Why Personalized Skincare Is the Future of Beauty

In a world that constantly demands our energy and attention, prioritizing self-care is more important than ever. Taking time to nurture yourself isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity for overall well-being. Creating a spa-like experience at home allows you to slow down, unwind, and reconnect with yourself in a meaningful way. Whether you’re looking to soothe stress, refresh your skin, or simply carve out a moment of peace, designing a self-care ritual that feels indulgent can transform your routine into something truly restorative.

In the fast-paced world we live in, self-care is essential—not just an occasional indulgence but a necessary ritual for overall well-being. You don’t need to book an expensive spa appointment to experience deep relaxation and nourishment. With the right approach, you can turn your home into a sanctuary and create a self-care ritual that feels just as luxurious as a day at the spa. Here’s how:

1. Set the Mood with Intention

Luxury spa experiences engage all the senses, and you can do the same at home. Start by creating a calming atmosphere:

• Dim the lights or light candles for a soft glow.

• Use an essential oil diffuser or burn incense to fill the space with a soothing scent like lavender, sandalwood, or chamomile.

• Play soft music, nature sounds, or spa-inspired instrumental tunes.

• Declutter your space to create a sense of tranquility and order.

2. Indulge in a Cleansing Ritual

Begin your self-care routine with a gentle cleansing ritual to wash away stress and impurities:

• Use a botanical facial steam with herbs like chamomile and rose to open pores and prepare your skin.

• Apply a gentle cleanser made with all-natural ingredients tailored to your skin’s needs.

• Follow up with a refreshing toner to balance and hydrate your skin.

3. Luxurious Exfoliation for Radiant Skin

Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells, revealing fresh, glowing skin. Choose a natural scrub that nourishes while exfoliating:

• For body: Try a DIY scrub with brown sugar, jojoba oil, and vanilla extract for a decadent spa-like experience.

• Use dry brushing before your shower to stimulate circulation and promote lymphatic drainage.

4. Deep Hydration & Nourishment

Once your skin is prepped, treat yourself to deep hydration:

• Massage a luxurious body butter or oil into your skin using slow, intentional movements.

• Wrap yourself in a plush robe and let the moisture soak in while sipping a warm herbal tea.

5. Soak Your Stress Away

A warm bath is the ultimate self-care indulgence. Create a spa-like soak with:

• Epsom salts to relax muscles and detoxify the body.

• Dried flowers or herbal bath blends for a sensory experience.

• A few drops of essential oils like ylang-ylang or eucalyptus for aromatherapy benefits.

• Soft towels or a heated wrap for a true spa-like embrace post-bath.

6. Elevate with a Mindfulness Practice

The best spas offer more than physical pampering—they help quiet the mind. Incorporate mindfulness and relaxation techniques to complete your ritual:

• Practice deep breathing or a short meditation session.

• Engage in gentle stretching or yoga to release tension.

• Keep a gratitude journal to reflect on your self-care experience and set positive intentions.

7. End with a Personal Touch

Self-care should feel personal and intentional. Finish your ritual with something that brings you joy:

• Apply a signature fragrance essential oil blend that makes you feel grounded.

• Read a few pages of a book, listen to soothing music, or simply rest in stillness.

• Hydrate with infused water or a warm golden milk latte to nourish from within.

Make It a Habit

Luxury isn’t just about expensive products—it’s about the experience and the intention behind it. Whether it’s a once-a-week ritual or a simple evening wind-down, taking time to care for yourself is an investment in your well-being. With natural, customizable skincare and thoughtful rituals, you can bring the spa experience into your daily life—effortlessly and beautifully.

Ready to elevate your self-care game? Take FLORL’s skincare quiz to help you begin to craft a ritual that’s uniquely yours! 🌿✨

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Sarah Seeds, CNHP

Sarah, the owner and maker at FLORL, is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner with a passion for holistic wellness, essential oils, and natural skincare. With years of experience in health and wellness, she believes skincare should be as unique as you are. A home cook, UNOS Ambassador, and lifelong plant lover, she’s dedicated to creating products with intention—handmade, botanical, and always crafted with care.

