🌿 A Season of Learning, Creating, and Healing
Fall always feels like a cozy dinner with close friends—unhurried, golden, and full of sweet memories. The winter garden hums softly beneath the thinning sun, reminding me that this is my last chance to plant before Father Winter tucks the earth beneath his cool, silvery quilt.
There’s something deeply satisfying about watching rows of butter lettuce, kale, spinach, and collards shimmer in the silvery morning dew — their leaves resting on the cool soil beneath a tall forest of evergreens. They don’t seem to worry about the coming cold; they simply shine and do what they were created to do — grow, give, and thrive in their season. Their quiet strength and fearlessness remind me of what I, too, am built for — resilience, renewal, and the courage to keep reaching toward the light, even as the seasons shift.
The mild weather, the bright pumpkins dotting the yards, and the soft sun on my skin each morning whisper that the holidays are drawing near. Between new seedlings, blooming herbs, and our latest homestead projects, my heart feels full. I am grateful to be alive. To breathe. To enjoy the simple things. Life is amazing. So much to explore.
This season has also been rich in learning. Between building raised beds, celebrating my birthday, and attending a few continuing-education weekends in natural health and formulation, I’ve been soaking in knowledge like soil after the rain. Each lesson reminds me how deeply everything is connected—the land we tend, the foods we prepare, and the way our skin reflects our inner world.
And during one of those weekends, I had the privilege of learning from Dr. John Clark, whose insights completely reshaped how I think about oils, health, and skin — from the inside out.
What I Learned from Dr. John Clark’s Seminar
Dr. Clark’s teachings through Northern Lights Health Education explore how dietary oils influence inflammation, cell health, and even DNA repair. His findings confirm that the human body functions best when the bloodstream isn’t flooded with extracted or refined fats from foods we eat daily.
When those isolated oils enter the body, they can clog the inner body cellular communication channels designed for oxygen and nutrient exchange. The result? Increased inflammation, sluggish metabolism, and a cascade that often shows up in the skin — breakouts, dullness, or premature aging.
During a recent health weekend with Dr. John Clark, I was reminded that even small changes can rewrite big parts of our story. His Cancer and Inflammation research opened my eyes to how isolated oils and fats behave inside the body. He shared that when patients removed all processed oils from their diets and returned to whole-food sources of fat — such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and whole olives instead of bottled olive oil — many saw changes not just in lab results, but in visible signs of aging and even skin clarity. Topical application of fats and plants is healing but ingesting extracted oil inside our body tells a bit of a different story—an important one.
The Inside–Outside Connection
The link between nutrition and skin isn’t just conjecture—it’s biological. The outer layer of your skin, called the lipid barrier, mirrors the condition of your internal cellular membranes. When cells are inflamed or burdened by too much dietary oil, they become sluggish and lose their ability to repair and detoxify effectively.
But when you nourish the body with whole plants and natural oils—the kind found within foods like avocados, olives, nuts, and seeds—something begins to shift. Circulation improves, oxygen flows more freely, and the skin takes on a new vitality. It’s as though the body whispers “thank you” in every direction.
That’s when I realized: the secret isn’t about removing oil completely—it’s about becoming oil-wise.
When Oils Heal from the Outside
While isolated oils can burden the body internally, pure, plant-based oils on the skin tell a very different story. These oils comfort, seal in moisture, and help restore the skin’s natural rhythm of protection and renewal — because they speak the same biological language as our skin’s own lipids.
The problem begins when we consume bottled oils outside of their whole-food origin — when olive oil replaces the olive, or almond oil replaces the nut. In that form, the fat enters the bloodstream faster than the body is designed to handle. Each cell is surrounded by tiny receptors that help process fats and sugars. When those receptors become overloaded with oil, they retreat inward, leaving the surface unable to respond properly. The excess fat remains in the bloodstream, causing what’s known as insulin resistance — a “traffic jam” that makes the blood sticky and slows nutrient exchange.
Over time, this imbalance contributes to inflammation, pain, arthritis, and even changes at the DNA level that can lead to cancer. Add modern environmental toxins and family predispositions, and it becomes clear why today’s chronic illnesses — from diabetes to Alzheimer’s — are so often linked to what we eat.
