"If you're after getting the honey... Then you don't go killing all the bees"
from the song "Johnny Appleseed", by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

There's good news for bees today! The Bayer pesticide, spirotetramat, has been banned by a U.S. District Judge, citing allegations the pesticide is toxic and is killing the nation's honeybees. (The EPA admitted it approved the pesticide illegally but has argued that its actions should have no consequences!)

Pesticides are believed to be a contributing factor to Colony Collapse Disorder, along with a toxic soup of parasitic mites, a new virus that attacks bees' immune systems, the stress of "industrialized pollination" (trucking thousands and thousands of colonies across the country for agriculture), and an inadequate food supply.

Bees are believed to be in long-term decline. To help relieve some of the pressure, I don't use any bee products in my skin and bodycare. I also make sure to include plants that offer healthy food for the bees in my garden.

Lemon balm, bee balm, all the mints, basils (especially Holy Basil!), oregano, chives, anise hyssop, motherwort, catnip, red clover, and echinacea (purple coneflower) seem to be the favorites in my garden. But the list of herbs loved by bees is a long one and also includes lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, hyssop, marjoram, borage, and the rose family.

Add some of these herbs to your garden this year and give some sweet love back to the bees.

Clays have been used as skincare for thousands of years. Cleopatra is said to have bathed in Dead Sea black mud to maintain her beautiful complexion, and Native Americans have long mixed clay with water and herbs to clean their skin.

Using a clay facial mask once a week rejuvenates skin: Masks stimulate circulation while gently cleansing, exfoliating, and tightening pores. Made up of different mineral contents, each clay type has a different effect on the skin.

Kaolin clay (kaolinite), also known as China or White clay, is widely used in cosmetic products. It is a soft, white mineral produced by the weathering of aluminium silicate minerals like feldspar. It can also be yellow or light orange in color, depending on the rock composition. Kaolin is found in many places around the world including Brazil, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Korea, France, China and the U.S.A.

White Kaolin Clay is the mildest of all clays. It does not draw oils from the skin, so can usually be safely used on dry and sensitive skin types. Yellow Kaolin Clay, while still being gentle, has slightly stronger absorption than White Kaolin.

French Green Clay (illite) gets its name from the fact that rock quarries in southern France enjoyed a virtual monopoly on production until similar deposits of illite clays were found in China, Montana, and Wyoming.

This clay's green color comes from a combination of iron oxides and decomposed plant matter, mostly kelp seaweed and other algae. It has enormous absorbent powers, literally drinking in oils, toxic substances, and impurities. French Green Clay is the clay to choose for helping acne-prone and problem skin.

But don't limit clay to just your face! It can be used as a gentle all-over body scrub or mask, and also makes a soothing, deodorizing foot treatment:

Mix 1/2 cup French green clay with enough water to make a thin mud and blend in 2–3 drops of tea tree essential oil. Apply to the feet, and relax for 15 minutes, then rinse off with cool water. Massage on a moisturizing cream to finish this sweet treat for feet.

My skin has been feeling so dry and uncomfortable this Winter, I keep reaching for my favorite hydrosol (it's Calendula right now, but last month it was Rose) to treat myself to refreshing spritzes.

A hydrosol is the pure water that remains after essential oils are steam distilled from the original plant material. Hydrosols have similar properties to essential oils but are much less concentrated.

Aromatic hydrosols are also called "Flower water" or "Distillate" and make great facial splashes, body cologne, deodorant, and air fresheners.

Hydrosols are usually a by-product of essential oil production, but I find the most beautiful come from artisan distillers who specialize in making only hydrosol (the hydrosols I use come from Mountain Rose Herbs because they are made this way).

But even without a still, you can make a simplified homemade version just by making some herbal tea. I tend to use Calendula, Rose, and Lavender alot, but there are lots of choices based on your skin type. Let the tea cool, then pour into a spritzer bottle. It will keep for a few days if you store it in the fridge.

To make your soothing water into a hydrating lotion like my Summerlands Facial Elixir, add up to 25% vegetable glycerin and a few drops of a skin-loving essential oil like lavender, chamomile or rose geranium.

Your skin will love you for it