I haven’t had a first day of school in a super long time, but late August seems to stir that fresh-start energy for me.

But, decades after graduation, I’ve replaced freshly sharpened pencils (or a new pack of jelly roll pens), a new school bag and a drugstore makeup haul with a brand new daily to-do pad, organized desk drawers, a deep-cleaned skincare cabinet and a renewed desire to get my rhythms back in order.

After the spontaneity of summer, I start to crave a little more structure and find myself naturally taking inventory of my routines.

For me, this “back-to-school” season feels like another New Year.

The calendar doesn’t say January, but all of a sudden I want to buy a new planner (check), detox my laptop’s open tabs (in progress), refresh my skincare routine (check), wake up earlier (working on this) and become a person who meal preps (might be forever working on this).

For many of us, there might be an actual “back-to” happening: back to drop-offs and packed lunches, back to the office, back to work after maternity leave or back to a more consistent schedule after a summer of travel.

But even if nothing about your schedule is changing (hi, it’s me!), this season still feels like an invitation to begin again, reset our rhythms and audit the little things we do every day.

Emphasis on the little things – a complete overhaul is not required (and honestly, rarely even helpful).

As a holistic esthetician, I naturally start with the products we put on our skin. But “clean” has become a much bigger lens through which I look at my life: what I apply, what I eat, what I bring into my home, how I support my nervous system and the rituals that help me feel grounded when life gets full.

So whether you’re heading back to school, back to work, back to a routine (or simply ready for a fresh start), consider this your clean ritual refresh.

Find your season of life below and borrow whatever rituals serve you most in this season.

IF YOU’RE HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL

For the high schooler starting to care for their skin.

These are foundational years for building healthy skin barriers and bodies.

Teen skin is so susceptible to the stressors from internal and external factors – and the typical skincare routine often contains harsh prescriptions, hormone-disrupting ingredients or sensitizing chemicals that leave delicate complexions in a downward spiral of skin (and health) conditions for years to come.

Not exactly the skin goals you’re going for.

Get your skin and health on track with non-toxic products that help you create clear skin that lasts and become the very best version of yourself as you head back to class.

Simplify your skincare shelf.
It can be hard to adopt a “less is more” mentality when back-to-school shopping and social media trends make you think you need more steps, more products, and more perfection. Swap chemical ingredients that can aggravate acne for natural products to create clear skin that actually lasts – without any long-term side effects. This teen routine has everything you need to cleanse, mist + moisturize, naturally.

Pack your lunch.
It can be tempting to hit the drive through during lunch or stop by the vending machine out of convenience, but for glowing skin and better gut health, it’s important to avoid inflammatory foods as much as possible. Minimize gluten, conventional dairy and refined sugar in your daily diet and add more pastured protein, fiber + healthy fats. Bringing a packed lunch might be one of the best things you can do for your skin this semester. :)

Protect your pits + lips.
Deodorant and lip products become daily staples at a young age and are then applied nearly every day for decades. Swiping on natural deodorant and lip care daily makes this one tiny swap compound over a lifetime. This teen bundle gives you the most important swaps in one best-selling set to protect your delicate pits + lips.

Don’t let your skin determine your day.
Okay, take notes: this might be the most important one. A breakout before picture day, homecoming or a Friday night can feel huge in high school — but remember, your reflection in the mirror does not determine your worth. It’s simply communicating with you and offering an invitation for deeper healing, inside and out.

IF YOU’RE HEADING TO COLLEGE

New independence, new routines — and probably a super small bathroom.

College is often the first time you’re completely responsible for your own rhythms: what you eat, when you head to bed, whether or not you wash your face, what you buy – and whether your bathroom counter becomes home to 14 trending TikTok products.

With a small space (and probably an even smaller budget), this is where natural products, simple practices and (free) lifestyle habits can make the biggest difference for your skin.

Get a degree in reading labels.
Start studying ingredient lists, not marketing claims. One word to watch for is “fragrance,” which can hide hundreds of undisclosed ingredients – even in products marketed as “natural.” Start with what you use most like deodorant, hair care, laundry detergent, etc and download this app as your study buddy.

Build a routine you’ll actually repeat.
You don’t need 10 steps, trust me. A Cleanser, Mist and Cream gives your skin a strong foundation without taking over your dorm bathroom or disrupting your delicate skin barrier. Consistency is key and this 3-step routine is super simple while giving your complexion what it needs naturally (and it also looks very chic in your toiletries bag).

Prioritize your habits like they’re part of your skincare routine.
Because they are! Swap hectic schedules for habits that help lower stress levels, support mental health and minimize breakouts – like less screen time, getting outside, getting to bed sooner and starting a gratitude journal. You can buy all the serums, but don’t forget the free things that influence your skin, energy and overall well-being, too.

Upgrade the makeup you wear every day.
Back-to-school shopping is the perfect time to start looking more closely at what’s sitting on your skin all day. Multi-purpose makeup that combines color, skincare + mineral SPF (and creates a complete look in less than 60 seconds) is just what a clean college girl needs. Fewer products, a faster morning and ingredients that actually nourish your skin are a must – especially when you’ve hit snooze one too many times before your first class.

IF YOU’RE A PARENT OF LITTLES

Your morning routine belongs to basically everyone except you.

Someone needs breakfast or can’t find a shoe or is suddenly deeply opposed to the shirt they picked out five minutes ago – and somehow you’re supposed to have washed your face in the middle of all of this. :)

This season calls for rituals + routines that do more, so you don’t have to.

Simplify your get-ready routine.
Skinimalism is one of my favorite beauty trends for your skin barrier. It’s all about the beauty of doing less for the sake of your skin health, schedule – and your sanity. Enter: The Tinted Duo. This set combines skincare, mineral SPF and sheer coverage in less than 60 seconds so you can look (and feel) put together for someone who just spent 10 minutes looking for the lost sock.

Store your wellness tools where you’ll see them.
In this season, “out of sight out of mind” couldn’t be more true. So instead of keeping your wellness tool tucked in a drawer, store it somewhere you’ll see it – and remember to use it. Hang your body dry brush beside the shower and keep your gua sha stone on your nightstand. Even a few minutes with a wellness tool helps promote circulation + lymphatic flow while creating a moment to come back into your own body – a must for busy mamas.

Integrate transition times.
Create little cues that help you shift from one part of the day to the next: light a beeswax candle when the house settles, spritz a Facial Mist before school pickup, step outside for a few deep breaths or wash your face before the evening rush. These simple transition times become the moment between caring for everyone else and coming back to yourself.

Make wellness work within your day.
Wellness doesn’t need its own dedicated hour on the calendar – it can simply look like getting sunshine on your skin while the kids play outside, making yourself breakfast while you pack lunches, a walk around the block with the wagon or going to bed instead of finishing one more on your to-do list. Look for the ways you can weave wellness practices into the life you’re already living.

IF YOU’RE PARENTING OLDER KIDS

When they need you differently – you might need something different, too.

You may not be tying shoes or cutting up grapes anymore, but your calendar (and mental load) can feel fuller than ever with sports schedules, homework, late-night conversations and kids who are becoming increasingly independent – which means maybe there can be a little more room to return to yourself, too.

Revisit the rituals you haven’t had time for.
If your skincare has been on autopilot (or nonexistent) for the last decade, bring back the rituals that make caring for your skin feel like little luxuries. Linger over a latte and a Coffee Mask on a slow Sunday morning, spend a few extra minutes dry brushing before taking a bath or finally learn how to use that Gua Sha Stone sitting in your drawer. Let this be a season to get reacquainted with your skin and build a ritual around the woman you are today. And if you’re not quite sure what your skin needs these days, retake our Skin Quiz for a little guidance.

Make your evening skincare the signal that the day is done.
Once dinner is done and the kitchen is clean, give yourself 5-10 minutes before collapsing into bed. Oil cleanse slowly, spritz a Facial Mist, then massage in a balm or cream with your Gua Sha Stone. Let the ritual become a cue to wash away the day, unwind and ground your nervous system before sleep – helping you rest more deeply and wake up more glowy.

Give yourself a bedtime, too.
At this point, you’ve probably spent years protecting your kids’ sleep schedules and have maybe forgotten that yours matters just as much. Sleep is one of the most restorative things we can offer our skin, hormones, nervous system and overall well-being – and no overnight balm can replace it.

Let your clean habits become something you pass down.
As your kids start picking out their own skincare, deodorant, fragrance and personal care products, invite them into the conversation. Teach them to read labels, ask questions and pay attention to how products make their bodies feel. And most of all, helping your teen understand that changing skin is normal, worthy of care and is always communicating, may be one of the most meaningful skincare lessons you give them.

IF YOU’RE STARTING A NEW JOB

New schedule, new team, new mental load.

There are few things that make you reconsider your rhythms faster than starting a new job. Suddenly there’s a new morning schedule to navigate, a new mental load to carry and a whole new cadence to your day.

Rather than trying to become the person with a Pinterest-worthy 5 a.m. routine overnight, focus on a few anchors that help you feel prepared in the morning, grounded throughout the workday and able to truly clock out when you come home.

Prep for tomorrow tonight.
Remember packing your backpack and laying out your first-day outfit the night before school? Bring that same energy into your workweek. Fill your water bottle, pack your lunch, lay out your clothes and put your skincare where you’ll see it. Ten thoughtful minutes the night before can make mornings feel less rushed and help you walk into a new job feeling more prepared and ready for the day.

Simplify getting ready.
I probably sound like a broken record at this point but this is where the Tinted Duo becomes your new BFF: skincare + SPF + complexion + color without needing an entire makeup bag. Toss it in your work bag for midday touch-ups, lunch on the terrace or spontaneous after-work plans that keep you outside longer than expected. Two products, less than 60 seconds, and you’re covered.

Create a post-work transition.
Especially when work is demanding (or happens from home), these little buffers can help leave the mental load of work behind and be more present for the people and life waiting for you on the other side. Something as simple as changing your clothes, washing your face, taking a walk outside – these little moments give your mind + body consistent cues that the workday has ended.

Keep something grounding at your desk.
Your workspace can support how you feel throughout the day, too. Keep a glass water bottle within reach, stash a nourishing snack in your drawer, apply Everything Balm to dry hands + lips between meetings and when your brain starts to feel full, step outside for five minutes of fresh air and sunshine. These tiny touch points can bring you back into your body when most of the workday is spent living in your head.

IF YOU’VE BEEN AT THE SAME JOB FOR YEARS

You don’t need a new beginning to begin again.

Maybe there’s no “back to” happening for you this fall. It’s just the same job, same commute, same morning routine — no new school supplies required.

There’s something comforting about having a rhythm that feels familiar, but that can also make it easy to stop noticing how we’re moving through our days. We keep purchasing the same things, preparing the same lunch, following the same routine and reaching for the same habits simply because that’s what we’ve always done.

So maybe your version (and mine) of back-to-school this year is simply paying attention again.

Audit what has become automatic.
Take inventory of the things you do without thinking and take action if it no longer feels aligned. Maybe it’s leaving your phone outside the bedroom, packing a lunch that actually nourishes you, trading the 3 p.m. coffee for ten minutes outside or reassessing the skincare you’ve repurchased for years. Sometimes the refresh is simply noticing where you’ve been on autopilot – and making mindful adjustments.

Choose one clean swap.
You don’t need to clean up your entire bathroom cabinet in a weekend. Pick one product you use frequently and start there: swap conventional deodorant for one that’s actually clean, a stripping body wash for one that supports your microbiome or a petroleum-based lip product for nourishing lanolin lip care. When one swap starts to feel like second nature, then make another. Over time those little decisions can entirely change the inputs you’re exposed to every day.

Refresh something you see every day.
Take a fresh look at the spaces you move through every day and consider whether they’re supporting the way you want to live. A cleared desk can help you focus, a simplified skincare cabinet can make your ritual easier to stick with and placing the things you want to use within sight makes them far more likely to become part of your rhythm. Sometimes a little more order around us creates a little more space within us, too.

Learn something new – just for fun.
Maybe this is where we bring the school back into back-to-school. ;) Sign up for the class you’ve been curious about, check out a library book on something completely unrelated to your career, learn to garden, try a new recipe or finally understand what all those ingredients on the back of your skincare bottle actually do. There’s something energizing and childlike about being a beginner again – especially when so much of your life feels familiar.

YOUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL LIST

Maybe this is what I’ve always loved about this time of year: back-to-school gave me a built-in opportunity to begin again.

We cleaned out the backpack, bought the notebook (and the new outfit), organized the desk and went to bed a little earlier. We prepared ourselves for the season ahead.

I think as adults we deserve – and even deeply desire – that kind of reset, too.

But you don’t need a new job, a new semester or a child heading off to kindergarten to take a fresh look at the life you’re already living.

Sometimes the most meaningful reset is simply paying attention again: to what you’re putting on your skin, how you’re beginning and ending your days, the spaces you spend your time in and the small habits that have become automatic.

And you definitely don’t need to change everything at once. Just choose one thing and start there.

The practices that shape our health are rarely the dramatic ones – they’re the small decisions we continually come back to until, eventually, they become the rhythm of our lives.

So wherever you’re heading back to this fall (even if you’re simply heading back to the same life with fresh eyes) here’s your permission slip to begin again.

xx

During my early years (and early 20s) working in the industry, I tried to attain this impossible ideal of perfect skin – from buying every cleanser + active available to trying to minimize my breakouts in a tanning bed and taking miracle acne pills.

Oh, my poor skin.

After feeling defeated and disappointed after so many failed attempts of creating clear skin that actually lasts, I came to realize that maybe my acne-clearing ways weren’t really as effective as I had thought (or even learned in esthetics school).

Since I hadn’t seen any real results from mainstream products + professional skincare lines, I decided it was time to try something different.

My journey to clear, healthy skin has taken years – and it’s definitely still a work in progress. But the health of my skin has come a longggg way since my 20-something, pimple popping, pore strip days.

Almost two decades into this work, my skincare philosophy has become even more expansive and, simultaneously, even simpler.

And it’s getting me compliments that I still look like I’m in my late 20s when I’m pushing 40. Proof these secrets work. ;)

So if I could sit with my younger self after a facial and pass along a few things I’ve learned since then, these are the 5 secrets I’d want to tell her – that I think would save her a whole lot of breakouts (and yes, even heartbreaks).

#1 Wash your face with oil.

In my teens, I have a vivid memory of my dad taking me to the drugstore to pick out a new face wash.

He grabbed the “dermatologist-tested” tube and said, “this one looks good”. I agreed because it was bright orange with exfoliating beads that would burst to wake up my skin and wash away breakouts. Done.

My dear dad had no idea what he was doing (but to be fair, neither did I).

I was trying to remove makeup and excess oil, but in the process I was disrupting the delicate ecosystem I was depending on for clear, balanced skin – and I was doing it morning and night… daily… for a decade…

Again, my poor skin.

Little did I know our skin has its own protective lipid barrier and microbiome, made up of oils and microorganisms that are vital for maintaining hydration, defending against pathogens and keeping the barrier balanced.

Cleansing plays a foundational role in that function that I hadn’t yet grasped in my 20s.

Enter: Oil cleansing.

Oil dissolves oil, which makes it incredibly effective at melting away makeup, sunscreen, excess sebum and daily buildup while preserving the skin’s natural moisture.

Plus with this method, massage becomes part of the cleansing process, restoring movement and mindfulness to an everyday step that can easily feel like a rushed, mindless task before bed.

These Cleansing Oils quickly became the kind of cleanser I wish I’d had all those years ago: simple, nutrient-dense oils that remove debris while respecting the skin underneath.

Decades later, cleansing isn’t about stripping the day away (or my delicate lipid barrier) but instead, creating a fresh foundation that feels clean, but never compromised.

And yes, even breakout-prone, oil-rich skin requires a healthy balance of oil.

I might have saved my younger self a lot of scrubbing with bursting beads had I got that memo sooner. ;)

#2 Daily habits are more effective than a $100 serum.

In my 20s, I put so much hope (read: hundreds of dollars) into my topical skincare routine.

I was the definition of a beauty junkie. And with access to all of the professional products and treatments, I took full advantage.

Surely the right serum would clear my breakouts, the right exfoliant would smooth my texture and the right highlighter would give me that lit-from-within glow.

Yes, the right products do make a difference, but I’ve learned over the years that using them in a way that treats the skin separately from the rest of the body is not an effective, or a long-term, solution.

Skin health reflects the life we’re living, not just the products we’re applying.

And goodness, was my 20-something skin a reflection of that.

• Deep sleep provides repair and regeneration not for only our skin, but all of our biological systems beneath the surface.

• Mineral-rich hydration directly influences skin’s plumpness and suppleness.

• A nutrient-dense diet supplies the building blocks our cells require.

• Regular movement promotes circulation and lymphatic flow (hello, glow!).

• Reducing our chemical exposure lightens the load our bodies have to process.

And then there’s elevated stress levels – which I believe belongs at the top of this list. It’s hard for any serum to be effective when the effects of chronic cortisol spikes are still a daily occurrence.

When I started looking at my skin through a holistic lens, my focus expanded beyond “what should I put on this?” and more towards:

• How have I been sleeping?

• What am I consuming (food + mindset)?

• Am I moving my body consistently?

• What has my nervous system been carrying?

• Have I spent ample time outdoors and with God?

• What products are finding their way into my home?

These questions began to give me far more helpful information about my skin, and my habits.

It’s true a targeted serum can visibly support transformation (I swear by this one!), but the serum is only one part of a much larger ecosystem of skincare.

Your daily habits are probably the most important “products” you can invest in for your skin.

#3 Wear makeup that works like skincare.

Oh, 20-something Courtney and her makeup bag.

Something you probably didn’t know about me: I used to be a makeup junkie – and not a natural one.

Allure was my go-to magazine and would guide me through the drugstore as I bought up all the new trending products. If I was having a bad day, only a new lip gloss would make it better. Sephora was my happy place (and this was before their “clean beauty” section ever existed). I could not wait to wake up in the morning to make up my face and would spend a solid hour getting ready.

I loved makeup, and when my skin was breaking out, I think I loved it even more. Foundation, concealer and pressed powder gave me a way to cover the redness and blemishes that made me feel insecure — especially being a skin professional.

The problem was that the products I stocked my makeup bag with were made with ingredients that weren’t doing anything helpful for the health of my skin underneath. If anything, it was continuing to contribute to the very breakouts I was trying to conceal.

Eventually (thankfully), I became much more interested in what was happening during all those hours between getting ready in the morning and getting ready for bed at night. If something is going to sit on my skin for hours upon hours, I want those hours to work for my skin.

That’s why our newest tinted products feel so full-circle for me. These are the multi-purpose makeup products I wish my 20-something self had in her makeup bag.

A light layer of the Sun Serum Tinted SPF 30 looks like my skin, but better — all while feeding my skin with ingredients that actually improve my barrier, hydration and radiance.

Then a little dabbing and blending with the Lip + Cheek Tint SPF 15 gives my skin a healthy flush of color and that lit-from-within glow (a very different version than the makeup I used a decade ago) while delivering the nourishment my skin actually needs.

My makeup routine at almost 40 looks very different from the one I had at 25.

Partly due to my growing understanding of ingredient labels and what the skin needs to thrive, and partly because I finally began to feel comfortable and confident in my own skin.

Sure, some days there are comedones and redness and fine lines that weren’t there before.

But now my makeup goal isn’t to cover them under chemicals because of an insecurity – it’s to give my skin what it needs to naturally glow and actually heal, even on days when I want to conceal (which nowadays, isn’t even everyday — thanks to the secrets above).

#4 Facial massage isn’t fluffy or frou frou.

When I was first licensed as an esthetician, the massage portion of a facial usually lasted maybe 10ish minutes and was often overshadowed by a high-tech gadget or glow-boosting glycolic peel.

For a long time, facial massages seemed to have a bad rap. Not because they were bad for the skin, but because most people didn’t understand the power this part of the facial actually held.

Facial massage is so much more than just a pretty stone, a beautiful balm or gliding a cool jade roller around your face.

When I started to understand what was actually happening beneath my fingertips, the facial massage became the main event – and is now my main focus as an (almost 40) holistic esthetician.

Our face is full of fascia, muscles, lymphatic vessels, blood vessels and nerves – all influencing how the skin looks and feels above the surface.

• Healthy circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to tissue (just remember, better flow = brighter glow)

• Lymphatic drainage supports the body’s natural detoxification processes (aka clearer skin and fewer blackheads from the inside out)

• Hydrated, mobile fascia helps the tissues move more freely

• Slow, repetitive touch is deeply restorative and regulating for the nervous system (which matters when we consider how intricately connected stress and skin actually are)

A few minutes with a Gua Sha Stone in the morning or mindful facial massage after applying your favorite balm (this one’s mine) can support healthy flow, soften areas where you habitually hold tension and sculpt + define over time.