The Perfect Scrub for Every Skin Type: Choosing the Right Exfoliant for You

Exfoliation is an essential step in any skincare routine, helping to buff away dead skin cells, boost circulation, and reveal fresh, radiant skin. But not all scrubs are created equal! At FLORL, we believe in customized skincare, which is why we offer multiple scrub options—each designed to target different skin needs.

No matter which you choose, all of our scrubs are made with all-natural moisturizers and essential oils, ensuring that your skin stays soft, nourished, and deeply hydrated after every use.

Brown Sugar Scrubs: Gentle Yet Effective

🌿 Best for: Face, neck, chest, and other delicate areas
✨ Why? Brown sugar has finer crystals, making it our most gentle scrub—perfect for sensitive skin. Plus, if it ever feels too abrasive, just add a little water, and the sugar will begin to dissolve, softening the exfoliation. Packed with natural plant-based oils, this scrub leaves your skin hydrated, glowing, and oh-so-soft.

Salt Scrubs: Deep Detox & Renewal

🌿 Best for: Legs, arms, and back
✨ Why? Need a deep refresh? Salt scrubs detoxify, exfoliate, and boost circulation, making them a must-have for smoother, firmer skin. Our unique blend of salts provides minerals and nutrients to replenish the skin, while essential oils lock in moisture and prevent dryness—so you get all the benefits of a deep scrub without stripping your skin.

Coffee Scrubs: The Ultimate Buff & Tone

🌿 Best for: Hands, feet, and areas prone to cellulite (upper legs, booty)
✨ Why? Our most abrasive scrub, coffee is ideal for deep exfoliation on rougher areas. Plus, the caffeine in coffee helps temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite by stimulating circulation and tightening the skin. Infused with rich, all-natural moisturizers and invigorating essential oils, this scrub will leave you feeling silky smooth and refreshed.

How to Choose the Right Scrub for You

Your skin deserves the right kind of care!
🌿 Need a gentle glow? Go for brown sugar.
🛁 Looking for a deep detox? Salt scrub is the way to go.
☕ Want to buff away rough patches and wake up your skin? Coffee scrub is your best bet.

Whichever you choose, our scrubs ensure skin-loving hydration and pure botanical benefits—because exfoliation should be nourishing, never harsh.

At FLORL, we believe skincare should be as intentional and unique as you are. Every product we create is made with pure, natural ingredients and designed to nurture, not strip your skin. Our collection of scrubs is just the beginning—soon, we’ll be launching a full line of customizable, plant-powered skincare to help you build the perfect routine. Stay tuned for our official launch and get ready to experience skincare made with care, crafted for you.

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Sarah Seeds, CNHP

Sarah, the owner and maker at FLORL, is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner with a passion for holistic wellness, essential oils, and natural skincare. With years of experience in health and wellness, she believes skincare should be as unique as you are. A home cook, UNOS Ambassador, and lifelong plant lover, she’s dedicated to creating products with intention—handmade, botanical, and always crafted with care.

The Beauty of Custom Skincare: Crafted Just for You

When it comes to skincare, one-size-fits-all simply doesn’t work. Your skin is as unique as you are, with its own needs, sensitivities, and preferences. That’s why we believe your skincare should be just as personal.

At FLORL, we handcraft each product with intention, blending pure essential oils, botanical extracts, and skin-loving ingredients to create formulas that are tailored to you.

More Than Just Skincare—It’s a Ritual

Skincare isn’t just about what you put on your skin—it’s about how it makes you feel. Whether you’re looking for a blend that smells incredible, one that helps you relax through aromatherapy, or something formulated to soothe common skin concerns, our products are designed to enhance your daily routine. When you take the time to care for your skin with natural, intentional ingredients, your routine transforms into a self-care ritual.

Hand-Blended, Small-Batch, and Full of Intention

As a small business, every product we make is carefully curated and blended by hand. We use only the highest quality essential oils and botanicals—never synthetic fragrances or fillers. From nourishing facial creams to indulgent bath soaks, every formula is made with purpose, ensuring that what you put on your skin is as pure as it is effective.

