This recipe worked wonders on a painful sunburn I caught a couple of years ago. Though I hope you won’t have to try it, my advice is that you create that recipe and keep the little bottle in the fridge. So it will be there for you this Summer.

What you need:

100 ml of aloe vera gel: aloe vera is the best raw material when it comes to deeply calm, soothe and hydrate the skin

30 ml of rose hip seeds oil; that is one of the most powerful vegetable oil to regenerate, heals wounds and deeply hydrate

10 ml of nigella oil; this is some kind of magic from nature, immuno-stimulant and extremely regenerating

15 drops of lavender essential oil; lavandula angustifolia; heals and regenerates blemishes and sun damaged skin. Lavender has the most amazing healing qualities when it comes to burnt skin: Dr Gattefossé (considered one of the fathers of aromatherapy) made that discovery after having severely burnt his arm in his laboratory and put his arm in the first cold « liquid » available to alleviate the pain. It was lavender essential oil. The pain almost disappeared straight away and the wound healed so quickly and without scar.That led him that he study the amazing properties of this oil scientifically.

Create:

Delicately clean the sunburned area with cool water and an oily natural soap. Dry very softly with a cotton pad. Mix all ingredients in a jar and apply with your fingertips until it penetrates. You can repeat every hour. You’ll see, the texture will feel a bit « weird » because the oil and the gel won’t mix properly.

Note: if you don’t find nigella or rose hip seed oil, you can always create your mixture with 40 ml of sweet almond oil instead.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Don’t use essential oils if you are pregnant or nursing. Keep them away from children and babies. Please refer to my « Do’s and Don’ts section » prior to creating my DIY recipes:)

I created this recipe in NYC, while experiencing one of the most intense and humid heat. I was dreaming of diving into cool waterfalls, with fresh and pure wind blowing all over my body.

Whether spending your Summer in a polluted city or in a chlorophyll filled countryside, a refreshing hydrosol and a purifying mask are definitely among your essentials. There are 4 ingredients only to use in this recipe and out of them, you already have your flower hydrosol ready (hydrosols are charged with carboxylic acids, which have a anti-inflammatory and calming effect on the skin, they mildly contract the skin and stimulates the blood flow). The pink clay has very powerful cleansing properties on its own. Adding my combination of essential oils brings an exquisite fragrance as well as effective antiseptic and cythophylactic properties (regeneration of skin cells), but you can also decide to choose only one or two essential oils, depending on your olfactory taste, your mood and of course, your budget.

What you need:

A small bowl or glass, a teaspoon, a wooden stick (if you have it handy, otherwise try and use a compostable spoon) organic Rose hydrosol (buy 100 ml or 200 ml), 100% pure or organic neroli essential oil, jasmine absolute (therapeutic grade), 100% pure or organic rose essential oil and pink clay (preferably in powder).

How to create your recipe:

Take 3 generous tea spoons of pink clay powder and put them into a bowl. Add 30 ml out of your organic rose hydrosol (and place the remaining in the fridge). You can add a little bit of distilled water if you think it’s not feeling enough like a paste. Then add one drop of each essential oil.

Make sure you mix thoroughly until it becomes a really smooth paste. Then, apply a thin layer on your face, especially on your T-zone. Of course, this is AFTER having cleansed your skin with a mild face cleanser. Once the mask is on, wait about 10 to 15 minutes max. Then rinse off with fresh water. Pad dry with a soft cloth. Then spray your rose hydrosol all over the face and neck, preferably straight out of the fridge for a hyper refreshing and pore tightening effect.

My personal final touch: put a drop or two of rose hip seed oil on your fingertips and lightly tap around your eyes, mouth and neck. The skin glows, the pores are cleansed and tightened, the blood flow is stimulated and the enchanting smell of the mixed essential oils will remain for a while.

Last recommendation: do this at least twice a week. Enjoy:)

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Don’t use essential oils if you are pregnant or nursing. Keep them away from children and babies. Please refer to my « Do’s and Don’ts section » prior to creating my DIY recipes:)

Yes to shedding old skin. Once a week or every two weeks, depending on the season. You may use this recipe once a week. Creating it is very easy for a pretty elaborate and luxurious texture, you’ll see. And as you don’t need a lot, it will last for a long time. No excuse, go play. Be fun!

Use: once or twice a week, gently rub on wet skin, all over your body, then rinse thoroughly. The skin is so soft, clean and perfectly hydrated thanks to the oils and butters.

What you need for about 50 ml of scrub:

4 to 5 tablespoon of Pink Himalayan salt

1,5 tablespoon of vegetable glycerin

1 teaspoon of Shea nut oil

1 teaspoon of Sunflower oil

1/2 a teaspoon of Manuka honey

3 to 4 drops of Pink grapefruit essential oil

3 drops of Bitter Green Orange essential oil (or sweet orange if you prefer)

vanilla absolute (buy food grade)

Red mandarin essential oil

You can purchase vitamin E (liquid form) as well if you like: just put 2 drops.

Buy all organic if possible. You’ll find everything at your favorite organic store or online.