And there is another holistic benefit that’s harder to capture in a before-and-after photo.

Touch brings you back into your body.

For women who have spent years disconnected from their body (that was definitely me in my 20s), picking at their pores, trying to erase lines and hyper-fixated on fixing every perceived flaw, learning to touch the skin with intention and compassion is deeply, deeply healing.

Facial massage taught me to work with my skin and come back into my body.

I don’t know if there’s a more powerful skincare secret than that.

Except maybe this final one…

#5 Your identity isn’t defined by the state of your skin.

Looking back, I have so much compassion for my 20-something self and her skin journey.

There would be days I would want to stay home or hide under a hoodie because of my reflection in the mirror when I woke up in the morning.

Whether it was a few inflamed spots or a forehead full of comedones, it would directly impact how I felt, and even viewed myself.

And being an esthetician, there was this added layer of pressure because I fell for the lie that my face was supposed to prove that I knew what I was doing and that I was good at it.

And to an extent, that’s true. (You typically don’t want a stylist with a terrible hair cut holding shears behind the salon chair about to give you a bob).

Slowly but surely, my relationship with my skin began to change, it began to deepen.

I started to see the breakouts and blackheads as feedback.

When breakouts would appear (and trust me, they still do), I viewed them as an invitation to look deeper at my hormonal balance, stress levels and gut health. Dry skin and deeper wrinkles became my reminder that my barrier needs support (and my water bottle needs a refill). Redness and reactivity are often signs to soften and to simplify.

My skin has become a messenger instead of a measure of my worth.

That shift may have been the most important part of my own 20-something, clear-skin journey.

Because you can heal a breakout and still find another flaw to focus on. You can soften a wrinkle and start worrying about the next one. You can spend your entire life moving the beauty finish line (and how exhausting is that?).

Instead, I want to care deeply for my skin because it’s worthy of care… because I’m worthy of care. Especially as I approach 40.

I’ve lived a lot of life since my 20s – and I don’t want to spend the rest of my days trying to hide the stories it holds.

I want to look in the mirror and remember that the woman looking back at me is infinitely more complex, beautiful and valuable than the condition of her complexion.

P.S. If #5 resonated with you, I wrote two reflections that go a bit deeper into learning to see our skin through a different lens.

Thank You, Skin is an invitation to reframe breakouts as communication from a body that’s actually working on your behalf and The Lines of Life looks beyond wrinkles and views them as stories written across our skin.

Both are an overflow of the way I’ve come to view my own reflection, and I hope they help you see yours with a little more compassion, too.

After all these years of studying skin, treating skin and living in my own, I’ve seen mine flourish as I’ve learned to care for it through the lens of these 5 secrets.

Even if I could have bundled up a beautiful, brand new (*cough* Primally Pure) skincare routine for my younger self, I still don’t think that would have perfected her skin or prevented every breakout.

She needed to know that the best cleansers deep clean pores while protecting the barrier. That sleep and nourishment (or lack thereof) would show up on her face. That makeup could actually help heal the skin underneath it. And that her own hands are powerful tools for care, compassion and connection.

Most of all, she needed to know that she was so much more than the state of her skin.

At almost 40, I still love skincare as much as I did when I first became an esthetician in my early 20s, I just love it differently now.

Decades later, I see skincare as stewardship — from the products we purchase to the habits we prioritize to the place where find our value.

It’s a way of paying attention, of tuning in and of intentionally tending. A daily practice of supporting this living, breathing ecosystem that has carried me through hormones, stress, heartbreak, healing, laughter, sunshine, late nights and almost four decades of life.

So here’s to growing older, learning as we go and becoming more at home in our skin than ever before.

xx

Throw any word at the front of “maxxing” and you’ve got yourself a path to optimization:

Sleep maxxing.

Fertility maxxing.

Protein maxxing.

Morning routine maxxing.

Like most trends, we like to put our own spin on it at Primally Pure. We’re all about maximizing, but not in the traditional or trending sense of the word.

As a holistic esthetician, I’m not an advocate for overstocking your bathroom cabinet or overwhelming your skin barrier. My approach to more radiance and better results doesn’t come from adding more products to your routine – it starts with simplifying.

I like to call that the beauty of doing less.

At first glance, the beauty of doing less and skincare maxxing seem to be pulling in opposite directions. But I think they’re actually describing the same destination.

The difference isn't where they're leading us, it's how we choose to get there.

MULTI-PURPOSE PRODUCTS: More from every product.

For many people, skincare maxxing might sound like adding in more products. From my perspective, skincare maxxing is about getting more from the products you use.

These are the kind of products that do more, so you don’t have to. (Is that speaking anyone else’s love language, or just mine?)

When you discover skincare that stacks its ingredient lists with multiple benefits, purposes and applications, you don’t need a crowded bathroom cabinet – you only need a select few... or even just two.

Meet The Tinted Duo.

Think about your morning routine: a serum, a moisturizer, a sunscreen, something to even your complexion…

The Sun Serum Tinted SPF 30 (paired with a touch of the Lip + Cheek Tint) brings those steps together – all in one tube.

It’s clinically proven to improve hydration, radiance, firmness + the look of fine lines and create a no-makeup makeup look with SPF in under a minute (talk about maxxing). This is the epitome of multi-purpose products that maximize your results while seriously simplifying your morning routine.

More margin, more glow. This is my summer mantra – and my approach to skincare maxxing.

A couple other multi-purpose products that have a permanent place in my cabinet are the Everything Spray and Everything Balm. Together, they help to heal rashes, burns (even razor burn), bites and everything in between.

Whatever skin woe summer brings, this spray + balm combo calms them all.

Multi-purpose products prove that maximizing skin health does not need to come from doubling down on the steps in your routine.

You just need to double down on the ingredient lists you’re prioritizing and applying.

NATURAL ACTIVES: More from every ingredient.

When a new beauty trend takes off, it’s often followed close behind by trending ingredients.

There’s a belief that to maximize your skincare routine + results you need synthetic actives like retinol, vitamin C, copper peptides… the list continues.

Especially during the summer, many of these “must-have” ingredients come with tradeoffs. Some can become unstable or increase skin’s sensitivity when exposed to heat and sunlight – right when we’re spending more time outside. They’re also often recommended in separate routines, adding more complexities, layers and steps (we’re trying to do less, remember?).

To truly maximize skin health, I like to focus on ingredients found in nature that support the skin from multiple pathways – without compromising my barrier in the process.

I want my ingredients to multi-task so I don’t have to. ;)

Let me introduce you to bakuchiol – nature’s retinol.

Research has shown it creates retinol-like results (visibly improving the appearance of fine lines, elasticity and skin texture) but without the irritation, peeling or photosensitivity that can make conventional retinol difficult for many people to use, especially during the summer months.

Backuhiol is plant-based, pregnancy-safe (I see you, mamas) and delivers all the benefits of vitamin A without putting your barrier at risk for redness or reactions.

Next, meet astaxanthin – one of nature’s most potent antioxidants.

While many people reach for vitamin C to brighten skin and defend against oxidative stress, astaxanthin goes even further (6000x further in fact!). It helps visibly improve tone and radiance while protecting from the environmental stressors that naturally increase with more time spent outdoors.

Derived from algae, this red-hued antioxidant targets skin aging from multiple angles to protect, repair and rejuvenate.

These two naturally derived, do-it-all ingredients are the foundation of my summer ritual. They’re a reminder that when each ingredient gives more, your routine naturally needs less.

AM: The Plumping Serum brings together bakuchiol, astaxanthin and deeply nourishing lipids to visibly improve firmness, soften the look of fine lines and replenish the skin barrier in one step.

PM: The Antioxidant Balm follows the same philosophy, delivering concentrated antioxidant support while deeply nourishing depleted skin, evening tone and reinforcing the barrier all at the same time.

Depending on what my skin needs, I’ll layer them together or alternate them between morning and evening. It’s an easy way to keep my routine simple while giving my skin a daily dose of barrier-supportive nutrients, antioxidants and naturally derived actives.

P.S. One more reason I’m reaching for The Tinted Duo all summer? The Sun Serum Tinted SPF and Lip + Cheek Tint are infused with bakuchiol and astaxanthin. Makeup that improves my skin will always have a place in my routine, even after summer ends.

When every ingredient does more, every product becomes more effective.

And when every product becomes more effective, your routine naturally becomes simpler.

Cue: an exhale.

That’s the kind of skincare maxxing I can get behind.

SKINIMALISM: More from your skin.

Somewhere along the way, many of us began believing healthy skin required more: more steps, more products, more targeted treatments.

After almost two decades as an esthetician, I’ve found the opposite is often true: healthy skin thrives on simplicity and consistency. It responds naturally to nutrient-dense formulations, a balanced barrier and rituals we actually enjoy repeating.

A dozen products on the daily may sound like skincare maxxing, but it’s much more likely to disrupt your delicate microbiome and put your skin in overdrive.

Overcomplicated, complex topical routines can bombard your barrier with synthetic actives, harsh exfoliants and stripping surfactants – leaving us with an epidemic of sensitized skin, compromised barriers and chronic breakouts.

Not exactly the goal this trend is going for.

Your skin already knows how to repair and protect itself when given the right environment and nourishment. In my experience, it usually needs a lot less than we’ve been led to believe.

That’s why real skincare maxxing isn’t about adding another product to your lineup. It’s about supporting your skin barrier with a thoughtful routine you want to return to as the anchor in your day.

With fewer steps and less time in front of the mirror, consistency becomes effortless. And consistency is where healthy, resilient skin truly begins to flourish.

Skinimalism is about choosing quality > quantity.

To me, that’s the true meaning of summer skincare maxxing.

Here’s to a summer with more margin, more memories, more time in the sun, and a more effortlessly glow.

That’s the beauty of doing less.

xx

The Primally Pure Team is welcoming the shift summer brings to our days – and yes, to our skin.

We’re waking with the sun, spending more time outdoors, lingering a little longer over dinner and staying outside until the sky begins to change color.

From sunrise to sunset, our rhythms and rituals are naturally shifting with the season.

And of course, summer also asks our skincare routine to shift: more hydration, mindful sun protection and nutrient-dense replenishment after long days outside.

But what we apply to our skin is only one piece of the picture.

To celebrate the season and the beauty it brings, I asked our Marketing Team to share the rituals they’re returning to this summer – from the first light of the morning to the final moments before bed.

Some include skincare (like our newest Tinted SPF launch!), while others have nothing to do with products at all (think: sun, salt + sweat). Yet each one reminds us that beauty isn’t built through products alone, it’s cultivated through the way we choose to live each day.

We hope these rituals inspire you to slow down, soak up the season and start a few new summer traditions of your own.

Morning Rhythms

“Saturday mornings at the farmer’s market, seasonal finds, fresh flowers in hand, and a light, radiant complexion that feels like summer using my Sun Serum Tinted SPF 30 with a touch of Pomegranate Lip & Cheek Tint.” — Brooke

“Nothing fancy, but I love getting an early morning workout in – and getting sun on me early in the morning to avoid the heat!” — Lauren

“Starting and ending my day with a walk for daily sun exposure.” – Taylor

“This time of year, I take my morning ritual outside. I sip my lemon + chia seed water, facial dry brush while facing the morning sun, then journal and pray on the front porch. Starting my morning outside changes how the rest of my day feels.” — Courtney

Days Spent Outdoors

“Hydration is non-negotiable. Living in Miami, one of my biggest summer rituals is simply staying hydrated and making sure I’m drinking plenty of water throughout the day. It makes such a difference in how I feel, especially during the hottest months. I always keep a Soothing Mist nearby for a quick refresh throughout the day (also my mist is a must-have for when I’m on a flight or traveling).” — Alli

“An afternoon spent outside with a good book. If I’m planning to be in the sun for a while, I make sure my skin is protected with our Lavender Mint Sun Cream SPF 30 so I can enjoy every page a little longer.” — Brooke

“I’ve been a water baby my whole life, and thankfully there are several lakes near my new home in East Texas. There’s just something about lake life and being by water that resets me. Even if I don’t take a dip, hearing the water lap against the shore and watching the sun sparkle across the surface instantly slows me down.” — Courtney

“More time at the beach with my husband, using our Sun Cream SPF 30 and Sun Serum Tinted SPF 30 for longer stretches in the sun.” –Taylor

“My summer ritual is taking the golf cart to the beach and applying the Lavender Mint Sun Cream SPF 30. I also love our Embrace The Sun canvas bag and keep it with me at all times with some products to reapply throughout the day. I always keep the Soothing Mist and Peppermint Lip Balm with me.” — Aspen

Summer Skin Staples

“One of my summer goals is making sure my 1 ½ year old daughter is protected outside, so I’m ordering the Sun Stick SPF 25 for her sensitive skin.” — Kevin

“Applying Sun Serum Tinted SPF 30 for a walk to the farmers market & throwing Lip + Cheek Tint SPF 15 in shade Pomegranate in my bag for on-the-go sun-kissed touch ups!” — Haley

“Lip protection. Sadly, I’m prone to cold sores from too much sun so I never leave home without Lip + Cheek Tint SPF 15 or Sun Lip Balm SPF 15 this time of year. But the plus side is that my lips stay soft and nourished all summer long.” — Courtney

“Protecting my face, neck and chest holistically with our Antioxidant Balm pre-sun exposure, and Blue Tansy Body Butter and Soothing Cream post-sun exposure.” – Taylor

“My skincare routine has been consistent with my favs: Soothing Mist, Regenerative Hemp Serum and Antioxidant Balm to keep my skin hydrated and healthy. I always reach for Vanilla + Citrus Deodorant, especially during the summer months! Our Sun Lip Balm SPF 15 is another one of my must-haves, it’s multi-purpose and perfect for hydration + SPF protection whenever I’m outside, at the beach or on the go.” — Alli

The Evening Reset

“A post-sun reset. There’s nothing better than replenishing my skin after a day spent at the beach or the pool. I always end the day with extra hydration and a few Blue Tansy favorites: Blue Tansy Body Oil and Soothing Mist.” — Brooke

“After soaking up the sun, I love lathering my skin in Bergamot + Eucalyptus Body Butter.” — Haley

“An elevated shower ritual. I love turning my shower into a mini self-care moment. Body Dry Brush to start then I always reach for our Body Wash (Eucalyptus + Lavender) and Body Polish (Bergamot + Eucalyptus), then follow with Body Butter (Eucalyptus + Lavender or Citrus + Mint) to keep my skin soft, nourished and hydrated. It’s one of my favorite ways to unwind and reset.” — Alli

“Summer always feels like the perfect halfway checkpoint. I like revisiting my goals, making adjustments where needed, and spending more evenings grilling dinner outside with my family.” — Kevin

From sunrise to sunset, these small summer rituals become the foundation for healthier skin because they’re also the foundation for a healthier, more connected life.

As a holistic esthetician, that’s something I consistently come back to: our skin reflects the way we live. The products we apply matter, but so do the moments between them.

This summer, I hope you find a little more time for both.

For slowing down, for getting outside, for play, rest + sunshine, for the rituals that nourish your skin, your nervous system and your soul.

What are the rituals you’re returning to this summer? We’d love to add yours to our list.

Whether it’s a morning habit, a favorite skincare ritual, time spent in nature or something completely unexpected, please leave a comment below. We can’t wait to hear what makes you feel rooted and radiant this season!

xx

And it’s finally here.

One of my favorite parts of being on the Primally Pure team is getting to test products long before they’re ever released.

Sometimes that means a tiny sample in an unmarked tube and months (or years!) of wearing different versions, comparing formulas, testing shades, and sharing feedback with our team.

That was definitely the case with our first-ever makeup products.

I’ve been playing with versions of the Sun Serum and Lip + Cheek Tint for well over a year, and getting a front-row seat to the creation process has made me appreciate these formulas even more.

Because what most people don’t see is how many hands, hearts, conversations, and iterations go into bringing a product to life.

So I thought it would be fun to take a peek behind-the-scenes look at the making of our first makeup collection – from our Founder’s vision and the formulation process to the regeneratively sourced ingredients and the daily rituals that inspired it all.

FROM OUR FOUNDER: The origin story with Bethany

Our Sun Cream (our all-body sunscreen) quickly became a best-seller and staple in our home. It’s a product that I trust completely and something I reach for often for both myself and my kids.

But as much as I loved what we had created, I knew there was a gap – especially when it came to tinted SPF options for the face.

That’s what led to the creation of our Sun Serum. This product has become a non-negotiable in my daily routine.

It’s lightweight, deeply hydrating, and formulated with ingredients that support the skin’s health and nourishment while also providing sun protection and a beautiful, subtle tint.

With 4 shades, it offers just enough coverage to even out the skin while still feeling natural and breathable.

We also introduced our lip-to-cheek SPF, which has been such a fun and functional addition.

With 5 shades (my personal favorite being Hibiscus!) it adds a natural flush of color to both the lips and cheeks while offering sun protection.

Unlike our original SPF lip balm, these give a soft tint without a whitecast, making them easy to reach for throughout the day.

Like everything we create, these products are rooted in safety and nourishment – designed to support your skin, not compromise it.

I’m thrilled with how we’ve continued to expand our SPF line in a way that feels both intentional and needed.

FROM OUR FORMULATOR: BTS with Tommi

With the success of our SPF products that we launched last summer, we quickly decided that we wanted to offer a tinted SPF for lips and a highly effective facial serum that was tinted with SPF protection.

After we were working with the initial samples of the sticks, the team realized that they worked really well for both lips and cheeks so we shifted the direction to have the marketing be geared towards both applications!

We went through many iterations of the tinted serum at the beginning (honestly, too many to count!), just to get the texture right and then to find the right colors. We did testing on a wide variety of skin tones and then dialed in our final texture.

The Sun Serum Tinted SPF is so much more than just SPF with color.

It also has ingredients like Astaxanthin (known as nature’s master antioxidant), Bakuchiol (a gentle plant-based retinol alternative) and more antioxidant-rich oils and barrier-friendly fats.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s inside:

Barrier Support Blend: Grass-Fed Tallow, Jojoba Oil + Mango Butter replenish the barrier with biocompatible fatty acids to improve moisture retention, soothe skin and promote resilience + radiance.

Antioxidant Defense Blend: Astaxanthin, Kakadu Plum + Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil are renowned for being rich sources of bioavailable vitamin C and phytonutrients, delivering potent skin support that defends against oxidative damage and boosts collagen synthesis + vibrancy.

Skin Renewal Duo: Bakuchiol, a sun-safe retinol alternative, paired with nutrient-rich Green Algae Extract supports gentle skin renewal for improved texture + tone without any sensitizing side effects.

One fun fact is that we did a clinical trial on the Sun Serum and saw significant improvement in the appearance of*:

• fine lines + wrinkles

• elasticity + firmness

• hydration + radiance

• plumpness + resiliency

• and it’s suitable for sensitive skin

This lightweight, complexion-enhancing sunscreen delivers benefits that go far beyond SPF.

FROM OUR REGENERATIVE EXPERT: Field notes with Kelsey

Regenerative agriculture is about improving the environment while growing the highest quality ingredients – and it starts with the soil and the sun.

We source to create quality skincare products that embody the Soil to Skin ethos. We believe ingredients should be from a farm, not pharma, because your skin was never meant to be fed by a lab.

Regenerative at Primally Pure means ingredients grown in ways that measurably enhance soils, maximize photosynthesis, improve water cycles, enhance biodiversity, and mimic natural systems.

Here’s a look at how a few of our Tinted SPF ingredients are improving not only your skin, but the soil they’re grown in.

Grass-Fed Tallow: Well-managed grazing, with planned movement of herds across the land, mimics the wild herbivores that shaped grassland ecosystems for millions of years.

• Hooves aerate compacted soil.

• Manure returns nutrients to the ground.

• Cattle play a critical role in the biological breakdown of grass plants, especially in arid regions.

• Grass grazed at the right time and intensity responds by pushing its roots deeper, pulling carbon from the atmosphere and locking it underground.

This process of soil carbon sequestration explains why so many of the world’s most fertile farming regions are former grasslands. The science behind regenerative grazing shows that managed grasslands can actually become carbon sinks, absorbing more than the herd produces.

As a result, the grass grows back denser, the soil holds more water, and the landscape becomes more diverse and resilient.

Grass-fed tallow is a part of the Barrier Support Blend in the formulas that replenish the barrier with biocompatible fatty acids to improve moisture retention, soothe skin and promote resilience + radiance.

