Greetings and welcome to all our new subscribers since the last issue. Spring is in full swing and summer is just around the corner, but May is all about Mom! There's nothing more precious or universally important than a mother's love, and this is true not just for humans, but animals too. A mother will do anything to protect, nurture and support her children throughout their lives --even when they are grown up and don't think they need it any more. When we're young and vulnerable, our moms become our heroes -always there to save the day by making us feel loved and safe no matter what.

As we grow up, we make take their love and support for granted, but when they begin to age, our roles reverse. We begin to understand and appreciate how much they've done for us and try to do the same for them.

My mom is approaching 90. Four years ago when my dad passed away (after 54 years of being happily married) her whole world was turned upside down. Suddenly she was faced with the responsibility of managing all the little details of her life -a new and overwhelming experience. So I stepped in to help her figure it all out. I've helped her set up a filing system for bills and important documents, and provided endless tech support so she can enjoy some of the many benefits of modern technology. It gives me a real sense of joy and relief to be able to help her solve problems (no matter how small), while encouraging her to maintain her independence for as long as possible.

The one thing I've learned from this process is that the most important thing to her is my presence, so I've committed to spending as much time as I can with her. I feel lucky and blessed to have this opportunity to give back to her all the things she gave to me. Some of you may not have the luxury of doing this. Mother's Day (May 13th) is a wonderful way to acknowledge your moms and we've got a Mother's Day special to help you give her a special gift for the occasion. But even after Mother's Day, I highly encourage you to find ways to honor and acknowledge your mom throughout the year, and deepen your connection with her (or re-establish it as the case may be).

This week's article tackles seasonal skin care needs to help you spring into summer with a healthy glow that stays with you as you move through different climates and seasonal conditions. Enjoy!

Yours in health and prosperity,

Donya

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Seasonal Skin Care: Spring into Summer with a Healthy Glow No Matter Where You Go!

We all know the mantra for a basic skin care regimen: cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturize. Lather, rinse, repeat ... At first glance, this seems simple enough and most of us follow it or some variation of it on a regular basis. The only problem is, as our environments change, so do our skin care needs. This usually becomes obvious with the change in seasons, but it can also happen when we travel to areas where the local climate differs considerably from the environment we normally find ourselves in.

In spite of this, it's not unusual for most of us to follow essentially the same skin care routine all year-round. Whether its busy schedules that leave little time to adjust or a lack of knowledge of what to do, whatever the case may be, if you're using the same routine year-round, you're in a skin care rut! This virtually ensures that you're not optimizing your skin's health and appearance by addressing the seasonal skin care needs brought on by different weather conditions and climates.

Optimizing your seasonal skin care approach for any environment is not so much about using a completely different set of products for each season or climate change as it is about fine-tuning or tweaking your basic routine –emphasizing certain aspects over others to address your skin's varying needs. If you know what those changing needs are then you will be well positioned to keep your skin in tip-top shape as you transition from one season to the next, or travel from one climate to another. Read full article here.

Dropwise Essentials is a San Francisco-based manufacturer of pure aromatherapy and organic plant-based personal care products that give people a safe and effective way to relieve stress, increase vitality, improve confidence, or manage their emotional state any time or place without popping a pill. Our products are:

• Free of synthetic chemicals and petroleum ingredients
• Made with high quality certified organic oils and pure essential oils sourced from around the world
• Packaged in re-usable or recyclable materials
• Hand-made locally in northern California

Dropwise Essentials was founded by Donya Fahmy, a writer, producer, and consultant whose avid interest in the curative powers of aromatherapy and herbs ultimately led her to design and create the seven products and seventeen unique essential oil blends that make up the current Dropwise product line. She has studied aromatherapy with Carol Schiller - a successful author of several aromatherapy books - and with Dr. Daniel Penoel - a renowned expert in the field of medical aromatherapy.

Dropwise Essentials is a proud member of the Indie Beauty Network (formerly the Handmade Beauty Network), the Green America Business Network (formerly Co-op America), Green Product Alliance, Natural Ingredient Resource Center, and a Friend of PETA. We were among the first companies to join the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics by signing their Compact for Safe Cosmetics - which simply formalizes our existing commitment to formulate products free of known or potentially toxic ingredients.