Skin | Earth | Vitality

In this episode of the Ayurveda daily habit series, we're exploring two ancient practices for tending the sinus cavity neti and nasya.

We'll talk about why the nose matters for far more than simply moving air, including smell, breath, sensory perception, nervous system regulation, sleep, and even the way we use the muscles and tissues of the face. Then I'll walk you through how I personally incorporate neti and nasya into my morning routine, including how to use a neti pot safely and why Ayurveda follows cleansing with nourishment.

My favorite neti salt: https://paavaniayurveda.com/products/aromatic-neti-salt

Pavaani nasya oil: Nasya Oil

Banyan super nasya oil: Super Nasya Oil

In this episode of the Dinacharya series, we're looking at the Ayurvedic “morning reset”: warm water, morning elimination, meditation and prayer, movement, and morning light. We’ll explore why Ayurveda places so much importance on when we do things, how our daily rhythms interact with digestion, mental clarity and energy, and why these practices aren't about adding another wellness checklist to your life. They're about tending yourself so you have greater capacity to turn outward toward your work, relationships, purpose and service.

Additional Episode Resources: 

Today we're kicking off the daily habit series with the easiest habit of all: tongue scraping. We're getting into why Ayurveda has recommended this morning practice for thousands of years, what your tongue can tell you about digestion, and how tongue scraping supports taste, saliva, oral health, and the very beginning of the digestive process. I'm also walking you through exactly how I tongue scrape,  and the rest of my Ayurvedic-inspired morning oral care routine, including herbal tooth tablets, flossing, and oil pulling.

If you've ever looked in the mirror and felt like you looked old or felt a draw toward Botox even though you aren't sure that's the answer for you... Instead of trying to look younger, this episode shares the introduction to have to look and feel more alive.  

This is the first episode in my newest mini-series.  We're exploring dinacharya, the Ayurvedic practice of daily routine, and why tending yourself every day isn't about turning wellness into a part-time job. It's about rhythm, relationship with the body, and creating the conditions that give you more capacity for your actual life. Plus, why these simple daily practices might change the way you experience your skin, beauty, and aging.

Prep for next week by purchasing your copper tongue scraper here. 

If you've ever dealt with angry breakouts, perioral dermatitis, weepy eczema, or skin that feels hot, inflamed, and impossible to calm, you've probably been willing to do just about anything to get rid of it.  That's where I was when someone suggested neem to me. 

In this episode, I'm sharing why neem isone of my favorite herbal allies for these situations. We explore why this remarkable Ayurvedic herb has been called the "queen of the skin," how I personally used it during my own battle with perioral dermatitis, what its bitter and astringent qualities tell us about who it may help (and who it may not), and why understanding an herb's nature is just as important as knowing its benefits. I also cover the important safety considerations around neem, the difference between neem leaf and neem oil, and why I believe herbalism is less about following protocols and more about learning to make thoughtful, informed decisions for your own body.

If you've ever stood in the skincare aisle staring at dozens of products, wondering which ones will help your redness instead of making it worse, you're not alone.  

In this final episode of my redness and rosacea series, we're shifting from lifestyle to skincare. We'll walk through every step of a routine, from cleansers and moisturizers to sunscreen, facial tools, and even a simple herbal mask you can make at home. Along the way, I'll share how I evaluate products through the lenses of corneotherapy, herbalism, and years in the treatment room, so you can better understand why certain ingredients support reactive skin.

My hope is that you'll finish this episode feeling less overwhelmed by skincare and more confident choosing products that truly support your skin's ability to heal.

You can shop products from my reactive skin collection here. 

Manual Lymphatic Drainage Video

Lymph Brush Tutorial

Download the Soothing Masque for Reactive Skin Recipe 

Rosacea can feel like such a vague diagnosis. It tells you what your skin is doing, but not why it's doing it. In this episode, I'm sharing what I wish I had learned about rosacea in school. We talk about what's happening beneath the surface, from the nervous system and the skin microbiome to gut health, barrier function, and why flushing can become more chronic over time. My goal is to give you a different way of thinking about your rosacea.

Resources Mentioned

• Blissoma Pure Sensitive Skin Cream

Studies referenced:

Parodi A, Paolino S, Greco A, Drago F, Mansi C, Rebora A, Parodi A, Savarino V. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in rosacea: clinical effectiveness of its eradication. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Jul;6(7):759-64. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2008.02.054. Epub 2008 May 5. PMID: 18456568.

Weinstock LB, Steinhoff M. Rosacea and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: Prevalence and response to rifaximin. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2013;68:875-876.

Sánchez-Pellicer P, Eguren-Michelena C, García-Gavín J, Llamas-Velasco M, Navarro-Moratalla L, Núñez-Delegido E, Agüera-Santos J, Navarro-López V. Rosacea, microbiome and probiotics: the gut-skin axis. Front Microbiol. 2024 Jan 8;14:1323644. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1323644. PMID: 38260914; PMCID: PMC10800857.

If you've noticed your cheeks becoming redder, flushing more easily, or staying pink long after a workout, glass of wine, or stressful day, this episode is for you.

Before we talk about rosacea, we need to understand the foundation: vascular reactivity.

In today's episode, I explain what's happening beneath the surface of the skin when redness becomes more persistent. We explore the physiology of chronic redness, how your skin barrier, nervous system, inflammation, lymphatic system, and everyday habits all influence the tiny blood vessels in your face, and why supporting your skin is about so much more than finding the "right" skincare products.

Then we zoom out and take a whole-person perspective, exploring how patterns like excess heat, chronic stress, depletion, and nourishment may influence the way redness shows up in different people.

Rather than offering another one-size-fits-all skincare solution, my hope is to leave you with a deeper understanding of your own unique patterns and an invitation to become more curious about what your skin may be communicating.

Kansa Wand

Lymph Brushes

Laurel Hydrating Elixir I 

Laurel Unburden Serum 

You don't age, you dry out, and our thoughts have a physical effect on our juiciness. Chronic worry and resentment, perfectionism, political outrage, and our obsession with self-improvement, these stories and identities we cling to can create real physiological consequences. True beauty isn't just about what we put on our skin. It's also about the freedom to soften, receive nourishment, and loosen our grip on the thoughts and patterns that keep us suffering.

Most conversations about the sun fall into one of two camps: fear it, or worship it. In this episode, Emily explores a more nuanced path. Drawing from nearly two decades as a holistic esthetician, she examines the sun not as an enemy to avoid nor a force to recklessly indulge in, but as a powerful ally that deserves a thoughtful relationship.

By understanding both its healing potential and its capacity for harm, we can move away from fragility and toward a more empowered, responsive relationship with our environment.

Studies + Resources Referenced

The VITAL Trial

Richard Weller — UVA, Nitric Oxide & Blood Pressure

Richard Weller TED Talk — Could the Sun Be Good for Your Heart?

Additional Episodes Mentioned: