Live Botanical

💚Greenhouse Glow Mask
This spring favorite is finally back in stock after a few months of being out!!

This is a blend that when it finds the right person at the right time - it’s absolutely magic. 🌬️Helping to not only calm but breathe life back into the skin.

A creamy, water activated balm that I refer to as a smoothie for the skin.
The soft grains dissolve in water, releasing their nutrients maintaining their vibrancy just as it’s being applied.

A highlight of its botanical profile:

✨Cupuaçu butter is renowned for deep moisture due to its ability to hold 400% of its weight in water and provides an occlusive emollient to prevent water loss.

❤️Nutrient-dense, cold-pressed seed oils of cranberry, raspberry, and pumpkin create a range of skin-loving vitamins of A & E, carotenoids, and high linoleic fatty acids to help modulate inflammation and encourage rejuvenation.

💜Plantain, bee balm, and self-heal work collectively to stimulate skin cell generation to firm the skin and lessen scars or dark marks. Also rich in UV and pollution-protectant antioxidants to strengthen the skin's response to environmental factors to skin barrier degradation.

🧡Carefully processed for maximum potency Pumpkin seed powder is rich in a wide range of antioxidants, amino acids, omega-6, and omega-3 fatty acids, and rich minerals like zinc for soothing and vitamin K for discoloration.

🌾🍄‍🟫Oatmeal and snow mushroom contain powerful polysaccharides to help impart humectants to hydrate the deeper layers of the skin. Blended with the oils and added water during the masking process it creates a complete moisturizer for the skin to help deliver all the powerful compounds present in the formula.

🌋Locally sourced mineral rich clay to help lift dead skin cells, remove debris pores, improve circulation and bring about a smooth complexion.

While we're a little late to the party,
our 10 Year Anniversary Special starts TOMORROW! March 6th - 8th.
For all orders over $125, you can choose a free Full-Sized gift from my personal favorites. While I love all our creations, these are always in rotation at my home.

* Gentle Cleansing Gel
* Solar Return Revitalizing Essence
* Ambient Moisture Liquid
* Vibrant Garden Universal Oil
* Skin Repair Balm

Reflections…
Ten years ago (as of January 16th), the seed of Live Botanical was planted.

But the story started much earlier.
It began 28 years ago when I was surrounded by other budding herbalists, sitting in the forest with our little camp stoves warming oils filled with herbs we ethically harvested or grown ourselves. It was at this moment something sparked in me, a profound love and curiosity of being in co-creation with the natural world.

I set out to create formulas that listened and respected the skin’s intelligence. Never to overpower but gently nudge along what our bodies understand.

Always coming back to the same questions:
Does this honor the plant?�Does this honor the person using it?�Does this feel aligned with my values?

I have watched trends and language change in a quickly evolving industry.
Through this we have stayed steady by continuing to formulate everything by hand, producing in small, intentional batches.�Still believing that skin thrives when it is supported, not corrected.

LB has grown up alongside me. It has evolved to become more effective, more technical, more sophisticated in its extraction methods and encapsulation systems - all while holding the same heart it began with.

Ten years is both a blink and a lifetime.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey. Whether you found us a month ago or have been here since the beginning, you are part of the story.

Live Botanical was never meant to be big.
It was meant to be alive.�Intentional.�Rooted.
And that remains unchanged.
With so much love & gratitude,�Carolyn 🌿

Preparing for what’s to grow on this Imbolc 🌱
As we reach the mid point from winter to spring, this quiet celebration can give pause to remember the sun will soon return.

It’s the time of year we start to see the first signs of new & regrowth in the garden.
Early blooms during this time like snowdrops are a symbol of resilience. A flower that manages to bloom despite the remaining frost. (I have anemones shown as they are the first to bloom in my garden.)

Long before groundhogs day…
In Scottish folklore, the Cailleach, a divine crone, gathers firewood around February 1st (Là Fhèill Brìghde) to sustain the cold season.
- If the day is sunny, she gathers plenty, signaling an extended winter.
-Though if cloudy, she gathers little, indicating spring’s imminent arrival.