Your Perfect Blend, in Any Product

One of the best things about FLORL? You can customize nearly any of our products with a blend that fits your needs. Whether you crave a fresh, uplifting scent or need soothing ingredients to calm sensitive skin, your skincare should work for you, not the other way around. Let’s make something beautiful, just for you.

Ready to craft your perfect skincare blend? Take our custom skincare quiz and find your match!

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Sarah Seeds, CNHP

Sarah, the owner and maker at FLORL, is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner with a passion for holistic wellness, essential oils, and natural skincare. With years of experience in health and wellness, she believes skincare should be as unique as you are. A home cook, UNOS Ambassador, and lifelong plant lover, she’s dedicated to creating products with intention—handmade, botanical, and always crafted with care.

Skincare as Self-Care: Turning Your Routine Into a Ritual

Most of us have daily skincare routines—those quick morning and evening steps we take to cleanse, hydrate, and protect our skin. But what if we slowed down, set an intention, and turned these simple acts into something more meaningful?

Skincare isn’t just about the products you use; it’s about the care, presence, and mindfulness you bring to the process. By transforming your routine into a ritual, you’re not just nourishing your skin—you’re nurturing yourself.

Skincare isn’t just about the products you use—it’s about the intention behind them. When you shift your mindset from simply “getting through” your routine to truly savoring each step, it becomes a moment of mindfulness in your day. Whether it’s the scent of essential oils lifting your mood, the sensation of warm water easing tension, or the ritualistic act of massaging in a luxurious moisturizer, these small moments create a deeper connection between you and your well-being. Think of it as a daily pause—a chance to check in with yourself, reset, and nourish both your skin and spirit. When approached this way, your skincare routine transforms into a self-care ritual, one that’s just as beneficial for your mind as it is for your complexion.

The Power of Ritual

Rituals have been used for centuries to bring mindfulness, calm, and intention to daily life. Unlike routines, which can feel like just another task on your to-do list, rituals create space for self-connection and purpose. When it comes to skincare, shifting your mindset can turn an ordinary process into a moment of relaxation, healing, and self-love.

Setting the Scene

Creating a skincare ritual starts with your environment. Take a few moments to set the mood—light a candle, play soft music, or take a few deep breaths before you begin. Engaging your senses helps signal to your mind that this is a time for self-care, not just another item to check off your list.

Choosing Products with Intention

Rather than rushing through your regimen, take time to select skincare that truly supports your skin’s needs. Whether it's a calming botanical cleanser, a deeply hydrating moisturizer, or a personalized essential oil blend, let your products be an extension of your self-care practice. Pay attention to the textures, scents, and how they make you feel as you apply them.

Be Present in the Process

Instead of applying products on autopilot, slow down and be present. Feel the warmth of the water on your skin, massage your moisturizer in with care, and take a moment to appreciate your reflection. Even a few extra seconds spent mindfully massaging your serums or inhaling the scent of your face mist can transform your routine into something deeply restorative.

The Mind-Skin Connection

Stress and emotions play a huge role in skin health. Taking a mindful approach to skincare can help regulate stress, promote relaxation, and even support a healthier complexion. Think of it as a small act of self-love that benefits both your inner and outer well-being.

Making It Yours

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to rituals. Whether it’s a morning gratitude practice as you apply your moisturizer or an evening wind-down with a facial massage, find what feels most nourishing for you. Your skincare ritual should be something you look forward to—an act of care that leaves you feeling grounded, refreshed, and radiant.

By bringing intention and mindfulness into your skincare routine, you turn an everyday habit into a powerful ritual of self-love. Because taking care of your skin isn’t just about looking good—it’s about feeling good, too.

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Sarah Seeds, CNHP

Sarah, the owner and maker at FLORL, is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner with a passion for holistic wellness, essential oils, and natural skincare. With years of experience in health and wellness, she believes skincare should be as unique as you are. A home cook, UNOS Ambassador, and lifelong plant lover, she’s dedicated to creating products with intention—handmade, botanical, and always crafted with care.

