the florapothecarie journal

May flowers are here! Inspired by the blooming beauty (and my ever-present sweet tooth), I've put together a list of yummy edible floral treats to make this season: 1. Crystallized Flowers via Leite's Culinaria. 2. Shortbread Cookies with Edible Flowers via Sugar & Charm. 3. Violet Macarons with Violet and Vanilla Bean Buttercream via Tartelette. 4. Rosewater Panna Cotta via Baking for Friends. 5. Spring Flower Lollipops via Sprinkle Bakes.  6. Edible Flower Cake via A Beautiful Mess. 7. Bellini Popsicles with Edible Flowers via Honestly Yum. 8. Rosey Rocky Road Raw Brownies via Ascension Kitchen. 9. Floral Marshmallows via Proper. 10. Color Blocked Chocolate via Paper & Stitch.   What are you making with all the flowers popping up?  

Cold season is here, but I’m going to help you power through it with plant allies Mint and Rosemary! Read on for tips on how to use these herbs and essential oils during cold season, plus a DIY vapor rub recipe.

How to make herbal honey syrups to enjoy with lemonade, cocktails, and more! They're also a great way to get your kiddos to have herbal remedies. We used hibiscus for this recipe, but you can use any edible herb ~ lavender, chamomile, elderberry, peppermint are a few of my favorites.

It's Pumpkin Spice Latte Season! Get your PSL fix with this two-in-one facial and hair mask. Pumpkin is fantastic at balancing our scalp and skin's oil production, plus gently exfoliating with alpha hydroxy acids.

Make your own soothing, non-toxic, and non-sticky body spray for soothing sun burn with aloe, coconut oil, and essential oils of lavender and peppermint.

How to make a lavender and rice-filled hot/cold pack, one of my essential tools for self-care. Heat it up in the microwave to soothe sore muscles or freeze it to help reduce swelling.

We may label our products one thing, but most of them have multiple uses. Did you know our bath teas can also be used as facial steams? It's super easy, and you can even re-use it as a bath tea after your facial steam, too!

Well friends, there's no way around it. Cold season is here. But I'm going to help you power through it with our pals Peppermint and Rosemary. Both of these herbs and their essential oils are good to have around when coughing and congestion set in. Plus, I'll show you how to make your own three-ingredient vapor rub!

Last week, I announced Dave & I are going to Indie Beauty Expo NY in a few weeks and I promised to share a few behind-the-scenes peeks at how we're preparing for our first trade show. Here's a look at how we (okay, mostly my Dad) built the ladder shelves we'll be using in our booth!

My first how-to video! (Yes, there will be more.) To celebrate my chocolate face mask being in this month's Goddess Provisions box, I thought I'd share with you a video on how to use a face mask. I also talk about what else you can mix in a dry mask (besides water), as well as the different face masks I offer (charcoal, chocolate, and rose) and the benefits of each. Basically, this video is everything you ever wanted to know about face masks. Enjoy!

My clay face masks may say "just add water," but you can use so many more ingredients with them. I like to switch it up depending on the season and what my skin needs. My favorites are: aloe vera juice, apple cider vinegar, green tea, honey, lemon juice, milk, oil, rosewater, and yogurt.

