Locally grown herbs, fruits, fungi, flowers and spices aren't just for eating

By NAOMI CRAWFORD
Petaluma Argus-Courier

Friday June 13th, 2025

What you put on your body matters just as much as what you put in your body.

Ask Julia Faller at her Petaluma studio and manufacturing site Benedetta, and you’ll hear why. Julia has been working with herbs, fruits, fungi, flowers, spices and emollients to make luscious, chemical-free creams, oils, cleansers, and such, for decades.

She’s a pioneer in the natural skincare space, casting doubt on the cosmetics industry whose norm is selling harsh petro-chemicals and pollutants as “natural.”

I booked a 30 minute “mini-facial” where Julia examined my skin, cleaning it with her bespoke cream cleanser, spritzing a floral-smelling hydrosol, gently patting on a botanical oil, and finishing with a shellacking of a pastel yellow, herbal cream that she swears is better for protecting skin from sun damage than SPF.

All the while she spoke about farm-sourced botanicals, and her commitment to sourcing the highest quality raw materials to make the most nutrient-dense, wholesome products for skincare.

Bonus: If you get the mini-facial, you receive a 20% discount off any products. I purchased all that she used on me during our 30-minute session (purely for research purposes, of course) and have been fairly good at sticking to the routine she prescribed.

When I do that regularly, I admit to getting compliments on my skin.

Book a 30-minute session with Julia to get your own glow.

I admit to being a little nervous about not using an SPF, as a freckled (prior to gray, redhead), so if I’m headed to a place where there is a lot of sun, I’ll double down, but most days I’m not in the direct sun, so I’m sticking to Julia’s recommendation.

Note: if I do develop skin cancer, it could very well be the decades I spent in the sun with tanning oil, not understanding that I was not immortal or naturally resistant to disease.

Julia may be on to something though. There is a lot of consternation over SPF these days. This seems to be over the chemical oxybenzone which appears in most sunscreens and ends up in our bodies (like I said, what we put on our bodies matters.)

Oxybenzone is an endocrine-disruptor and dangerous to thyroids. It also damages the environment, specifically coral reefs. If using an SPF, maybe seek out those that don’t contain benzones. Wearing hats and long-sleeves is even better – just not very fun for us sun-worshipers.

Not being sure about her take on SPFs doesn’t mean I doubt her philosophy about using only the highest quality ingredients on our bodies to support the well-being of ourselves and the planet.

It goes without saying that buying from local, organic growers and harvesters for food and skincare has the same effect: you either support a robust, thriving, healthy ecosystem or you support a toxic, nutrient-deficient one.

Laurel Shaffer, herbalist and proprietor of her eponymous Laurel Skin, also in Petaluma, agrees. In fact, her tagline is Slow Farmed Skincare. In Laurel, I feel like I found a kindred spirit.

“Sourcing is a means to help the planet and our communities,” Shaffer said. “By creating a local supply chain with organic and regenerative family farms, we are able to nourish our community and local lands.”

This is exactly how I feel about food, and exactly the information I shout from the rooftops. Sorry, not sorry for my evangelism. Laurel knows. She has been a community herbalist and formulator of all things to make your skin glow and heal for 15 years.

“The quality of ingredients determines how effective a skin care product will be,” she said.

I asked Laurel about our mutual mission of educating the public on why it’s important to seek better quality, as it supports healthy ecosystems and ultimately, a healthier community, and to do so, spend a little more money.

She answered the way I would.

“Creating a local, organic, regenerative and love-filled supply chain for our ingredients defines why I am here. It impacts the health of the planet. It also heightens our quality control tenfold, creating more result-driven skin care than most people even think is possible with plants. Sourcing locally ensures our brand isn’t involved in common pitfalls like forced child labor or unethical farmworker treatment, a huge carbon footprint, poisoning of waterways and destruction of ecosystems with pesticide use, and stealing from Indigenous lands. We hope to tip the scales at some point as more brands begin to source this way.”

Amen, sister. Amen.

For readers who want to check out Shaffer’s amazing products, visit her website or visit one of her spa partners in Sonoma County – Stellar, Take Care, Osmosis, and Solage. For a complete list of what she offers, see her website, where she also has an amazing, beautiful blog about all things related to farm to skin.