Healthy Art de Vivre

Hi, Opening OurSelves just like roses 🌹 open their petals delicately.

I will share today my beauty ritual 🌞Roses face mask. Damas rose petals are dried in open air and then transformed into powder. It has a delicate rose perfume. It is used in Ayurveda and known to open hearts ❤️ and soul. It is harmonizing and healing. If you have never heard about it and are curious, just do a search to learn more about. It is also easy to find and buy rose powder online.

Rose powder face mask is suitable for any skin type, especially for sensitive and mature. Rose powder is known for regenerating the skin, but also for healing the skin irritations and inflammations.

I do rose powder mask whenever I want to spoil myself. It is also saving when I expose the skin to sun too long.

🌱1,5 teaspoons of Rose Powder
🌱3 teaspoons of organic Oatmeal that I also transform into powder
🌱3 tablespoons of organic Rose Hydrolate
🌱1 teaspoon of organic Honey
🌱Sometimes I am also adding 1 teaspoon of Primerose vegetable oil

I mix all of them in above order and then gently apply on face and neck avoiding eye area. It keep it for 5-10 min. I do not keep it more since I have the sensation that it has a reverse effect: drying the skin. I rinse with warm water and then spray again a rose hydrolate. Can you already feel the rose perfume😏? Joy and harmony.

Today my friend Valentina Belova is celebrating her birthday. This is for you 🌹🌹🌹! Happy birthday 🎈 🎉 🌞!

Lucia 🦋

Hi, Learning through failure. Back to school 🌞. I continue the professional classes on organic cosmetics formulation led by Jessica Hamou.

The cream on the photo is the result of learning through failure: I have missed the formula, you could see that water and oil are separated. Disappointing! It was the first formula we did. What a start. Eventually, it was a great learning experience. We have learned how to identify root causes and how to solve such situations. Something that I will always remember.

My learnings & thoughts after this week

🌱Failures can led to success

🌱Organic skincare can be exceptional. No compromises on your experience. The touch, feel, aroma. It is transforming a beauty routine into a ritual. Healthy food for your skin means also JOY 😊.

🌱Organic skincare can be 100% natural and can be formulated without chemicals preservatives even if they are allowered or tolerated by the certificators. No compromises.

🌱The journey has much more fun and is more enriching when you do it together with people that are sharing same values. I have enjoyed co-creating this week together Rachele and Mathilde. We keep connected 😏. Our Journey continues.

🌱The learning session took place in Provence in a very special place, Mas Lafleur Aurelie and Pascal have created an oasis emanating energy that inspires creation and well-being.

Thank you Jessica for this unforgettable professional and human experience and for Empowering us to formulate organic sustainable skincare in harmony with OurSelves and Nature 🌱.

Lucia 🦋

Hi, Toxic ❌ lavender? Yes. Not all lavender types essential oils can be breathed or put in a diffuser or applied directly on the skin. This is the case of Butterfly lavender. This essential oil is toxic but highly effective in very specific cases like ear infections and respiratory problems. It should be diluted in vegetable oil before applied.

Lavender essential oil is one of the most commonly used and many of us might have a bottle in our house. My message here is: always read the Latin name on the label no matter which essential oil we buy. If it is written just ”lavender”, I would not buy it. Always consult a pharmacist or a health specialist. They will advise you on what and how to apply. There are over 40 lavender types, with different compositions, different purposes and different ways to be used. When we are well informed, we can benefit from nature's 🌱 power and live in harmony!

This butterfly lavender is growing on my terrace and I have made the picture in April last year. Soon I will enjoy again 🦋. It does not smell at all. No wonder 😎. You understand now why.

Butterfly lavender is also called Stoechas, because it grows on Stoechades island in the Mediterranean sea. It is a wildflower.

When I have bought it several years ago, I had no idea which lavender to select. There were many types and I have just picked up the one that seduced me more.

Now I know that Lavender « Hidcote » would give beautiful violet flowers and afterwards I could dry them for bouquets. Lavender ”Maillette” would give a very pleasant fragrance, but the flowers would be of less intense violet. Still I would choose with my ❤️.

Do you enjoy the lavender journey?

Lucia 🦋

Hi, we have admired Provence Lavandin in the last post. The lavender from today photo is quite different, isn’t it? Less marketing I would say. In fact this is the PRECIOUS True Lavender. When we say Lavender, this is the reference. And there are over 40 lavender types.

