Teaching is one of my greatest passions,butI used to be quite terrified of it. 

The thought of getting up in front of a room full of students would make me cringe.

It wasn’t until I quieted my mind and connected to my heart that a message came through loud and clear:

“You're meant to share your knowledge on topics that have brought you so much joy and happiness.”

And now, I love empowering women to gain the confidence and knowledge to take charge of their own health and beauty. 

When I teach, I place a strong emphasis on holistic beauty and wellness concepts.

That is, cultivating innerand outer beauty through medicinal herbs as well as diet & lifestyle practices. 

My signature class is Botanical Beauty - by far my favorite and I always get excited after hearing how my students have benefitted from taking this class. 

Many walk away with the knowledge and confidence to use plants in various ways to support their skin and overall vitality. 

My Botanical Beauty class serves as a springboard for deepening your relationship with your skin, understanding its unique needs, learning about the healing powers of botanicals, and cultivating beauty, inside and out. 

A former biochemist with a strong background in science, I make it a priority to base my teachings on scientific research, plus a sprinkling of magic. 

All of my classes are deeply rooted in science, especially human physiology. I believe that having a basic understanding of skin physiology, that is understanding the science of how your skin behaves, and what the function of each layer is helps set a solid foundation for understanding skin care. 

Despite being a data driven scientist, I choose to honor the mysticism of plant medicine.  

Given that medicinal plants have been used for centuries in rituals around the world, there is no shortage of folklore and storytelling surrounding our powerful allies.Both the ancient Greeks and the Romans associated rosemary with love and marriage. On her wedding day, a bride would wear  a wreath woven with sprigs of rosemary and scented with rosemary oil. 

So as a clinical herbalist and educator, I'm thrilled that I get to blend science and magic in my practice and teachings.

My classes are catered to individuals with different learning styles  

For visual and auditory learners, I speak to a simple slide deck accompanied by graphics and grids. For kinestheticlearners, I include hands-on activities such as product making. By engaging their senses through touch, smell, and sometimes taste, students become better acquainted with the plant materials they’re working with. 

Where I’ve taught classes and what I’ve got planned next

In the past years, I've taught workshops all over the San Francisco Bay Area including the Berkeley Herbal Center, Piedmont Adult School, and Morning Sun Herb Farm (Vacaville, CA). My classes have usually been small and intimate.

In my Botanical Beauty classes, for example, students learn about their skin types, natural ingredients and botanicals, and how to use these plant materials to create customized skin care products. Although we covera lot during this three hour introductory, I’m really only able to skim the surface. 

Many students have asked me to make the course longer, to go more in-depth into botanicals and their healing powers, and to be able to create more skin care products. 

So, I’ve taken this feedback and turned Botanical Beauty into a comprehensive six-week online course. 

Topics covered in Botanical Beauty & Skincare:

• skin physiology and connection to overall health, our skin’s layers
• common skin types, plant-based skincare recommendations based on skin type
• botanicals best suited for specific skin types, including their history, folklore, common uses, preparations, benefits to the skin as well as overall health
• benefits & uses of natural ingredients including carrier oils, exfoliants, clays, and skin loving foods 
• best practices: sanitation, labelling guidelines, oil vs water based formulations, basic supplies, and using essential oils (safety & dilutions)
• creating customized skincare products including facial steams, cleansers, masks, toners, and scrubs

Do you have any experience using plant-based skincare products? Feel free to share in the comment below!

_______________

Want to stay connected?

Follow us on Instagram@freeflowbotanicalsor sign up for news and special offers below!