Kakadu Plum Seed Oil: Native to the remote regions of Australia, this superfruit is typically grown in nutrient-poor, semi-arid areas without irrigation or cultivation and often wild harvested. It’s been traditionally used as medicine by the local Aboriginal communities.

It’s one of nature’s richest and rarest sources of naturally occurring, bioavailable vitamin C content and is cold-pressed to retain its rich concentration of compounds that promote collagen, skin repair and radiance.

Kakadu Plum Seed Oil is a part of the Sun Serum’s Antioxidant Defense Blend which is a rich source of bioavailable vitamin C and phytonutrients, delivering potent skin support that defends against oxidative damage and boosts collagen synthesis + vibrancy.

Karanja Seed Extract: Karanja is a medicinal, nitrogen-fixing tree native to South Asia that actually improves the soil by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form plants can use in the soil. It thrives in degraded, drought-prone land where other crops don’t.

This antioxidant-rich extract helps protect skin from environmental stressors and is often paired with mineral sun protection formulas for its skin-supportive and conditioning properties.

Karanja Seed Extract is a part of the Sun Serum’s Antioxidant Defense Blend which is a rich source of bioavailable vitamins and phytonutrients, delivering potent skin support that defends against oxidative damage and boosts collagen synthesis + vibrancy.

Sourcing Note: We make it a priority to source regeneratively – but based on the supply chains, ingredients, and the newly developing nature of the regenerative space, it’s not practical to expect all agricultural ingredients to be sourced regeneratively at this time in the amount or quality we need. When regenerative is not available, we rely heavily on certified organic & wildcrafted ingredients.

FROM OUR HOLISTIC ESTHETICIAN: Rituals with Courtney

Since my very first test tubes of the Tinted SPF (over a year ago!) I’ve been obsessed.

I’ve used Tinted SPF products for years from other “clean beauty” brands only to discover ingredients hiding in the formula like chemical sunscreen filters, artificial dyes or synthetic waxes.

After years of heavy makeup wearing and then finally healing my skin, my makeup routine has become much more minimal and I lean into the skin-like, fresh-faced look.

So Tinted SPF has become my go-to for an on-the-go glow.

As a holistic esthetician, if I’m applying products to skin (especially makeup + SPF) I need to know it’s actually supporting my skin, not just sitting on top of it. I’m looking for performance and purposeful ingredients.

Meet makeup that does more: Sun Serum and Lip + Cheek Tint.

The Sun Serum is powered by a barrier support base (starring grass-fed tallow, of course), skin renewal botanicals (like a sun-safe retinol replacement) and an antioxidant defense blend (we’re talking tons of vitamin C) that:

• brighten radiance

• restore skin’s bounce

• balance the barrier

• protect against sun exposure

• gentle for sensitive skin

• and all confirmed by clinical testing*!

Plus each shade provides a natural, skin-like finish that melts seamlessly into skin to comfortably complement and adapt to a broad spectrum of skin tones.

Tell me about a better Tinted SPF. I’ll wait ;)

Then, the Lip + Cheek Tint is a creamy, multi-purpose stick made with biocompatible fatty acids, skin-nourishing antioxidants and a mineral tint complex for a buildable flush of natural pigments for a fresh-faced, sun-kissed glow.

Here’s a glimpse into my morning glow summer skincare + makeup ritual:

• Step 1: Wake up skin with a splash of cool water + facial dry brushing.

• Step 2: Boost hydration with a facial mist and lightweight serum or antioxidant-rich balm.

• Step 3: Massage in Sun Serum Tinted SPF 30 for a complete complexion-enhancing ritual.

• Step 4: Dab Lip + Cheek Tint SPF 15 onto lips + apples of cheeks for a healthy summer glow.

Perfect for simplified morning routines and on-the-go touchups, this Tinted SPF duo does more, so you can do less.

At Primally Pure, we mindfully formulate ancestral, animal-based formulas for modern, daily rituals – and we can’t wait for you to experience our newest essentials rooted in skin nourishment, non-toxic sun protection and daily rituals that feel effortless.

Our hope is that the new Sun Serum Tinted SPF 30 and Lip + Cheek Tint SPF 15 help make your mornings simpler, your skincare routine more supportive and your natural radiance shine even brighter this summer.

xx

*In an 8-week clinical study, this daily formula was evaluated in women aged 43-65 across a diverse range of skin tones.

The response to that post reminded me that so many of us are asking the same questions:

Can I be ambitious without burning out?

Can I build something meaningful without sacrificing myself in the process?

Can I pursue excellence while still honoring my limits?

As I reflected on those comments, I couldn’t think of a better person to continue the conversation with than Primally Pure founder, Bethany McDaniel.

Over the last decade, I’ve had a front-row seat to watching her build Primally Pure with incredible vision, intention, and perseverance.

While she’s worked incredibly hard to get where she is today, what I’ve admired most is her commitment to building a business (and a life) that aligns with her values and convictions.

For Part 2 of this series, I invited Bethany to share what a healthier way to hustle actually looks like in practice: the lessons she’s learned, the boundaries she’s had to create, and how she’s learned to pursue growth without losing sight of what matters most.

Bethany, you wear a lot of hats (literally and figuratively!) as a wife, mom of 3, founder and you’re deeply involved in your family, community and church. What comes to mind for you when you hear the phrase “hustle” and “healthy hustle”?

“I think the word hustle is often either glorified or demonized. On one hand, hustle can become unhealthy when it leaves you depleted and unable to continue showing up well for the people and work you care about. On the other hand, I don’t think it’s inherently bad to work hard toward something meaningful.

For me, healthy hustle isn’t about how many things are on your calendar. I don’t take pride in being busy for the sake of being busy. The more important question is whether the things you’re spending your time on are aligned with your purpose. I regularly ask myself: Do I feel called to this? Is it serving a greater purpose? If the answer is yes, hard work can be incredibly fulfilling. If not, it may just be noise filling up an already busy life.”

You’ve built something very purpose-driven. In the middle of full, demanding days, how do you stay connected to your “why”?

“I used to have a very elaborate morning routine that involved getting up hours before my family, doing red light therapy, sauna sessions, journaling, Bible reading, and movement. While there was value in those practices, I’ve learned that staying connected doesn’t have to be overly complicated.

Today, the top things that keep me grounded are simple: spending time with Jesus through prayer and reading my Bible, and spending time outside in nature. Whether it’s a morning walk or a few quiet moments outdoors soaking up sunlight, those practices help me reconnect with God, gain perspective, and remember why I’m doing what I’m doing.”

Was there ever a moment where you realized, “this pace just isn’t working anymore”? What were the early warning signs for you?

“There have been many moments like that over the years, and honestly, it’s an ongoing process. I’m constantly evaluating how I’m spending my time.

For me, the warning signs almost always show up at home first. If I find myself rushing through conversations with my kids, hurrying through activities that matter to them, or feeling more focused on work than on being present with my family, that’s a signal that something needs to change. When my priorities start drifting out of alignment, it’s time to recalibrate.”

What are a few non-negotiable rhythms that protect your health during busy seasons?

“A few things are always non-negotiable for me, regardless of how busy life gets.

First, nourishing my body with nutrient-dense foods and minimizing foods that I know don’t serve me well. I’ve learned that when I’m in a demanding season, too many sweets (even “healthy” ones) can catch up with me quickly and impact both my energy and immune system.

Sleep is another major priority. I have an evening routine that helps me wind down and supports quality sleep because I know how much it affects every area of my life.”

How do you discern the difference between a season that requires more effort and one where you need to step back or slow down?

“I think it comes down to connection and capacity. There are seasons that require a tremendous amount of effort, but they still feel purposeful and life-giving. Even though they’re demanding, they don’t drain me to the point where I can’t continue pouring into the people around me.

On the other hand, if something consistently feels draining, disconnects me from my purpose, or leaves me without the capacity to show up well for my family and relationships, that’s usually a sign I need to step back and reassess. Busy seasons are normal, but they shouldn’t become a permanent state.”

Can you walk us through what a “full” day looks like for you when you’re in a heavy work season – but doing it in a healthier way?

“A healthy but full day starts with getting up early enough to spend time in God’s Word before the rest of the house wakes up. Then my husband and I tag-team the morning routine with our kids - breakfast, lunches, getting everyone ready and out the door.

Before starting work, I’ll often fit in a quick sauna session and then get ready for the day. Depending on what’s on the calendar, that could mean podcast recordings at the farm, meetings with my team, marketing initiatives, product development, or other projects we’re working on.

In the evening, I make a point to get outside for a walk, share a family meal, and spend quality time with my husband and kids. Bath time, reading together, and simple moments of connection are important parts of our routine. When I’m with my family, I do my best to be fully present rather than distracted by emails, texts, or the next thing on my to-do list.”

What would you say to someone who feels like they’re hustling hard but don’t feel clear on their purpose?

“Give yourself permission to create space. Sometimes the clarity you’re looking for won’t come while you’re running at full speed.

That might mean taking a short walk to think and pray, or it could mean taking a few days away to gain perspective. When we’re constantly moving, it’s difficult to evaluate whether our schedules actually align with our calling. Creating space allows you to take inventory and ask the bigger questions: Is this where I’m supposed to be investing my time and energy?”

For someone in a season of hustling right now, what are 2–3 small shifts they can make immediately to protect their health and ultimately, their purpose?

“First, create margin in your day. Even a short walk, a few minutes of prayer, or time away from screens can give you the space to think clearly and reconnect with what matters most.

Second, prioritize sleep. It’s one of the first things people sacrifice during busy seasons, but it’s often the very thing that allows you to show up with energy, patience, and clarity.

Third, take inventory of your commitments. Ask yourself whether the things filling your calendar are actually aligned with your purpose. Sometimes protecting your health isn’t about doing more - it’s about having the courage to do less.”

What boundaries have been the hardest for you to implement but the most life-giving?

“One of the most life-giving boundaries I’ve ever implemented was putting a hard stop on work in the evenings.

For a long time, I wouldn’t open my laptop or respond to work messages after 5 p.m. because I knew that even a quick check-in could keep my mind engaged and make it harder to be present at home or sleep well.

I’ve loosened that boundary at times, and whenever I do, I notice the difference. The stricter I am about protecting my evenings, the more present I am with my family and the more rested I feel the next day. It’s a boundary I’m continually working to maintain because the benefits are so significant.”

If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice about hustle, what would it be?

“I would tell myself not to be afraid to say no.

As an entrepreneur, my responsibilities and opportunities are always evolving, and my natural tendency is to say yes to as many things as I can. But I’ve learned that every yes comes with a cost.

I would encourage my younger self (and honestly, my current self) to think more carefully about commitments. Don’t say yes to things that aren’t realistic or aligned with your priorities. Saying yes to everything doesn’t serve anyone well. Building something meaningful often requires having the courage to say no to good things so you can say yes to the right things.”

If you could put it simply – what does it look like to build something meaningful without losing your health or yourself in the process?

“I think it comes down to trust and discernment.

Trust that you’ve been given unique gifts and a specific purpose, and trust that you don’t have to do everything in order to be successful. At the same time, cultivate the discernment to recognize what is yours to carry and what isn’t.

Building something meaningful doesn’t require sacrificing your health, your relationships, or your faith. It requires knowing your priorities, staying connected to your purpose, and accepting that there will always be more opportunities than you have time or capacity for.”

What I appreciated most about this conversation is how simple Bethany’s perspective really is.

Again and again, she came back to the same ideas: staying connected to God, protecting what matters most, creating margin, prioritizing sleep, and having the courage to say no when something isn’t aligned with your purpose.

Maybe a healthier way to hustle isn’t about finding the perfect routine or learning how to do more. Maybe it’s about learning what is yours to carry – and what isn’t.

It’s about trusting that meaningful work, healthy relationships, and personal well-being don’t have to compete with one another when they’re rooted in the right priorities.

And maybe that’s the real invitation: to work hard when you’re called to work hard, rest when you need rest, and trust that purpose (not productivity) is what should ultimately shape the way we spend our days.

xx

Along the way, I realized some of my skincare opinions are considered… a little unhinged.

I don’t wear SPF daily (gasp!). I don’t do extractions in my facial treatments. I don’t believe in “skin types.” I swear by beef tallow. I think most people are over-exfoliating, over-cleansing and over-stressing their skin.

After caring for skin for over a decade and a half, here’s what I hold true as a holistic esthetician:

Healthy skin isn’t created by forcing or fighting the body, but by returning to our innate, divine biology and getting back to the basics.

Skin isn’t isolated from the rest of us. It’s deeply connected to our hormones, nervous system, lymphatic flow, stress levels, circadian rhythm, nutrition, emotions and environment.

Everything is skincare.

So I’m sharing some of the unconventional things I do (and don’t do) from this perspective as a holistic esthetician — and some of the science, experiences and philosophies behind them.

I don’t wear SPF daily.

This is probably the most controversial thing I could say as a licensed esthetician, so let me clarify before anyone runs straight to the comments.

I’m not anti-sunscreen (entirely). I just don’t think the mainstream messaging we’ve been fed to fear the sun at all costs and to cover our largest organ in chemical UV filters that are absorbed into our bloodstream and block the healing benefits of the sun creates true skin health.

Rant (almost) over.

Now, don’t get me wrong – overexposure to UV radiation can definitely damage the skin, but I think we’ve created a culture that fears all sunlight. And I deeply believe that can be even more detrimental to our well-being.

Light is one of the most foundational regulators of human health. Sunlight impacts:

• circadian rhythm

• mitochondrial function

• hormone production

• mood

• immune health

• sleep quality

• Vitamin D synthesis

• inflammation levels

And all of the above influence skin health.

So no, I personally do not apply SPF every single morning (nor do I recommend my facial guests do so either).

Especially because many conventional sunscreens people are reaching for contain chemical UV filters that studies have shown can be absorbed into the bloodstream at hundreds of times the FDA’s legal limit.

Plus with unstable seed oils and endocrine disrupting fragrances saturating sunscreen products, I’ll pass – especially with products that are intended to be applied daily and repeatedly.

(BTW, we just launched an ingredient checker to help you find out what chemicals get flagged in your current sunscreen! See if your SPF passes the pure test.)

As an esthetician, I don’t fear the sun or fall for the fear-mongering messaging – but I do respect its power.

So when I am in prolonged or intense sun exposure (like beach days back in SoCal, long hikes by the lake, peak afternoon sun while gardening, tropical vacays, etc) I prioritize protective mineral-based measures like our tallow-based sunscreen, hats, shade, internal nutrition and respecting my body’s limits.

For true long-term holistic skin health, daily SPF it out, and mindfully embracing sun is in.

I do soak up the sun (mindfully).

Conventional skin conversations are missing something massive: our light environment.

Proper light exposure is one of the most underrated wellness and skincare practices in modern life.

Think about it: We spend most of our days indoors under artificial light, staring at screens with isolated blue light, blocking beneficial sunlight with chemical SPF when we do get outdoors, disconnected from natural light cycles and circadian rhythms, all while expecting topical skincare to fix the consequences.

Skin health is cell health – and our cells are deeply impacted by light.

So one of my more “unhinged” skincare opinions is that mindful sun exposure is part of my skin healing protocol.

I step outside first thing in the morning to get sunlight on my bare skin and bare eyes to receive beneficial natural light without immediately blocking it.

Morning sunlight helps regulate the body’s internal clock, supports cortisol and melatonin balance, improves sleep quality, boosts energy production and supports nervous system regulation – all things that directly impact skin health.

Many people start to notice improvements in inflammation, breakouts and even pigmentation when they start supporting their circadian rhythm and minimizing excessive artificial blue light exposure.

When we reconnect with sunlight as a biological need and driver of mitochondrial function instead of viewing it as the enemy, everything changes – and your skin is just the start.

(P.S. If you want to dig deeper, we talk about this topic a ton on our Pure Life Blog and Grounded Wellness Podcast!)

I don’t do extractions.

This surprises people all the time – especially because extractions are often considered the “main event” of a facial.

At Primally Pure, I’ve intentionally designed our skincare philosophy and facial experience around supporting the parasympathetic nervous system – the body’s “rest, digest and heal” state.

Because skin can’t heal when the body feels stressed, inflamed or under attack.

And most traditional facial experiences unintentionally pull people out of that healing state. Think bright lights, overstimulation, aggressive exfoliation, picking, peeling, etc.

Extractions (while sometimes temporarily satisfying) can create a stress response in the skin and nervous system and actually contribute to inflammation, tissue trauma, a compromised barrier and and parasympathetic disruption (my main reason for removing extractions from my facial treatments).

While I absolutely understand the appeal of purging pores (and the instant gratification from extracting a blackhead), extractions often prioritize short-term visual results over long-term skin health.

Because the reality is, skin congestion is rarely just a pore issue.

It can be connected to:

• stagnant lymphatic flow

• chronic inflammation

• stress

• diet + nutrient deficiencies

• impaired barrier function

• hormonal imbalances

• poor circulation

• over-exfoliation

• an overwhelmed nervous system

Which means we can’t force the skin into healing by simply extracting buildup, it’s best to create the ideal conditions for healing to happen.

That’s why our facial philosophy focuses far more on supporting the nervous system and promoting healthy flow throughout the body. Because glowing skin isn’t just about topical products, it’s about internal physiology – even when it comes to your pores.

In my experience, some of the most dramatic skin transformations don’t happen when we spend half the facial focusing on extractions, but when we finally help the body feel safe enough to heal.

I do focus on lymph drainage.

So I’ve swapped extractions for targeted lymphatic drainage techniques.

If there’s one thing I wish more people understood about skin health, it’s the importance of the lymphatic system.

The lymphatic system helps move waste, fluid and toxins throughout the body – but unlike the circulatory system, it doesn’t have a pump. It relies on movement, breath, muscle activation and manual stimulation to flow optimally.

When lymph becomes stagnant, the skin often reflects it through: puffiness, congestion, blackheads, dullness, inflammation, sluggish healing + sagging skin.

This is why facial massage like gua sha, facial cupping and dry brushing have become such foundational parts of my approach to skincare. Plus they’re immensely more relaxing than having someone pick and prod at your face.

These ancient beauty tools help:

• clear congestion

• stimulate circulation

• support detoxification pathways

• reduce fluid retention

• calm inflammation

• soften tension

• create healthier function

If you remember one thing, remember this skincare mantra: better flow = brighter glow.

I don’t exfoliate with scrubs or peels.

I know exfoliation is basically treated like a MUST in modern skincare culture.

But I’ve seen how excessive exfoliation damages the skin barrier over time – even when it initially appears to “improve” the skin. Many conventional exfoliation methods work by intentionally wounding, burning or aggressively scraping the skin.

I would rather rebuild the skin than break it down.

While occasional treatments like microneedling or professional peels can absolutely have a place (wedding prep, big occasions, self-esteem support), chronic over-exfoliation can lead to increased inflammation, dehydration, barrier dysfunction, breakouts and accelerated aging.

Essentially, the opposite effect of what we’re going for.

Skin is incredibly intelligent. When it senses injury, it diverts nutrients and healing resources toward repair – pulling collagen and elastin from our dermal reserves. But when we repeatedly keep the skin in a constant cycle of damage and recovery, we eventually weaken its resilience.

As a holistic esthetician, my focus is to strengthen skin resiliency and radiance.

And here’s how I do it instead.

I do facial dry brushing.

Facial dry brushing has become one of my favorite ways to gently exfoliate and support the systems below the skin – in my personal ritual and in my professional facial treatments.

Unlike aggressive scrubs or stronger acids, facial dry brushing works in two incredibly supportive ways:

1. Gently buffing away dull surface buildup

2. Stimulating stagnant lymphatic flow (remember, better flow is always the goal)

A daily facial dry brushing ritual helps:

• soften + smooth texture

• improve circulation

• reduce puffiness

• support detoxification

• encourage cellular turnover

• create brighter skin without overstressing the barrier

Can a scrub do all that? I don’t believe so.

And if you struggle with stubborn congestion or those tiny under-the-skin bumps that never seem to fully surface, facial dry brushing is a game changer. My facial guests swear by it and it’s always the first product that flies off the retail shelves.

Please just remember to use a properly designed facial brush with super-soft bristles specifically made for delicate facial skin. Try this tool every morning to wake up skin, reduce puffiness and get glowing.

This ancient wellness tool might just replace the rest of your exfoliants, like it did mine.

(Tip: If you’re new to facial dry brushing, I filmed this tutorial so you can follow along.)

I don’t avoid oils (even for acne-prone skin).

This is one of the biggest skincare myths I’ve spent years trying to unteach.

Somewhere along the way an entire generation was convinced that oily skin needed to be dried out, scrubbed away and stripped back.