5 Essential Oils to Welcome Spring into Your Home & Skincare Routine

Spring is all about renewal—fresh air, longer days, and a much-needed reset after winter. Just like we swap out our wardrobes for lighter layers, our skincare and wellness routines could use a little seasonal refresh, too.

Essential oils are a simple yet powerful way to bring the essence of spring into your space, whether through skincare, home fragrance, or even a little DIY magic. Here are five must-have essential oils for the season and how to use them.

As the seasons shift, our senses crave new scents and fresh energy—something lighter, brighter, and full of life. Just like swapping out heavy winter moisturizers for something more hydrating, essential oils can help set the mood for the season ahead. Whether you're looking to refresh your space, revive your skin, or simply embrace the feeling of spring, these five essential oils are must-haves for the season.

🍋 Lemon – The Ultimate Spring Awakening

Nothing says "fresh start" like the crisp, clean scent of lemon. This bright citrus oil is a go-to for natural spring cleaning—add a few drops to vinegar and water for a DIY surface spray that smells amazing and cuts through grime. In skincare, lemon oil is packed with antioxidants that help brighten dull winter skin (just be sure to use it at night or follow with SPF since citrus oils can make skin more sun-sensitive!). Want to bring a touch of spring to your drinks? Add a drop of food-grade lemon essential oil to honey and mix it into iced tea.

🌿 Lavender – The Soothing Reset

Spring can be full of energy, but it’s also a time to reset and recharge. Lavender is perfect for that transition—it soothes the mind, calms irritated skin, and even makes a dreamy addition to beverages. Try adding a drop of food-grade lavender essential oil to lemonade for a floral twist on a classic. In skincare, lavender is a hero for sensitive or stressed-out skin, helping to calm redness and irritation while promoting balance.

🍃 Peppermint – A Breath of Fresh Air

Spring allergies got you down? Peppermint is a natural decongestant that helps clear sinuses and refresh the senses. Diffuse it with eucalyptus for a crisp, invigorating blend that feels like opening the windows on a breezy spring morning. On the skincare side, peppermint’s cooling properties make it a great addition to foot soaks or DIY body mists to refresh and revive tired skin.

🌸 Geranium – Floral, Fresh, and Balancing

Spring is flower season, and geranium essential oil brings a naturally sweet, rosy aroma that’s perfect for the season. It’s a powerhouse in skincare, helping to balance oil production, improve skin elasticity, and promote a dewy glow (without saying glow 😉). Add a few drops to your body lotion for a fresh springtime scent, or mix it into a DIY facial steam for a spa-like experience.

🌲 Cedarwood – The Unexpected Grounding Scent

While spring is full of light and freshness, sometimes we need a little grounding energy, too. Cedarwood is warm, woody, and perfect for balancing out the brightness of other spring scents. It’s also a skin savior, helping to calm breakouts and support a healthy skin barrier. Try blending it with lavender in a nighttime diffuser blend or adding a drop to your moisturizer for extra skin-supporting benefits.

Whether you’re refreshing your space, upgrading your skincare, or adding a seasonal twist to your routine, essential oils are an easy way to bring the magic of spring into your everyday life. Which scent will you be reaching for first?

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Sarah Seeds, CNHP

Sarah, the owner and maker at FLORL, is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner with a passion for holistic wellness, essential oils, and natural skincare. With years of experience in health and wellness, she believes skincare should be as unique as you are. A home cook, UNOS Ambassador, and lifelong plant lover, she’s dedicated to creating products with intention—handmade, botanical, and always crafted with care.

Hydration vs. Moisture: What Your Skin Really Needs

Ever feel like skincare lingo is just a bunch of fancy words thrown around? (Yeah, we do, too!)

One of the most common mix-ups is the difference between hydration and moisture. While they might sound interchangeable, these two elements play distinct roles in keeping your skin happy and healthy. Understanding what your skin actually needs can be the key to achieving that balanced, dewy glow.

When your skin isn’t behaving the way you want it to—whether it feels tight, flaky, or unexpectedly oily—it’s often a sign that something is out of balance. The key to restoring harmony? Knowing whether your skin is thirsty for hydration or craving moisture. While one focuses on replenishing water, the other helps lock it in, and using the wrong type of product can sometimes make things worse. A lightweight gel may quench dehydration but leave dry skin feeling parched, while a rich cream can soften dryness but feel heavy if hydration is what’s lacking. Finding the right balance is essential for a skincare routine that truly works for your skin.