"As an herbalist focusing on hormone health and inflammation balance, I’ve seen how whole-food, plant-based choices transform both skin and mood."
So, is all oil bad? Not at all. It’s not oil itself that harms us, but how it’s used.
Plant oils have an important place — especially on the skin, where they nourish and rejuvenate. Yet when eaten in isolated, processed forms, oils can become more harmful than healing. Research increasingly connects high consumption of processed oils and sugars with inflammation, arthritis, stroke, and even accelerated aging.
That same whole-food philosophy guides how I formulate Me and a Tree Skincare’s plant-based soaps and face care collections.
At Me and a Tree Skincare, we use oils like cold-pressed-virgin olive fruit oil, avocado, almond, tamanu, and aloe butter — all healthy, natural, and rich in antioxidants. These oils don’t clog skin pores; they instead harmonize with the skin’s own lipid structure, encouraging repair rather than disruption.
That’s why the phrase “oil-free skincare” doesn’t align with what nature teaches us. The skin needs these botanical lipids — the kind that breathe, restore, and reconnect us to the plant world.
When I formulated our skin-loving soap bars, I crafted each recipe intentionally to cleanse and condition the skin without over-drying. Every oil has a specific role and chemistry — some create a gentle lather, others draw impurities, and others replenish moisture. The balance between them is what makes the difference. It's also what makes some skin more healing than others.
I use different oils in precise amounts because even a small change alters the chemistry and how a soap bar behaves on the skin. The clays, herbs, and botanicals we blend in also play their part — adding minerals, calming inflammation, and restoring what our skin loses throughout the day. Together, these ingredients create harmony — a gentle, cleansing balance that feels alive and aligned with nature. So no — oil isn’t bad once we understand its purpose. In the right form and in the right place, it becomes one of nature’s most intelligent healers.
Balance in Practice: The Bread & Dip Experiment
Inspired by what I learned from Dr. Clark, I wanted to experiment internally with the same principles in the kitchen — whole fats, no extracted oil. Together, my husband and I created an amazing green olive and garlic herb dip and paired it with my new oil-free spelt and red lentil flatbread. I also made a gluten-free one so keep reading (hint: both were delicious)!
The bread turned out soft and rustic, with a gentle citrus brightness from fresh lemon and coriander. The dip — briny and aromatic from pureed olives, oregano, and thyme — was every bit as satisfying as the richest olive oil blend I’ve ever made. Both my husband and I, being of Spanish and Italian descent, were overjoyed by the flavor — a perfect blend of our roots and our new, oil-free approach to health.
It felt like eating joy itself — whole, balanced, and deeply nourishing.
And the philosophy behind it mirrors my approach to skincare:
Whole-food fats on the inside. Beautiful plant oils on the outside.
As I savored that simple meal, I couldn’t help but think about how the same balance applies to caring for our skin. Just as the body thrives when nourished with whole foods, the skin flourishes when fed with ingredients that are pure, intentional, and alive. Every oil, clay, and botanical we use has a purpose — to restore what’s been lost and to bring the skin back into harmony with nature.
How This Philosophy Shows Up in Our Skincare
Just like this meal nourishes from within, our skincare philosophy reflects that same intention from the outside. Each product I create is built on whole-plant synergy — rich oils, herbal extracts, and mineral clays that help the skin find its natural rhythm again.
We use the most gentle cold-pressed olive, avocado, tamanu, and almond oils for their essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that the skin immediately recognizes. These oils don’t just coat the surface — they communicate with the skin’s barrier, calming irritation, repairing micro-tears, and improving elasticity naturally.
Our soaps, lotions, and balms are intentionally free from synthetic fragrances, petroleum-based waxes, and harsh preservatives. Every ingredient earns its place for what it contributes to the skin’s ecosystem — not just for texture or shelf life.
It’s the same philosophy that began in the garden and found its way into the workshop: balance, purpose, and the beauty of keeping things whole- naturally the way God intended.
Tips for Transitioning to an Oil-Wise Lifestyle
If this way of thinking feels new, start small and give yourself grace. True change begins in gentle steps — one choice at a time. Here are a few simple ways to bring more balance into your daily rhythm:
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In the kitchen: Choose whole foods that contain natural fats in their original form — avocados, nuts, seeds, and olives. Try baking, roasting, or steaming instead of frying. You’ll be surprised how flavor blooms when food isn’t weighed down by oil.
