Great Escape: Pamper Yourself at Home

Ready to make a Great Escape?

It's spa day chez supermom. You've finally found the time to wash the spit-up off your shirt, slide into a hot bath and maybe put some of those cucumber slices on your eyes (even if you don't know what they do). It's also winter, which means your skin and hair are drier than ever.

There are plenty of products out there for dry hair, but maybe you're cutting back on expensive salon products. Or maybe you're looking to jump onto the homemade-living trend and create your own.

Well, as easy as it was to mix up a mud mask in high school, you can mix up this Winter's Grasp Dry Scalp Mask, courtesy of Ashley English, author of the Homemade Living book series and Small Measures blog. And the best part? These common ingredients are available at any of our neighborhood grocery stores—check in downtown Farmington, on 10 Mile Road, at Drake and Grand River, Kroger at or , on Middlebelt or at 12 Mile and Farmington Roads. 

So lock the bathroom door, turn off the phone, light some candles, press "play" on your favorite Norah Jones CD and treat your hair—and yourself—to much-needed R&R.

Ingredients

1 avocado, pitted and mashed

4 tbsp. whole-milk sour cream

3 tsp. extravirgin cold-pressed olive oil

Preparation

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Wet hair and apply mixture. Massage into scalp and run through. Use a fine-tooth comb to evenly distribute the mixture through your hair . Wrap your head in a towel and leave the conditioner on for 20 minutes.

According to English, "The heat created by covering the head allows the mixture to more fully penetrate the scalp and hair."

Rinse thoroughly with warm water; shampoo and style as normal.

Come back next week for another Great Escape. Do you have ideas for how to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life? Let us know by e-mailing editor Joni Hubred-Golden at joni.hubred-golden@patch.com