As I’m looking out my window, with the sun beaming, it does appear that winter will last a bit longer here is my neck of the woods ✨❄️

Sending love to withstand the cold and know that nature is here to teach us persistence against the odds.🌿

No one is illegal on stolen land.

If you’ve followed LB for some time you probably know where we sit on many social causes.
Much of the work we do and the activism we engage with has always been and will always be to uplift our collective humanity.

What we’re seeing in Minnesota and places where I live in Portland, Oregon along with so many other cities is not normal. We’re watching in real time our neighbors fear for their lives and families being torn apart - while this current administration continues to lie and escalate retaliation.
A sense of chaos intended to make us feel overwhelmed and shut down.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is the path to a more just world is life long work. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
History has shown us that those in power will always try to find a way to exploit people and nature. It is up to us to resist their manipulations at every chance.

For those who may be learning more and scared to speak up, you’re not alone. But know that your voice is important. When you are able be in alignment with your values, it creates a sense of flow which can make actions feel less overwhelming.

If you’re new to this work, I highly recommend many of the wiring and books from especially “Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds”.

💗Forever sending love and visions for a better world for all.

Artwork

🎉Live Botanical is turning 10 today!
Reflecting on the steady abundance of our small garden and looking forward to the lessons it has for me in the year ahead 🌱

We will be offering something special in early February to celebrate - so keep an eye out 🥰

I’m forever in awe that we can continue on this plant path with Live Botanical.
Thank you so much for being on this journey with us and even if for just a moment, just know that we appreciate you more than you could ever know.

I wrote this a few months ago but it never made it out into the world. Though it feels fitting for where Live Botanical sits at this moment and what I hope to express more in the new year🌿✨💗

The resonance that I hope Live Botanical leaves in the world more than anything is that we are bridge builders and weavers of tradition and modernity.  So often in our world we are presented with so much polarity in order to capitalize on sensationalism rather than nuance.  I believe the traditions of herbal practices can teach us so much about the beauty and complexities of the world - and - in order to honor the continuation of this wisdom it is important to incorporate shifts in collective, evidence based science. 

Traditions are living, breathing, and evolving practices. As countless healing cultures have shown, when presented with new information, you weave the past into the present so that those in the future are better prepared.  While this message is subtle, I hope that the way we approach herbalism shows that there is room for the “both-and” and we are not just limited to the “either-or”.

💗Most Loved Products in 2025!

I always enjoy to see what products people resonate with each year🥰

🌟Listed are sweet reviews from customer favorites from each layering category:
Cleanse, Treat (Exfoliant or Mask), Hydrate (water based serum or mist), and Nourish (Oil & Balm).

🫧CLEANSE - Nourishing Cleansing Oil
“…I first got this product as a gift, since I have super sensitive skin I’ve learned to stop trying so many new products (even though I love trying all the products lol) but I finally decided to give it a try. Let me just tell you, this is BY FAR the best skincare product out there! It’s super gentle on my skin, never causing breakouts, very enjoyable subtle scent & the first time I used it I literally said to the friend who gifted it to me “I don’t think my face has ever actually been clean in my life if this is what clean feels like!” It is the absolute cleanest, smoothest, softest my face has ever felt...”

🌙TREAT - Overnight Resurfacing Oil
“I have really sensitive skin and most exfoliant products are too harsh. I use this once or twice a week followed by a little bit of Sanctuary balm and in the morning my skin is clear and soft. No breakouts or irritation!”

💦HYDRATE - Ambient Moisture Liquid
“I can’t describe how effective the Ambient Moisture Liquid has been for me! I have dry, sensitive, aging (perimenopausal—blech!) skin and need extra hydration that is still lightweight. This is it! I love the scent, the feel, and the way it makes my skin look and feel...”

🧡NOURISH - First Light Brightening Oil
“I’ve been using this product for almost two years and I have noticed my skin tone and firmness has improved. I use it everyday, I feel it has also improved my fine lines as I use the sanctuary balm after.”