Understanding Hydration vs. Moisture

While the terms "hydration" and "moisture" are often used interchangeably in skincare, they refer to different aspects of skin health. Grasping these differences is essential for selecting the right products and achieving a balanced complexion.

Hydration: Infusing Water into the Skin

Hydration pertains to the water content within the skin cells. Well-hydrated skin appears plump, elastic, and radiant. Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, can look dull, feel tight, and may accentuate fine lines. Hydrating products typically contain humectants—ingredients that draw water into the skin. Common humectants include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe vera. These ingredients attract moisture from the environment and deeper skin layers, ensuring skin remains supple and luminous.

Moisture: Sealing in Hydration with Oils

Moisture relates to the skin's oil content and its ability to retain hydration. The skin's natural lipid barrier prevents water loss, maintaining softness and flexibility. When this barrier is compromised, skin can become dry, rough, or flaky. Moisturizing products are designed to reinforce this barrier. They often contain emollients and occlusives—such as shea butter, oils, and silicones—that form a protective layer on the skin's surface, locking in hydration and preventing moisture loss.

Identifying Your Skin's Needs

Determining whether your skin requires hydration, moisture, or both is crucial:

• Dehydrated Skin: Lacks water. Indicators include a dull complexion, fine lines, and a feeling of tightness. Even oily skin can be dehydrated. Incorporate hydrating serums with humectants to replenish water content.

• Dry Skin: Lacks oil. Symptoms encompass roughness, flakiness, and irritation. Emphasize moisturizing creams rich in emollients and occlusives to restore the lipid barrier.

It's worth noting that skin can be both dry and dehydrated, necessitating a combination of hydrating and moisturizing products.

Crafting a Balanced Skincare Routine

To ensure your skin receives both hydration and moisture:

1. Cleanse Gently: Use a mild cleanser that doesn't strip natural oils.

2. Hydrate: Apply a hydrating toner or serum containing humectants to draw water into the skin.

3. Moisturize: Follow up with a moisturizer suited to your skin type to seal in hydration and reinforce the skin barrier.

4. Protect: During the day, apply sunscreen to shield your skin from environmental damage.

By understanding and addressing the distinct needs of your skin concerning hydration and moisture, you can achieve a healthier, more radiant complexion.
Take our skincare quiz to find the right blend and products just for you!

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Sarah Seeds, CNHP

Sarah, the owner and maker at FLORL, is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner with a passion for holistic wellness, essential oils, and natural skincare. With years of experience in health and wellness, she believes skincare should be as unique as you are. A home cook, UNOS Ambassador, and lifelong plant lover, she’s dedicated to creating products with intention—handmade, botanical, and always crafted with care.

The Art of Custom Skincare: Why One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work

When it comes to skincare, we’ve been told for years that there’s a “holy grail” product for every skin concern—a single serum, cream, or cleanser that magically works for everyone.

But here’s the truth: skincare isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your skin is as unique as your fingerprint, and it deserves a routine that’s tailored to your specific needs. That’s where custom skincare comes in.

Over 16 million Americans are now vegetarian with nearly 10 million of those choosing a vegan lifestyle. It’s easier than it has ever been to enjoy great food while also cutting back, or avoiding meat altogether. With movements like Meatless Mondays and Meat-Free Fridays on the rise, research shows that, even those who have not totally adopted a plant-based lifestyle are choosing to cut back on the animal products they are ingesting. Whether you’re looking to add more vegetables into your diet for health reasons or ethical ones even the best intentions can be hard to stick to without a plan! So, If you’re looking to Veg Out in the New Year here are the top 6 ways to get more green into your diet!

Why Generic Skincare Falls Short

Mass-produced skincare products are formulated for the “average” consumer—but who is that, exactly? If you’ve ever tried a moisturizer that left your skin feeling greasy or a cleanser that stripped away too much moisture, you know the frustration of products that don’t quite fit. Skin type, environment, lifestyle, and personal preferences all play a role in what works best for you.