Oh, the ongoing struggle of pore-cleaning! Truly, a few minutes of care a day is all you really need to keep your face clear, clean, and happy. Here are 8 simple tips + tricks: 1. Wash your face twice a day. Our skin is constantly attracting dirt, excreting waste, and shedding dead skin cells, so it’s important to keep up with it by cleansing twice a day, especially if you wear makeup. I use my Rose & Willow Facial Cleanser. This mild cleanser contains no harsh surfactants, so it doesn’t strip away my skin’s natural oils. Instead jojoba oil, Castile soap, and rosewater work together to gently remove dirt without drying out your face, and white willow bark, tea tree, and lavender help prevent and heal acne. You can make a simplified version of our cleanser with this DIY natural face wash recipe. 2. Always remove makeup.  If you don’t wash your makeup off in the evening, it will clog your pores and result in acne. Not pretty. Looking for a natural makeup remover? Try our Makeup Remover! This silky, four-ingredient balm gently breaks down and “melts” makeup, making it easy to wipe away, leaving your skin soft and smooth thanks to organic coconut and jojoba oils. You can also use just plain coconut oil. Massage a little bit into your skin in circular motions to remove makeup, then use a warm, wet washcloth to gently wipe off excess coconut oil. The oil (and makeup) should come off easily without needing to tug on your skin. Splash your face with warm water. Our Makeup Remover and Coconut oil are both safe + effective for removing eye makeup. 3. Use a toner after your face wash. In addition to balancing your skin's pH level and tightening pores, toners remove excess oil as well as any dirt left behind by your cleanser (no cleanser is perfect!). Try my super-gentle, hydrating Rose & Tea Facial Toner. 4. Exfoliate once a week. Between shedding dry skin cells and perspiring, our skin excretes over a pound of waste per day (YUCK), so we’ve got to help it out by exfoliating at least once a week. Exfoliating — either with a scrub or dry brushing — removes dead skin buildup, improves blood flow, and firms skin. Avoid using body scrubs with large grains of salt, sugar, or other types of abrasive on your face as they can be too harsh on your skin. Instead, try one of our super gentle Cleansing Grains, available in Lavender & Chamomile or Rose & Hibiscus. They're made with oat and rice flours, plus finely ground herbs. Just add water! If you're looking to DIY this step, plain oats make a great gentle exfoliate - grind them up with a mortar and pestle, add water, and you've got a simplified version of our Cleansing Grains. 5. Deep clean with a mask weekly. After cleansing and exfoliating, I use a mask at least once a week, and I switch up the mask based on my skin's needs. If it's too oily or I'm seeing a lot of blackheads, I use my Charcoal Mask to really get in there to clean + detoxify my pores. Charcoal is a bit too harsh for very dry or sensitive skin, so the Matcha Mask is a great alternative and still rich in antioxidants. If my skin is in need of hydration, I use the Chocolate Mask. If it needs a little exfoliating and brightening, I go with my Rose Clay Mask or Tropical Enzyme Exfoliating Cleanser. 6. Try a natural acid facial peel. The natural alpha hydroxy acids and salicylic acid in lemon, papaya, pineapple, pumpkin, and strawberries make all of these ingredients fantastic non-abrasive exfoliants. Use the fresh juices or pulp to make 1-ingredient face masks. Read more about this (+ get recipes!) in my eBook, DIY Natural Beauty on a Budget. Or try the Tropical Enzyme Exfoliating Cleanser. 7. Stop touching your face! This is a biggie for me, too. Think about all the things you touch in a day, picking up dirt and oils with your fingers. Now, think about rubbing all of those things on your face. That's pretty much what you're doing every time you touch your face —you're increasing the amount of bacteria on your face, which leads to breakouts. Stop touching and especially stop picking! 8. Clean pillowcases weekly. If you're getting enough sleep, you spend between 7-9 hours a night with your face on a pillowcase, sweating and shedding dead skin. (I know, gross, right?) You gotta wash those things frequently! Toss 'em in with your regular laundry, or have backups so you can switch them out every week. Looking for more natural beauty DIYs? Check out my eBook, DIY Natural Beauty on a Budget. It has over 40 recipes for natural masks, scrubs, and hair care using ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen, plus a detailed guide on how to use and blend essential oils. Happy making!

I'm obsessed with all things green tea, including matcha ice cream. It's not easy to find in most grocery stores (though Asian markets usually have some), so I decided to try making it at home. It took a fair amount of research and attempts before I got it right, but I think I've nailed it. I use the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid, but you can use any ice cream maker for this recipe. Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream — makes about 10 servings. Ingredients: 2 cups cups full-fat coconut milk, divided from water ¾ cup almond milk 1 cup raw sugar 2 tbs matcha powder ¼ tsp salt If you're wondering, "What the heck is matcha powder?" — it's just powdered green tea. Ever had green tea at a Japanese restaurant and noticed the powdery tea at the bottom of the cup? That's what this is. Based on the recipe research I did, it seems like the strength varies. The first recipe I tried called for half the amount of dairy and twice the matcha powder I used here and it was very, very bitter. I bought mine via Amazon, but your local Asian grocery store should also carry some. Directions: Combine the sugar, matcha powder, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together, to break up some of the matcha powder clumps. In a medium-sized pot, stir the sugar mixture into coconut and almond milks, whisking often, over medium heat. Keep whisking the mixture until it begins to foam, then remove it from heat. Pour into a medium bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. Refrigerate the mixture for 1-2 hours, until completely cooled. Remove from refrigerator and whisk to incorporate the layer of "skin" that has formed on the top of the mixture. Pour into ice cream maker and churn for 20-25 minutes (according to your ice cream maker's instructions), or until the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Place in freezer for at least 2 hours to harden. Enjoy!