Personally, I grew up with oil-free everything, foaming cleansers, alcohol-based toners, harsh acne systems, daily exfoliation and strong spot treatments (you too?).

While those approaches may temporarily reduce surface oil, what I often see long term is skin that becomes chronically inflamed, dehydrated, sensitized, barrier-compromised and stuck in an endless cycle of breakouts.

But the problem is that acne-prone skin is not always (or even, often) an “oil problem.”

Our skin is brilliant and works overtime to protect us. So when we repeatedly strip away its natural oils and disrupt the skin barrier, the skin compensates the only way it knows how: by producing more oil.

The result? More congestion, inflammation, imbalances, breakouts.

Which is why one of my more “unhinged” skincare opinions is: Acne-prone skin needs more nourishment, not less.

Of course, not all oils are created equal.

Heavy synthetic oils or highly processed ingredients can absolutely congest the skin. But nutrient-dense, biologically supportive oils can actually help regulate and heal acne-prone skin.

And this is where holistic skincare really shifts the conversation. Because instead of asking: “How do we dry out or combat acne?”

I’m digging deeper: “Why is the skin inflamed, overwhelmed or dysregulated in the first place?”

Breakouts are often connected to so much more than clogged pores or excess oil production:

• chronic stress

• hormone imbalances

• impaired detoxification

• inflammation

• gut health

• over-exfoliation

• disrupted microbiome health

• nervous system dysregulation

• barrier damage

Again: everything is skincare.

Which is why my approach to acne is centered around calming and strengthening the skin instead of fighting it or depriving it of its foundational lipid barrier.

And animal fats are one my favorite ways to do that topically.

I do put beef tallow on my face.

Yup, actual beef fat.

While this ancient skincare ingredient has started trending on social media, it still gets quite a bit of backlash in the beauty industry.

In my professional opinion: healthy skin needs healthy fats.

Our skin barrier is naturally made up of lipids and fatty acids. It requires healthy fats in order to function properly.

This is why I love cleansing oils, whole plant oils and moisturizers with animal-based ingredients like grass-fed tallow.

Tallow is incredibly biocompatible with human skin because its fatty acid profile closely resembles our natural sebum – meaning the skin recognizes it, receives it and responds beautifully to it. And when paired with organic botanical oils, it creates this deeply nourishing environment for healthy cellular function and barrier integrity.

I’m always recommending a tallow-based product for everything from barrier repair and breakouts to signs of aging and sensitivities.

And after over 15 years of treating skin holistically, I can confidently say, the skin heals far better (and for longer) through nutrient-dense ingredients, instead of nutrient deprivation.

As a holistic esthetician, my approach to skincare isn’t about “fixing” flaws, it’s about viewing the skin as a messenger: learning how to listen to it, understand what it’s communicating and support it accordingly.

(Psst… That perspective inspired these heartfelt reflections on aging skin in The Lines of Life and acne-prone skin in Thank You, Skin).

Which is exactly why my skincare philosophy has evolved in ways that might sound a little “unhinged” to the modern beauty world.

• Instead of fearing the sun and blocking every ray of light, I’ve learned to respect and intentionally support the body’s relationship with sunlight and circadian health.

• Instead of aggressively extracting and forcing the skin, I focus on calming the nervous system and supporting lymphatic flow so the skin can function more optimally from the inside out.

• Instead of over-exfoliating and constantly resurfacing the skin barrier, I prioritize gentle, supportive practices like facial dry brushing that work with the skin instead of wounding it.

• And instead of stripping acne-prone skin with harsh oil-free products, I’ve become a huge believer in deeply nourishing the skin with biocompatible fats and nutrient-dense ingredients like grass-fed tallow and whole plant oils.

Healthy skin is cultivated through consistency, nourishment and creating an environment where it can function the way it was divinely designed. And honestly, that looks a lot simpler than modern beauty culture would have us believe.

I’m here for beauty that’s uncomplicated – and unhinged.

And if you are too, you’re in the right place.

P.S. More unhinged skincare opinions coming soon.

I’m no longer interested in that version.

But I’m also not anti-hustle.

Because sometimes there are seasons where you feel deeply called to build something – to stretch yourself, to steward an idea God placed on your heart with discipline and determination.

There are seasons that require late nights, uncomfortable growth, sacrifice and showing up before you feel ready.

That kind of work can actually be holy.

The problem isn’t hustle itself – it’s hustle that costs you your health.

If the pursuit of productivity slowly disconnects you from your body, your relationships, your peace, your creativity or your relationship with God, eventually the thing you’re building starts building burnout inside of you.

And I think that’s why so many women have swung hard in the opposite direction over the last few years.

After an era of #girlboss and glorified overworking came the inevitable crash: adrenal fatigue, anxiety, numbness, chronic exhaustion, disconnection, resentment and burnout.

So now many women hear words like discipline, ambition or hustle and immediately recoil (that was me not too long ago).

But I don’t believe the answer is abandoning meaningful work altogether.

I think the invitation is finding a way to build what God put on your heart without abandoning yourself in the process.

Making purposeful work a priority while simultaneously prioritizing your nervous system, nourishing your body and remaining connected to what matters most.

And if you’re currently in a season of rebuilding after burnout – I see you. And pray this post provides a trellis as you slowly climb your way out of the dirt and back into the light.

Coming back from burnout can be humbling.

It teaches you that your body keeps score, that you can’t override your biology forever, and that eventually your nervous system will ask for the rest you refused to give it willingly.

But healing can also give you wisdom — it teaches you to work with your body instead of against it.

This is Part 1 of a conversation I’ve been thinking about deeply lately: how we hustle in a healthier way so we can create something purposeful while preserving our well-being.

Here are a few simple, sustainable practices that have helped me protect my health during full seasons of my life and my family, my calling and my career.

Support your nervous system while you work

If you’re in a late-night season (launching something, building something, caring for little ones, juggling a lot), be sure to support your body instead of pretending it’s unaffected or even invincible.

A few small shifts and little inputs can make a big difference and matter even more over time.

If I need to be on my laptop after sunset (or for those mamas with midnight nursing moments), here a few ways I help fortify and settle my nervous system:

• Amber glasses to reduce blue light exposure and support my circadian rhythm instead of completely disrupting it.

• Burning a beeswax + essential oil candle with a calming aroma – plus the warm light of the fire helps regulate the nervous system and sleep patterns (similar to the way it supported our ancestors as they gathered around evening fires).

• Playing a soothing soundtrack in the background helps maintain mental focus and settle my nervous system for a more productive, peaceful work session.

Instead of going straight from stimulation to sleep, it’s important to end the evening with an unwinding ritual. These are some of my ritual stacks to support my nervous system + deeper sleep during full seasons:

• This Sleep Spray on the bottoms of my feet after a Flower Bath to signal safety to my body and that it’s finally time to sleep.

• A warm mug of chamomile, spearmint + nettle tea to nourish my body while reading a couple of pages in a novel (research has shown that reading fiction actually boosts health and productivity!).

• I keep this facial tool on my nightstand and this blue body moisturizer to relieve tension, promote lymph drainage and engage my parasympathetic nervous system for better sleep and brighter skin.

One thing I’ve learned over the years: you cannot heal in survival mode. Our nervous systems were never designed to live in a constant state of activation.

Fortifying your health doesn’t need to be about adding more to your to-do list (I know that list is already reallyyy long), it’s about helping your body feel safe enough to exhale.

So whatever that is for you, create pockets of time to prioritize those rituals.

Nourishment is non-negotiable

When life gets full, nourishment is often the first to get sacrificed.

Life starts to look like skipping meals, skimping on protein, living on caffeine and convenience foods. And then we wonder why we feel anxious, foggy, drained, reactive and exhausted.

Our brain and body cannot function optimally without optimal fuel.

If you’re requiring a lot from yourself mentally, emotionally or creatively, stable blood sugar, nutrient-density and hydration become foundational.

This doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are some super simple tips to nourish your brain, body and blood sugar:

BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE

• Build meals with protein + healthy fats + fiber-rich carbs

• Sip ACV (apple cider vinegar) before meals

• Take a deep breath before eating to engage rest + digest state

• After eating, go on a walk outside or do calf raises/jump squats at your desk

NUTRIENT DENSITY (aka BRAIN FOOD)

• Add healthy fats to your plate like avocado, extra virgin olive oil or fatty fish (shoutout to sardines!)

• Prioritize high quality protein sources like grass-fed beef and pasture-raised poultry

• Get more vitamins and minerals from oysters and beef liver (capsule form is an option for these whole food nutrients)

• Sip hormone-balancing and gut-balancing bevvies like green tea and bone broth

MINERAL-RICH HYDRATION

• Drink water first thing in the morning with a pinch of sea salt, a squeeze of lemon + a sprinkle of chia seeds

• Prioritize water-rich foods like organic berries, melons and veggies like cucumbers, celery + summer squash

• Add fresh herbs + fruit in your water to help you sip more throughout the day (I cut fresh basil, spearmint and rosemary from my garden for a detox drink!)

• Try a clean electrolyte powder to make drinking water even more fun and effective

Some of my favorite “busy season” staples:

• Eggs with avocado and sourdough

• Protein smoothies (you have to try this recipe from our Founder!)

• Grass-fed meat bowls

• Electrolytes + mineral-rich water

• Simple snacks that combine protein + healthy fats

In busy seasons we need to remember that nourishment is productive. A regulated, nourished brain and body create better work.

Reframe rest as a necessity, not a luxury

I think many of us treat rest like a reward we earn once everything else is done.

But the reality is, it will never all be done. There will always be another email, another to-do, another chore, another task to finish.

Intentional rhythms of rest are actually a need-to-have, not a nice-to-have.

This doesn’t mean just taking an annual vacation or setting aside a “self-care” Sunday once you’re already depleted. We need regular rhythms of rest that create space to reconnect with yourself and with what matters most.

Here are a few rhythms of rest I find supportive and sustainable in my own life:

• Daily: phone-free mornings, walks outside, prayer, slow meals

• Weekly: Sabbath rhythms, device boundaries, time with people I love

• Monthly: a slower weekend, solo reflection time, creative reset

• Quarterly: reevaluating values, priorities and capacity

• Annually: true restorative, unplugged time away

Sabbath especially has changed the way I think about productivity. There’s a different kind of creativity and capacity that emerges when you stop forcing. From stillness, deeper insights can rise to the surface: ideas become clearer, my body softens, my heart gets louder.

Breakthrough rarely comes from pushing harder, it overflows from finally creating enough space to get clear again.

Get radically clear on your purpose

Hustle without purpose is one of the fastest paths to burnout. If you don’t know why you’re working so hard, eventually the effort starts feeling empty.

Purpose acts like an anchor and can help you discern:

• What’s actually worth your energy

• What season you’re actually in

• What you’re willing to sacrifice for

• What you’re not willing to sacrifice anymore

Not every opportunity deserves access to your health, not every open door is yours to walk through and not every ambitious version of success is aligned with the life you actually want.

I believe that the healthiest form of hustling flows from alignment – not proving, not striving, not from fear and not from scarcity.

It’s founded on stewardship and flows from a desire to honor the gifts, ideas and responsibilities we’ve been entrusted with — while also honoring the body, mind and spirit carrying them.

That’s the middle ground I’m standing on these days: Building something meaningful, working (really) hard when necessary and showing up fully. But not at the expense of my peace or my health or the people I love or my connection with God.

I don’t believe burnout is a badge of honor anymore. I think a healthier hustle (the kind that ebbs and flows) is.

And honestly? I’m still learning how to do this. I think we’re all still learning how to do this: how to nourish ourselves in the middle of demanding seasons, how to protect our peace while pursuing purpose, how to honor rhythms of rest without losing momentum.

But I truly believe it’s possible to build something meaningful without burning ourselves out in the process.

One rooted ritual at a time.

P.S. Stay tuned for Part 2: A conversation with our Founder, Bethany McDaniel, about how she prioritizes her health while pursuing meaningful work as a wife, mother, business owner and believer.

Before moving here, I had no idea East Texas was known for its forests, piney woods and lush landscape.

Since last summer, I’ve seen the trees signal the shifting of seasons: vibrant green leaves bursting from every branch and vine, slowly turning crisp and brightly colored red and orange, then eventually falling to the earth below.

For the last several months, these same trees have stood bare, revealing neighbors’ homes that had been hidden behind the leaves for the majority of the year. And now, in springtime, the green is returning once again.

For most of my life, trees have been a grounding force and a wise guide.

Growing up, I’d go on hikes with my mom and she would always encourage my sister and me to pause, to touch the trees, to tune in.

She would ask us: What are the trees saying?

And we would listen.

To the trees, yes, but more so, to the inner voice of wisdom within us. So often, this simple pause made space for profound revelation.

Decades later, this listening practice has become something we return to whenever we’re in the trees.

And now that I live among them, I find myself listening more often.

I deeply believe the natural world offers us life-changing wisdom, if we slow down long enough to listen.

While I’ve developed my own relationship with trees over the years, I recently stumbled upon a book called The Hidden Life of Trees.

This inside look into the life of trees has deepened my sense of wonder in a whole new way – specifically when it comes to their root systems.

THE INTRICACIES OF ROOT SYSTEMS

When we look at the trees, it’s easy to forget that what we see above the ground is only a fraction of the story.

Beneath the surface, there’s an entire world at work – a network of roots that are deep, intricate, and intelligent – sustaining everything we see.

Trees don’t begin by growing upward, they begin by growing down.

They invest in their root systems first.

Before anything visible appears, before there are branches or flowers or fruit, there are roots – strengthening, deepening, delivering nourishment.

But all of this isn’t happening in isolation or for the sake of one individual tree – it’s all interconnected, it’s all communal.

In the Hidden Life of Trees, I learned that trees are constantly communicating underground: sharing nutrients, supporting one another and even warning each other of danger.

There’s an entire hidden life we don’t see.

I love seeking the symbolism found in nature, so naturally these new discoveries made me reflect on how often, as humans, we can focus only on what’s visible in our own lives: beauty, productivity, results, upward growth, etc..

But rarely do we give the same attention or intention to what’s actually sustaining those areas beneath the surface: our thoughts, beliefs, connections, rhythms… our root systems.

Roots determine how a tree grows – from the soil it’s planted in, the nutrients it can access and the environment surrounding it. It all influences its growth above the ground.

As humans, we’re not that different from trees. (Okay, before you write me off as woo-woo, just hear me out…)

Just like the trees, we grow from what we’re rooted in – mainly, our belief systems and our inner well-being.

Especially when it comes to beauty.

RADIANCE

We can so easily believe our appearance is shaped by the skincare or makeup products we apply – but it’s actually impacted by something so much deeper.

How we view and value ourselves. How we see and speak to ourselves. How we care and tend to ourselves.

Beauty is more than skin deep – and what we draw in from our roots makes a big difference.

And if this root system is malnourished or misaligned, no surface-level fix can fully restore what’s happening above it.

Just like trees pull water, nutrients and minerals from the soil, we do the same in our own way.

We’re absorbing what we consume (information and food), what we give our attention to, what we believe, who we’re surrounded by.

All of it becomes a part of what we’re rooted in and ultimately, how we grow and how we glow.

The more I learn from the trees and the longer I’m in this industry, I deeply believe that true beauty and timeless radiance can’t be forced, it overflows.

It’s the natural result of being well-rooted.

When our body feels supported, our mind is clear and our spirit is grounded, it shows.

The healthier our root system, the more radiant we become.

RESILIENCE

Here in Texas, we’ve experienced thunderstorms, snowstorms and hailstorms – and the trees are still standing (well, most of them).

Their ability to withstand storms isn’t based on how tall they stand, but on how deep their roots go.

When a tree’s roots are shallow, it doesn’t take much to knock it over.

And I think we can feel that in our own lives sometimes.

An established root system is vital for the inevitable storms of life: when it feels uncertain, overwhelming or out of control.

Those seasons when we get hit with something hard and feel easily shaken or unsteady, can sometimes be a sign that we’ve been focusing on what’s above the surface rather than what’s beneath it.

When we notice this, it’s a nudge to reconnect to what’s real, what’s true and what tends to our roots.

This past year, I’ve had my own share of storms – ones that could have completely taken me out.

But thank God, I remained rooted.

When I look back, I can see that it was my own root system (carefully cultivated over past seasons) that carried me through and kept me from becoming uprooted.

I could have easily toppled over under the weight, but the truth I held on to, the practices I returned to, and the connection I remained anchored in, held me steady.

The trees are teaching me that resilience isn’t created by the absence of hard seasons and storms, it’s actually cultivated by the depth and strength of our roots before they come.

RECONNECTION

Part of a tree’s resilience comes from their connection to others.

Their root systems intertwine: communicating, caring, sharing nutrients, older trees sustaining younger ones.

They’re intricately connected like their growth depends on it… because it does.

And so does ours.

But as humans, we’ve developed this deep independence and disguised it as strength – which honestly, is in direct opposition to the way we were divinely designed.

We were created as communal beings and wired for connection.

Just like the trees, we don’t grow well in isolation.

We need to link up, share life and stand with one another through life’s storms and springtimes.

Reconnection – to ourselves, to others and to God – isn’t just a luxury, it’s our life force.

WELL-ROOTED RITUALS

If you’ve explored any previous Rooted Beauty posts, you’ve probably seen the theme of “tending to our roots” woven throughout. And in this post, that feels more true than ever.

Rather than focusing on outward and upward growth, these are the rituals I’m prioritizing to root deep and cultivate natural radiance, resilience and reconnection:

Rooting into truth | Taking time to meditate on what’s true – who God is, and who I am because of Him. Letting those truths influence my belief systems and behaviors.

Rooting into connection | Prioritizing meaningful relationships – whether that’s a phone call, a shared meal, or simply being present with the people I love.

Rooting into nourishment | Supporting my body with what it actually needs – mineral-rich hydration, balanced meals, and slowing down enough to enjoy them.

Rooting into movement | Moving my body in ways that feel life-giving – supporting circulation, lymphatic flow, and overall vitality.

Rooting into ritual | Transforming mundane routines into mindful rituals – like lighting a beeswax candle, dry brushing before showering and misting midday.

Rooting into stillness | Creating moments of quiet – choosing presence over constant input, allowing space to process and reset.

Rooting into nature | Spending time outside, observing, listening – letting the natural world regulate and remind me of what matters.

The trees have always taught me so much. They are ancient and wise and deeply rooted.

Trees don’t actually focus on their growth – they focus on their roots.

And may that be an invitation for us, too. To shift our attention from what’s visible and intentionally tend to what’s beneath the surface.

Because what we nurture underground, will always shape what grows.

xx

It was really good, super informative and packed with helpful tips.

But about halfway through, I had to turn it off.

It wasn’t that I disagreed with it or that it wasn’t valuable – but I sensed myself starting to feel…

overwhelmed.

I found myself thinking: I can’t take in any. more. information. I can hardly stay consistent with what I already know works, let alone everything else I’m “supposed” to be doing.

The information overload quickly led to overwhelm.

And so I wondered if anyone else has had a similar feeling of, let’s just call it: wellness overwhelm.

Wellness Overwhelm

We can tend to think of overwhelm as a time issue: too much to do, not enough time. But overwhelm isn’t just about a packed out schedule.

I’ve come to learn it’s actually a nervous system response.

It happens when what’s being asked of us (mentally, emotionally or physically) exceeds our capacity to cope, process and respond.

It’s when we take in more (input, stimulation, information) than we can actually hold, without enough space to actually integrate, recover and return to equilibrium.

When we’re constantly flooded without fully settling, our nervous system shifts into dysregulation – diminishing our capacity for resilience.

Enter: overwhelm.

And wellness overwhelm happens in a similar way.

In our modern social media and wellness era, we are absorbing way more than we can actually embody.

And that’s a problem.

Podcasts and blog posts.
Protocols and supplements.
Morning and bedtime routines.
Habit stacking and biohacking.

We’re constantly learning, optimizing and improving.

And for good reason, don’t get me wrong. We want to steward our bodies, feel our best and lead meaningful lives.

But we’re rarely able to pause and actually implement what we already know.

And I think that might be the deeper issue: We’re taking in more than we’re integrating.

Because more information doesn’t actually create change – integration does.

How We Got Here

Before we get to the: how to, I think it’s best to start with the: how we got here.

When we peel back the layers of wellness overwhelm, here’s what I believe is behind it.

#1 Consumption

As a culture, we’re constantly consuming (myself included).

Another podcast while I’m doing the dishes, another article skimmed or saved for later, another expert sharing new information and ways I can improve.

And while I genuinely love learning, I’m almost always consuming more than I can actually live out.

