types for the product described, and items meant to be used more than once (e.g., balms and oils as opposed to masks and steams) come with storage instructions. The glossary covers essential information, such as how to determine the quality of ingredients, which is as important as understanding how to use them. An ingredients dictionary provides further consumer education, and the resources section identifies retailers. VERDICT Highly informative, beautifully designed, and well organized, this guide serves as an introduction for readers new to natural beauty and as a resource for the more experienced looking to expand their options.-Meagan Storey, Virginia Beach © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Cucumber rounds as eye soothers. Oatmeal, the basis for skin scrubs. Even plain yogurt, the starter for an exfoliating mask. Prolific author and licensed esthetician Tourles (Organic Body Care Recipes, 2007; Hands-On Healing Remedies, 2012) provides 60-plus recipes and sensible recommendations for taking care of humans' largest organ. Between her tips and good-to-know sidebars, she's truly a wealth of skin care and protection information. Did you know, for instance, that nails are the toughest kind of skin? Or that it's imperative to conduct patch tests, monitoring how one inch of skin will react to specific formulas? And there's a difference between simmering and steeping when it comes to DIY skin-care products? Tourles sets the stage upfront, with a beauty case for taking care of your skin, guidelines for determining skin type, and techniques to ensure success. The time involved for many of these recipes isn't extensive, but some ingredients may take a while to locate/acquire. Helpfully, Tourles provides appendixes to understand terms, measures, and, most important, resources.--Barbara Jacobs Copyright 2018 Booklist