While taking Lavender road in Provence last summer, we stopped as soon as we have seen absolutely astonishing fields of Lavandin. We were not alone. Everybody was taking pictures. Nobody was paying attention to lavender that was growing just in front, on the other side of the road. Lavandin fields are really impressive at first glance. Then we have spoken to the farmer and she has told us about the treasure that was just under our nose.

🌿 True lavender field has flowers of different, non uniform, violet nuances. The stems are much shorter than of Lavandin. It multiplies by seeds, so the plant rows are more “natural”.

🌿True Lavender has a very delicate aroma. Its fragrance is floral and subtle. If you would choose Lavender with closed eyes by sensing the fragrance, your heart ❤️ might prefer True Lavender.

🌿No wonder, True Lavender is the one that is wanted in perfumery.

🌿 It grows at over 800 m altitude. Don’t worry, there are lavender types that are suitable for our gardens like Lavender « Hidcote » that has a beautiful violet color or Lavender ”Maillette” that has less intense color but a very pleasant fragrance. What do you prefer, Color or aroma? Or you can opt for a more “exotic” lavender: white lavender.

🌿 I call True Lavender essential oil as “Relax” since it is the reference for a calming effect. By the way, it is also well known for keeping away the mites. I love incorporating it into my cosmetics creations and benefit from its skin regeneration power. There are many purposes we can use it.

🌿My learning here was to look beyond appearances and the nature essence.

🌿 Hope you have opened for you new nature wonders. Journey continues.

Lucia 🦋

Hi, Astonishing vivid color, Intense purple, very uniform. Robust and long stems. Well organized lines with flowers. Perfect painting.

Lavender? In fact, this is Lavandin. The difference goes far beyond several letters in the name. ”Lavandin” is a natural hybrid resulted from two lavender species: true lavender and spike lavender.

🌿 If you don’t like “Lavender” aroma, then I would ask which type of lavender essential oil have you scented by now. There is a high probability that it was Lavandin because it is the most grown lavender type nowadays.

🌿Lavandin has a herbal and camphor scent versus very delicate aroma of true Lavender.

🌿 Nature is giving us even several types of Lavandin like Super and Grosso. Grosso more perfumed vs Super more spicy camphor scent. There is even Lavandin that has white flowers called Alba.

🌿 Lavandin is very popular since the productivity in the essential oil is several times higher than his ancestors. Most of Lavender fields today in Provence are in fact Lavandin. As you would expect, it is several times cheaper than true lavender essential oil.

🌿 Lavandin was quickly adopted by ”industry” and is widely used in soaps, sachets with herbes, cosmetics, household products etc. The farmer we have met in Provence is growing Lavandin for selling it as dry ”lavender” bouquets.

🌿Lavandin is reproduced by plant cuttings. So do not try to plant the seeds since nothing will emerge.

🌿 Lavandin grows at 200-800 m altitude, which means it can also prosper in our gardens and terraces.

🌿 I call Lavandin essential oil as “Sport” since it is well known to relieve muscle cramps and contractions. It has also inherited from true Lavender the calming effect. Not all lavender types are having this characteristic!

🌿 if you are curious to discover nature wonder called Lavender, I invite you to embark the journey. To be continued.

Lucia 🦋

Winter skin caring

During winter, we change our clothes and shoes to protect against cold, wind, temperature difference or we are cocooning ourselves while being back home.

Living in harmony with the nature means caring about the skin in rhytm with seasons. Either we protect our skin in advance or we solve winter consequences afterwards.

Nature is empowering us to enjoy the winter and keep our skin healthy. One simple solution is Shea butter. You might already use it.

It is known to restore the barrier between the skin and the outside environment reducing the risk of skin dryness.

It is naturally non-comedogenic, so it does not clog pores and might be welcomed by well skin types.

I love applying shea butter on the hands whenever I feel they are dry because of weather conditions or hands sanitiser usage. It helps to moisturize and gives a soft sensation.

I also massage my feet with a generous amount of shea butter and then slip them into socks. It let it overnight and the result is amazing.

Shea butter can also heal when skin is damaged. I prefer it pure to protect my delicate lips exposed to cold winter.

Nature is full of wonders. There is another type of Shea Butter, called Nilotica. It is obtained from nuts of Shea Nilotica tree that is a subspecies of the Shea tree Vitellaria paradoxa.

It is less known. I ❤️ it because it has some advantages, especially when I want to use the butter as pure product on the skin:

🌱Nilotica Shea butter is very soft at room temperature. If you already use classical shea butter, you know that it is solid at room temperature. It is melting at +34 C.

🌱Nilotica Shea butter is better absorbed by the skin and leaves it less oily than classical Shea butter.

