Flower essences are made when flowers are infused in water by sun or moonlight, then further diluted, potentized, and preserved with alcohol. In holistic healing flower essence therapy is considered “vibrational medicine”. Vibrational medicine incorporates the use of energies within living organisms such as plants, gemstones and crystals, water and sunlight. Because the remedies are extremely dilute they do not have a characteristic scent or taste of the plant but it has been demonstrated that their “energy” can have a healing effect on our emotions.

Lotus Wei Founder and Formulator, Katie Hess has spent a lifetime cultivating her expertise as an organic alchemist and sourcing flower essence from all over the world. She has developed a new line of organic based elixirs, body oils and aromatic mists, all infused with her hand collected flower essences and (except the elixir) carefully chosen aromatic essential oils.

Katie says that by contemplating these flower images and intuitively selecting the one you are most drawn to, you will uncover which essence you need most.  I chose the Bird of Paradise which led me to the Quiet Mind group.  It’s no surprise that it turned out to also be my favorite of all the different unique and beautiful aromas in the line.  Before deciding to bring the products into our carefully curated lineup at spiritbeautylounge.com, I had to try them myself.  I also wanted to know more about the formulator and her process and I thought I should share this with you!

How did you personally become interested in Floral Essence Therapy?

After I graduated from college (sociology, Madison), I left the country for a few years … had also already lived out of the country for 2 years prior to that as well, was searching
for a way to awaken more happiness for people … began to study natural medicine of all kinds …
when I discovered flower essences I knew it was it, they are so unlimited and far-reaching and so effective and fast-acting and safe and profound.  I felt like each person had more potential that was just untapped and found the flower essence to be an amazing way to tap into it

Wow.  So, some of us may be familiar with Aromatherapy and Homeopathy but this is different.  How so?

Closest to homeopathy in that they are vibrational remedies. They have no scent. They work on the body’s electrical system, using the same energetic pathways as acupuncture. It is easy for the body’s energy, or “chi” to become imbalanced due to many factors like stress, diet, constitution, pollution, etc., and so flower essences help to bring the body back into balance. When we are in balance we are naturally (like a child) full of joy, peace, calm, creativity. Some have told me on a personal experience level that flower essences work faster than homeopathy and that there is much less or none of a “healing crisis”. Homeopathy are subtle remedies made from plants, minerals, rocks, pollens and other substances. Flower essences are solar or lunar infusions of living flowers that are still in the earth, or just only recently cut. Because it is essentially a “vibrational water”, it requires less flowers than for example aromatherapy, because there are no chemical constituents of the plant left in the water. Even people who are allergic to some plants and essential oils will have no problems with flower essences. Also, it is the only natural remedy that you never have to fear about taking during pregnancy, birthing … even newborns can take flower essence elixirs. with no problem. Different from homeopathy, coffee or mints don’t affect the efficacy.

State of mind during the creation and handling of the flower essences is crucial, similar to biodynamic farming … you pay attention to the moon, the day, the time, your own state of mind when collecting them.

That’s interesting.  If the flower which the essence is derived from is not organically grown, do we have to worry about potential pesticides seeping into the infusion?

That’s a great question. I believe the answer is no. In our case, our flower essences are not certified organic because it would be far too expensive to hire a certifier to fly around with us and hike into wild areas as we often do and then do all the soil testing, etc. at each different location-crazy! In most cases we make flower essences from flowers in the wild very far from human kind, extremely unlikely to be contaminated. If you have an organic farm, then it’s a little easier to get them certified. We are very careful about which flowers we use..

So you are sourcing your own flowers from mostly wild locations and the risk of them being contaminated is nothing close to what it’s like from commercial flower growers.

Yes, exactly.

How do you know what properties a certain flower has?  Is there any scientific reference or is it more of a sixth sense?

The latter. Intuitive method or perception of the flower properties. Meditation and practice collecting refines the collector’s ability to perceive clearly. And then testing it out of course; meaning, having many people take the remedy. I never tell people what it’s for when testing, just have them take it and report back what happened during that time. Sometimes you learn even more that way too.