Happy (almost) Independence Day, beauties! I hope you're celebrating with fireworks, yummy food, and people you love. I've been pretty crafty lately, so I wanted to share this super-easy tutorial with you: create a custom shirt with bleach pen! This old slouchy sweatshirt was perfect — it's super soft & comfy and lightweight, so I wear it year-round, but I wanted to breathe some new life into it. Here's what you'll need: a clean shirt, tank, or sweatshirt — mostly cotton or polyester work best bleach pen plastic grocery bag cardboard or wooden board (to fit under the shirt) paper + pencil Step 1: Draw your design first. If you're pretty confident with your drawing or bleach penning skills, you can skip this part, but I like to draw my designs with pencil + paper first. Step 2: Wrap cardboard or wooden board in plastic bag and place in between shirt's layers. This does a few things: it'll ensure your design doesn't bleed into the back of the shirt and it helps smooth out the shirt while you're using the bleach pen. Step 3: Start bleach penning! Shake up the bleach pen REALLY WELL and copy the design onto your shirt. The bleach should come out pretty easily, so don't press too hard or the design will spread and bleed. Step Four: Let it sit. Give it 1-2 hours to let the bleach soak in. Step Five: Wash + Dry. I suggest hand-washing this because you don't want to ruin any of your other clothes with the bleach. It will most likely be safe with other clothes, but I didn't want to risk it, so I washed it by hand. Once you've washed off the bleach, you can let it air dry or throw it in the dryer (it won't harm your other clothes now). Step Six: Wear it!! My design bled a bit (especially around the too-intricate arrows), but I think it came out pretty awesome as my first attempt! I wear it all the time. Here's to being wild + free! Have a wonderful holiday! xo ~Sami

Make your own gentle natural cleanser without harsh surfactants. Perfect for those with sensitive or problem skin, dry or oily.

French Macarons are SO hard to make! But I am nothing if not determined when it comes to baking and making natural beauty products, so after a few pretty bad attempts, I finally got these babies right. Inspired by springtime, these macarons are made with lavender extract. Lavender French Macarons with Buttercream Frosting — makes approximately 50 quarter-sized Macarons. French Macaron Ingredients: ¾ cup almond flour 1 cup confectioner’s sugar 4 tbs sugar (I use cane sugar) 2 egg whites 1 tsp lavender extract — please make sure you are using lavender extract and not lavender essential oil, which is poisonous if ingested! It’s very hard to find; I had to buy mine on Amazon. 2-3 drops red food coloring (optional; I used 2, which I don’t think was enough) 4-5 drops blue food coloring (optional; I used 3, which I don’t think was enough) Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:  (This is great for cupcakes, too!) 2 cups confectioner’s sugar 1 stick of butter, room temperature 2 tbs milk (half and half or soy milk work great, too!) 1 tsp vanilla extract Macaron Directions: Sift the almond flour and confectioner’s sugar into a medium bowl, then combine the two. In a separate bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one), whisk two egg whites for about two minutes, until light and frothy. Add cane or regular sugar one tablespoon at a time to the egg white mixture, and whisk for another minute or two, until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Carefully fold the egg white mixture in with your dry ingredients — use a rubber spatula for best results. This will take a bit of time (5 minutes or so), and when you’re finished your batter should be about the consistency of lava (seriously). It should not be thin like cake batter. If you are using any kind of flavoring or food coloring, carefully stir it in now. You don’t want to stir too much or you will lose the lightness of the batter. Place parchment paper onto two baking sheets. Transfer the batter into a plastic bag, cut a small piece of the tip off of the bag, and pipe dime-sized amounts of batter onto the parchment paper. Place them far enough apart for them to expand to about twice their size. Preheat the oven to 300º and let the uncooked Macarons sit for 15 minutes while the oven preheats. (You can also skip below to the frosting directions and prepare it while you wait.) The batter should form a thin shell on top. Test a few out with your finger; if they crack a bit, they are ready for the oven! Place your oven racks on the top- and bottom-most slots in your oven and place one baking sheet on each rack. Bake for 6-8 minutes, then switch the positions of the baking sheets and bake for another 6-8 minutes. I baked mine at 8 minutes, then 6, and they were a little too brown for my liking, so keep and eye on the clock. Frosting Directions: Cream butter with the paddle attachment on your stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) in a medium bowl, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl at least three times to get any devious clumps of butter that may be hanging out there, trying to mess up the smoothness of your frosting. (Trifling butter!) Pour in one cup of confectioner’s sugar and mix well — again, scraping the sides of the bowl for clumpage (ew). Then, repeat with the other cup of confectioner’s sugar. Mix in your vanilla extract. Mix in your milk, one tablespoon at a time. Frost one Macaron half, pair it with another half that’s roughly the same shape, and enjoy! I find them to be particularly wonderful with tea. :)

Sugar scrubs were the very first beauty product I ever made, and are still one of my favorites! They're very easy and only really require two ingredients: sugar and oil. These floral sugar scrubs kick it up a notch with the addition of essential oils and pretty floral confetti from The Confetti Bar. You will need: 1/4  cup raw, granulated cane sugar 1 tbs oil — almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil up to 4 drops of essential oils a few pinches of biodegradable floral confetti from The Confetti Bar a clean 4oz jar Mix all of your ingredients together in a small bowl and decant into your jar. Keep it sealed and stored in a cool, dry environment until use. Use it up within six months. To use your sugar scrub: wash your body, then scoop some of the scrub into the palm of your hand. Gently rub it onto your skin in circular motions. Rinse off and pat skin dry with a towel. Be careful in the shower — your tub or shower floor may be slippery! All photos thanks to The Confetti Bar.