where the blueboots go

I now know that I can’t live in a place without a bath tub because nothing cures sore muscles or gets me into the wellness state of being like a soothing bath. Salts that soak away toxins and sore muscles are essential, and I want to share this awesome maker from Connecticut with you all – florapothecarie. See step-by-step instructions on how to DIY a Facial Steam and open up to your very own relaxing, wellness moment. Cheers to 2017 with a renewed face set to the new year!

I met Sami, the founder, at the W.E.L.L. Market at the W.E.L.L. Summit in NYC this fall. Her awesome pink hair and bright smile drew me right over to her table and I had a lovely time chatting with her. I also caught up with my wellness friend, sweet Shayna who I met last year at the W.E.L.L. Summit in Boston, right next to this gorgeous florapothecarie display.

Who is ‘Flora’ and what is her apothecary all about? 

florapothecarie is a line of 100% natural + vegan skincare products lovingly handcrafted in small batches in Connecticut. Maker Sami Jo Jensen believes in the healing, calming, and beautifying power of nature. She uses only the highest quality natural, organic, and fair trade certified plant essences, extracts, herbs, and oils in her expertly crafted body scrubs, facial toner + masks, bathing salts, whipped body butters and more.

Sami always loved nature, faeries, and the history of female herbalist healers. The logo has a neat ethereal quality – it is is a mix of all of these things and a personification of Mother Nature. The woman in the logo is called Flora.

Hello, Flora!

I love that her products also use fair-trade components- I’ve become more conscious of what that means for different industries, including clothes, coffee, chocolate. It is sometimes easy in a developed country to just take the glitzy clothes you see on racks, for example, at face value and not even think about the hands that must have worked to make things. Considering fair-trade is in line with my desire to see people’s faces more, to listen more intently, and to be more present. Do you agree?

Many of you probably are familiar with pink himalayan rock salts as a luxe seasoning for cooking. Did you know you can bathe with it too? So, you know I’m all for baths (plus, there’s something cool going on in the interior design world where antique bath tubs are IN now?). A shower just doesn’t have the same aesthetic. These salts have rose essential oil and powdered rose hips to add rose – a natural aphrodisiac as well – to this luxurious bath salt.

Here, I’ve got a test tube travel size of florapothecarie’s handcrafted rose himalayan  soaking salts and I decided to try out a portable, lovely treatment for one of the most important parts of one’s body – the FACE.

Faces are exposed to dryness, wind, hair oils, pillowcases, rain, makeup, so yours really does need a bit more love compared to other parts of your skin – the largest organ in your body.  I enjoyed a true relaxation moment with a DIY Facial Steam, on my Wellness Tray, with my favorite scents around and comfy clothes.

= Perfect Morning.

Here’s how:

1. Add 1 tablespoon of salts into a bowl with a deep and wide volume. 
2. Boil water – use a hot water kettle for ease. Add water into the bowl until it is almost full.
3. Take a gentle washcloth and cover the steaming bowl.
   

   
4. Pour a little more water in a gentle trickle over the center of the towel. You should see steam rising from the bowl.
   

   
5. Leave for 10-15 min and allow the steam to infuse into the wash cloth. Put your face over the bowl and towel and close your eyes. Relax. 
6. After about 10-15 minutes of allowing the steam to saturate the wash cloth, remove and gently apply to your face. Wipe with smooth, gentle strokes.
   

   

   
7. Continue to relax and breathe in deeply over the steaming bowl for a count of 4. Hold your breath for 7 counts. Breathe out of your mouth slowly for a count of 8.

 

Want in on some of this hand-crafted goodness? Use the exclusive code “BLUEBOOTS” on their online shop for a special offer of 15% off for you lovely readers, and give it a try. 🙂

Florapothecarie has masks (some have chocolate…yes!), whipped body butters, sea salt hair sprays, travel sets, more types of scrubs, serums, and more. Transitioning to supporting small businesses succeed while also making natural, chemical free choices that support a wellness lifestyle from the inside out are important steps to self-care that can usher in a great NEW YEAR!

If you missed the first 4 posts in what’s on my Wellness Tray, read here:

…….For the 1st post in the Wellness Tray series – introducing the Wellness Tray, featuring 222Fifth

………For the 2nd post in the Wellness Tray series – featuring Simply Curated Candles

…………For the 3rd post in the Wellness Tray series – featuring Organic Bath Co. 

…………..For the 4th post in the Wellness Tray series – featuring Moroccan Magic lip balms. 

Curious about the W.E.L.L. Summit?

Keep up with what’s going on in wellness with their newsletter (at the bottom of the page), join the Facebook group (I love this community so I want to share it!), or read what I’ve said about it previously below.

• The W.E.L.L. Summit 2015 is THIS weekend!
• 3 beautiful questions to ask yourself to guide and motivate you today 
• W.E.L.L. Summit 2016 in NYC is almost here- what I’m looking forward to from this wellness weekend and why
• What YOU need to know about Clean Beauty

Enjoy the last few days of 2016 – MAKE IT COUNT!

Get ready for your best year yet. I sincerely hope that you will find new blessings in this brand new year, and will choose to see the brightness in new days that are always exchanged after every shadowy, less-than-perfect one.

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