The Organic Beautician

Most gardeners seem to hate seeing these jolly yellow flowers pop up all over the lawn, but children love them for their ethereal 'clocks', and women should relearn to love them too, as they have so many health benefits.
Because this is nominally a family show, we won't go into the French nickname for them (pis-en lit, although that would amuse most children) but let's look at some benefits, because dandelion roots and leaves offer various herbal help for us, including managing those dodgy PMS symptoms, helping support liver health, and because of their cleansing properties, helping some skin conditions.

One of the things most helpful to women, though, is the help with PMS and the menstrual cycle
Bloating is a common occurrence for many women, and because of its diuretic effect, dandelion tea can help alleviate water retention, as well as soothing cramps, and dandelion root is also reputed to help regulate erratic periods.

For skin:
As dandelion contains vitamins A, C, and E, along with minerals like zinc, it can help maintain clear, healthy skin.
As another bonus, dandelion might help reduce blood pressure and support bone health.

Best get brewing some dandelion tea!

You can do that by infusing the roots or leaves in hot water. Or supplements are available.
Possibly the simplest way is to add the leaves to your salad, though.
If you want to know how to make dandelion oil into a skin slave, follow my Patreon page - link in bio.

If you want radiant skin (and good health) your need to eat plenty of pants. Five a day is not enough especially when that can include tomato ketchup and tinned beans.
The easiest way to get enough veggies in is to have a Radiant Skin Salad for lunch each day. This was mine today, but I don't usually have the quails' eggs and asparagus!
This is how you build a Radiant Skin salad:
Start with leaves: this has two sorts of lettuce from the garden, watercress (lots of iron) and endive. Then add some roots, radish here, but I often grate carrot, then some protein and luxury: we had avocado (healthy fat) quails' eggs (more lovely fat) asparagus, chopped olives, and there's some kimchi lurking under the lettuce for gut health.
I generally have some mung beans sprouting, so sprinkle some of those on.
Salad dressing is so easy to make yourself, and much healthier than shop bought - no xanthan gum or rapeseed oil needed, just extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice, with a twist of black pepper and some herb salt.

It's not so much smoke that gets in your eyes ♫ at this time of year, but for many people, and far more irritating it's pollen.

Want some advice on sore eyes sneezing and other irritating hay-fever symptoms?

Well, I wrote a bit about it on Patreon. Click the link in bio to read it.

The delicately scented linden blossoms are well worth gathering, for, not only do they make a delicious soporific bedtime tea, but they have assorted skin benefits, too, being soothing, moisturising, and antioxidant.
For skin, traditionally, linden water has been used to help to firm the skin, and ameliorate premature aging. Linden flower's gentle and soothing properties, make it ideal for most skin types, from sensitive to mature, and acne-prone skin.
But it's also used to induce a good night's sleep:
To make a sedative tisane, to aid sleep, simply drop a few fresh flowers into a cup of boiled water and leave to steep.
You can dry the flowers out and use them again, but now would be a great time to locate a tree and pick some to store for later in the year. They dry easily and store well.

Red Rose Day?
Who thought of that?
But what an excellent concept!
If nobody else obliges, why not treat yourself to a bunch of red roses?

Or make yourself the most delcious luxurious lip balm ever, using Rose wax and rose oil?

I'm giving the recipe out on my Patreon site later in June. Just check the link in bio and join me, if you want to come up smelling of roses!

As today is iced tea Day (who thinks of these things?) can I suggest this glorious herbal infusion?

If you've not tried it, Lemon Verbena. AKA lippia triphylla or Aloysia citriodora has a glorious scent and flavour.

Just don't confuse it Lemon balm, which is also lovely, because this herb has a subtler, yet slightly spicier, fresh citrusy flavour, even though it's completely unrelated to the Citrus family.

Lemon Verbena been treasured for millennia for its soporific effects, possibly caused by the verbascosides, so do have a cup before bed, and it's also supposed to help alleviate muscle pain, so great after all that gardening!

My clients are enjoying a cup of this in June, after their facial treatments.
Interested in herbs? Why not check out my Patreon site for further info. Link in bio.

The varying colours of flowers as they "go over" can be even more beautiful than when they are fresh.
People are the same, but we appreciate it even less.
But how lucky are we to be here, and to be ageing?
You can age beautifully, too. Treat your skin to a Dr Hauschka treatment and your skin will be radiant at any and every age.
Message me to book.

While you sleep, your skin is hard at work.
This means it needs to be clean - free of makeup dirt, oil, pollution...
So, you ARE cleansing properly, removing your makeup before hitting the pillow, aren't you?

The pre sleep cleanse is the most important one, as if your skin is clogged with dirt, makeup and day creams, your skin can't breathe, and we know what happens when things can't breathe don't we?
Things go pear shaped.

Plus your pillow case will get dirty, and transfer that dirt back to your lovely face, the next time you crash onto it.

You know what they say? Just do it.
Establish a good night-time routine, and it'll become as simple as cleaning your teeth.

Message me, if you want a professional deep cleanse, which is also deeply relaxing

One of the most polluting industries on this planet is the cosmetic one...
All those plastic bottles; all the scarily-named lab-created chemicals, which your skin doesn't recognise or like...
Making your own is what everyone used to do, so why not emulate your foremothers' ingenuity? It's never been easier to source the ingredients and DIY your own skincare. In fact, you can see recipes on my Patreon.

See Link in bio for more info