I’ve always liked simple skincare, no five step routine for me. In fact, for many years, I just washed my face with bar soap and moisturized with whatever lotion happened to be on the bathroom counter. However, as I began to get older, my skin changed and I began to see those tiny lines at the corners of my eye and around my lips...from smiling a lot and whistling I noted to myself.
I began using a popular MLM brand and in fact, for awhile, I became a distributor. Now my skincare routine was a lot of steps and included the extras like foundation, blush, and the eye makeup thing. That was nice for awhile and it covered those fine lines....well, actually it “plumped” them and some of the product filled them in creating the illusion of younger looking skin.
And as I began to be more concerned about what was in my food and household products, I also began to look at the labels on my skincare and found that many of the products I thought were safe, were actually on the EWG’s website as ingredients that caused cancers and infertility in women. What! The products targeted to women were actually dangerous to our health?
So, my journey into natural skincare began. Around this time, we started our little goat farm and I learned about the skin benefits of goat milk soap. So, I learned to make soap and lotion to replace the grocery store brands eliminating the chemicals and instead choosing ingredients with a mind toward a small impact on the land, sustainability, fair trade and nourishment for our skin.
With this new empowerment in a healthier lifestyle, I launched into the world of herbal medicine, identifying the plethora of wild plants growing on our acreage as I homeschooled our youngest child. This sparked my desire to know more so I found people to teach me and read every book I could find on the subject. Mentors guided me on the principles ethical wildcrafting teaching me to live in harmony with nature. Herbal oils for salves and lip balms, extracts and then it was on to advanced plant energetics, carrier oils and the life blood, essential oils. All the time, being mindful of the sustainability and fair trade ethics involved in working with plants and people.
These past eight months, I took another step in the evolution of my love of plants and engaged in a co-creative plant study, building a relationship with the plants I live amongst and leaning into the spiritual aspects of their healing. Some of my partners in healing over the growing season were Rose, St. John’s Wort, Heal All, Mugwort, Mullein to name a few. Learning to engage in their healing abilities spiritually rather than using them physically, incorporating their energetics into my products. These manifest as flower essences in some of the products you’ll find on my website in addition to their energetics in some of my skincare products, such as this one
As Winter Solstice approaches, my new facial oil, Radiant, comes to mind as I revisit the joy of the beautiful flowers I gathered on Summer Solstice. The vibrant colors, the sunny yellow of St. John’s Wort that turns a deep red when infused in oil, the deep purple blue of Heal All, and the bright rose pink of the Apothecary Rose with her seductive aroma infused with intention in a blend of skin loving carrier oils. As I enter into this Winter season I find my skin a bit drier and in need of some vibrancy so, I reach for the plant allies of Summer to quench my spirit and infuse my skin with their radiance. Their essence nourishes my skin as their vital force regenerates the cold, dryness of Winter replenishing my skin with the gifts of Summer’s simplicity.
Living with the rhythm of Earth, participating in her generosity, hands extended in partnership with the plant devas leads my heart on a journey of serving from the well of reciprocity. Life is a gift, love is the ladle.