The Magic of Custom Blends

Custom skincare allows you to create a blend that works with your skin, not against it. Whether you’re drawn to a certain scent or looking for targeted support—like calming botanicals for sensitive skin or clarifying oils for breakouts—you get to design a product that feels good, smells good, and actually works for you. It’s not just skincare; it’s self-care, crafted with intention.

The FLORL Approach

When it comes to skincare, nature provides some of the most powerful ingredients—and few are as versatile as essential oils. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that capture the natural aromatic compounds and therapeutic benefits of botanicals. Used for centuries in holistic wellness, these potent oils offer a range of skincare benefits, from soothing inflammation to balancing oil production and promoting skin regeneration. At FLORL, we harness the power of essential oils not just for their beautiful scents, but for their ability to nourish and support healthy skin—ensuring that every custom blend is as beneficial as it is luxurious.

At FLORL, we believe in skincare that’s as unique as you are. With our custom blends, you can choose ingredients that align with your skin’s needs and personal preferences. Looking for a lightweight moisturizer with a soft lavender finish? Or a deeply hydrating cream infused with rich vanilla and sandalwood? The choice is yours.

Your skin isn’t generic—why should your skincare be?

Take our skincare quiz to find the right blend for you!

Skincare should be as unique as you are, and with FLORL’s custom approach, you’re in control of what goes on your skin. By blending high-quality botanicals, nourishing oils, and the power of essential oils, we create products that aren’t just skincare—they’re self-care, made with intention. Whether you're drawn to a scent that lifts your mood or seeking targeted ingredients for your skin’s needs, FLORL is here to craft the perfect blend for you. Because when skincare is personal, the results are extraordinary.

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Sarah Seeds, CNHP

Sarah, the owner and maker at FLORL, is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner with a passion for holistic wellness, essential oils, and natural skincare. With years of experience in health and wellness, she believes skincare should be as unique as you are. A home cook, UNOS Ambassador, and lifelong plant lover, she’s dedicated to creating products with intention—handmade, botanical, and always crafted with care.

Vegging Out: 6 Ways to Eat More Green and Clean in the New Year!

January is coming…and with it come the countless, unrealistic, resolutions that most of us will have given up on by Valentines Day! Everyone loves the idea of starting off the New Year with renewed perspectives and personal goals but sticking to them long term is another story!

Over 16 million Americans are now vegetarian with nearly 10 million of those choosing a vegan lifestyle. It’s easier than it has ever been to enjoy great food while also cutting back, or avoiding meat altogether. With movements like Meatless Mondays and Meat-Free Fridays on the rise, research shows that, even those who have not totally adopted a plant-based lifestyle are choosing to cut back on the animal products they are ingesting. Whether you’re looking to add more vegetables into your diet for health reasons or ethical ones even the best intentions can be hard to stick to without a plan! So, If you’re looking to Veg Out in the New Year here are the top 6 ways to get more green into your diet!

Load up on the toppings!

One of my favorite ways to serve a crowd, particularly a crowd that isn’t really plant-based is to choose meals where there are a ton of options for toppings, like gyros, tacos, or baked potatoes. Loading up on a variety of interesting and flavorful toppings means that your brain is less likely to miss the meat that it might be accustomed to.

Try substituting sauteed mushrooms with garlic in your gyros and top with homemade tzatziki sauce, lettuce, red onion, avocado. black olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a dairy free feta!

Taco night is just as good with jackfruit as a substitute for birra and you can season it with all the same herbs and spices you love…topped with black beans, corn, onions, tomatoes, peppers, dairy free cheese and sour cream or hot-sauce!

Baked Potatoes or Jacket Potatoes are delicious with a simple vegan chili, onions, cheese, and yes, even some bacon bits! Did you know that the “Bacon Bits” you keep in your pantry are most likely actually vegan?

Chickpeas!

