The concepts of beauty have been shifted so far to be holistic, liberal and optimistic. But, that is not easy for some of us. You may still have trouble looking after your body or feeling comfortable in your own skin. In this post, I’m about to share my review on a book, titled Fresh & Pure: Organically Crafted Beauty Balms & Cleansers (Pretty Zen) by Jules Aron. I believe that it can help us take a leap of faith by switching up our wholesome approach to beauty.

Above all, who is Jules Aron? She is a world-renowned plant-based wellness authority, writer and content creator. Jules Aron has been featured in the New York Post, Well + Good NYC, the Today Show, Goodful, BuzzFeed, and MindbodyGreen. Dubbed “The Wellness Mixologist” by Women’s Health magazine. Moreover, she is a best-selling author of four books, including Zen and Tonic, Nourish and Glow, Fresh and Pure, and Vegan Cheese.

1. Getting Back to Nature with Pretty Zen Philosophy

Fresh & Pure is based on Pretty Zen Philosophy by Jules Aron. That encourages us to go green on our holistic self-treat rituals and find a deep sense of calm in our lives. The author jumps right into some main points of the skin’s functions as well as briefly explains how the presence of toxins and harmful chemicals in cosmetics could be bad for our skin and physical well-being. As she puts it, “by returning to nature and simplifying our beauty routine, we can begin to make better choices.”

Go further, in “Natural Beauty Apothecary,” readers will get to know arrays of natural extracts, base oils, and essential oils. These ingredients are very reputable and not elusive on the market. In tandem, the author kindly enumerates their properties. Besides, make sure that your kitchen is equipped with basic tools to blend, filter and contain concoctions. Readers are going to be adequately prepared without being lost in the heaps of information.

Cut to the chase, you are led to harness the botanical treasures through 75 natural remedy recipes to coddle yourself from head to toe. Topically apply elixirs, face masks, infusions, balms, scrubs, sprays, soaps and ointments for facial skincare, body care, hand and foot care and hair care. You can even formulate your own makeup products, which may have a limited range of colors. Well, that seems to require tons of work to do.

In addition, craft hygiene alternatives for your personal care products that are full of synthetic constituents. Then, don’t forget to satisfy your cravings with pick-me-ups or snacks – “spa day treats” touted as restoring gut health and boosting immunity.

If you are one of the home remedy fanatics, the book is going to be up your street. It’s really inspirational to enhance our quality of life with TLC and a variety of green wonders.

2. Unique, Tailored DIY Recipes By Jules Aron

Our facial skin craves sophisticated TLC, as one of my favourite parts. It’s meant to not only pamper the overall skin of your face, but also get down to special treatments for under-eye areas, lips, and eyelashes. The book tends to walk us through the fundamental knowledge of skincare and the composition of the topical formulations.

Jules Aron does a great job of selecting potent ingredients that allegedly cater to different skin types and concisely explaining their uses. Her facial skincare recipes are unique, from very simple to more complex, in the absence of chemicals, fragrances or preservatives. They follow five essential qualities like cleansing, exfoliating, balancing, moisturizing, and nourishing. As such, Fresh and Pure aims to help you refine your skincare ritual. Furthermore, incorporate “Facial Massage 101” in your skincare enhancements to achieve meditation from topical applications.

The same goes for body care. Let’s recall Essential Oils Then and Now: From Medicine to Beauty that aromatherapy has long been beneficial to the health of your body, mind, and spirit. “The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day,” says Hippocrates. Jules Aron is also an advocate of wisdom. In Fresh and Pure, you are going to immerse your body in sensory, therapeutic baths loaded with herbs, spices, oats, salts, and essential oils. Or, enjoy a luxurious Cleopatra milk bath for glowing, supple skin.

Also, there are botanical soaps, tea sachets, bath bombs and body scrubs, all of which contribute to increasing your bathing experience and rejuvenating the skin. Then, finish off your post-shower routine with body butter, massage oil or body lotion.

Not to mention, with a bevy of plant-derived ingredients, you can even customize your own shampoo, hair conditioner, scalp treatment, foot soak, hand sanitizer, mouth rinse, toothpaste, insect repellent or shaving cream. To be honest, I have never thought I could make my own personal care products. But, it seems that nothing is impossible in Fresh and Pure.

Eventually, in the name of holistic wellness, add natural ingredients into our everyday diet. That recalls Zen and Tonic. Recharge your body and your skin with high concentrations of fibers, minerals and vitamins. These recipes are vegan and nutritious.

3. On The Flip Side

Folks are entering the era of “skintellectualism,” by which we require a deep understanding of ingredient science, the skin’s functions and dermal absorption. In my opinion, the book has not delivered a rigorous approach to topical applications or their plausibility. We are talking about replacing all of our current products. It’s not that easy. Does the everyday application of the DIY beauty recipes actually benefit your skin condition without causing irritation as they promise?

Believe it or not, essential oils can increase the skin’s sensitivity, especially under exposure to sunlight. Coconut oil is likely to cause clogged pores. Witch hazel can increase dryness and aggravate breakouts. In fact, all-natural products may not work for everyone. This matter can be flooded with a lot of controversies since some people are allergic to certain ingredients. I believe that it should come with caveats for each recipe.

Moreover, I wish that the book could add more explanation about the dermal absorption of those plant-based remedies. Not all-natural ingredients can be equally delivered through the skin’s layers, instead of sitting on top. Whether they are small and permeable enough to be uptaken by skin cells or not. Plenty of commercial skincare products has to be infused with some constituents that aim to enhance the percutaneous absorption of active ingredients.

Anyway, I’m not sure if I’m able to follow my A.M. skincare routine with DIY toner and whipped moisturizer before heading outdoors. And, it’s important to apply sunscreen afterward. Well, I might prefer to relish them at night.

4. Elegant Design

I’m really enamoured of Fresh & Pure’s design more than its sister book, Zen & Tonic. The vintage floral is very enchanting on the cover, fully painted with dark turquoise. It literally looks stylish feasting my eyes and decorating my bookshelf. Next, the inside of the book is also attractive. The layout of text and images is clear and well-organised. Each recipe comes with a reference image. This brilliant and visually appealing book interior design helps enhance our reading experience and effectively convey the author’s message.

Some of us may quickly get bored of reading books. But, I’m sure this will not turn you down. The text is very readable and straightforward without being long-winded.

I really hope that my review is informative enough about Fresh & Pure by Jules Aron. If you have any ideas or questions, please let us know. We are dying to hear you out. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! Stay healthy and beautiful, dreamers!