Ok, this may seem silly but, with the Elixirs having alcohol in the base, are they safe for children?  There won’t be any intoxication will there?

Not silly, valid concern. The amount of alcohol consumed within five drops of the elixir is the same amount the body produces after eating about a quarter of a banana. (the body produces alcohol from the natural fruit sugars). Even if a child drank the whole bottle, I doubt they would feel intoxicated.

Back to basics for a minute here; can you talk about the actual process from collecting the flowers to making the final dilution?  What would be a typical “day in the life” for this process?

Might get a little woo woo {what I call new-age-y} here, warning you. I know the day ahead of time, full moon and new moon are best, as well as eclipses. I do solitary meditation in the morning, as usual. Then as I go into it, I watch every detail of how the day goes. I observe my mental state, and everything that happens around me. Recognizing that everything is interdependent and connected in some way, there can be clues about the flower’s quality due to what is happening around you as well. I observe insects, animals, birds, winds, breezes, sunlight, and most of all my own mental state…I meditate with the flower for some time, listen on many levels and take many notes from mental level, emotional level, as well as how the flower looks, what it evokes, where it grows in relationship to other things. The actual collection may be bending the flower over into the water or cutting the flower. I never, never touch the flower or smell/sniff it pre-infusion. It takes place in the morning. The flowers soak in pure water in a crystal bowl for a certain period of time, usually several hours–the light of the sun transfers the energy from the flower. Then after it’s ready, I remove the flowers from the water. That water is then added to certified organic alcohol, to preserve the lifeforce, or energy. (if no alcohol, then dies off within a week or less even) That is the mother essence. This essence is saved. A practitioner essence is a dilution from the mother essence. Then the essences taken by you and I are made from the practitioner dilution.

I think of myself as an “open-minded cynic” – if that sounds paradoxical it’s because I am!  I know that some studies have shown compelling evidence of the positive effect of flower essence (on children with ADHD for example) and other attempts to scientifically prove any efficacy of flower essences have suggested that they are nothing more than  placebo, but I have taken observation of my own feeling while using your flower essence elixirs and believe I have been affected by them.  I think I’m way over 5 times a day with the Quiet Mind Elixir already – something about it feels very good for me.

Your reaction is quite positive–in the beginning yes–that happens! you want to bathe in it (by the way, you can put the elixir and oil into a bath if you like), sometimes with new custom flower elixirs I take them over 10 times a day.  Your body and mind knows when it needs something and will remind you. After a while, most likely 21 days or so, you will have fully integrated those energies into your system, and suddenly the bird of paradise will look boring to you and something else will look super juicy. Funny. Have you noticed anything different about how you feel yet? ; )

I believe that for sure.  Quiet Mind has actually made me much more creative and focused.   Less frazzled and overwhelmed, more able to sit down and complete my creative work.  Not exactly quiet mind but calm mind in my case.

That’s perfect..for sure it will make you more focused.

I’m fascinated by this but I’m sure I might have to extract from this for the blog-size version if it’s ok with you!

oh, of course. Most people would think I’m crazy if they read all of this. Simple is better. Over the last ten years I have really searched for the best way to educate people about it. Simple and straightforward is best. They just want to know it works. and the only way to know is to try for themselves.

Find Lotus Wei Organics at Spirit Beauty Lounge.

As we’ve been re-vamping our offices over the last couple of months, we thought we’d share with you some of the chic little desk things we love. If you’ve found chic office essentials or accessories you love, we’d love for you to share them with us!
1.Non-disposable drinkware: I’m Not A Paper Cup, Starbucks Ceramic Tumbler, Ikea Slom Bottle, Customizable Love Bottle, Berd & Bee Monogram Mug.