As a result, Nilotica is much easier to be applied on the skin. I enjoy the velvety touch that it has on the skin. I love using it as pure or as ingredient integrated into my creations. It has benefits for skin and hair, in fact, all year round. No matter what type of shea butter I buy, I prefer it as 100% natural, organic, pure & raw and unrefined. It is easy to be found in online shops.

The respect for the nature is essential to me and I prefer local organic products. However, the practices at thousands of kilometers and other continents are impacting our Earth planet and ourselves. Either Shea Nilotica trees are giving us this wonderful butter, either they risk to be used as a source for charcoal.

By supporting the producers with same values with ours on the other part of the planet, we reduce the deforestation and regenerate our planet & humanity.

In harmony with ourSelves and Nature🌱

Lucia 🦋

Hi, There are people we met in our life journey and to whom we are grateful. One of them is Jessica Hamou Labo 4E, cosmétique bio If I would have known and tried Jessica Hamou cosmetics before, most probably I would have not started to make cosmetics by myself.

🌱Jessica cosmetics are truly «clean» and made from organic ingredients. You would say that others are doing the same. It is possible to have a beauty cosmetic certified as organic/bio with only 20% of the total ingredients being organic.

”La Radieuse” 🔆 by Jessica, that you can see on the photo, has 86,47% of total ingredients as organic. This is over 4 times higher than the requirements.

🌱 I had a WOW feeling when I have applied “La Radieuse” first time. I understood why the name means Radiance of Happiness. It is proof that healthy cosmetics, made in an eco-responsible way, can be at least as enjoyable and even more than the traditional beauty products.

🌱 Jessica is putting into action the science to reveal the power of nature. As a result, we can ”take care of ourSelves with Love ❤️ daily”, respecting the environment and human.

🌱 Jessica values & philosophy resonate to me and this is the most essential for me.

Today only 6,4% from total cosmetics in France are organic and Jessica is sharing her knowledge with others willing to join the pathway. I feel privileged to had the opportunity to learn from Jessica at the European University of Scents & Senses this year.

Thank you Jessica! Wish you Happy Season Holiday 🎄and a Healthy 2021!

Lucia 🦋

Natural Vitamin E source for mature skin

My curiosity. Barbary Fig or Nopal Fig or Prickly Pear. At the beginning I was thinking it's a Fig variety and that it looks similar to classical Fig. Not at all!

I have decided to taste it. Even if it was the end of the season now, I could still find it in our organic shop several weeks ago. When I have seen the “Fig”, I have realized that I have already tried it in Mexico.

In fact, it is a fruit of a Cactus. The botanical name is Opuntia ficus indica. It grows in Mediterranean area as well.

The inside colour gives the impression that it has accumulated generously the sun energy. It has a sweet with a slightly acid taste. It is rich in water and has a lot of seeds. Really a lot. My impression was that about 25% of the fruit are seeds.

The vegetable oil is obtained from these seeds by cold pressure. The seeds contain only 5% of oil, which makes it precious. 1 tone of fruits are necessary to get 1 l of vegetable oil.

Moreover, it is also challenging to gather the fruits since don’t forget they grown on a “cactus leaf” and there are a lot of spines.

Barbary Fig vegetable oil is quite expensive to tell the truth when I compare with other oils prices. However, when I calculate the cost per dosage I use to apply on the skin, actually it is much more affordable than any other creams on the market.

Barbary vegetable oil is a real gold mine of vitamin E source, 1000 mg/kg. Do you know another oil with such a high concentration? Vitamin E is a natural anti oxidant that is important for mature skin. In addition, it contains other elements like omega 6.

Barbary vegetable oil is known to help skin cells regenerating, improve its elasticity and protect from dehydration.

Once I tried it, I have adopted it in my beauty rituals. I love integrating it into my magic formulas, especially in face serum.

However, simplicity brings marvellous results:

I add Barbary Fig organic vegetable oil to the cream dosage just before applying on the face or body. I estimate around 5% of the total volume.

I mix directly into my hands the same quality of organic aloe vera gel and vegetable oil and then apply the resulted gel on the clean skin by gentle massage. It is quickly absorbed and I feel a velvety skin afterward.

For the under eyes area, I apply the oil directly on the skin or add 1 drop of pomegranate seed CO2 extract.

Simple and Fresh! I put into action the power of nature and get the benefit from it directly. It takes seconds to prepare and I can take as long time as I want to spoil my skin and soul. Nature is fully of simple wonders that we can enjoy in our life.

In Harmony with myself and the nature 🌱.

Lucia 🦋