HERBALIST'S JOURNAL

This month marks the end of the Elixir Collective in its current iteration.⁠ I initially started this monthly subscription as a way to share some of Hawaii's more unique and rare flora, in the form of limited batch items that allowed for ultimate creative freedom. After nearly two years, I've crafted dozens of new products ranging from infused honeys to incense and every form of skincare in between. This project has been ultimately fulfilling, as it challenged me every month to formulate something I've never made before, and gave me space to explore materials and mediums that I'd otherwise never dedicated time to. ⁠ ⁠

The height of summer feels like the time of year when lotions are ideal: because of their dual nature, they are inherently lighter on the skin and absorb easily without feeling heavy. The Afterglow Potion was conceived to be the perfect aftersun care formulation — every ingredient within this velvety smooth serum is there to help your skin repair from long days in the sun...

Most days in the back of the valley, the clouds kiss the mountain tops and wisps roll down their sides as if the cosmos were gracing us with their presence. In Hawaiian, the word Manoa means lush and deep, and both are perfect descriptors for this jungly Honolulu neighborhood microcosm. The June Elixir Collective featured an exclusive pre-release of Manoa Mist, an Atmosphere Spray inspired by this beautiful valley...

The Sun — an enigmatic celestial body so magnificent that gods were created just to explain its existence. Sunlight is crucial to our health, both for body and mind, as it activates cellular reactions on the surface of the skin that are essential for our survival. But just the right balance of sun exposure is key: too much (or too little) can be detrimental to our livelihood. The May Elixir Collective featured a product I've long been working on that incorporates photoprotectant botanicals from around the world into an experimental Sunbather Salve...

Food is medicine is beauty. The enclosed offering is truly rooted in this philosophy, with an elixir that can flow with ease from your kitchen to your first aid kit to your skin care routine. Rooted Honey is a classic staple in my apothecary for its broad versatility and healing potency: a combination of three ingredients come together and augment one another for this immune-enhancing, disease-fighting, inflammation-reducing blend...

The January Elixir Collective subscription was centered around maintaining optimal wellness throughout the winter season. A special first batch of my newly released Breathe Relief Balm, and exclusive batch Breathe Easy Herbal Steam, and a page full of tips to stay healthy in colder months were all a part of the No. 12 box...

The December Elixir Collective subscription box featured two exclusive batch facial oils, Lux & Nox. These two botanical oils are designed to nourish the delicate facial complexion, and are named after the words light & night in Latin. The duo were inspired by the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice...

Of all of nature’s delectable pleasures, few offer such universal delight as the exotic Cacao bean. The November Elixir Collective subscription box featured an exclusive batch Cacao Oil Mask and a sample of my latest reincarnation of Chocolate Balm. These offerings were sent along with hand-decorated recycled paper card with the following words...

The October Elixir Collective subscription box featured hand-rolled 'Iliha Incense and Ritual Resin, two offerings inspired by rare and beautiful Hawaiian Sandalwood. Each package included a tin of three incense cones on a bed of Big Island Sandalwood chips, a natural agate stone, a dram glass dropper of Ritual Resin perfume, a muslin bag and a card with the following words... 

We embrace the summer and all its warmth with open arms as the most vibrant and abundant time of year. The flora is in full bloom, thirst quenching fruits and veggies come into harvest, and the days are at their longest. It is the most ‘yang’ season — hot, expansive and full of energy. We can smell the summer florals releasing their alluring aromas and hear the faint hum of pollinators in the eve. Life becomes its most alive, and we owe it all to one cosmic force that allows us to thrive: the Sun. Because it lingers longer each day, we stay up later into the night, and because it heats up the earth, we can bathe in its blanket of light.

SUN SPRAY is the featuring offering of the June Elixir Collective, and is a refreshing aqueous version of my newest All Over Oil blend dedicated to the solar body. This spray is like a sip of floral lemonade your skin can drink. The base consists of Hawaiian Lemongrass hydrosol, the infused water byproduct of essential oil distillation, with a bit of pure Hawaiian Lemongrass essential oil added to enhance the citrus tones. On top of that are Ylang Ylang essential oil and organic Lavender essential oil, to give floral depth and brightness respectively. The final touch — a Clear Quartz mini point charged in the Hawaiian sun — will help facilitate the free-flow of energy. The result is a light, hydrating mist to keep you fresh throughout those long summer days. Shake gently and spray onto your face, body, hair, clothing and the air around you to reinvigorate your space.

SUN & MOON ALL OVER OIL samples are also here for you to try! These are my two new blends that can be used literally ‘all over’ to nourish & soften your hair, hydrate & glisten your skin, refresh & perfume your bod. Both share a common base of Hawaiian Macadamia, organic virgin Coconut & organic extra virgin Olive oils. SUN features the same blend as your new spray, with Hawaiian Lemongrass, organic Lavender and Ylang Ylang essential oils to provide you with a dose of liquid sunshine regardless of the time of year. MOON is the scent of flowers in bloom on a warm Hawaiian night, with Hawaiian Sandalwood plus Jasmine & Pikake absolutes {two different types of jasmine both from the Jasminum genus}. Both of tropically exotic scents are available in their full size iterations under the Hair & Body Oils collection!

The June 2018 Elixir Collective package included a 2 oz bottle of Sun Spray and a 2 dram glass dropper vial of each Sun & Moon All Over Oil. A hand-decorated colorful card detailed the subscription box contents & ingredients, and can be read in full here. 

Jade Balm was inspired by the brilliant aquamarine Jade Vine flowers, a beautiful seasonal botanical here in Hawaii. Paired with locally grown Lavender & Calendula in a Limited Batch formulation, this soothing beauty balm is the featured item of the March Elixir Collective alchemy subscription box.

The Elixir Collective is a new monthly subscription box that offers exclusive or limited batch items inspired by local, seasonal and rare flora.