Shower time is sacred to me. These precious moments wash away the physical grime of the day and offer an emotional reprieve from just about anything that is going on in my life. The act of bathing has long been known as a ritualistic expression of self-care. It is a time to slow down, to inspect your skin, and to give it the attention it needs. It’s a time with little to no distraction and where you can envelop yourself in the warmth and comfort of flowing water. It’s truly a meditative practice and is a key reason that DIY skin care is one of my favorite things.

The act of adornment is a spectacle found all throughout our natural world. From the late-spring blooms of indigo-hued camas adorned with starry-eyed flowers, to the impressive lekking rituals of male sage grouse boasting their fans of striped feathers, and intricately beaded earrings dangling above a vibrant dress, adornment appears in every corner on Earth. In the context of herbalism, botanicals can act as an internal and external embellishment, enhancing not only our physical health but also our spiritual and emotional well-being.

The ambition of the budding herbalist’s apothecary can quickly overwhelm the kitchen cabinets. It’s easy to make herbal remedies, the harder part is using them up before next year’s harvest. I have an easy solution for culling old (and new) remedies from your apothecary to make space for fresh extracts: DIY body care products!

The Waning Moon is a time for decluttering and making space for the potential that the New Moon will soon bring. Tidying up, going through paperwork, and clearing out our inboxes—these are all gentle activities that I have found incredibly helpful to move (or remove) the sometimes unseen burden of accumulated to-dos. 

Humans are forever seeking ways to capture the essence of memories. Beyond simple recollection, we seek avenues to bring us back to the feelings that bloomed within us during special moments. Out of all the methods of creating those pathways of memory, harnessing the olfactory system is perhaps one of the most powerful. How many times have you caught a whiff of something and been instantly transported? Pass an off-brand breath mint my way and I am suddenly 8 years old, riding in the backseat of my grandparent’s car, reaching up for one of the mints that were always in the glove box.

My family always has grand goals of getting out to the mountains once a month for a couple nights of tent camping from May through October. Camping in the shoulder months often means chilly temperatures and rain, which we’ve gotten good at dealing with. Mosquito season, however, can be a little more daunting. A few summers ago, we were camping at a Southern Oregon lake with friends who had school-age children. The mosquitos were SO vicious, particularly for the kiddos, and I spent the whole time kicking myself for not having made a batch of herbal mosquito repellent beforehand. Our friends had some over-the-counter natural spray, but it was passing-useless and none of us wanted to douse the children in a toxic DEET-based repellent. I vowed never to be caught by surprise again. Now this natural spray is a must-have for camping and any other activity that puts us close to water and mosquitos.

We Never Forgot: A Juneteenth Reflection on Black Herbal Legacy 

For a long time, we were told we were disconnected. 

Disconnected from our language. 
Disconnected from our land. 
Disconnected from our medicine. 

But the truth is, we were never really gone.  

Not fully. 

What was once tea leaves and bark from back home became wild herbs gathered along fence lines and backwoods. What was once a full apothecary became molasses poultices, cast iron tonics, hot toddies and camphor pouches swinging from children’s necks. Our ancestors turned scraps into treasure.  

Maybe it was never just about existing.  

Maybe it was about remembering who we were. 

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.

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.

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.