Skin | Earth | Vitality

95. Skin & Your Cycle, Part 4: Luteal

The luteal phase is often when we see more activity on the skin: jawline breakouts, cystic acne, rosacea flares, puffiness, congestion, dehydration.
In this episode, I walk you through what’s happening hormonally, neurologically, and metabolically during early and late luteal, and how those shifts show up on the skin.
We explore:
Why progesterone raises your temperature and shifts your nervous system
Early vs late luteal (two very different personalities)
How stress and unstable blood sugar amplify PMS and breakouts
Why sleep becomes more fragile before your bleed
Slower digestion, hormone recirculation, and jawline acne
Why you can be oily and dehydrated at the same time
Lymphatic stagnation, fluid retention, and cystic breakouts
How I use warm gua sha to reduce inflammation and interstitial pressure
Topical strategies for barrier support and sensitivity
The foods that support luteal skin (warm carbs, healthy fats, elimination support)
The herbal teas I reach for during this phase
This episode blends modern physiology with a corneotherapeutic and herbalist lens. 
Mentioned In This Episode: 
Skin Care:
Laurel Detox Mask
Vibrant Garden Universal Oil
Gua Sha
Kansa Wand
The Lymph Brush
 
 
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections

94. Skin & Your Cycle, Part 3: Ovulation

Ovulation is the true main event of the menstrual cycle.
While most of us were taught to organize our cycle around bleeding, biologically the entire month builds toward ovulation. This is your inner summer — a phase of outward vitality, peak circulation, collagen stimulation, and hormonal expression.
It’s often when skin looks luminous and resilient… but it can also be when:
• Breakouts begin forming• Redness feels amplified• Hyperpigmentation appears darker• Oil production shifts
Mentioned In This Episode: 
Skin Care:
Live Botanicals Oasis Enzyme Mask
Live Botanicals Oil Cleanser
Laurel Oil Cleanser
Live Botanicals Gel Cleanser
Laurel Sun Serum
Blissoma Photonic SPF
 
Resources:
Episode 92. Your Skin & Your Cycle: Part 1:  The Menstrual Phase
Episode 93. Your Skin & Your Cycle: Part 2:  The Follicular Phase
Cookbook: The Moon Cycle Cookbook
Book: The Fifth Vital Sign
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections

93. Skin & Your Cycle: Part 2: The Follicular Phase

Understanding your monthly cycle is a literal superpower. When you begin to track and work with your cycle, you strengthen your relationship with your physical body and your intuition. This awareness creates clarity, agency, and self-trust, and honestly, I believe the world would be a better place if more of us lived this way!
In today’s episode, we’re continuing our four-part series on the menstrual cycle and the skin, focusing on the follicular phase, the springtime of your cycle. We’ll explore what’s happening hormonally and physiologically, why breakouts can appear after your period, and how to support your skin so it continues to thrive.
Mentioned In This Episode: 
Skin Care:
Refine Clay Mask
Unburden Serum 
Face Cupping Cups
Resources:
Episode 92. Your Skin & Your Cycle: Part 2:  The Menstrual Phase
Book: Wild Power
Book: The Fifth Vital Sign
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections

92. Skin & Your Cycle, Part 1: The Menstrual Phase

If your skin changes every month during your period, it’s easy to dismiss it as “just hormones.” But that explanation doesn't helps us understand what’s actually happening, or how to support our bodies more effectively.
In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at what’s happening in your body during the menstrual phase and why your skin can feel drier, more sensitive, inflamed, or prone to breakouts during this time. We’ll explore how hormonal shifts, inflammation, circulation, and nervous system tone all play a role, and why pushing through your period can make skin symptoms worse.
This is the first episode in a four-part series on your skin through the menstrual cycle. We begin with menstruation, the winter of the cycle, and talk about what changes in the skin are normal, which ones are common but not supportive, and how to work with your body rather than against it.
Mentioned In This Episode: 
Wild Power Book
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections

91. How 100 Days Off Instagram Gave Me My Brain Back

Just over 100 days ago, I went cold turkey off Instagram and all social media. What I didn’t expect was how much mental space, clarity, and inner authority I would regain.
In this episode, I share a long-form reflection on why I left, what changed after stepping away, and what I’ve learned about attention, creativity, comparison, productivity, and emotional regulation along the way.
This is not an episode meant to convince anyone to quit social media. If it doesn’t feel like a problem in your life, carry on. This is simply a field report for those who feel curious 
Mentioned In This Episode: 
Episode 79. Field Notes From Leaving Social Media
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections

90.The Reset Button For When You're Bloated, Foggy, or Breaking Out

If you’re coming out of the holidays, or really any period of indulgence, stress, illness, or disrupted routine.. you might be feeling bloated, foggy, sluggish, or noticing changes in your skin. Breakouts, dryness, sensitivity, and inflammation are common signals that something feels “off.”
The instinctive reaction is often: I need to detox.
In today’s episode, I want to reframe detox entirely. Instead of thinking of detox as something extreme that you do to your body, think of it as a natural process your body is already designed to do when the right conditions are present.
This conversation is about understanding how detox actually works, why it slows down after periods like the holidays, and how to support your system so you feel better without punishment or extremes.
Detox is not a juice cleanse, tea, or program. It’s a natural, ongoing physiological process.  In this episode I share a holistic herbalist point of view on detoxification and how you can support your skin by supporting this natural process. 
🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode
Shop My Curated ApothecaryStratumAesthetics.com(Skincare, body care, and wellness tools hand-selected by me)
Castor Oil Support
Castor Oil Pack (used for liver and lymphatic support)
Podcast episode: Castor Oil: Everything You Want to Know
Nervous System Support
Yoga Nidra (YouTube): Ali Boothroyd
EFT Tapping (YouTube): Tapping with Brad
Skincare Products Discussed
Laurel Detox Mask
Live Botanical Oasis Enzyme Mask
Laurel Unburden Serum
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections
 

89. How to Actually Achieve Your Goals in 2026 | A Seasonal Planning Approach

Have you ever set a New Year's goal you were genuinely excited about… only to burn out by February?
In this episode, Emily shares the seasonal planning framework she stumbled into last year, a way of working toward goals that follows the intelligence of nature instead of relying on willpower, urgency, or constant output.
Instead of rushing to become a brand-new person on January 1, this approach honors the natural sequence of change: winter for structure and rooting, spring for strengthening and direction, summer for expression and expansion, and fall for release and refinement.  Through this, you can create lasting and sustainable change in your life. 
Emily walks through how this played out in her own life: from finances, to writing, to her annual fall shed, and why this method created more ease, clarity, and sustainable progress than any traditional goal-setting system she’d tried before.
This episode focuses specifically on winter: how to use this season to build structure, shift identity, and create systems that actually hold your goals.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
episode 80: The Art of Decluttering 2.0: The Fall Shed Ritual
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections

88. How to Keep Your Skin Comfortable and Juicy in Winter

If your skin feels dry, sensitive, dull, or like it just wants a blanket this time of year, you’re not imagining it. Winter changes the light, the air, circulation, digestion, and hydration in the body, and your skin feels all of it!
In this episode, Emily breaks down why winter skin behaves the way it does through a holistic, seasonal lens and shares practical ways to support your skin so it feels comfortable, nourished, and resilient throughout the colder months.
 
Join the waitlist for the upcoming Evergreen Facial Massage Program
Listen to related episodes on circadian rhythm and internal weather
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections
 

87. The Off Switch That Makes My Life Feel Spacious Again

Once a month, I disappear from the world ... on purpose.No phone. No notifications. No chores. No pressure to be productive.Just a full day of white space that I call Moon Day.
In this episode, I’m sharing the ritual that changed my relationship with rest, my creativity, and my work. It’s simple, nourishing, and surprisingly radical in the best way — because it asks nothing of you except to slow down enough to meet yourself again.
📚 Episodes + Resources Mentioned
Holistic Herbalism Podcast 
Digital Minimalism — Cal Newport
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections

86. Your Body Has a Weather System: How to Read It

Today I’m teaching you a new language.  A way of understanding your inner ecology so you can make sense of what’s happening inside your body and on your skin.
This framework is the foundation for so many future conversations about rosacea, breakouts, digestion, nervous system patterns, and intuitive skincare. Once you learn it, your skin and your whole inner world start to feel more understandable.
In this episode, I explore:
Why your body behaves like a living landscape
The 4 patterns that run your inner ecology:hot ↔ cold, dry ↔ damp, windy ↔ stagnant, tense ↔ lax
How these patterns show up emotionally, physically, and on the skin
Why you can experience “microclimates” in different parts of your body
Simple ways to support yourself when you’re out of balance
How this lens helps you avoid random internet trends and trust yourself more
This episode is a introduction to a deeper kind of body literacy, one that helps you connect the dots between your emotions, your digestion, your skin, and your overall vitality.
Mentioned in this episode:
Magnesium Body Butter
Paavani Tridoshic Body Oil 
Castor Oil Packs
Want more?
✨ Moonday Notes — my weekly love letter with seasonal rituals, skincare wisdom, and herbal support.Sign up here: https://stratumaesthetics.myflodesk.com/newslettersignup
✨ Stratum Aesthetics Apothecary — herbal skincare, castor oil packs, body oils, and tools I use every day.Shop here: https://stratumaesthetics.com/collections