There’s always something new to try or buy or do better.

But I rarely give myself space to pause and just practice what I already know works – and most importantly, to stick with it.

For many of us, I feel like we’re consuming more than we can actually integrate. And over time, that constant input starts to feel less inspiring, and more overwhelming.

#2 Comparison

I’ve also caught myself in the trap of comparison more times than I’d like to admit.

Looking at what she’s doing, what worked for them, what I should be doing, too.

Even if it starts from a place of genuine curiosity, it can quickly spiral into pressure and the belief that I’m not doing enough or I’m not doing it right.

But the truth I have to keep coming back to is that what works for someone else may not be what’s best for me – for my season of life, for my bioindividuality or for my budget.

Plus the more I compare, the more disconnected I start to feel from what truly supports me and the genuine joy of leading a life of true wellness.

Like they say: comparison really is the thief of joy.

#3 Contradictions

And then there’s the part that can feel the most confusing: the contradictions.

One moment, something is considered a superfood. The next, it’s being investigated – or avoided altogether.

One week, this is the “right” way to exercise or to eat (or not to eat). Then, it shifts again.

It feels like the rules are constantly changing. And in some ways, they are.

Trends come and go, research is always evolving, and the reality of bioindividuality means what works for one person may not work for another.

But when I’m constantly taking in all of these conflicting messages without slowing down to filter or discern, it creates confusion.

And that confusion leads to even more overwhelm.

To me, it feels like it’s become a hamster wheel of wellness. And some days, I find myself too overwhelmed to try to keep up.

I think that’s why I had to shut off the podcast that morning. I had shut down.

In that moment, it just felt like too much to hold. The consumption, the comparison, the contradictions – all of it felt loud.

And that’s okay.

It’s okay to turn off the podcast. It’s okay to quiet the external voices of experts. It’s okay to close the article. It’s okay to put your phone on DND and not know what the latest wellness trend is.

We don’t have to tune in to it all, we don’t have to do it all. Because in reality, we just simply can’t.

It’s not because we’re incapable, inconsistent or even lazy – it was just never sustainable to begin with.

So how do we avoid overwhelm and create resiliency (and real, sustainable change) in this saturated wellness culture?

The Antidote

If overwhelm comes from information overload and trying to do it all, I believe the antidote is actually doing less.

But not in a neglectful way, in a purposeful way.

I’ve shifted my thinking from: What else should I add? To: What have I not actually integrated yet?

And I’ve been coming back to a really simple rhythm: focusing on a foundational few.

Because the truth is, our bodies and brains were never designed to manage endless inputs and expectations.

But 3? We can handle that.

Neuroscience even backs that our brains best process, retain and integrate information when delivered in a set of 3.

Integration. That’s the goal.

I’ve found when I simplify my focus to just a few priorities for the day it feels breathable, attainable, and actually sustainable. And it finally becomes more consistent.

And that is what restores resiliency and creates lasting change.

My Foundational Few

Instead of tuning in to external voices, I’m learning to tune in to my own body, soul and spirit – and letting that self-discovery guide what I prioritize and what would be most supportive for that day.

Most days, my 3 are super simple:

1. Hydration.

2. Movement.

3. Prayer.

So I sip more water, add in electrolytes, spritz my Clarifying Mist throughout the day or brew herbal tea (instead of another cup of coffee).

I make sure I move my body – whether it’s a walk, standing (instead of sitting) at my desk, dry brushing my face + body or stretching before bed.

And I create small moments of prayer or stillness, even if it’s just a few minutes with my Bible, my journal and some Palo Santo.

Other days, it looks different:

1. Connection.

2. Protein.

3. Nervous system support.

So I call a friend, reply to a voice memo or set up a coffee date.

I focus on nourishing my body well – prioritizing protein at every meal and even in between.

I take an epsom salt bath, do a Lectio Divina meditation, or sit in the sun long enough to let my body soften.

That’s it.

Even when life feels extra full or when I feel that familiar sense of overwhelm creeping in or focusing on 3 things feels like too much, I come back to two simple anchors:

One ritual in the morning.
One ritual at night.

Right now, that looks like:

AM: Reading my Bible in the morning.
PM: Doing gua sha in the evening.

They’re simple enough that I can return to them, even on the days when everything else feels like too much.

And I think that’s what I’m learning: My life isn’t static, my energy shifts (hello, hormones), my skin changes, my seasons evolve.

When I try to make it rigid or when I try to do everything perfectly, it seems like it all starts to work against me.

And eventually, I stop doing it altogether – and I have to shut off the podcast.

But when it’s clear, simple, supportive and rooted in what I actually need, I return to it.

Reframing My Relationship With Wellness

This has slowly shifted the way I think about wellness altogether. It doesn’t feel like a checklist of habits, but as a way of staying connected.

Connected to myself: To my body, my breath, my emotional being.

Connected to others: To relationships, to community, to the people who bring light into my life.

And most importantly, connected to God: the place where I find the most peace and purpose.

Ultimately, I don’t think we need more wellness. I think we need to reframe our relationship with it.

• Focusing less on consumption, and more on creating the life we want to lead.

• Focusing less on comparison, and more on crafting a life that’s aligned with our values and bioindividuality.

• Focusing less on contradictions, and more on cultivating discernment and wisdom for what’s right for us and our families.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed right now by the wellness industry and all the should-dos (like me), I hope this post becomes a permission slip for you to do less – on purpose.

You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to keep up.

Just choose a few things that truly support you – just for today.

And then, begin again tomorrow.

xx

Not in January. Not in the dead of winter. Not when the days are short and the light is scarce.

But when the light returns, when green buds begin to emerge, when it’s warm enough to open the windows.

This is the real, natural new year: the Spring Equinox.

Spring is the season of newness – of new beginnings, new growth, new energy, new life.

It’s as if the natural world is springing up all around us proclaiming:

“Happy New Year! Happy New Year!”

Let’s learn from her, let’s lean into her wisdom. And let’s allow January to just be January.

A month in the middle of winter – when we’re meant to be hibernating, slowing down and tending to our roots to support new growth… come springtime.

Biologically, winter is not a time of outward expansion. It’s a time when the nervous system craves more stillness, when energy naturally dips, and when the body is replenishing beneath the surface.

While the calendar date flips on January 1st, it’s not designed as a time to do more, to try harder, to sprint towards new goals, to reinvent ourselves – to override what our bodies actually need.

The Winter Solstice (the darkest day of the year) happens just days before January 1st. And somehow, we’re expected to jump from deep winter into full “go, goals, get it done” mode almost overnight.

No wonder new years resolutions often feel forced and don’t seem to stick.

So if after a few months into the “new year” you find yourself feeling behind, discouraged or disconnected from the goals you set in the dead of winter, you are not alone (I’m right there with you). You were just trying to blossom in a season meant for rooting.

This is your fresh start. This is your real, natural new year.

THE REAL, NATURAL NEW YEAR

The more I’ve paid attention to nature’s rhythms (and to my own body), the more this perspective has settled in.

January isn’t actually the beginning.

It begins here — when the earth begins to bloom again.

To me, this is a much more authentic, aligned starting point for action, transformation and creation.

The Spring Equinox marks a moment of balance – equal parts light and dark – and a subtle, yet tangible shift into a new season of energy, expansion and growth.

Not rushed or forced, just following nature’s pace.

This is the kind of new year energy I want to align with. One that feels less like pressure, and more like permission.

Cue the exhale.

Permission to emerge slowly, to begin gracefully and to grow in rhythm with something greater than myself.

And instead of setting resolutions that are imposed by a calendar, I’m prioritizing rituals that are inspired by nature herself.

RITUALS TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR

Recalibrating your rituals to align with the season is one of the most grounding ways to honor this shift – in the world around you, and within you.

As we’re slowly emerging from a long hibernation and beginning to shed extra layers (of our skin and ourselves), these spring rituals help reconnect with our body and awaken our senses – just as the natural world is also waking up all around us.

To reclaim a more rooted, reconnected way of living and to ring in the real new year, these are the rituals I’m returning to this spring.

None of these are big, dramatic changes (just like springtime), but together, they’re helping me feel more connected – to my skin, my soul and my spirit.

SPRING RITUALS: SKIN

• Facial Dry Brushing: Spring is all about fresh flow – move stagnant lymphatic fluid with gentle strokes that also stimulate sensory nerves, support cell turnover and help your nervous system downshift. To celebrate spring, I’m taking this morning ritual outside as I get sunlight on my eyes and skin first thing.

• Floral Facial Mist: Floral and refreshing, this is springtime in a bottle. This ritual restores water content after a long winter while invigorating my mood. I spritz this facial mist after cleansing, after serums and even after balms for a dewy glow – and deep breath.

• Clarifying Serum: Spring invites clarity – and lighter layers. This lightweight facial serum restores clarity and creates a natural glow without feeling heavy. Notes of bright citrus and green herbs balance and brighten skin tone and my mindset. I’ll put a pump or two into my hands, take a deep breath in, and then mindfully massage into damp skin on my face, neck and decollete.

• Blue Tansy Body Butter: Blue tansy is a beautiful ingredient for spring. This delicate, therapeutic flower feeds the skin with antioxidant-rich nutrients that protect the skin + body from environmental and emotional stress. This is my spring body care staple, the color alone signals calm and a mindful massage morning or night helps restore connection with my skin and body.

• Raw Honey Mask: Raw honey is one of my favorite ingredients this season as my skin shifts out of winter dryness and into spring renewal. A generous gift from the bees, it’s naturally antibacterial, deeply hydrating, and gently exfoliating – creating a radiant glow. I’ll apply one for about 30 minutes during an epsom salt bath or while working on a creative project at my desk.

SPRING RITUALS: SOUL

• Watching the sun rise over springtime: I’ve been stepping outside in the morning, even for just a few minutes, to let the sunlight hit my eyes and signal to my body that it’s time to begin again. There’s something about that first light that feels both energizing and grounding at the same time.

• Getting outside: I’ve been bringing more of my everyday moments (especially meals) outside. After months of being indoors, something as simple as eating lunch in the sun or cooking dinner outside feels completely different – slower, more present, more enjoyable. We recently got a small fire pit, and I’m already looking forward to slow evenings cooking and eating under the spring sky.

• Planting: I’m leaning into the season of growth by starting my first garden! Getting my hands in the soil, watering in the morning, checking on new growth… it’s teaching me so many valuable and beautiful life lessons. Even if it’s just a few herbs on a windowsill, there’s something deeply life-giving about tending to something that’s growing alongside you.

• Listening to birds: One of my favorite new rituals has been listening to the birds in the morning. I’ve found myself lingering in bed just a little longer, waiting for that first sound of chirping. It feels like my cue to slowly emerge from winter. And while I know that’s not realistic for everyone, even taking a few quiet moments to pause and listen can feel incredibly regulating.

• Opening the windows: Each morning, I open the windows. This has become a non-negotiable for me – especially before the Texas heat sets in. Letting fresh air move through the house, hearing the birds, feeling the breeze… it shifts the entire energy of my space and my body almost instantly.

• Fresh flowers: Fresh flowers have made their way back into my home, too. This is your sign to buy yourself a bouquet – preferably something fragrant. I keep a vase on my desk and it brings me so much joy throughout the day. The color, the scent, the softness are all a sweet reminder of the season we’re in.

• Spring eating: I’ve been leaning into seasonal eating as well – lighter, fresher meals that feel more aligned with what my body is craving right now. Shopping at the farmers market, trying new recipes, adding more greens and herbs… it’s a natural shift that makes a big difference.

• Starting a new hobby: Spring inspires creativity and I’ve been drawn to hobbies like coloring, embroidery or baking (my grandma hobbies haha). It feels refreshing to shift out of a performance mindset and simply make space for creativity, curiosity and a different kind of productivity.

• Herbal tea infusions: As I’m growing an herb garden, I’m sipping herbal tea throughout the day. I make an overnight blend with nettle, spearmint, and linden for nervous system and hormone support.

• Spring cleaning: I’ll definitely be decluttering this season – slowly and intentionally. Not my entire house in one weekend (that would be overwhelming), but one drawer, one space at a time. Creating physical space has been helping me feel more clear mentally, too.

• Working out (again): Movement is also finding its way back into my routine but in a much gentler way. I actually started a workout program back in January (and quickly fell off), but now, with more light and energy in the day, it feels easier to return to it.

• Spring-aligned goal setting: Instead of forcing goals in the middle of winter, I’ve been revisiting them now when energy, clarity, and motivation naturally begin to return. Spring feels like the right time to start taking action, to build momentum and to pursue what’s been taking root over the past few months.

SPRING RITUALS: SPIRIT

• Nurturing spiritual growth: This time of year inspires me to reawaken and deepen my spiritual rhythms. I’m starting a new Bible study, going on prayer walks outside, and connecting with my church community to nurture the kind of growth that matters most. It could also look like beginning a meditation practice, sitting in silence for a few minutes each morning, or creating space to listen instead of always moving.

• Setting the table: Spring inspires connection and there’s no better place to connect than around the table. Add some spring-themed elements like potted herbs, beeswax candles and of course, a menu influenced by the season. I’m pulling so much inspo from my sister who’s passion is hosting gorgeous, life-giving gatherings.

• Diffusing spring-inspired scents: I’ve been filling my home with lighter, brighter scents that mirror the season: soft florals, fresh citrus and grounding herbs. This Sweet Floral Sage scent has been on repeat, creating a space that feels both calming and awakening. It’s such a simple shift, but scent has a powerful way of signaling to the mind that a new season has arrived.

• Reflective journaling: I’m prioritizing more time to put pen to paper – allowing what’s below the surface to see the light of day. Throughout this process, I’ve been revisiting my “why.” Not just what I want to do this year, but why it matters to me in the first place. When I’m clear on that, everything else feels more aligned and a lot less overwhelming.

Here are a few journal prompts I’ve found to be super helpful as spring starts:

What feels ready to grow in this season of my life and what might still need more time beneath the surface?
Where in my life am I craving more light, energy, or expansion right now?
What am I being invited to begin again – slowly, gently, and without pressure?
How do I want to feel this spring and what small, daily rhythms would support that feeling?
What am I ready to release or clear out to make space for what’s trying to emerge?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Spring signals a rebirth, a reawakening, a resurrecting – reflecting the potential and possibilities that surface from a fresh start.

And I hope these rituals help you follow in nature’s footsteps as you step into Spring feeling more rooted, reconnected and radiant.

Happy New Year!

xx

For many of us, it might be hard to remember.

Even if we’re technically getting seven or eight hours of sleep, too often we still wake up feeling like we got hit by a train – our bodies feel heavy, minds feel foggy and skin feels puffy.

And the whole day begins with the feeling of being behind.

There can be many reasons for restless or interrupted sleep: Maybe it’s a season of midnight nursing, or a decade-long struggle with insomnia, or simply the misalignment of our modern world.

Regardless of the reason, sleep-related issues have now been deemed a public health crisis, linked to everything from depression and chronic disease to hormone imbalance and inflammatory skin conditions.

Sleep isn’t a luxury – it’s foundational for human flourishing. And it might just be one of the most powerful beauty rituals we have.

But here’s the challenge: our modern world isn’t designed to support deep sleep.

In fact, much of it works directly against our biology:

Artificial light long after sunset.
Caffeine that lingers deep into the afternoon.
Late-night scrolling and glowing screens.
Chronic stress and cortisol spikes.
Depleted mineral stores.
Disrupted circadian clocks.

So it makes sense that so many of us struggle to fall asleep – and stay asleep.

When our nervous systems remain wired, our bodies struggle to unwind. And when the body can’t fully unwind, it can’t fully repair.

Deep sleep doesn’t happen by accident — it requires purposeful preparation and intentional ritual.

Just like we prepare for an important conversation, a big project, or a competition, our bodies also benefit when we prep for sleep.

Thankfully, it doesn’t require an overwhelming nighttime routine. Deep sleep is often shaped by little rituals throughout the day:

• The way you spend your mornings.

• How you nourish your nervous system.

• What signals you send your body as the sun sets.

Rather than viewing sleep prep as more to add to your to-do list, I like to reframe it as ritual: simple acts that tend to your body, nourish your skin and invest in your longevity.

And trust me, it’s a worthwhile investment.

Deep Sleep Is A Big Deal

The benefits run deep when you have uninterrupted sleep.

But I feel like the sleep convo can easily be treated like hydration: We all know it’s important and we all know we need more of it. It’s good for us, we get it.

It’s all too easy to gloss over the part you’ve heard a hundred times. So I want to encourage you to not skip over this section – let it really sink in.

Because remembering what deep sleep actually does for our bodies, brains and beauty can reignite our commitment to protecting it.

Your Brain’s Nightly Detox

During deep sleep, the brain activates a detoxifying (and newly discovered) system called the glymphatic system.

This is your brain’s nightly cleaning crew.

Cerebrospinal fluid moves through brain tissue, clearing away metabolic waste and toxins that accumulate during the day.

But without adequate deep sleep, this detoxification process becomes impaired, leading to brain fog, fatigue, and even long-term neurological decline.

Deep sleep literally deep cleans your body’s command center, so the ripple effect of rest is pretty significant.

Nervous System Repair

Deep sleep is also when the nervous system shifts into its most restorative, regenerative state.

The parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and repair” mode) engages, helping to relax muscles, slow heart rate, decrease inflammation and shift the body into deep repair.

When this stage of sleep is disrupted, the nervous system can stay stuck in survival mode.

And survival mode is exhausting (on literally every level).

Hormonal Balance

Sleep plays a vital part in regulating key hormones.

Growth hormone (essential for cell repair and collagen synthesis) is released during deep sleep helping to decrease cortisol levels, increase melatonin and stabilize blood sugar.

When sleep is interrupted, these rhythms become disrupted – impacting everything from metabolism to mood.

Circadian Rhythm Alignment

Our bodies run on an internal 24-hour clock known as the circadian rhythm.

This rhythm governs when we feel alert, when we feel sleepy, how our hormones fluctuate, and even how our skin regenerates.

Deep sleep helps anchor and strengthen this rhythm, keeping the body in sync with the natural cycles of light and darkness.

Mental and Emotional Health

Sleep also deeply shapes emotional resilience.

Without adequate deep sleep, the brain struggles to regulate stress responses and emotional processing – aka anxiety rises, patience wanes and mental clarity fades.

But when sleep is deep and restorative, we wake up with greater calm, clarity, and resilience.

Beauty Rest Is Real

The phrase “beauty sleep” exists for a reason.

Our skin reflects the state of our internal systems. When the brain detoxifies, hormones regulate and the nervous system relaxes, the skin responds.

Deep sleep supports the foundational processes that protect our skin from:

• Premature aging

• Dark or puffy under eye area

• A weakened skin barrier

• Chronic inflammation

During sleep, skin cell turnover increases, collagen production rises and blood flow improves – all contributing to that natural glow we try to achieve with a skincare routine.

The real beauty secret: radiant, resilient skin begins with something far more foundational than any serum or cream.

It begins with real rest.

The Deep Sleep Mineral

One of the biggest challenges to deep sleep in our modern world is chronic stress. Stress comes in many forms: emotional, physical, environmental, even digital.

And one of the first things stress depletes behind the scenes is magnesium.

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the body, involved in 300+ biochemical processes – including those that regulate sleep, stress, and nervous system balance.

But here’s the dilemma: about 70% of people are deficient in magnesium.

When magnesium levels are low, the body struggles to regulate.

The nervous system remains stuck in sympathetic mode (the fight or flight state) – muscles remain tense, stress hormones linger and sleep becomes shallow.

This creates a frustrating cycle: Stress depletes magnesium → Low magnesium worsens stress → And both interfere with deep sleep.

Adding magnesium back into our rituals helps interrupt that cycle.

It’s widely known for its ability to:

• Calm the nervous system

• Relax muscles

• Support melatonin production

• Improve sleep depth and quality

In many ways, magnesium acts like a much needed signal to the body that says: It’s safe to soften now.

Transdermal Delivery For Deeper Sleep

One of the most effective ways to replenish magnesium is through transdermal application (aka applied directly to the skin).

When magnesium is absorbed through the skin, it bypasses the digestive system and can be delivered directly to tissues that need it most.

Topical magnesium sends powerful signals to the body:

It’s time to wind down.
It’s safe to rest.
You can release the tension of the day.

This is why magnesium-based rituals before bed can feel almost immediately calming to the nervous system.

They create the perfect conditions for the body to shift from wired to relaxed.

The Deep Sleep Ritual

Magnesium is one of the most powerful signals for relaxation and nervous system regulation – but it works best when it’s part of a larger rhythm that supports the body’s natural sleep cycles.