Beans in general are a great way to load up on flavor and texture when you are looking to cut back on the meat, but chickpeas in particular, have a mild enough flavor and texture that is perfect for “hiding” them in other dishes! One of my favorite ways to use chickpeas is in my meatloaf. Whether you are making a vegan loaf using a “moc meat” product like Impossible or Beyond or are just looking to supplement a traditional meatloaf chickpeas are a great option and honestly don’t check the texture of the final loaf in the slightest! This also happens to be a great tip to help feed a larger crowd on a smaller budget because chickpeas are very inexpensive and can double the volume of the meatloaf you are preparing for only about $1.00 more!

In a large bowl, gently mash your rinsed and drained chickpeas until they become the texture similar to that of uncooked ground beef. pick out and remove the skins of the chickpeas as you mash them. Simply incorporate into the base of your meatloaf recipe and prepare as normal.

Substitute Dairy Milk for Plant Milk!

It’s 2021 and the plant-milk game is stronger than ever! Long gone are the days when you had to choose between soy milk or rice milk if you were looking to avoid dairy! Most of the major dairy brands are now offering plant-milks that range from Oat, Cashew, Almond, Flax, even Pea and Banana Milks are in the mix now! Switching to a plant-based milk is one of the easiest ways to cut back on animal products at home, especially when using it in baked goods, soups, and sauces, where the plant-milk-based alternatives are nearly indistinguishable from traditional dairy.

Two of my favorite plant-milks are the Oat Milks from Rise Brewing…for baking, I especially love the vanilla and the plant-milk from Good Karma Foods, which might be one of the creamiest plant-milks that I have tried!

Make your own Soups, Sauces and Dressings.

A huge part of eating more clean and getting more green into your diet starts with cooking more at home! And…when I say cooking, I mean cooking! Making things from scratch instead of reaching for a can or jar allows you to control what goes into the dish…and can help you “sneak in” more produce than you might otherwise!

My own homemade pasta sauce for example, along with tomatoes, also includes peppers, onions, celery, and even carrots…but once it’s all stewed down in blended smooth no one would know!

Try making your own cream of potato soup…you’d be surprised what you can sneak in without much effort at all: onions, cauliflower, and parsnips just to name a few and that’s just in the cream sauce!

Salad dressings are another great way to utilize fresh herbs in ways that you might not think to do otherwise! One of my favorite summer salads is made with crisp, cold, green beans and a dressing that includes garlic and basil!

Cook with more Fresh Herbs and Spices.

Speaking of using more herbs and spices…this may be the last on the list but it’s honestly the best (and probably the easiest!) Rather than making a resolution to eat more of this and less of that in 2022 why not start an herb garden? Cooking with fresh herbs and spices is not only a sure-fire way to step up the flavor profiles of literally all your meals but growing them yourself will help motivate you to want to cook more and save you loads of money in the long run! Plus fresh herbs and spices have loads of health benefits over their dried counterparts!

Plan a Visit to your Local Ethnic Market!

Most national chain grocery stores carry all the same produce because they know who their audience is and what they routinely buy! One of my favorite things to do, when I’m in a food rut, is to visit a market in a neighborhood that caters to ethnicities and cooking styles that differ from my own or how I was raised! I know it may seem strange at first, and you’re going to need to fight the urge to feel self-conscience or out of place…but I promise that, honestly, no one cares. People are living their lives and doing their own shopping. No one cares or is even going to likely notice that you look a little lost.

Give yourself some time and just wander around the produce section. Choose one of two things that you have no idea how to prepare and buy them! That’s right…buy them! It’s almost 2022…we have siri, google, youtube, IG tiktock and about 100 other options for you to look up and learn how to make something new! Trust me on this…pick out something new, buy it, look it up on YouTube and get to cooking!

So, there you have it! The top 6 ways to get more green into your diet in 2022! For more plant-based food inspiration make sure to hop on over and join our community on Instagram HERE!

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Sarah Seeds, CNHP

Sarah, the owner and maker at FLORL, is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner with a passion for holistic wellness, essential oils, and natural skincare. With years of experience in health and wellness, she believes skincare should be as unique as you are. A home cook, UNOS Ambassador, and lifelong plant lover, she’s dedicated to creating products with intention—handmade, botanical, and always crafted with care.

