Get Inspired with Hibiscus

It’s so much more than just a beautiful tropical bloom! Hibiscus boasts many health and beauty benefits and can help you celebrate and stay cool this summer.

Summertime is the perfect time to feature the vibrant and beautiful hibiscus flower. Here are some of the health advantages of including hibiscus in your summertime activities:

Hibiscus contains antioxidants and vitamin C that can help boost the immune system and help fight inflammation.
Hibiscus is well known to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Hibiscus can reduce the risk of cancer and aid in digestion.
Hibiscus can help reduce signs of aging, keep skin looking youthful and protect against environmental damage.

Cool off this summer with healthy recipes that include hibiscus. Try adding hibiscus to iced tea, popsicles and sweet treats for a refreshing and tasty summertime snack brimming with color and nutritious benefits.

Get artsy and crafty with hibiscus in its many forms, including using hibiscus flowers as fresh, dried, pressed, powdered or steeping the flowers to make a delicious tisane tea. Fresh hibiscus flowers can be used to make flower crowns and bouquets. Dried hibiscus can be used for a wide variety of DIY projects such as the ones found below. You can add dried hibiscus flowers to potpourri and homemade soap. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can even create unique hand-crafted paper that is sure to make a statement using hibiscus petals.

Scentsational All-Natural Hibiscus Room Spray:

Materials:

2-cup spray bottle
1 cup distilled water
1 cup unscented witch hazel
20 to 30 drops of your favorite essential oils (such as lavender, rose, orange, lemon or rosemary)
Dried hibiscus flowers

Instructions:

Add 20 to 30 drops of your favorite essential oils to a 2-cup spray bottle.
Fill the bottle half-way with unscented witch hazel (available in the grocery store).
Fill the bottle the rest of the way with distilled water.
Shake ingredients well, and add sprigs of dried hibiscus.

To use: Spray lightly to freshen-up linens and towels – and spray rooms liberally to soothe the senses and make your home smell like summertime.

Recipe adapted from marthastewart.com/1526211/natural-room-spray-with-essential-oils.

Hibiscus Flower Bath Salts:

Materials:

2 cups Epsom salts

1/2 cup Himalayan pink salt

1/4 cup baking soda

2 teaspoons organic almond oil

10 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops rose essential oil
4 dried hibiscus flowers

Instructions:

Place the Epsom salts, Himalayan pink salt and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl and mix together.

Add the almond oil and the essential oils, and mix until everything is evenly incorporated.

Carefully place the hibiscus flowers into the mixture, and stir with a spoon lightly until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Pour the mixture into a glass jar with a lid and store in a cool, dry place.

To use: Add 2 tablespoons of the bath salts to a warm bath and enjoy!

Hibiscus Hair Mask:

Materials:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup hibiscus powder
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup yogurt

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut oil, hibiscus powder, honey and yogurt.

Massage the mixture into your scalp and hair, concentrating on the ends.

Leave the mixture in your hair for 30 minutes or longer.

Rinse the mixture out of your hair with warm water.
Shampoo and condition your hair as usual.

Optional: For added shine and nourishment, mix a few drops of essential oil into the mixture before applying it to your hair. If your scalp is dry, you can add a few drops of olive oil to the mixture. If your hair is especially damaged, mix a few tablespoons of coconut oil into the mixture before applying.

Have fun with creative crafting and gifting, and enjoy the creative process working with this beautiful bloom. Crafting and gifting DIY hibiscus projects is a great way to celebrate summer, so get creative and have fun!

Happy summer, happy gifting and happy DIY arts and craft-ing!

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Susan B. B. Schabacker

Forsyth Magazines writer since 2018. Susan Schabacker was blessed to be adopted as a baby and made her journey from South Korea to Massachusetts where she arrived safely into her adoptive mother’s loving arms. She later moved to New Mexico and, after a few years, moved to Winston-Salem, NC, to study classical ballet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts from the eighth grade through high school. Susan has lived in the Piedmont Triad area for nearly 20 years and had the opportunity to travel to Budapest, Hungary; London, UK; and Beijing, China, where she studied abroad through Elon University. In Stockholm, Sweden, she had a marketing internship at Hachette-Filipacchi, publisher of Elle and other magazines. She graduated with a B.A. in Corporate Communications and a minor in Dance from Elon University. Susan loves writing and is pleased to have written for Winston-Salem Journal’s "Teen Page," Triad Living, KernersvilleMagazine, and of course, Forsyth Mags. She is a co-author of a children’s book, Huckleberry Robin, based on a three-generation true family story. Susan is grateful for her faith, family, and friends and is happy and excited to be part of the Forsyth Mags team. She spreads the word about Forsyth magazines and enjoys reading and sharing them with her family and friends every month.

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