Our bodies operate on rhythms – constantly receiving cues from the environment around us that tell us when to be alert and when to wind down. Light, movement, temperature, nourishment, and minerals like magnesium all act as signals to the nervous system.

When we align our daily rhythms with our natural biology, sleep begins to happen more effortlessly.

That’s why deep sleep rituals don’t begin the moment your head hits the pillow – they begin when you wake up.

Here are a few simple rituals that support deeper sleep.

Morning Light Ritual

Start your day with natural light. Within the first hour of waking, try to get sunlight into your eyes (without sunglasses or glass barriers).

This morning light exposure helps set your circadian rhythm for the entire day, signaling to the brain when it should wake and when it should prepare for sleep later that night.

Think of morning light as the first step of your nighttime routine.

Movement During the Day

Movement is one of the most underrated sleep aids. Exercise helps regulate cortisol, improve circulation, and increase the body’s need for restorative sleep later that night.

Even gentle movement like a walk, stretching, or time outdoors can help your body transition into deeper sleep cycles.

Eat Earlier in the Evening

Late night meals can confuse the body’s circadian signals. Digestion requires energy, which can signal to the body that it’s still time to be awake.

Try to give your body a window between your last meal and bedtime so it can fully transition into rest mode.

Design Your Evening Environment

Our bodies evolved to respond to the setting sun.

As light decreases, the brain releases melatonin – the hormone that makes us feel sleepy. But bright indoor lights and glowing screens can disrupt that signal.

One of the most powerful things you can do for your sleep is simply make your indoor environment mirror the outdoors.

As evening approaches:

• Dim lights or use warm lighting

• Reduce blue light from screens or wear amber glasses

• Keep your home cooler at night than during the day

These small shifts help reinforce the body’s natural sleep rhythms.

The Magnesium Ritual

As the sun sets, magnesium can become one of the most powerful tools for signaling the body that the day is winding down.

Here are a few ways to incorporate magnesium into a calming nighttime ritual.

Sipping This Sleepy Girl Mocktail

A simple evening drink can become a beautiful cue for the body that it’s time to slow down.

This magnesium-based mocktail sipped before bed can help support relaxation while turning the act of winding down into a ritual rather than a routine.

Taking Magnesium Internally

Magnesium supplements can be incredibly helpful, especially when working with a trusted healthcare practitioner who can recommend the best form and dosage for your unique needs.

Certain forms of magnesium (like magnesium glycinate) are especially known for their calming effects. I’ve been loving this brand for their bioavailability and benefit-driven products.

Soaking in an Epsom Salt Bath

Epsom salts are rich in magnesium sulfate and have long been used to ease muscle tension and support relaxation. A warm bath before bed helps calm the nervous system while also allowing magnesium to absorb through the skin.

It’s a beautiful way to transition from the stimulation of the day into the softness of night. I emerge from every bath feeling so much lighter, softer and ready for sleep.

Spritzing Magnesium-Based Skincare

Magnesium can also powerfully support skin barrier health: helping calm inflammation, reduce redness, and strengthen the skin’s ability to hold moisture overnight.

This magnesium-infused multi-purpose mist supports literally everything (hence, its name). Spritz as a facial toner, post-shower/shave or as an overall body refresher to help relax the body while also supporting balanced, resilient skin.

While we’re on the topic of sleep-promoting skincare, I just have to plug our our brand new body butter made with the dreamiest ingredient for sleep: blue tansy. I pair my magnesium bedtime ritual with calming, aromatherapy benefits of blue tansy to nourish my skin while easing my nervous system.

A small skincare ritual for face and body that signals: the day is done.

Massaging in Magnesium Sleep Spray

A magnesium-based sleep spray can become one of the simplest and most effective rituals in your evening routine.

Spraying topical magnesium onto the bottoms of your feet (the most absorbable part of your body) helps replenish depleted stores while relaxing muscles and calming the nervous system.

For me, one of the simplest ways to prep for deeper sleep is my nightly moment with magnesium – something that physically reminds the body to release tension and settle into stillness.

A few sprays onto my skin and breathing in the relaxing essential oil blend has become a cue that the day is done and rest can begin.

Right before you doze off, hit play on this deep sleep meditation I recorded to help you drift off to dreamland even easier. Goodnight. :)

Rest as Ritual

Deep sleep is the state where the body repairs, detoxifies, rebuilds, and restores. It supports clearer skin, better mood, deeper resilience, and healthier aging.

But in a world that constantly pulls us toward stimulation, real rest requires intention.

A morning walk in the sun.
A warm bath.
A magnesium ritual before bed.

Rituals that signal to the body:

You’re safe now.
You can soften.
You can rest.

And sometimes the most powerful beauty ritual isn’t another product – it’s leaning into our divine design and birthright: deep, restorative rest.

We’re feeling a little low and then we step outside – one glance of the bright blue sky gives us the calm and confidence we need to keep going.

Or we’re feeling a little lethargic and then we light palo santo or our favorite essential oil candle – and within seconds we sense a shift in our mood and mind.

In those moments, we feel our physiology change.

Our breath deepens. Our shoulders drop. Our mind clears. Our smile returns.

Simply from what we saw, and what we smelled.

As humans, we are highly sensory beings. We were designed with several senses that directly impact how we feel.

Today, I want to take a closer look at three of them:

Sight.

Smell.

And skin (aka touch).

These senses don’t just help us experience our outer world – they are gateways to our inner world.

We take in data through our eyes, we take in messages through our smell, we take in information through our skin.

And what we allow in, matters.

It influences our brain, our biology, our behavior – often shaping how we feel before we’re consciously aware of it.

A certain color can calm the nervous system or overstimulate it, and a familiar aroma can instantly transport us to an old memory or bring us back into the present moment.

We can’t always control what we see, smell or feel. But when we can make a conscious choice, to either avoid or allow, it’s worth choosing wisely.

Let’s start to take a closer look at a couple of these gateways – and a little yellow flower that powerfully (and positively) impacts each one.

COLOR PSYCHOLOGY

Color psychology explores how different colors can affect how we feel.

It’s both a science and an art. It’s biology and behavior. It’s emotion and interpretation. It’s perception and deeply personal.

Colors communicate – without words.

When our eyes catch a glimpse of color, specific messages and signals are sent to our brain that can shift our nervous system, energy levels and even decision-making.

Research has shown certain colors can calm, energize, focus or uplift. It can shape our productivity and our thought patterns – proving to be the epitome of non-verbal communication.

Color therapy has even become an alternative healing modality to treat specific mental and physical health conditions. We can use color strategically and intentionally to achieve a specific outcome – whether that’s a feeling or healing.

There are two techniques for using color therapy according to experts:

• Sight: Simply looking at the color

• Skin: Absorbing that color (each color has a unique wavelength + frequency)

Of course, it’s not an exact science and there isn’t concrete evidence proving color therapy — we can be biased towards or even triggered by a specific color depending on our previous experiences, cultural connotations or personal preferences, regardless of what the color is known to evoke.

But I think it’s safe to say, we’ve all experienced the tangible effects of color on how we feel.

Color symbolism has been hardwired since the beginning of humanity – it’s a part of God’s divine design.

Here’s a brief breakdown of what certain colors are known to symbolism:

RED | Love, action, ambition, strength, danger, urgency

PURPLE | Power, wealth, creativity, wisdom, nobility, honor

GREEN | Freshness, balance, health, growth, safety, kindness

YELLOW | Energy, friendliness, optimism, cheerful, joy, positivity

ORANGE | Warm, happiness, success, enthusiasm, harvest, creative

And blue?

BEYOND THE BLUE

Blue is the color of tranquility and trust.

It’s relaxing and restful. It’s calming, expansive and provides a soothing effect of peace. It can instill confidence and deeper connection.

When we consider where we find blue in natural landscapes – the sky and the sea – it makes sense why this color inspires openness, serenity and calm.

On a physiological level, blue has been associated with:

• Regulating heart rate and breathing

• Increasing cognition and creativity

• Enhancing feelings of calm and relaxation

• Slowing metabolism

• Relieving feelings of anxiety or stress

But on the flip side, blue also symbolizes depression and sadness (which shows just how complex color psychology can be).

Hence the common idioms:

• Feeling blue

• Winter blues

• Baby blues

But surprisingly (or maybe not so surprising), observing the color blue in nature – like the sky, the ocean or a field of wildflowers – has been shown to help to ease emotional distress.

Feeling blue? Blue might actually be part of the remedy.

Here are some simple ways to bring blue into your day:

• Intentionally stare up at the sky

• Find a body of water to sit nearby

• Make blue the backdrop of your laptop or phone

• Add blue-hued decor to your home

• Keep blue flowers on your desk

• Add a layer of blue to your outfit (even if it’s just your socks)

• Use blue skincare – yes, that’s a thing!

THE OLFACTORY SYSTEM

Let’s explore another sensory system, another mode of communication and another gateway to our internal world: the olfactory system.

This complex system allows us to detect and identify different smells through our nose and nasal cavity. These molecular messages are sent through nerve signals that are directly linked to parts of the brain that process emotions, memory formation and survival instincts (aka the limbic system).

This is a big deal because the limbic system controls vital functions and influences our nervous system and endocrine system.

Olfactory cues have been shown to affect our behavior and overall well-being from igniting memories to triggering emotions.

What we inhale can have quite the impact.

Hence, the holistic healing modality: aromatherapy

Inhaling and applying specific aromatic essential oils has been practiced for centuries across cultures. It offers proven and powerful effects on emotional, mental and physical conditions – all by activating the limbic system.

The benefits are often felt immediately (such as relaxed breathing, relieved tension, clearer mind, more energy) and then continue to build over time to support resiliency and longevity.

What we breathe in can influence everything from:

• Improving sleep

• Relieving stress

• Easing pain

• Uplifting the mood

• Overcoming depression

• Encouraging relaxation

• Supporting healing

From Hippocrates, “The Father of Medicine”, recommending aromatic baths for well-being to WWI soldiers receiving aromatherapy treatments to support depression, anxiety and wound care, the power of plant medicine has truly stood the test of time.

There are several ways to access the healing benefits of aromatherapy:

• Diffuse essential oil blends in your home

• Inhale oils directly from the bottle

• Apply essential oil-based products to your skin (note: dilute pure essential oils with a cold-pressed carrier oil before applying directly to skin!)

• Light an essential oil beeswax candle

• Soak in an aromatic epsom salt bath

• Walk in nature and breathe in trees, flowers and fresh air (the best kind of plant medicine!)

THE DARK SIDE OF SCENT

While we’ve talked about the influence of our olfactory system and the positive effects of aromatherapy, unfortunately, there’s a dark side to scent.

Perfumes.

I know this can be a sensitive topic because of the power of our olfactory system. Perfumes evoke nostalgia, status, confidence, and personal identity.

Fragrance can instantly transport us to another time and place, whether positive or negative (like our grandma’s perfume, our high school crush’s cologne, or our signature scent from a decade ago).

But research has shown that the effect perfume has on our health is not a positive one.

The scents we’re smelling (and spraying daily) can contain thousands of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Remember the pathway: olfactory system → limbic system → endocrine system.

What we smell not only affects our mood, but our hormones. And for women especially, this is a huge deal.

Lab-made, synthetic fragrances are one of the most harmful ingredients for our health, our fertility and our vitality.

What used to be exclusively sourced from nature, is now created with chemicals that mimic our estrogen and disrupt our delicate hormonal balance — creating a cascade of health conditions.

To my surprise (and honestly, to my horror), I discovered published books that are preaching the power of perfume and how it’s an important part of daily life.

I agree, perfume is powerful – but to our detriment, over decades of daily application.

You don’t need synthetic scents to express yourself or to evoke feelings.

There’s a better way to inspire deep calm and positive memories while supporting our nervous system and hormone health.

Let me introduce you to the flower that embodies it all.

THE FLOWER THAT EMBODIES IT ALL: BLUE TANSY

There is one beautiful flower that embodies both color psychology and our olfactory system: blue tansy.

Blue Tansy is a rare ingredient that naturally speaks both languages and directly communicates with all our senses: our sight, our smell and our skin.

Its sky-blue color signals calm and balance, and its sweet, herbaceous aroma sends messages to support emotional regulation and a sense of ease.

This peace-promoting plant is a natural, potent ally you’ll absolutely want to allow through your gateways.

First, let’s talk about its color.

Surprisingly, blue tansy is actually yellow in its natural state – thriving in the dry deserts of Morocco.

The flowers contain a compound called matricin (which is a light yellow color) and when the delicate petals are put through a steam distillation process, the matricin is transformed into blue chamazulene.

Chamazulene is where color psychology comes in.

This is the key compound providing blue tansy’s visually calming, vibrant blue hue (and potent healing benefits).

Blue tansy’s color mirrors its chemistry. Its well-researched soothing properties parallel the psychological effects of the color blue: calming to the eye, the skin and the nervous system.

Nature’s design is so divine.

Its blue color can signal the same kind of calm, peace and emotional well-being as being beneath the bright blue sky or beside the sparkling sea.

When we intentionally include more blue into our days, it’s like a deep breath for our brain and body. And blue tansy is a simple way to support exactly that.

Next, let’s talk about its aroma.

Blue tansy has been used traditionally for centuries as aromatherapy medicine in Morocco and across the globe.

Being a part of the chamomile family, it helps to lift feelings of sadness and promote peace – just like sipping warm chamomile tea before bed.

Breathing in blue tansy is a powerful way to affect our emotional state and even influence our neurotransmitters – encouraging more “happy hormone” production like serotonin and dopamine.

(No synthetic fragrances or endocrine-disrupting perfumes needed.)

Blue tansy is incredibly calming to our parasympathetic nervous system (our rest/digest state) and is known to help regulate emotions, ease overstimulation and encourage relaxation. Yes, please.

So what does blue tansy smell like exactly? I’ll try to explain its complex scent:

It’s subtly sweet while being herbaceous and a bit earthy. It’s slightly fruity with notes of soft florals. It’s lightly cooling and refreshing. It uplifts and grounds simultaneously. When you open a jar, you’ll feel your shoulders drop. And it’s one of our Founder’s favorite smells.

Breathing in blue tansy can help:

• Reduce anxiety levels

• Improve sleep quality

• Stabilize emotional balance

• Ease frazzled nerves

• Soothe tension

• Quiet a busy mind

Finally, let’s talk about the skin.

On top of all of blue tansy’s holistic healing benefits, it offers transformative topical skin support, too.

Although, being a Holistic Esthetician, I must say:

Stress (in any form: mentally, emotionally or physically) is the biggest contributor to a compromised skin barrier and accelerated signs of aging.

So if all blue tansy did was soothe stress levels, your skin would be golden – and oh, so glowy.

But in true blue tansy fashion, this little flower fortifies the skin with some serious healing benefits, especially for stressed-out skin.

Blue tansy is a beautiful skincare ingredient that helps to shift reactive skin into resilient skin.

Chamazulene (remember, the “color psychology compound”) is also known as a potent antioxidant and is blue tansy’s superpower for dramatically diminishing inflammation.

It helps to neutralize free radicals and protect from UV exposure, oxidative stress and environmental stressors that contribute to skin stress, redness and irritation.

Simply put, blue tansy targets inflammation at the source.

Another key constituent in blue tansy is camphor – which creates the cooling, soothing effect for red, reactive skin.

For eczema flareups, stubborn breakouts or chronically inflamed skin, this might be the missing piece in your skincare routine (and wellness rituals).

Blue tansy offers a robust resume of skin-supportive benefits like:

• Calming redness

• Promoting barrier repair

• Evening skin tone

• Reducing inflammation

• Soothing sensitivities

• Protecting the lipid barrier

From dermatitis to sun damage, this protective plant visibly balances and brightens – while cocooning the skin in calm.

Blue tansy is the epitome of a holistic healing herb, delivering a trifecta of calm for skin, mind and emotions.

BUILD A BLUE TANSY RITUAL

Ready to swap your daily spritz of perfume for a plant that actually evokes confidence, clarity and calm?

Here’s how you can build a daily ritual around blue tansy that smells elevated, supports a regulated nervous system and makes your skin radiant.

MORNING

• Start your day with dry brushing before your morning shower to gently exfoliate and promote lymphatic flow. After showering, while skin is still damp, massage in a blue tansy-based body oil for softer skin and a subtle scent that lingers throughout the day.

• Apply a natural deodorant infused with blue tansy to soothe delicate underarms and protect from odor without harmful aluminum or fragrances.

MIDDAY

• For an aromatherapy pick-me-up, keep a small bottle of a blue tansy mist in your bag or at your desk. This is your pause button, bottled.

• For any stress-induced skin flare ups or to create a much-needed moment of calm midday, apply the Blue Tansy Body Butter to soften mental tension and skin texture.

EVENING

• Create a complete blue tansy facial care routine from a cleansing bar to a tallow cream, and every step in between to promote skin healing while you sleep.

• Before falling asleep, spritz a sleep-inducing spray with blue tansy and magnesium to the bottoms of your feet for deeper, dreamier rest.

Let the color calm you, the aroma regulate you and the plant support your skin.

GOOD-BYE BLUES, HELLO BLUE TANSY

Blue tansy is more than just a pretty plant – it’s a nervous system ally, a sensory reset and a skin healer.

When science, sensation and nature all align, the result is more than skincare: it’s a ritual of reconnection.

And it’s ready for you here – the kind of beauty that’s deeply rooted.

In celebration of Primally Pure’s 11th birthday, and my 10th anniversary with the brand, I’m looking back on the last decade – remembering the moments that didn’t make our social media feed.

It’s like I’m unpacking a time capsule and can’t wait to take you down memory lane with me.

Here are my final 5 core memories from the last 10 years.

#6 The Blue Tansy Intro

I vividly remember the first day I was introduced to blue tansy.

Bethany arrived to the PP office *beaming* – like she had just struck gold. In a way, she had.

She brought in a tiny vial of a new essential oil she discovered and wanted the whole team to sniff-test. She was already obsessed.

Not only did Bethany literally want to bathe in this blue oil, she wanted it to be a staple in our product line.

We passed around this aromatic oil and it was unanimous – this was going to be our next product launch. (I won’t lie… I was probably the last to get on the blue tansy bandwagon but after reading the research and feeling the effects, I was sold.)

The first product to be blessed by blue tansy’s benefits was our natural deodorant.

With the prevalence of armpit rashes from poorly formulated natural deodorants (IYKYK), we knew we needed this soothing, anti-inflammatory oil in our formula to provide a reprieve for weary customers coming to Primally Pure who had been burned by previous natural deodorant brands.

And it was wildly successful. Positive reviews flooded our website and gave us the nudge we needed to continue formulating with this precious blue-hued oil.

Next we infused our original Beauty Cream with the skin-calming, redness-relieving and stress-melting benefits of blue tansy.

From there, we continued to build out our blue tansy collection across our body products and Soothing line – and we haven’t stopped. Can’t stop, won’t stop when the benefits are that good.

Spoiler alert: there’s even more blue tansy goodness to come.

Even though I was hesitant at first, Bethany knew all along this would be the next big thing in natural skincare – and just like tallow, blue tansy has taken off and become a trend across the skincare scene.

As I reflect on my initial experience with blue tansy essential oil, it’s such a sweet memory and I hope it inspires you, too:

• Go with your gut (like B did) – even if not everyone is on board or 100% behind you, if you feel that inner nudge, listen to it.

• Be open to discovery because some of your best formulations or fondest memories are still yet to be unearthed. Keep digging, keep discovering.

• Try blue tansy. This is definitely a product plug but only because I don’t want you to miss out on this plant’s healing superpowers (like I almost did). Get this blue oil on your skin and you’ll quickly become obsessed, too.

#7 Bethany’s Pregnancy Announcements

The beauty of being a part of Primally Pure (almost) from the beginning, is that I got to not only see the growth of our brand, but of our Founder’s beautiful family.

These core memories are comprised of Bethany’s pregnancy announcements – and the spontaneous, unexpected ways I found out she was expecting.

Baby #1

Baby June was just six months old when I joined the team, so although I wasn’t there for this announcement, it was a pivotal time for Bethany and Primally Pure which I feel like deserves a moment.

When she found out she was pregnant with her first, it was like a fork in the road.

She could either press pause on her new, budding business or forge full steam ahead and hire her first employee to take over while she was on maternity leave.

Bethany shares about this moment often and what inspired her to keep plugging away instead of putting it on hold. She watched this video – and that was all she needed to know this little biz was worth pouring into.

Shortly after Bethany returned from maternity leave, we met and I moved to Murrieta. (Thank you, God, for that video!)