The Truth about Lye - Why the Bar in Your Shower Probably Isn't Real Soap!

“It seems a little crazy that you would ever really need to define the word “soap.” But, in a day-and-age when the average consumer in the local health and beauty aisle is bombarded with everything from shower gel to body butter, foaming soap to rejuvenating cleanser, and detergent to cleansing cream, believe me, it’s very, very necessary! It seems the word soap has come to mean many things but if we are talking real, actual, soap then we are really only talking about one thing...and that's lye.”

Opinions on lye and it’s safety in soap-making always seem to be surrounded by a cloud of heated debate. Generally, the anti-lye debate swirls with stories of grandma’s old lye soap, nightmarish tales of handmade soap that was harsh, drying, and even burned sensitive skin. The irony? Many, if not most of these old-timer horror-stories are probably true. So, avoiding lye soap is best...right? Wrong, want to know why? Keep reading…

Lye, also called sodium hydroxide, is an extremely caustic chemical. Deadly if ingested, it can cause serious chemical burns to the skin and even blindness. Without time-warping back to high school chemistry class for too long, we do need to take a quick look at some good ol' science.

In order to create a neutral one must combine an alkaline with a base. In traditional soap-making the alkaline is lye and the base can be anything from all natural plant oils to animal fats. Lye is an essential component in soap-making because when the lye combines with the oils or fats a molecular process called saponification occurs. Saponification is just a fancy way of saying that the alkaline and the base have merged to create a new chemical compound that is now neutral. The end result is soap plus glycerin.

So...how did lye soap get such a bad wrap? Longer ago when soap-makers often used lye made from wood ash they didn’t have the benefit of the high tech digital scales we do today and unless they were very, very careful often the ratios of the alkaline to the base could be incorrect. Even in these cases, saponification would still occur, but without enough of a base the "left-over" caustic sodium hydroxide (lye) that didn't have any base to bond with would remain in the soap and often create a finished product that when used could indeed burn the skin. When measured and processed correctly, after saponification occurs, lye soap is 100% safe and extremely gentle on the skin.

Over the centuries, with traditional lye soap, humans have been able to greatly reduce the spread of disease and germs in society up to 80%. There is no excuse to use anything other than top quality, all natural, lye soap. So, back to defining that word “soap” -

Anything that is produced without using lye is technically a detergent and it's not real soap! Any product that removes or harvests only the glycerin and sells that as soap...again, not real soap! If your soap melts with heat vs disolves with water…you guessed it…also not soap!

Sadly most products sold in big-box and craft stores today are primarily a cocktail of preservatives and man-made chemicals that are used to ‬ensure that the products will lather and remain shelf stable‬ for years...YEARS! Think about it; there is nothing man made that's good for you, or good for your skin, that should be able to sit on a shelf for years without spoiling!

So, don't be fooled by the pretty packaging or clever commercials for the popular beauty brands. Make sure your soap is 100% natural with absolutely no added ‬preservatives‬ or  ‪‎artificial chemicals. (and yes, this means anything labeled “fragrance” - that’s another whole article…but trust me, come of the most toxic ingredients in your beauty products are the synthetic scents they contain!

Remember, your skin is the largest organ of your body and it’s important to protect it! What you choose to lather and slather on it can play a huge role in your overall heath and wellness.

For more resources about organ donation and transplant or to sign up to be a donor you can visit the amazing and hard working people at UNOS. (United Network for Organ Sharing)

The teams at UNOS not only manage the lists of patients, like my mom, who are waiting on a match but they also manage the donor registries for the entire United States and even provide services for patients and families after they have their surgeries!

Check out all they do at www.unos.org

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Sarah Seeds, CNHP and UNOS Ambassador

Sarah, aka: The Plant Based Ginger, has been in the plant-based community for 20 years and has worked in natural skincare as well as the health and wellness sector. Over the years her love of holistic wellness, essential oils, and plant-based cooking has merged to create the PBG website and social brand. Sarah is currently living back in Central Florida, where she was raised, after spending over a decade up in Ohio’s Amish Country! She is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner, UNOS Ambassador, Homecook, Coffee Lover, and Fur Mom!