It’s autumn, and it rained!
It’s time to celebrate the great pumpkin! Don’t worry, I’m not going to encourage Pumpkin Spice lattes. Unless that’s your thing, then enjoy. While I have been known to devour these cinnamon rolls from our local baked goods temptress, Shannon Moore of Flour Girl, and I do enjoy leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast with a very strong espresso, what I want to share with you highlights the skincare benefits that our hearty orange fruit has to offer.
Topically, pumpkin’s enzymes contain natural alpha-hydroxy acids, helping to exfoliate the skin and increase cellular turnover, improving tone and complexion. Antioxidant action from vitamins A and C work to neutralize free radical damage from environmental pollution, which brightens overall appearance, leaving skin with a hydrated glow. Of course, we need to feed our skin proper nutrients through our dietary choices as well, not just slather them on every once in a while. After you open a can to blend up this hydrating face mask, stir the leftover purée into a soup or make a savory pumpkin soufflé. Or, for a gluten-free sweet treat, mix up your favorite filling for pumpkin pie, scoop into ramekins, and bake.
Makes enough for two masks. Store in fridge until use.
In a small bowl, combine
1 tablespoon organic pumpkin purée
½ teaspoon coconut oil, melted
½ teaspoon lime or lemon juice
Apply to clean face, neck, and décolletage, and relax for 20 minutes. Using a warm washcloth, remove mask. Spritz with your choice of hydrosol (visit me at the market if you need a new scent!) and apply facial oil or cream. And, regarding facial oil: so many of us use this daily (and in the afternoon, and before bed…) that I finally made a batch to bottle as the 4-ounce refill option. With a built-in 20% discount, you can now have facial oil for months. Enjoy!
Along with celebrating pumpkins, this is the time of year when we’re really digging into autumn. Days grow shorter, and blessedly cooler, and as I write this, it’s raining! Root vegetables are getting ready to be dug up, which means we start roasting roots for dinner and quick leftover lunches again. It’s the time of year when we honor our ancestors, and start turning our thoughts toward the coming of winter, and the end of another year. As I was thinking about which plants call to me now, nettle, marigolds, and hawthorn berries popped in.
Nettle offers mineral-rich support. Among so many other medicinal benefits, nettle is a nutritive tonic that restores vitality and counteracts fatigue. This sounds appropriate for the last three months of the year. I tend to go, go, go and even though hibernation should be a thing, it’s not. Supporting our energy (and knowing when to rest) is a great way to ensure that we can enjoy the outings and events we plan. I’m mixing up a fall tea blend to keep on the counter: I’m thinking nettle, oat straw, horsetail, and tulsi. Join me for a cup?
Orange is the color of autumn. Pumpkins, persimmons, and marigolds all have their place at the table. Marigolds adorn Día de los Muertos altars, the vibrant color and pungent scent drawing ancestors back home to their families. Corazón and the City of Healdsburg welcome all to the Día de los Muertos celebration. The gazebo is home to beautiful ofrendas created by community members, and the day is a true celebration of family and community. I find creating my own altar at home to honor my loved ones who have passed to be a beautiful and grounding practice. As October draws to a close, I start with candles, marigolds, offerings of food and drink, and photos of my beloveds. Throughout the rest of the year, I add flowers, herbs, acorns, and whatever else might want to join me from a walk. As the calendar turns, and the busy-ness of the season sets in, it’s nice to have the altar to remind me of the true meaning of the holidays we celebrate, and really, the true meaning of why we are here.
Which brings us to hawthorn. Hawthorn is heart medicine, both physical and energetic. The berries are ripening now. There’s a tree in the herb school garden that we often sat under to connect to our hearts. Watching that tree through the seasons is one of many things I miss from being at that school. Deep dive into Crataegus here to learn more about its beneficial properties.