Baby #2

A couple of years later, we outgrew our original warehouse – right around the same time Bethany was ready to grow her family, as well.

Our small team was mid-move (hauling tubs of tallow + raw ingredients and packing up spaffice + shipping supplies during a sweltering SoCal summer day moving from our OG office to our new dream HQ on the other side of town) when Bethany spilled the news to a co-worker and me.

We were so consumed with the move — literally with boxes in hand — that this announcement caught us completely by surprise.

She mentioned it so nonchalantly, we almost didn’t believe her at first and had to do a double take. When we realized she was serious and was expecting baby #2, we couldn’t help but get teary-eyed and celebrate her growing belly in the midst of her growing business.

Baby #3

A few years later, The Spa at Primally Pure was in full swing and I was giving Bethany one of her regular facials (RIP The Spa).

I always start my treatments with a mini meditation before getting into the Oil Cleansing Method. The goal is for the soothing spa music, low lighting, burning palo santo and cleansing oil massage to lull you into a deep state of relaxation straightaway.

But that day’s treatment was different.

Instead of drifting off to dreamland, Bethany started laughing – and could. not. stop.

There we were, in the facial room in the middle of the double cleanse, when Bethany, out-of-the-blue says: I’m pregnant.

These are two very unassuming times to announce pregnancies, yet they’ve become etched into my heart and mind. I look back and I cherish these intimate moments that felt so surprising and so sacred simultaneously.

I look back and I also laugh – to me, these deliveries are very Bethany.

She is real, she is raw, she is unapologetically herself. She has never waited for something to be perfectly planned or to have all her ducks in a row before doing something. She just jumps – headfirst, wholehearted.

And her 3 beautiful children, and her business, are all living proof of that.

As I reflect back on Bethany and her pregnancy announcements, I can’t help but smile and I hope it inspires you, too:

• Conditions don’t have to be perfect to make your dreams happen – in fact, they shouldn’t be. If you’re waiting for perfect, you’ll be waiting your whole life (and still won’t find it).

• Some of the most sacred moments aren’t curated. Remember, it doesn’t need to be dialed or have every detail in place to be meaningful.

• If you’re a mama with a baby (or two) on your hip and a dream in your heart – jump.

#8 The Deodorant Diaries (aka Disasters)

Pretend we’re opening the pages of our deodorant diaries — I’m divulging the secret past of our best-selling product.

Our first warehouse was small, and our team was smaller. We had one employee making product, one person labeling, one person shipping and one person in the inbox.

All this to say, we worked super closely and were in tight quarters. We could always tell what product was being made just by the way the warehouse smelled.

One unfortunate day in the PP office, an unfamiliar (and unpleasant) smell caught our attention. We couldn’t quite place it or figure out where it was coming from.

A batch of deodorant was being made, but instead of the floral, uplifting scent of lavender or lemongrass filling the room, it literally smelled like BO. The opposite effect we’re going for with our natural deodorant.

After investigating each ingredient in the warehouse, we finally found the culprit: the arrowroot powder. This white powder, which was usually odorless, smelled strongly – and it smelled like cumin.

Come to find out, the arrowroot powder we had purchased was stored by the supplier beside bags of cumin and then clearly, absorbed its musky smell.

We no longer had lavender deodorant ready for our customers, we had cumin deodorant – and we were pretty sure they would not appreciate this new deodorant scent (if you think otherwise, let me know in the comments lol).

A bad batch of product when we were that small felt massive. In the moment it felt like a major setback for our small business, but looking back now, cumin has made the list of one of my core memories.

Another deodorant disaster that took place was during Black Friday in 2017.

Bethany actually shared about this struggle in one of her blog posts, so I figured I’d just share her words here from that fateful Black Friday:

“I’m taking a deep breath as I dive into this next part because this was SUCH an intense part of our journey. It was all planned out perfectly. Our new tubes were scheduled to arrive at the beginning of November. We were going to launch the new tubes (and introduce our brand new charcoal deodorant) at the end of the month on Black Friday.

The newsletters were designed and scheduled. The social media posts were all planned out. The influencers we work with were all prepared to spread the word. Facebook + instagram ads were set up. There was no turning back!

Except…that Black Friday was quickly approaching, and our brand new tubes had yet to arrive. But our international supplier assured us they would arrive in plenty of time, so we weren’t too worried.

To give some background, this was our very first international packaging order. We were unfamiliar with the shipping and customs processes, and there was a lot of confusion and miscommunication along the way. By the time we were supposed to launch the tubes on Black Friday, we were certain they would arrive any day. (And that our awesome team could have several new batches of deodorant made to fill the tubes with and then ship them out to customers in no time.)

So the promo happened and it. did. amazing. People were so excited about our new tubes! We sold far more than we had anticipated. But YOU GUYS – we still didn’t have the tubes in-house. Thankfully, we ran other promos over the weekend for different products and still had plenty of work to do in just fulfilling those other orders.

One week went by. No tubes. Another week. No tubes and lots of emails back and forth with our international supplier, trying to sort out what had turned into a customs disaster. About two and a half weeks after we had “launched” our new deodorant tubes, the tubes themselves finally arrived in perfect condition.

The deodorant tube disaster of 2017 isn’t something I’m proud of, but we got through it and our gracious customers stuck with us and were patient with the delays (thank God!).”

To echo Bethany, this was such. an. intense. time. for. our. team. But we trusted our fearless boss (and God) to get us through – and together, they did.

As I reflect back on these deodorant diaries, I can’t help but feel inspired (and cringe a little tbh) and I hope it inspires you, too:

• Setbacks often can be opportunities for greater growth in the future and fuel momentum for what you’re creating. Don’t let a setback actually keep you back. Keep going.

• Resilience isn’t cultivated when everything is easy. Deeper roots are established when there’s wind and a wrestling. Strength is fortified when we struggle.

• It’s helpful to reframe hardships. Bethany shifted her mindset from “why is this happening to me” to “what is this teaching me” – and it helped her move through bigger challenges than just delayed deodorant tubes.

#9 Team Bonding (aka Sky Diving)

This core memory is super simple, but speaks to the sweetness of our team’s connection beyond pouring deodorant and labeling products together.

Early on, one of our coworkers and close friends was going through a really hard season. She decided the remedy she needed was skydiving, naturally.

We couldn’t let our dear friend (and Director of Manufacturing) fall from the sky solo. So on a whim, we joined her.

Talk about team bonding.

The Primally Pure team (except Bethany — next time, B!) drove up the coast, signed our lives away on the dotted line, got geared up and boarded the plane.

My sister always said, “If you need more zen in your life, go skydiving.” And she wasn’t wrong. It’s a total act of surrender and releasing control – and it was exactly what we all needed.

While we got super close working together everyday at the PP HQ, this took our closeness and connection to a whole new level. Not just sitting with each other when hard times hit, but literally jumping out of a plane to prove our devotion – and to this day, we’re all still dear friends.

I guess we’re all willing take the jump on the PP team. ;)

As I reflect on this simple memory as a team, it fills me with so much gratitude and I hope it inspires you, too:

• Building relationships are just as important as building a brand. Even if seasons ebb and flow, friendships can be a beautiful gift of growing a business (especially if you jump out of a plane together).

• If life feels hard, heavy or overwhelming, sometimes the only thing you can really do is surrender to the process and release control. And if you need some to help, call some friends to go skydiving.

• Just jump.

#10 The Podcast Interview That Became a Turning Point

This one feels a little more vulnerable than previous memories. It was a painful moment, but one that actually propelled me forward.

Shortly after I started with Primally Pure, I was invited to be a guest on a podcast with a couple of our close friends and PP influencers (Hi, Justine and Caroline!).

After recording that episode, I was left sitting in puddle of imposter syndrome.

I was Primally Pure’s Holistic Esthetician – yet, when they asked me what I thought about jade rollers and their benefits, I couldn’t respond. I had to honestly, humbly (and even embarrassingly) say I had never tried one before. A simple jade roller.

For days I was questioning everything – my career, my credentials.

Podcast episodes are supposed to be where you share your expertise to educate listeners, and I felt like I had let them down. And goodness, was I down.

It was then, in that dark hole, I decided I had some work to do. If I was really going to be a leader and authority in the holistic skincare space (and knowing how it can evolve almost overnight) I needed to step up my game and get ahead of the curve when it came to natural beauty techniques.

That’s when gua sha flooded my Instagram feed.

It’s as if God threw me a bone and brought this TCM tool along my path at the perfect time. I found other holistic estheticians who were practicing this modality in their treatments and even teaching it to others.

This ancient beauty tool was only starting to gain traction in our modern wellness world. And I was determined to learn it and bring it back to Primally Pure, our customers, and podcast listeners.

I trained extensively from LA to NYC to learn from experts in my industry and grow my gua sha skills. The results were unreal.

This simple, beautiful gemstone was almost like a magic wand – softening fine lines, tension, fascia adhesions, acne scarring, the list goes on. I was obsessed and knew we needed to add this tool to our natural skincare collection.

In 2018 we launched our original Green Jade Gua Sha Stone and hosted a live webinar to help our customers feel confident with using this new beauty tool. It quickly became a best-seller and our community was feeling the lifting, lymphatic-draining, brightening benefits.

We continued to build out our gua sha collection with a beautiful Bian Gua Sha Stone with more curves and edges for a more targeted ritual and elevated results. Facial massage is where true skin transformation can happen, so it was the perfect tool to pair with our non-toxic products.

The following year we opened The Spa at Primally Pure and gua sha was a foundational technique in all of my treatments. I continued to refine my skills through advanced education and also implemented facial cupping, lymphatic drainage and buccal intraoral massage into our facial massage lineup.

I’ve been able to teach gua sha techniques through videos on our IG and YouTube, in-person workshops on The Farm and to our facial guests at The Spa. It’s been one of the greatest gifts to share this transformative tool with our customers and community – and even hope to share it with other professional estheticians in the future (drop a comment if you’re interested!).

I look back on that podcast episode that not only exacerbated my imposter syndrome, but deepened my resolve to evolve and grow into the holistic esthetician I knew I wanted to be.

And I couldn’t be more grateful for these growing pains – because it turned out to be one of the greatest turning points.

As I reflect on the early years as Primally Pure’s Holistic Esthetician, it grounds me and gives me hope, and I hope it inspires you, too:

• Lean into the discomfort – often it can be our greatest ally and teacher if we take the time to listen.

• Imposter syndrome is a normal part of the process – but don’t let it have the final word. Keep pursuing what sets your soul on fire, because that’s what this world actually needs more of.

• Invest in your growth (and invite God into the process). Becoming the best version of yourself requires a balance of personal responsibility and divine surrender – you don’t have to do it all alone.

Wow. What a wild ride the last decade has been.

If you’ve made it to the end of this reflection and stuck around for the complete time capsule unboxing, thank you (you’re probably one of Primally Pure’s most committed customers!). And without you, my core memories from the past 10 years wouldn’t have been possible.

If you’ve been around since those early PP days or just found us and started following on Substack, we’re so grateful you’re here and can’t wait for more decades to come.

Happy 11th Birthday, Primally Pure – being able to celebrate your birthday is one of my life’s greatest privileges.

xx

In celebration of our 11th birthday, and my 10th anniversary, I want to reminisce and look back on the last decade – remembering the moments that didn’t always make our social media feed.

These are memories I’ve tucked away and treasured for 10 years. I feel like I’m unpacking a time capsule and can’t wait to take you down memory lane with me.

Ready? Let’s play back the tape.

Here are 10 core memories from the last 10 years.

#1: How We Met

My Primally Pure story started with a magazine feature and a midlife crisis.

I had just moved back to Southern California after living overseas for several years doing mission work and was at a place where I was reevaluating my career path and the life I wanted to lead.

Spending hours at the beach praying and pouring over self-help books and inspiring magazines, I stumbled across a feature that caught my eye and immediately drew me in.

Seeing photos of simple skincare packaging + minimal ingredient lists and reading the story of a faith-based female entrepreneur from Southern California made my spirit light up.

I knew I needed to reach out. My intention was just to encourage the team in what they were creating and share my heart as a holistic esthetician to support skincare brands pursuing a natural approach to beauty.

A few email exchanges became an invitation to meet the team (which was only 3 people at the time!).

There was an immediate connection with the founder, Bethany, as we both shared our hearts for natural skincare, holistic healing + bringing beauty to our world.

But at the time, there wasn’t a position available – they had just offered a job to someone else. (Spoiler: she ended up becoming a dear friend and future roommate!)

I had such a deep desire to be a part of the Primally Pure team, I was willing to work on their family farm and scoop pig poop just to be a part of what they were creating.

(If you don’t know the brand’s backstory, Primally Pure started as an offshoot of Bethany’s family pasture-raised, regenerative farm, Primal Pastures, when she began making natural products in her farmhouse kitchen).

Spending an afternoon together at Primally Pure’s warehouse (their first office space after moving off of the farm) was enough to know there was a special connection that we wanted to create space for.

So we did.

It started small, just one day a week. I’d drive a couple hours roundtrip to spend the day working with the team: labeling bottles, stocking shelves, prepping packages, supporting customers, writing blog posts, partnership collaborations – wherever help was needed, I was there to help.

Then just a few short months later, one day a week turned into a full-time position. I’d drive down for a few days and stay overnight on the farm.

I would wake up to peppercorn trees and little piggies, then spend my days surrounded by beautiful natural skincare products and essential oils filling the air – I was in a dream.

Early on, I knew this wasn’t a short-term, in-between job – it was my dream job – and I decided to go all in and make the move from the coast to wine country + farmlands so I could be closer to the PP office and the team that quickly became like family.

Those early days were so, so sweet and I cherish my origin story with Primally Pure.

When I reflect on how Bethany and I first connected, it has a profound impact on me and I hope it inspires you, too:

• To make the space + take the time when needed to reevaluate your values and follow the moments that light you up and feel aligned with your vision.

• To let those little nudges and whispers within your soul guide you in reaching out and taking a risk towards what sets your soul on fire.

• To not despise the beauty and magic of small beginnings (I promise, these will become the good ol’ days).

• To find those people, places and opportunities that you want to partner with and make a positive impact with – even if it means being willing to scoop pig poop at first.

#2. Director of Marketing

I’ve never taken a marketing class in my life. But I have still a business card in my wallet that says:

Courtney O’Connor | Director of Marketing

I didn’t start with that title – and I definitely still don’t carry that title today.

While I was an honors accounting major – and cheerleader – in college (that fun fact still shocks Bethany), it was only a backup plan for what I really wanted to do: work in the beauty industry. But if I wanted to open my own spa one day, some sort of business degree seemed like a good idea.

(Side note: I didn’t graduate with that degree – I ended up dropping out of university so I could enroll in beauty school and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made).

When the Primally Pure team was only 5 people, we each held prestigious roles – regardless of our background (that’s part of the fun I guess of grassroots startups).

With my innate knack for writing, my heart for connection + collaboration and my background as an esthetician, marketing seemed like a natural fit. I was the only one on the marketing team at the time, so I inevitably became the director and worked closely with Bethany on all of our PR, partnerships, and blog posts.

Inevitably, as we grew, that title demanded more expertise and experience.

I remember sitting with Bethany at lunch during an annual review when she asked me:

Do you want to keep this role and really pursue the direction of marketing director or do you want to lean more into your love for skin and become the brand’s holistic esthetician?

If you’ve been following Primally Pure, you probably know how I answered that question.

I felt so seen by Bethany and blessed by her belief and trust in me – proposing two paths and giving me the freedom to choose whichever one felt more aligned.

While one naturally came with more responsibility, rank and probably a higher raise, I chose the one I knew was right for me – and ultimately, for the brand.

I’m sure I could have dug in my heels, taken some classes and honed my role as marketing director, but deep down I knew my childhood dream and divine calling was to be in the beauty industry – not to necessarily crunch numbers or collect data.

I was called to touch faces, create healing spaces and support our community through natural skincare education. Letting go of my prestigious title meant I would actually be able to better support Primally Pure and serve our community.

As I reflect back on my updated business card, it has a profound impact on me and I hope it reminds you of:

• The importance of not compromising or sacrificing your calling or passion for a promotion or pay raise. Passion sets you apart: it’s convicting, it’s creative, it’s contagious – it’s what’s actually needed when building a brand and sharing a mission you believe in to make our world a better, more beautiful place.

• When we make a difficult, yet aligned, decision to stay true to our passion, vision and values, it can open doors we could have never imagined.

• Sometimes, we have to let go of something good, for something greater – and that choice will always be worth it.

#3. The Spa-ffice

If you’ve never heard this word before, it’s because we made it up.

That very first day I sat down with Bethany on the couch in the PP office, I shared my lifelong dream about starting a holistic spa space to cultivate healing in skin, soul and spirit.

Ever since then, we’ve taken steps together to bring that dream to life – but that first step was simple and small, of course.

As we expanded our first warehouse into another one next door, a new room became available which meant I could leave my current office on the couch (for a while our team worked on the couch with our laptops because we didn’t have enough space for desks!).

With this dream of a building spa still in our back pocket, we decided this new room would be the first step towards creating it.

So we started a spaffice: half spa, half office.

One side had a desk for copywriting + collaborations and on the other side was a facial bed and steamer.

Tuesdays became team spa days. I got to play around with Primally Pure products and raw ingredients in a spa setting and try out customized facial treatments on the team:

Masks blended based on specific skin care concerns with the same raw ingredients we used to handcraft our products, facial massage techniques with warm stones to melt away tension, stress + signs of aging, calming herbs to care for acne rather than fighting it with aggressive treatments and a restorative space to receive, relax and deeply rest.

While we were so excited to experience this as a team, we knew this was too good to keep for ourselves.

We started posting snippets of our spaffice on social media from the creation process to the custom facials — and the feedback we received confirmed: we need to do this.

So we kept practicing, prepping and planning (Tuesdays became everyone’s favorite day at the office) until we had the resources and the room available.

The spaffice served such a sweet purpose in that season – it was a beautiful hybrid for creation and connection and while it was only temporary, it was as a very important step in our process of pursuing our spa dreams.

As I reflect back on our spaffice, it floods me with so much hope and I pray it inspires you, too:

• Start with what you have – stop making excuses and trust the process (preaching to myself here).

• A quote Bethany would always say on her early podcast interviews (and probably still says today): “Done is better than perfect.” Let this truth be your mantra.

• Play, create something new, have fun – a spaffice never existed before, so we got to dream it up and bring it to life. Sure, it was only a season, but it served a bigger purpose. Even if this iteration is only temporary, it’s super important for the next step.

#4 The Spa at Primally Pure

Then in 2019 we opened The Spa at Primally Pure.

When we outgrew our original warehouse, we moved into our dream HQ that had a ton more space – and a corner tucked away that was perfect for a holistic spa.

Clearly this had been an idea in the making for quite some time (for me, ever since I was 11). As a team we dreamed, we talked, we tested, we dove wholeheartedly into this concept of creating a spa at the new Primally Pure Headquarters.

The buildout became a family affair (per usual for Primally Pure):

Bethany’s sister-in-law, an insane interior designer, dialed in all the details and decor, Bethany’s father-in-law built the seating + tables where guests would enjoy a foot soak + herbal tea before their facial and I had the privilege of creating our treatment protocols and facial offerings.

As we were brainstorming our spa strategy, Bethany and I even attended a conference in LA to learn how to incorporate a give back component into this new branch of the brand. For me, being missionally-minded was a foundational part of starting a healing, holistic spa space.

It was important for me that each spa service not only supported personal wellness for our local spa guests, but could also help to cultivate wellness around our world.

Inspired by my travels and time serving overseas, we decided that we would donate 10% of every spa appointment to provide holistic beauty and well-being treatments to those who would otherwise not be able to access or afford these types of experiences.

(Here’s how we were able to partner with a community in Cape Town, South Africa and how the healing power of touching is transforming lives.)

The day finally came when the spa menus were printed, the products lined the shelves, facial tools were stocked, the website was designed and the herbal teas + bliss balls were blended – so we thew a party.

We had community and family fly in from near and far: my grandma came from Chicago, my sister from Utah, best friends drove down from the coast, and our closest friends + influencers made the commute to Murrieta to celebrate with us.

All in an ice storm.

It just so happened our spa launch party was scheduled for the same night SoCal was hit with freezing rain. For February, this weather was quite the fluke.

But for those that were able to brave the weather, we had the best time.

Our schedule quickly booked up (we were only open 2 days a week) and we realized right away, from the look on our guests’s faces after their facials and their 5 star reviews, this spa really was set apart, it felt like holy ground.

We opened a holistic spa at our new HQ because we believed there’s a deep need for something different in this industry:

• To start a wave of wellness in a whole new (and holistic) way.