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In your skincare: Avoid “oil-free” marketing traps. Instead, look for botanical oils and butters that feed the skin the way whole foods feed the body. Let your skincare breathe and communicate with your skin’s natural barrier.
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Hydrate inside and out: Water supports your body’s ability to detox and repair, while plant oils help seal in that hydration from the outside. Together, they form a quiet partnership of healing.
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Listen to your body: It’s always communicating. When you give it what it recognizes — from whole foods to natural ingredients — it often responds with calm energy, clearer skin, and renewed vitality.
Becoming “oil-wise” isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness — knowing which oils heal, which harm, and how to bring them into harmony with your body and your skin.
Holistic skincare and plant-based nutrition are two sides of the same wellness story — both work to restore balance, inside and out.
Quick Takeaways 🌿
Oils belong on the skin, not in the bloodstream.
Whole, plant-based oils feed and protect the skin — but refined, isolated oils taken internally can disrupt balance and slow healing.
Nature designed fats in their perfect packages.
Eat them as they appear in nature — in olives, nuts, seeds, and avocados — not processed and extracted into bottles.
Whole-food fats nourish from within; plant oils restore from without.
Together, they form a complete conversation between body and skin.
Cooking and skincare share the same principle:
Keep it whole, keep it balanced, keep it alive.
Being oil-wise isn’t about restriction — it’s about rhythm.
It’s knowing when and how to let oils work for you — healing, hydrating, and harmonizing — inside and out.
Try It, Share It, Connect
If you try this flatbread and dip, I’d love to see your version!
📸 Tag your photos with #OilWiseLiving or #MeandaTreeSkincare so we can celebrate the beauty of mindful living together — in the kitchen and in self-care.
To explore this same philosophy for your skin, visit our Natural Soap and Face Care collections — each created with the same heart that goes into every handmade meal and every seed planted here at home.
And if you’d like more simple recipes, skin rituals, and reflections on nature’s wisdom, join our newsletter for seasonal inspiration and community stories.
Because when we nourish both land and skin — inside and out — something beautiful awakens in us all. 🌿
✨ About the Author of Me and a Tree Skincare
Michelle Touchstone, founder, herbalist, and artisan soap and skincare maker behind Me and a Tree Skincare.
Michelle specializes in holistic wellness, hormone health, and botanical formulation. As both a natural formulator and herbalist, she blends science and soul — crafting small-batch skincare, soaps, and tinctures that nourish the body’s rhythm and restore harmony from within.
Curious, expressive, and creative by nature, Michelle brings the same vibrancy she lives by into everything she makes. When she’s not handcrafting in her Tennessee studio, or making vegan delights—she’s often found hiking through forest trails and meadows, foraging for both the unusual and the familiar — wild herbs, roots, and blossoms that spark her next creation. She also composes melodic soundscapes on piano and electric guitar, weaving her love of movement, music, and earth into art that celebrates the fullness of life — bold, beautiful, and real.
The Recipe: Whole-Food Nourishment Inside and Out
🥖 Oil-Free Spelt & Red Lentil Flatbread
(Whole-Food, Mineral-Rich, and Perfect with Green Olive Dip)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 18–20 flatbreads
Ingredients
Flatbread:
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups spelt grain (or gluten free flour)
½ cup red lentils (before milling or blending)
🫒 Green Olive & Garlic Herb Dip
(Rich in flavor, no extracted oils needed)
Ingredients
- 1 cup green olives, pitted
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp fresh oregano and thyme (or ½ tsp dried each)
- Optional: small handful of fresh basil
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth or slightly chunky. Add a touch more water if needed. Serve with warm flatbread.
💚 The Heart Behind It
This simple meal reminded me that wellness doesn’t have to feel complicated.
When we return to whole foods and plant-based oils — in both cooking and skincare — balance begins to bloom naturally.
It’s not about perfection or deprivation. It’s about reconnecting to the wisdom of simplicity: using what the earth gives us in its most honest form.
“At Me and a Tree Skincare, our philosophy of holistic beauty and plant-based wellness continues to guide every soap, serum, and botanical blend we create.”