🌀NOURISH - Rooted Balancing Balm
“Let’s just say I have mature skin which means, dry and somewhat unpredictable. When I found Rooted Balancing Balm it changed everything and now my skin feels hydrated and easier to treat when I have a hormone surge or the weather conditions dry me out. I also love to support local women owned businesses…”

😊Did your favorite make the list?!

✨Shop Break✨
As we’re preparing for the new year ahead, we’ll be taking a break that will impact our shipping turn around time between January 3rd - 9th.

If you need anything before this please have your order in by Friday, January 2nd.
Orders afterward will resume shipping Monday January 12th.

💗This is also a wonderful time to purchase from one of our amazing retail and esthetician partners instead of waiting. Head to the link in our bio to see if we have someone in your area :)

We appreciate your patience and all your incredible support in 2025!!

💗Sending all my love on this Winter Solstice

As I’ve become older, my love for winter has deepened. The beauty in the seasonal rhythm that ask us to rest and reflect. Offering an invitation to slow down so we can restore our energy.

This is often so much easier said than done but appreciate the symbolism that reminds us that our value is not tied to our productivity.

For many, there can be a constant feeling to move forward and make improvements all while trying to complete the endless task lists.

Though it’s important to know that who we are at this moment and what we’re currently doing is enough. There is so much growth and healing that can occur from just being present.

🌱When we are able to restore ourselves and it is time to blossom, our roots will be strong which will allow for continued nourishment for the seasons so come.

✨As we celebrate the slow return of the light, I hope your season is filled with peace and calmness.

Love, Carolyn

✨Today is the final day of our Holiday special✨
It was a true joy to be able to share some beautiful limited offerings along with 2 gifting bundles to highlight a few of our customer-favorite formulas.

I adore Autumn and Winter when it comes to skincare. It’s a time to swim in deliciously rich oils and balms and drink copious amount of warm herbal tisanes.
The coziness invites us to be a little slower and hopefully more intentional on what we’re spending time on.

As nod to this year's theme of frost & flame. I hope as the nights get longer and the days become colder, you can find comfort among the lessons of seasonal cycles.

💗Sending all my love and appreciation for another year of plant magic!

Quick note: We are going through the order queue as quick as possible and hope to be caught up by early-mid next week.

💗Giving Tuesday💗

Our annual giving is determined at the end of the year as we commit to at least 10% of pre-tax profits to charitable organizations or mutual aid groups.
This year we’re primarily looking at uplifting immigrant communities and addressing food + housing insecurities.
I look forward to sharing more when do our assessments and will provide the details in January or February.

Our last year’s list includes:

* Direct aid to families in Gaza who were/are finding ways to flee for safety.

* Mutual Aid Disaster Relief - A grassroots disaster relief network based on the principles of solidarity, mutual aid, and autonomous direct action.

* Gather Make Shelter - Collaborates with people experiencing houselessness and poverty through arts workshops and mentorship to empower participants to forge creative paths to stability and community.

* Native Arts Cultural Foundation - Advances equity and cultural knowledge, focusing on the power of arts and collaboration to strengthen Native communities.

* Taking Ownership PDX - They connect businesses, city government and the community to support neighborhoods where Black homeowners can age in place and generate wealth.

* Zenger Farm - Is a working urban farm that models, promotes, and educates about sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship, community development, and access to good food for all.

* NAYA Family Center - A regional center for Native resilience and self-determination. They wrap community in culturally specific programs, steward generational impacts, amplify community victories, and share a culture of reciprocity.

* The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil - Works to defend indigenous rights, articulate common demands and policies, and strengthen the union of indigenous peoples across different regions.

🥰We are incredibly grateful to be in a position to give back. Being a part of important missions that aim to create equity and support a more thriving society has always been at the heart of Live Botanical. I am forever grateful to our all our customers and partners who offer the threads to be a part of something bigger than individual exchanges. Thank you!