• To start a space that supports beauty + well-being without compromising your health.

• To start a movement that will make an impact across the globe.

It was the greatest privilege to be a part of The Spa at Primally Pure story and the holistic transformation in skin, soul and spirit for every guest that walked through our spa doors.

I had been waiting for this day since I was 11. It took 2 decades and a ton of detours — but detours that proved to lead me to the exact place I was meant to be.

This path I’ve traveled is vastly different than what I thought life would look like, but it’s been far more beautiful and abundant that I could have ever dreamed.

As I reflect back on the start of The Spa, I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude and hope it inspires you too:

• For any wondering if they took a wrong turn, or had to put a dream on the back burner, or can’t see how the pieces will come together, or just so tired of waiting, every step (no matter how small or big or backward it may seem) is all a part of the bigger, more beautiful picture. And the wait will be worth it.

#5 Bliss Balls

The only ones who know about my bliss balls are our previous spa guests and the first PP employees.

So I want to let you in on this little secret (and reveal our most requested recipe, for the first time ever).

When I first joined the Primally Pure team back in 2016, I had been making bliss balls for a local cafe – and they were a hit. More than just your typical simple nut + date recipe, they were packed with superfoods, essential fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein and adaptogens to boost health, beauty (and bliss), from within.

Would you expect anything less from a Holistic Esthetician?

Bliss balls then made their debut at the PP HQ as a sweet way to celebrate birthdays and it became a tradition for our small team.

I would blend ingredients specifically for the birthday girl (and usually based on her go-to latte order): vanilla latte, matcha latte, rose + vanilla latte, lavender + honey latte, almond + vanilla latte. We loved our lattes.

As I’m writing this, a memory came to mind of one of my one-on-one meetings with Bethany. As we were discussing my role with Primally Pure, she posed a serious question for me:

Did I want to pursue this bliss ball direction and try to scale my home kitchen business? (I mean, Primally Pure also started in a home kitchen – and look at it now!).

I honestly just looked at her and laughed, grateful for her belief in my bliss ball abilities but also caught off guard by her big dreams for my little biz. I assured her that although it was a fun side hustle, Primally Pure was my passion and had my full focus.

As our team grew, I sadly couldn’t keep up with the birthday demand – but the bliss ball legacy lived on at The Spa at Primally Pure.

As we were dreaming up our new spa space, I knew I wanted every part to be purposeful and support skin health, holistically.

To align with our facial collections, I created 3 facial treatments: Clarifying, Soothing or Plumping. And to align with those facial treatments, I blended 3 herbal teas and 3 bliss ball recipes – all with synergistic ingredients to support skin goals topically and internally.

P.S. These bliss balls truly are a labor of love: I was up until midnight the day before our spa launch perfecting the recipe (with the help of my family taste-testing along the way!).

Each guest would receive their custom bliss ball post-facial (giving them a moment to come back to earth after drifting off into dreamland) – and I was always asked for the recipe.

Even when we would post sneak peeks of the spa experience and showed us blending, rolling and serving bliss balls, we’d always get DMs requesting the recipe.

I kept it under wraps for years – keeping it as an exclusive offering for our facial guests.

Until now.

The spa sadly closed its doors in early 2025 (our HQ moved to the other side of town and I got married and moved to Texas) and we haven’t found a new way to share my bliss balls with our community.

So as we’re celebrating Primally Pure’s 11th birthday, it only felt right to release our exclusive bliss ball recipes in remembrance of my OG birthday balls and an ode to The Spa at Primally Pure bliss balls.

Here’s our birthday gift to you guys, enjoy!

CLARIFYING BLISS BALLS: Nourishment for your skin with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and collagen peptides to lower inflammation, support your gut and balance blood sugar levels to create clear skin from within.

Blend the following organic ingredients in a food processor:

• Walnuts 2 heaping cups

• Medjool Dates 2 cups

  • Puree for 30 seconds

• Raw Honey ¼ cup

• Coconut Oil (melted) 2 TB

• Celtic Sea Salt ¼ tsp

• Collagen Powder 1/3 cup

• Turmeric Powder 1 tsp

• Black Pepper Sprinkle

• Ginger Powder 1/2 tsp

• Cinnamon Powder 1 tsp

• Clove Powder ¼ tsp

  • Puree for 30 seconds

• Roll into 1 TB balls

• Cover with shredded coconut + turmeric/ginger sprinkle

PLUMPING BLISS BALLS: Nourishment for your skin with raw cacao, hibiscus, goji berries and collagen peptides for a boost of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to support youthful skin from within.

Blend the following organic ingredients in a food processor:

• Walnuts 2 heaping cups

• Medjool Dates 2 cups

  • Puree for 30 seconds

• Raw honey 1/4 cup

• Coconut Oil (melted) 2 TB

• Collagen Powder 1/3 cup

• Celtic Sea Salt ¼ tsp

• Hibiscus powder 2 tsp

• Goji Berries 2/3 cup

• Raw Cacao 2 tsp

  • Puree for 30 seconds

• Roll into 1 TB balls

• Cover with shredded coconut + hibiscus sprinkle

SOOTHING BLISS BALLS: Nourishment for your skin with ashwagandha, lavender and hemp seeds for adaptogenic and anti-inflammatory support for calm skin from within.

Blend the following organic ingredients in a food processor:

• Walnuts 2 heaping cups

• Medjool Dates 2 cups

  • Puree for 30 seconds

• Raw honey ¼ cup

• Coconut Oil (melted) 2 TB

• Collagen Powder ⅓ cup

• Celtic Sea Salt ¼ tsp

• Spirulina 1 ½ tsp

• Lavender Powder 1 ½ tsp

• Ashwagandha Powder 1 TB

• Hemp Seeds 2 tsp

  • Puree for 30 seconds

• Roll into 1 TB balls

• Cover with shredded coconut + lavender sprinkle

If you’re familiar with our skincare collections, you’ll notice there are similar ingredients in the bliss balls and the serums/masks! Ingredients so good you can actually eat them (at least, in the bliss balls).

Before we move on, I feel like I have to share the start of my bliss ball journey (they haven’t always been everyone’s fav).

Before joining the Primally Pure team, I lived abroad in Australia and my roommates and I used to make bliss balls. But mine always got the sympathy card.

My roommates were too kind to not eat them, but they were also too good of friends to let me keep making raw balls (what I used to call them) that tasted so terrible. So the running joke is that somehow my bliss ball game improved so much it became an anticipated part of the year for the Primally Pure team (and got me a gig with a local cafe).

Essentially, if Coco can make yummy bliss balls — anything is possible.

As I reflect back on my bliss balls, I love the little life lessons that are highlighted and hope it inspires you, too:

• Evolving and improving are a part of life… if we let it. Whatever you’re currently working towards, keep practicing, keep playing, keep improving – the work will be worth it.

• Pivoting is also an essential part of life. Change is inevitable and it’s important to stay flexible and malleable. Although it can be bittersweet as seasons shift, if we stay open and pivot, our skillsets and gifts may take on a new shape, but they can still make an impact.

• Your snacks can still support skin health. Stock up on these skin-loving bliss balls and store them in the fridge/freezer to keep them fresh.

Wow, I’m only half way through this time capsule and my goodness, it’s getting long. So I just decided to make this a 2-part series.

Stay tuned for more memorable (and very vulnerable) moments from the last 10 years.

Until then. xx

The beauty and wellness space today is loud.
Really loud.

So many to-dos and how-tos and hacks.
So many things we’re told we should be doing and buying in order to look better, feel better, live better.

And yet, many of us might be feeling more overwhelmed than well.

So what are we actually searching for beneath all the noise?
What are we hoping to feel? Who are we trying to become?

Before adopting another practice or consuming more information, it’s important to start below the surface.

Because beneath the desire for better skin, more energy, or a more “aesthetic” life, there’s often something deeper at play.

And I believe it’s a longing to feel connected.

Connected to our bodies.
To one another.
To something greater than ourselves.
To God.

Over the past decade, many of us have slowly drifted into disconnection, almost without noticing.

More screen time. More demands. More multitasking.
More pressure to prioritize our digital presence over our physical one.

It’s actually quite deceptive. With constant access to communication, it seems like we’re more connected than ever. But collectively, we feel the opposite.

Even the research reflects this.

After a quick Google search, I discovered that disconnection is now being described as a public health crisis – one that affects our nervous systems, immune function, and overall sense of well-being.

There’s a growing gap between the life we’re living and the life we want.

And the bridge back isn’t more effort or information — it’s reconnection.

Resolutions + Romanticizing: Well-intentioned trends that still fall short

When a new year begins, we often reach for two familiar trends: resolutions and romanticizing.

Resolutions bring hope of transformation.
Romanticizing brings hope of meaning.

Both are well-intentioned, but often still fall short.

Resolutions often focus on outcomes instead of roots. They ask what we want to change, but not why. And when motivation fades (as it often does) the resolution goes with it.

Romanticizing can make life look beautiful without actually making it sustainable. It may elevate a moment, but it rarely supports a burned-out nervous system or a demanding season of life.

What we’re craving isn’t more motivation or prettier moments. (Trust me, I’ve tried both.)

We’re craving something rooted, something real.

This is where ritual comes in — it’s about returning, remembering and reconnecting.

Reconnecting to the body, to the breath, to the person in front of us, to the present moment, to the God who made us, to the purpose we’re made for.

Rituals are small, intentional acts that create real change over time. Micro-moments that make a difference on the macro level of our lives.

Rituals are not necessarily the antidote to disconnection, they don’t fix everything – but they are a small way to push back, to plug back in.

They reconnect us to what’s most meaningful.

Ritual is not about adding more to your plate or chasing another trend.

It’s not another to-do. It’s not about perfection or performance. It’s not about doing everything every day.

It’s about remembering and returning to what works – long before we got swept up in the distractions and detrimental habits of our modern day.

Consider the familiar rhythms many of us live by:

Hitting snooze (at least once, if not twice), scrolling screens before our feet hit the ground, getting a caffeine fix before we actually fuel ourselves, rushing to get kids out the door, a stressful commute, more coffee, a full day under artificial lights, hunching over computers or phones hardly noticing the person next to us, ending our day being doused in blue light before bed and then wonder why we struggle to sleep well.

These routines aren’t inherently wrong, but they don’t leave much margin for connection.

And without intention, disconnection becomes the default.

This isn’t to create shame, it’s to show you that there’s another way.

And the good news? You don’t need a drastic overhaul or a rigid routine.

Ritual as an Art

Ritual is different from habit or routine. It feels different.

Routine is often automatic.
Ritual is meant to be attentive.

Ritual is the art of designing your days with intention and creativity. It’s guided by intuition rather than comparison, by presence rather than pressure to impress others. It holds the power to not only shape our days, but to shape society.

Ritual isn’t just functional – it’s personal, expressive and full of grace.

Rituals are fluid. It’s an ebb and it’s a flow. They move and grow and evolve with you – throughout the days and the decades.

And because it’s rooted in presence, not performance or perfectionism, it can create real, lasting change.

Ritual as an Act

Ritual is also an act – a daily tending.

It brings us back into our body. It grounds intention in reality, giving it roots.

For me, this looks like a simple morning ritual, not because it’s impressive or perfect, but because it’s supportive for the season I’m in.

My current morning ritual includes:

• dry brushing

• morning sunlight

• time in Scripture

• rebounding

• responding to a voice note

Each part is purposeful. Together, they help me begin the day connected: to my body, my spirit, and the people in my life.

One of the most helpful tools I’ve found is creating a ritual menu.

A ritual menu isn’t a checklist. It’s a collection of life-giving practices you can choose from based on what you need and what your day allows.

Because some days you have 20 minutes, some days you have 2, and some days you have nothing left to give.

Here’s an example of my ritual menu:

Morning

• Kissing my husband good morning (this is a must!)

• Warm lemon water

• Facial massage

• Morning sunlight

• Walk outside

• Barre workout

• Bible reading

• Journaling

• Responding to voice memo

• Balanced breakfast

Midday

• Walk outside

• Herbal tea

• Text a friend

• Eat lunch outside

• Rebounding

• Light a candle

• Book a workout class

• Protein-rich snack

• Coffee Mask while working

• Get the sun on my eyes

Evening

• Watch sunset

• Epsom salt bath

• Red light therapy

• Read a book

• Lectio Divina meditation

• Protein-rich dinner

• Call a friend

• Evening walk

• Facial Gua Sha or Cupping

• Cuddle with my husband

I don’t do everything on this list everyday – this is simply a helpful guide to know what grounds me and gives me energy. For me, these are proven practices that I want to keep returning to help me remain connected.

The beauty of a ritual menu is that as I learn and grow (or one day become a mom!) it will adapt with me and who I’m becoming.

Another tip I’ve found super helpful is “ritual stacking” – weaving rituals into things I’m already doing.

Here’s how I stack rituals into my day to make the most of short, simple moments:

Morning

• oil pulling and prepping supplements while making my pour over

• facial dry brushing while rebounding

• sipping coffee while stretching outside with the morning sunlight on my eyes

Midday

• connecting with a friend on the phone while folding laundry

• (actually) eating lunch and then enjoying it outside

• going on a walk while praying, practicing gratitude or responding to a voice memo

Evening

• facial mask while taking an epsom salt bath

• gua sha while reading before bed

• red light while listening to a Lectio Divina meditation

The goal isn’t to do it all.
The goal is to choose what nourishes you (in body, mind and spirit) today.

And not all rituals need to be daily, they can follow a different rhythm depending on budget, availability or season.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Daily: Like everything listed above – your daily tending.

• Weekly: Facial masks, phone or coffee catchups with friends, sauna

• Monthly: Professional facial massage, lymphatic drainage, therapy session

• Annually: Silent retreat, girls getaway, anniversary trip, etc

As you’re making your ritual menu and considering how you can stack or weave rituals into your daily life, there are 3 important guidelines to keep in mind.

For rituals to really make an impact, I’ve found they need to be:

• ADAPTABLE. Mama to 2 under 2? College student cramming for exams? Living on your own with more time and space than most? New job requiring a ton of travel? Your ritual needs to be able to fit into your real, everyday life and the current phase of life you’re in.
  

• REPEATABLE. The rinse and repeat kind. Remember, rituals are a daily tending – this is where real change happens.
  

• SUSTAINABLE. Create rituals you can (and want to) come back to, over and over again.

Given everything above and the beauty of rituals and the power they hold, I want to leave you with one final note that’s really important to remember:

Just like tending a garden, ritual requires intention – and surrender.

Yes, we can design our days with intention and care, but we’re not God – we can’t control everything. Life will throw us curveballs. Plans will pivot. Hardships will happen.

Ritual doesn’t prevent interruptions or disruption, but it builds resilience. It can help us meet the unexpected and the uncertain feeling more rooted, regulated, and reconnected.

And that’s the kind of life I hope to live, even when it’s hard.

Ritual Reflection

As you design your own rituals and cultivate your daily tending, reflect on these questions:.

• Where am I feeling depleted?

• What kind of nourishment do I need right now?

• What is realistic for this season of life?

Reconnection: The Heart of it All

This is the gift of ritual: reconnection.

To yourself: your body, mind, and emotions.
To nature: seasons, cycles, rhythms.
To the present: a moment that’s deeper than productivity or performance.
To God: the One who holds it all together.

Ritual isn’t an overnight transformation, it’s a daily return.

A small, intentional act that brings us back into relationship with God, ourselves, our bodies, and what truly matters.

And in a world that constantly pulls us away, ritual is a powerful way to build the bridge back.

Skincare is never just about skin.

It’s cultivated, slowly and steadily, through daily, intentional tending:

the rituals we return to, the ingredients we prioritize, the unseen moments when we slow down and reconnect with ourselves when life feels loud.

Lasting skin health doesn’t start at the surface. It begins at the root.

In the soil our ingredients grow in.
In the wisdom our grandmothers lived by.
In the rituals that ground us in our distracted, modern day world.

Skincare is actually about how we live – not just what we mist or massage onto our skin (although I love my Clarifying Mist moments).

This is why we created Rooted Beauty: a space rooted in ritual, reconnection and reflection.

This grounded, guided space by Primally Pure’s Holistic Esthetician, gives you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the brand, heartfelt reflections on holistic living and traditional rituals for today’s world so you can live reconnected, rooted + radiant.

Our hope is to inspire our community to cultivate the kind of beauty that begins beneath the surface – the kind that runs deep and radiates outward.

Curious what you’ll discover here? Let’s dig a little bit deeper…

A Grounded, Guided Space by Primally Pure’s Holistic Esthetician

Hi! I’m Courtney Goetz, Primally Pure’s Holistic Esthetician.

After almost 20 years as a Holistic Esthetician, I’ve learned that radiant skin is rarely the result of staying surface-level – it’s (almost) always deeper than the epidermis.

My time in the treatment room has taught me that the skin is always speaking – quietly (or not so quietly) reflecting what’s happening beneath the surface:

our hydration, our hormones, our stress, our nourishment, our nervous systems and our belief systems.

I’ve discovered, after almost 2 decades, that radiant, resilient skin is the result of tending to what’s underneath.

This whole-person philosophy is also what Primally Pure was founded on over a decade ago (long before “clean beauty” became a trend) – and it’s what this space is rooted in, too.

Rooted Beauty is where I get to share real, grounded guidance:

• non-toxic skin tips you can trust

• time-tested rituals you’ll want to actually keep (and that actually make a difference)

• reminders that your skin is not something to fix... it’s a friend, a teacher – and we get to tune in and take care.

Behind-The-Scenes Brand Moments

If you’re looking for a highlight reel, this isn’t it.

This is where we’ll share the behind-the-scenes brand moments – the raw and real ones.

Think: field notes, ingredient obsessions, team rituals, and the real-life journey of building a brand rooted in regenerative practices (including trips out to Montana and down memory lane).

Being a part of Primally Pure for almost a decade, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing so much beauty and growth, and yes, even the inevitable growing pains.

There are so many memorable moments I can’t wait to relive and reflect on with you.

Along with my personal reflections and professional rituals, we’ll feature insights from our founder, Bethany McDaniel, and the Pure Team – so it feels less like a marketing campaign and more like an intimate conversation.

These organic BTS glimpses are going to make you feel like you’re right there with us, like you’re a part of Primally Pure, because you are – our community is the heartbeat behind all we do.

Heartfelt Reflections on Holistic Living

If you’ve been around Primally Pure for a while, you know I’ve always loved sharing beyond product education – through our Pure Life Blog, the Beauty Journal on our App, mindful email messaging, and the writing projects I’ve poured my heart into over the past (almost) 10 years.

Rooted Beauty is a dedicated space for that kind of make-you-pause-and-ponder-a-fresh-perspective type of writing again.

The goal here is not to create content you can consume in seconds or to simply focus on surface-level tips – but to write heartfelt reflections that feel personal, practical and deeply purposeful.

It’s almost like these pages will be my Holistic Esthetician heart/mind verbally processing:

• nervous system nourishment

• the profound power beauty holds

• skin health practices (that have nothing to do with the products you apply)

• nature’s innate design to nourish and heal

• living purposeful in a world that pulls us in a hundred different directions

• and of course, the glowing effects of a gua sha stone (because at the end of the day, my evening gua sha routine is a game-changer).

Together we’ll explore that holistic living isn’t about “hacks” – it’s about the daily tending, the kind of care that compounds over time and creates real, lasting change.

Traditional Rituals for Today’s World

We’re returning to ancestral wisdom for a reason. We’re turning back the clock, not for “anti-aging” purposes, but to learn from ancestral practices and the generations that have gone before us.

Our ancestors lived in harmony with nature’s rhythms and aligned with God’s divine design. Their roots run deep and remain grounded in what’s true and timeless – and actually works.

Together, we’ll follow in their footsteps and return to traditional, time-tested practices, but through a modern lens:

• the beauty and sustainability of animal-based skincare

• regenerative practices

• leaning into seasonal rhythms

• cyclical living that aligns with our biology and humanity

• timeless rituals that support skin and whole-body vitality

Traditional rituals remind us that it’s really not about doing more, it’s about the beauty of doing less.

So You Can Live Reconnected, Rooted + Radiant

Everything we’re cultivating here – from the behind-the-scenes moments, to the reflections, to the rituals – is intended to guide you back to a deeper kind of beauty.

Beauty that is reconnected to what really matters.
Beauty that is rooted in intention, integrity and daily tending.
Beauty that runs deep and radiates outward.

Here, beauty isn’t an outcome you have to force – but what gently grows and naturally overflows when you tend to your roots.

Ready to dig in?

Welcome to Rooted Beauty. We’re so glad you’re here.

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