2. Power-saving made simple and sleek: Belkin Conserve with Remote Switch

3. Naked soup cans make surprisingly glam pencil holders.

4.Invest in the last pair of scissors you’ll ever need with a lifetime guarantee:  Gingher G-8 Shears

5. Classic design gone green: Michael Roger Cherry Blossom Decomposition Book, made with 100% Post Consumer Waste Recycled Paper and  Bio Gas derived energy.

6. Elegant & sexy:  refillable Parker Jotter Pens &  Pencils.

While everyone is talking about (as they should) what ingredients to watch out for in beauty products and BPA’s, phtalates and lead in lipstick are finally making national headlines, it occurrs to me that there are still so many of us out there who not only don’t have the information we need to make informed decisions about what we put in our bodies. Getting the word out is something we each do in our own way; whether it’s by walking into a room and telling everyone who compliments your glowing skin and fabulous makeup, proudly, that you only use natural beauty products, or writing a blog, or just influencing your family and loved ones by example. I never mean to demonize “Big Beauty”. It is after all, a monster of our own creation and a lifetime passion of yours truly. Still I find that despite huge waves of change in the way we all think about what we eat and absorb, there are 4 groups of people who really get the short end when it comes to the availability of knowledge and of products Big Beauty will afford them…

1. Persons with Acne..
I can’t argue with scientific data that supports the efficacy claims of the top two non prescription acne treatment ingredients: benzoyl peroxide (known highly toxic / possibly carcinogenic) and salicidic acid (petrochem), but I will say that in my nearly lifelong experience with my own and others’ acne issues, I have never seen either of them cure this condition. What I have seen is skin that has become highly sensitized and arguably the worst result of using OTC acne products: REBOUND ACNE! Yep, what I see more oft than not is that conventional OTC acne treatments cause more acne and with the increased sensitization, more scars. That’s because most of Big Beauty’s acne solutions are meant only to dry out and strip the skin, believing that over-production of sebum is the culprit causing the acne. The reality is that over drying oily skin only causes the skin to produce more oil and not all acne prone skin is even oily which makes treating it harshly even worse. The real cure for acne if there is one, aside from diet and hormonal balance, is oil. Believe it or not, what may seem so wrong is one of the most effective treatments I’ve seen. Both astringent (tea tree, neem) and fatty (argan, babassu) oils, properly formulated, are 100 times more effective than any conventional chemical concoction. Try Organic Apoteke Active Face Hydrating Gel (pictured left) with anti-bacterial neem leaf oil and antioxidant lemon oil.

2. Black Women.
It’s not the chemical hair relaxers that concern me about black beauty products. Sure, they are some pretty strong and scary chemicals but they don’t come into contact with the skin and they aren’t typically used more than once every 1-6 months. My problem with Big Beauty’s products targeted at black women is that threefold. Go to your local drugstore or beauty supply store and walk down the “ethnic” aisle. You’ll see a garden of “carrot oil”, “shea butter”, “silk”, “coconut” and “olive oil”, all, of course, claiming to stop breakage and magically grow long hair with “stimulating botanicals”. Now grab any one of those jars, turn it around and I’ll tell you what you’re looking at; a vat of vaseline. Petrochemicals are more widely used in ethnic products than they are in any other personal care sector and yet over the last 5 years, they are twice as likely to be marketed as natural. And it’s not just that they are used that is troubling, it’s why. Many women with coarse hair are misled to believe that their hair is dry and that heavy duty “moisture” is the best way to restore hydration. In fact, petroleum products will do nothing to restore hydration to hair. They only make it feel smoother by coating it. Black women are also often misled to believe that washing their hair too often will lead to their hair becoming even drier and less manageable. What that ends up meaning is that they are sitting with petroleum (and most likely parabens) on their scalps for several days at a time, which not only prolongs exposure the the toxins themselves, increasing their hazard, but it also STOPS and stunts hair growth, by clogging the hair follicles. Petroleum is not water soluble! All this when the reality is, just like not all acne-prone skin is oily, not all coarse hair is dry. In fact, I have found that many black women have oily scalps but in treating their perceived dry hair, they are worsening their scalp conditions. Years of this type of mistreatment almost always leads to alopecia. Some coarse hair is actually better softened by being cleaned and conditioned frequently. If the hair is truly dry from heat styling or chemical processing, wearable, natural, light, non-petroleum oils are the best solution. Try Amazon Beauty Rahua Leave-In Conditioner to soften coarse hair and lightly hydrate dry hair.