How to make it: enjoy the process and mix everything up in a bowl. I prefer doing it with my fingers as if it were modelling clay, until it becomes smooth and perfect. Then, pour it in a glass container (recycle your jam jars for example). Seal. No need to keep it in the fridge, unless you love the ultra fresh sensation of the texture contrasting the warm water effect of your shower (or bath). You’ll love this. And remember, no need to purchase all ingredients, you can play with only a few essential oils of your choice.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Don’t use essential oils if you are pregnant or nursing. Keep them away from children and babies. Please refer to my « Do’s and Don’ts section » prior to creating my DIY recipes:)

Getting ready for the Fall season starts with not letting ourselves overwhelm with stress. And there are useful and affordable tools we can use. Again, it’s all about practice and trying to be regular in allowing time for ourselves.

One of the most efficient and easy ingredient to think of in order to alleviate physical stress, besides a bunch of essential oils, is Epsom salt: it flushes harmful toxins out of the body while replenishing it with magnesium (the number 1 mineral we get depleted of when we are stressed) and sulfate. Use it preferably in a bath, so that you can take advantage of the relaxation induced by soaking in warm water, lowering psychological stress in the process. You can also scrub your entire body with it under the shower, if you prefer.

Here is my favorite ritual:

First, create a body butter made of organic coconut oil and essential oils. Mix it all together until homogeneous (recipe below). Pour the water in the bathtub. Once it is filled up, add the body butter in the water. Then, add 2 cups of Epsom salt and mix the water thoroughly. Enjoy the soak (20 minutes is good).

What you need:

A little bowl

3 generous tablespoons of coconut oil: emollient, hydrating, nourishing (and smelling wonderful).

8 drops of red mandarin essential oil: beneficial to the digestive system and to help flushing toxins out of the body, stimulates the circulatory system and calms the mind.

5 drops of ylang-ylang essential oil: hormone balancer, calming, comforting.

3 to 4 drops of Sandalwood essential oil: calming, grounding, antiseptic, helpful to the urinary tract.

What you can also do is soak in your Epsom salt bath, into which you would add 6 to 8 drops of Lavender essential oil. After 20 minutes, wrap yourself into a robe and dry gently, then massage your entire body with the body butter. Don’t forget to drink adequate amounts of water within a day, to help your body stay hydrated as much as possible.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Don’t use essential oils if you are pregnant or nursing. Keep them away from children and babies. Please refer to my « Do’s and Don’ts section » prior to creating my DIY recipes:)

Soup is my number one Fall food. I love experimenting and creating new versions all the time. Here is a « pumped up » version of the Comfort soup recipe of my book Seasons. I added one of the most nutritious, antioxidant charged vegetables: purple yams, also known as Okinawan potatoes. It contains a great amount of Vitamin A, potassium, calcium, fibers and also, some anti-inflammatory properties are brought by anthocyanins. It is a real nutritional powerhouse by itself. I also added a small beet, which is known for its high amount of vitamin B-complex, minerals and antioxidants. I added a touch of ground fenugreek, excellent for digestion and tastes amazing. This is pure beauty food, right here.

What you need:

2 medium carrots

1 large whole leek

1 medium sweet potato (orange)

1 medium purple yam

1 small squash

1 large bunch of kale

2 medium turnips

3 endives

1 large bunch of Italian parsley

1 large cup of coconut milk or 1/2 cup of coconut cream

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and/or ground fenugreek

a handful of crushed walnuts

1 pinch or 2 of sea salt

black sesame seeds

cayenne pepper (depending on your taste)

Create:

Peel and cut all the vegetables into small pieces. Steam them lightly for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then, mix them in your blender with the parsley bunch, using the water of the steamer. Add more water if needed. Let the mixture simmer, then add the spices and the milk or cream. Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, then add the walnuts and leave for 10 more minutes, allowing them to soften. Serve in big bowls, sprinkling black sesame seeds on each and maybe a little parsley leaf. Enjoy:)

This recipe has saved my skin every Winter. As I have started to share my time between NYC and San Francisco, my skin needed extra protection and I decided to create a++ version of this elixir, to make it even more repairing and protecting. I share both of these recipes below. So, choose the best one for your condition and apply every evening on clean skin, when it shows signs of dehydration and/or feels itchy and dry. Also, it is always a good idea to drink a lot of room temperature water to help stay hydrated from within. Indeed, we often forget to drink plain water when it is very cold outside.

What you need:

A 50 ml glass bottle

5 tablespoons of rose hip seed oil (rosa rubiginosa)

3 tablespoons of carrot oil (macerate in olive oil) – (daucus carota)*

Essential oils:

5 drops of geranium (pelargonium graveolens)

5 drops of orange blossom (citrus aurantium)

Create:

For the original recipe, you just need to add all ingredients in the glass bottle and shake it. Apply on your face when and where it is most needed, using soft, circular movements. Then, apply a tissue to dry the excess off. Repeat for several days, or more, as needed.

For the ++ version: you will need to change the proportions of the original recipe slightly and also add virgin coconut oil, as well as evening primrose oil if your skin also feels very itchy and is prone to eczema. As a container, a 50 ml recycled cream jar (in glass preferably) with its lid is the best option. Use a teaspoon to mix.

Create:

Put 2 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil in your recycled cream glass jar and add 3-4 drops of evening primrose oil. Mix it together and add only one teaspoon of rose hip seed oil and one teaspoon of carrot oil. Mix it together until it becomes homogeneous, and finally add the essential oils. Mix it all thoroughly. My advice is to keep it in your refrigerator. It will solidify and melt as soon as you put it on your palm.

*If you don’t find the carrot oil, you can buy sea buckthorn oil (hippophae rhamnoides), which is highly repairing and excellent to treat skin rashes.