Skin | Earth | Vitality

If your skin has been acting off lately, it might just be the season. Spring pulls the body out of a slower, more dormant state, and the skin doesn't always transition gracefully. Puffiness, congestion, that flat dullness that won't quit are all pretty normal this time of year.
In this episode, we get into the three things that tend to make the biggest difference this time of year: lymph movement, mild exfoliation, and the sun conversation nobody's having.
Products & Tools Mentioned
Dry brushing tools (Garshana gloves, dry brush, lymph brushes)
Live Botanicals Oasis Enzyme Mask
Raw honey / Manuka honey (for honey tapping)
Blissoma Photonic SPF (mineral sunblock)
Laurel Sun 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

I left social media over six months ago as an experiment.  I wanted to see what it would look like to build my life and business without it. In this episode, I’m sharing an update from the field.
We get into the subtle ways social media was shaping my sense of relevance, creativity, and even worthiness, and what it’s been like to sit with that without reaching for constant visibility. I talk about briefly logging back in and why it felt immediately off, the culture of positioning and self-censorship I didn’t fully realize I was part of, and how different it feels to create when I’m not performing.
I also share what’s happening in my business without social media, and how my perspective on what’s “necessary” has shifted. And on a personal level, how much more grounded, clear, and intentional my life feels when I’m not constantly consuming things I didn’t choose.
 
🌿 Mentioned in This Episode
Moonday Notes (my weekly newsletter)
The Third Perspective by Africa Brooke
Ear Oil (Karna Purana-inspired practice for nervous system support
Episode 91: How 100 Days Off Instagram Gave Me My Brain Back
Episode 79: Field Notes From Leaving Social Media
 

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

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

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

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

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

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
 

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

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