3. Mature Women.
We all know that Big Beauty makes it’s real money, capitalizing on every woman’s desire to find the fountain of youth. Some of the worst beauty “innovations” (nanoparticles, Botox…) of the last decade have been in the anti-aging skin care field. But the real reason we end up victims as our skin matures is because we have spent a lifetime being told what Big Beauty wanted us to think: that simple ingredients don’t work and that if you really want to turn back the hands of time, you’re going to need super hi-tech lab inventions that you can’t pronounce. It is very hard for some of us to accept that a.) most anti-aging claims are unfounded and unproven anyway, and that b.) the real secret to youthful skin has been under our noses all along – in healthy living, sun protection, and pure, natural skincare. While they are more rare and expensive for the manufacturer, from what I’ve seen, the best anti-aging natural ingredients like argan oil, carrot oil and acai can match the results of any expensive department store cream without a.) being hazardous to your health and b.) causing skin to actually age more rapidly over the long term. Now just try convincing your moms of that! Simply Amazing: Ila’s six ingredient miracle, Ila Face Oil.

4. Men. Yes, Men.
While men may be at lower risk of exposure to toxic chemicals in beauty products simply due to less frequent use than women, the personal care products they do use; deodorant, shaving cream, shower gel, etc., should be just as green as ours. The reason men are victims of Big Beauty is because in their desire for what they think are simple, affordable, easy to use products, they are usually unknowingly getting something that is not so simple at all. Men aren’t driving or inspiring manufacturers to clean up their ingredients because they aren’t educated about the risks and because frankly, for a man, making demands for any specificity in his personal care products may make him feel less masculine. We need to reach out to all of the men in our lives and offer them the same information about ingredients that we have and advocate for them, even facilitate in finding products for them so that they’re not left out. My significant other’s favorite natural guy product: Intelligent Nutrients Styling Gel.

When Jasmin Malik Chua of the hot, new Eco Fashion and Beauty blog, Ecouterre asked us about our favorite NYFW inspired lip looks, we were all too axcited to divulge. Read the brilliant tips offered by makeup artist Jessa Blades and others HERE and find the rest of ours HERE!

We love that lips are back for Spring 2010 and we are ready for these looks now!– whether they’re soft and barely-there pink or Grace Jones black. We were getting very bored with the nude lip!

Jason Wu wowed with these perfect, painted-on, goth, plum colored cartoon lips that we think could translate beautifully into real world beauty with defined, lustrous, rich, dark lip colors for Fall. Instead of almost-black, sheer but dark burgundy colors like RMS Beauty’s Illusive, can work on all skin tones. The key to this look is perfect application. Use a lip brush to get it just right and avoid looking like a zombie.

Marc by Marc Jacobs celebrated with super bright, optimistic, retro red lips which we think anyone can wear. The key to bright lips is to go really low-key with the rest of the face palette and to even out the skin with a matte mineral powder foundation so that the lips really pop. Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation and Nvey Eco’s Lead-Free moisturizing lipstick in 369 are perfect for this Mad Men look.

Finally, our friends at Tuleh created this pretty 1950’s shimmery soft pink. Beauty can be sort of counter-intuitive in that dark and bright lips are actually best for day and soft, sultry, light pink lips are actually best for a kittenish evening look. To get this look, start with RMS Beauty in Muse or Smile for a sexy, opaque base then layer Nvey Eco’s Lip Lustre in Amour Rose or Barely There over the top for the pink shimmer. The secret to this look is the base. You don’t want bubble-gum pink and pink lip gloss can look too immature without the base.