Today, I’m sharing a facial mist recipe that promotes healthy skin flora for healthy, clear skin. You can use it morning day and night on your face and body – giving the good guys on your skin a boost of comfort and reassurance.

I was really excited about creating this lavender face mist recipe – and then it suddenly hit me – I wonder if people feel like lavender is a bit… boring? It’s just so common that it’s almost become the “vanilla” of herbs. There’s always something new and exciting to try out there – but having that one true thing that never lets you down is so reassuring. It’s comfort.
And I learned just how good comfort feels, when I suddenly became very uncomfortable in my skin. Five years ago, my immunity took a nose-dive and a strain of opportunistic bacteria took over: MRSA. It’s a type of skin staff infection. It’s nasty stuff! With my beneficial bacterial defenses outnumber, I was left vulnerable. The slightest nick from a razor, pimple or crack on my lips became painfully and wildly infected. With these huge swellings on my skin – the doctor’s office was the only place I’d leave my house to go.
Finally, I was put on a course of antibiotics so strong that my gut flora suffered which impacted my whole digestion… and it’s taken years to get back to feeling normal again…
That was how I learned about the importance of our skin flora – and that what happens on our skin impacts our whole wellness.

Lavender for healthy skin flora

Having this MRSA experience, I also got to learn about lavender and the way it supports and cultivates healthy skin flora. This community of good bacteria live on the skin and protect you from irritants and toxins. Your skin flora keeps inflammation in check and plays a role in how your skin looks and feels (1).

Lavender is active against MRSA, against the strain of fungi that causes athletes foot and a specific strain of bacteria associated with acne. Lavender supports beneficial bacteria by preventing the problematic bacteria from establishing. It keeps life on our skin in balance.
Lavender eases pain from grazes, stings and burns
Lavender lessens skin damage from sunlight (photo-aging)
Lavender combats breakouts and acne
Lavender helps quiet the nervous system, so that your body can heal and restore.

Atlas Cedarwood

I also added a little sweet treat to the blend, droplets of Atlas Cedarwood essential oil to strengthen you, restore you and relieve you of exhaustion and tension.
It has a way of making you feel steady.
On the skin, Atlas Cedarwood helps to detoxify, it’s amazing for moving stagnation like cellulite and acne. And as a regenerative oil, it will help towards rebuilding a healthy skin mantle to prevent bacteria from entering and causing distress.
Sustainability: Atlas Cedarwood is heavily harvested, the wood used for making cedar furniture. I did the research and found two brands that source sustainable Atlas Cedarwood and work with their suppliers to improve sustainability practices. These oils are only made from the stumps and wood shavings that would otherwise be discarded.
New Directions Aromatics
Eden Botanicals (I have personally used this brand and love it)

The how & why to use a facial mist

A facial mist keeps your skin feeling hydrated and balanced. Before makeup, over makeup – you can use it all day long. Here are just a few ways you can use your Lavender Facial Mist:

Morning Cleanser: Instead of washing your face – mist your skin generously and then wipe with a soft towel or cotton pad. It cleans the sleep away and refreshes your skin. 

Setting Make-up: After applying makeup, mist your face to set the makeup and give you a dewy fresh look.

Daily Hydrator: If you work in an office with dry air, if you spend a lot of time in the car, on planes or live in a dry environment – misting your skin will make a huge difference for you in keeping your skin balanced and dewy soft.

Night Time Mist: Lavender helps to promote deep REM sleep. The kind of sleep that the body needs to heal and detoxify. Mist all over right before bed and get to sleep.

Moisturizer: The recipe calls for drops of plant oil to help lock in all the hydration onto your skin. When you look at the bottle, you will see the oil and water separate, it’s like a deconstructed lotion. Always shake the bottle before use to “emulsify,” to bind the oil and water together and mist this hydrating moisture all over your skin.

Lavender Facial Toner for Healthy Skin Flora

Ingredients:
2 oz Lavender Water (This is a very clean and inexpensive brand)
18 drops Lavender Essential Oil ( I use Plant Therapy)
18 drops Atlas Cedarwood (read above for sourcing options)
1/2 tsp jojoba oil ( I’m using The Jojoba Company and recommend it)

Directions:
In a bottle, add all of the ingredients
Shake before use
Use daily, morning, day and night

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