When we walk in the woods skincare protection is all around us. We just have to see it.

As I walked down the trail and noticed the flowers pressing hard to reclaim the path space, I wondered "what is that good for?" So as I am apt to do nowadays, I whipped out my plant identification app (because I am an herbalist at heart) and snapped a quick picture of the plant. The winner today: Goldenrod! Now, I know Goldenrod gets a bad wrap for its partner Ragweed and the havoc they wreak on some people's allergies, but the reality is Goldenrod has a myriad of aromatherapy and herbalism benefits from respiratory support, UTI care, anti-inflammation, and wound care. So to help someone close with a skin condition, I plucked a handful of leaves (never taking more than 10% of the plant for sustainability purposes) and headed home to make a salve.

After infusing avocado oil, coconut oil, beeswax, and shea butter with the Goldenrod leaves, I added the following essential oils: Helichrysum, Tea Tree, Thyme, Cedarwood, and Frankincense. These oils are highly anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and healing. Now the salve is cooling and I will give the gift once it has solidified. Wellness and healing was right there in the weeds on the side of the path, we simply needed to have the eyes to see it.