Hello Friend, Happy September! I can hardly believe it’s here. Kids are back in school, the mornings are finally getting a little cooler, and fall is just around the corner. As the seasons change, I find myself thinking more intentionally about wellness. Of course, there are the basics: getting enough rest, eating well, staying hydrated, washing my hands, moving my body, and finding ways to manage stress. But lately I’ve been thinking about something else: What am I f

Recently I was at a Temecula Valley Chamber event known as the "coffee connection". Lots of local businesses met in the conference center of our city hall. Some businesses had booths. There were give aways and a raffle. And it offered an opportunity to connect one on one and meet people face to face, connect, and let others know what it is you do. I met lots of people and one particular person wanted to connect again over coffee to learn more about how aromatherapy can suppo

When you reach for your favorite face cream or body lotion, what makes you love it? The silky texture? The way your skin feels afterward? The beautiful packaging? There's another element that often influences your experience before the product even touches your skin: its scent. In my experience the first thing most people do before they try a product is smell it! Whether it's the bright aroma of citrus greeting you in the morning or the comforting notes of lavender at the end

One of the questions I'm asked most often is whether certain cosmetic ingredients are "toxic." Recently, I received an email from someone concerned about an ingredient used in a professional hair care product I formulate for a salon. They described the ingredient as toxic and questioned why it would be included in the formula. It's a question worth discussing because words like toxic, clean, natural, and chemical-free are everywhere in today's beauty industry. Unfortunately,

When we think about longevity, the usual advice comes to mind: eat well, exercise regularly, manage stress, avoid smoking. All important, of course. But a small town in Pennsylvania once challenged that entire narrative. In the 1960s, Roseto, PA had remarkably low rates of heart disease—about half that of the broader U.S. population. Even more striking, there were no recorded heart attack deaths among men under the age of 55 Researchers were intrigued. Because by conventional

The Most Underrated Skin Longevity Secret—And It’s Not in a Bottle Search “anti-aging” or “skin longevity,” and you’ll find a familiar lineup: Retinoids. Vitamin C. Hyaluronic acid. Peptides. Niacinamide. Alpha-hydroxy acids. Ceramides. Antioxidants. Growth factors. All powerful. All well-researched. All worthy of their place in a thoughtful formulation. But there’s one profoundly influential “ingredient” that rarely makes the list—yet may impact your skin (and overall longev

There’s a moment many women know well. It’s not the beginning of stress. It’s not even the peak. It’s the point where you feel… flat. Tired, but wired.Overstimulated, but unmotivated. Running on empty—but unable to fully reset. We often call this “stress.”But more accurately, it’s nervous system fatigue . And this is where bergamot essential oil works in a way that’s often misunderstood. Bergamot is found in many perfumes and colognes because it smells wonderful -- but it off

When most people think of rosemary, they picture the familiar culinary herb—aromatic, comforting, and unmistakably herbaceous. But in formulation and aromatherapy, rosemary tells a more nuanced story. Not all rosemary essential oil is the same. What many don’t realize is that rosemary exists in multiple chemotypes —naturally occurring variations in chemical composition shaped by climate, soil, altitude, and growing conditions. These variations influence not only the oil’s che

Have you ever planted something with the best of intentions… only to watch it struggle? I have. Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at growing everything from tomatoes to squash and beans. Most didn’t make it very far. Some were eaten by squirrels, others scorched in the sun, and a few simply didn’t survive my inconsistent watering schedule. It’s humbling, to say the least. But it’s also taught me something I come back to again and again: Growth doesn’t happen just because som

I'm a member of Toastmasters. We meet weekly and each meeting has a theme. This past week it was HerStory -- The Power of Women. It was a perfect theme for our Professional Women Toastmasters club and for March -- Women's History Month! Our Toastmaster of the Day shared the stories of several women and it never ceases to amaze me and remind me that incredible, brave women from not all that long ago broke barriers that have allowed me and my daughter to have the opportunities