During our sourcing tour across Europe, we had the opportunity to experience a unique type of farm visit. This particular stop required us to suit up and engage closely with some pollinator companions—honey bees.

Each lunation (also known as a lunar cycle), we watch as Mother Moon waxes and wanes; our thoughts and actions wax and wane alongside her. If you've been following this series, you know that we welcomed the New Moon with intention setting for ourselves. Then, during the Waxing Quarter Moon, we put action to those dreams; we planted seeds and supported our mental sharpness with energizing aromatics. Now, as we enter the Full Moon, or what I like to call the "Lunar Crescendo”, we are prepared to reflect, let go, and make space for new dreams to flourish. While this is essential,  it can come at a cost of heightened emotions and a feeling of heaviness. 

There’s a reason your hair responds differently to products. Whether it’s oils, conditioners, or leave-ins, everything comes down to your hair’s unique hair porosity. Understanding hair porosity helps you choose the right products to address moisture, breakage, and more. In this blog, we’ll break down hair porosity, how to determine your type, and how to best work with all porosity types.

With the dog days of summer stretching out before us, it’s time to think more seriously about hydration. Every organ, tissue, and cell in our bodies requires water—it is essential for us to keep a steady temperature, to lubricate our joints, to eliminate waste, etc. Because we lose water through sweating, digesting, and even breathing, it’s important to regularly rehydrate, particularly when it gets hot and we’re doing more physical activity outside. And while you’re responsibly drinking plenty of fluids to rehydrate your internal organs, tissues, and cells, don’t forget about the largest organ in your body: your skin. Now is the perfect time to whip up a super-hydrating, cooling body butter!

In the first part of this Moon Phase Aromatherapy Series, we explored the profound influence of lunar transitions on our lives. Regardless of personal beliefs, it is undeniable that the moon exerts significant and tangible effects on all living beings and ecosystems on Earth. The moon influences the distribution of energy within plants, and its gravitational pull causes the oceans to ebb and flow, resulting in changed currents and tides.

Meet the family whose commitment to crafting the finest organic jojoba oil in the world transcends trends and spans generations.

Many of us remember to use facial toners as part of our daily skin care routines, but what about the rest of our body? Wouldn't the skin on our arms, legs, and torso appreciate the same care as our pampered faces? The answer is a resounding yes!

Each lunation (also known as a lunar cycle), we watch as Mother Moon waxes and wanes, appearing almost as a celestial shapeshifter in the sky. While she remains whole all along, the energy feels different to us inhabiting Earth. Our emotions ebb and flow in response to her phases, and our actions often mirror this rhythmic dance. The natural world, too, is attuned to these lunar shifts; plants respond by directing their energy to various parts, while the oceans engage in a dynamic push and pull, altering currents and waves. Regardless of one's spiritual belief system, it is undeniable that the moon exerts tangible effects on every living entity on our planet.

Cheesecake is something that most people would agree is pretty darn delicious. The rich, creamy, and endlessly versatile nature of cheesecake easily makes it a top-tier dessert for me. Plain, chocolate, raspberry, caramel, blueberry—you name it, there is almost certainly a cheesecake out there that boasts every flavor and topping in the book. Believe it or not, even wasabi cheesecake is a thing! Admittedly, my tastebuds have yet to be brave enough to give it a try, but I was fascinated by the confounding creation, nonetheless.

Herbal oxymels are a staple ingredient in my kitchen. I often teach mocktail-making classes, where I share the many ways you can create tasty vinegar-based ingredients to make complex zero-proof drinks.. When I introduce students to oxymels, I pass around samples made of apple cider vinegar and honey. Students are amazed at how delicious they are – I hear lots of “mmm!” and “wow!” as they sip. But then I bring out my secret treasure, the grand reveal: a white wine vinegar and sugar oxymel. Students are shocked at how exquisite the flavor is. They ask for more. The bottle quickly disappears…

Growing up in a small-town baseball family, I spent many sweltering hot summer days melting away on dusty bleachers and impatiently waiting in line at the local ballpark concession stand. It was at this very ballpark where I came to discover one thing, which admittedly has very little to do with baseball: the controversy over condiments. Not a single foil-wrapped hotdog appeared to present the same selection of toppings, including my own, which I piled high with each and every condiment in sight. Ketchup, mustard, relish, mayonnaise—you name it; everyone has their unique feelings about them. At the center of condiment controversy seems to be the richly thick and tangy sauce we all know and (some) love: mayo.