If it’s a rhythm of nature, we will ritualize it. Earlier this summer we did a deep dive into the concept, the power, and the importance of Lunar Skin Care. In it we covered the full spectrum of the lunar cycle, and how to best utilize it to amplify the efficacy of your skin care. Today, as we approach this weekend’s New Moon, we are extracting the new moon ritual to hopefully encourage you to partake in your own New Moon Skin Ritual.
New Moon.
The Ritual.
A New Moon is a cup to fill.
New Moon is…
Yin. Quiet. Rest. Nourishment. Night of night.
It is the beginning, the birth, the first day of the lunar cycle. This makes it a good time to start new habits, and to commit or recommit to yourself and to self care.
The new moon is also called the dark moon. It occurs when the moon is at its relative lowest point in its orbit, and passes between the earth and the sun, leaving us with a relatively moonless and dark night.
The idea of darkness is such an incredibly maligned and misunderstood concept in our modern world. Often associated with “badness”, “wrongness,” or “negativity,” it is seen as the evil in Good vs. Evil.
But we don’t equate darkness with such things. When we think ‘dark,’ we think dark like womb. Dark like cocoon. Darkness that heals. A state filled with mystery, transformation, renewal, and regeneration.
As a culture we default to duality, and forget that reality is actually a vast spectrum. At evanhealy, we believe in the power and medicine of wholeness in all forms, and that means embracing the light and the dark.
To celebrate and honor the birth of the lunar cycle, we have created a nourishing and magical ritual for you. Our New Moon skin ritual is anchored in nourishment. The focus is on filling the empty cup. We do this primarily with our favorite botanical sanctuary, Whipped Shea Butter.
You can practice these rituals anytime throughout the day of a lunar event, but we find the best experience is had when they are conducted once the sun has sunk below the horizon and the stars have come out.
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Deep Nourishment — A simple new moon skin ritual
1. Cleanse your face with your cleanser of choice. For this ritual our favorite method is Oil Cleansing with Neem Immortelle Purifying Infusion, Nourishing Cleansing Oil, or Vetiver Hinoki Body Oil, as the steaming from the oil cleansing prepares the skin the best receive nourishment.
2. Mist skin with HydroSoul. We like Rose Petal, Lavender, and Tulsi. Slowly press into skin.
3. Take about two fingertips worth of Whipped Shea Butter (about half a teaspoon, and you can use either Whipped Shea Butter with Olive Leaf or Whipped Patchouli Vanilla Shea Butter, and melt between palms. Once the shea is melted and distributed over your hands and fingers, begin to massage into your face and neck, starting at the jaw and working up the face in slow, rhythmic motions, and then working down into the neck, and even decolletage if you’d like.
If your skin feels like it could drink in some more shea, you can add an extra half teaspoon (or more) until your skin feels fully enveloped.
4. If you’d like, you can take a short rest. Drink some tea. Sit in stillness. When you’re ready, the key step of a Shea Mask is steam. Take a washcloth and submerge it into hot water, wringing it out to remove excess moisture. Place the steamy cloth over your face, pressing slowly and gently into the cheeks, forehead and chin. Repeat until all the Whipped Shea is absorbed and skin feels supple, and resilient.
5. Saturate the skin with an abundant misting of HydroSoul, pressing the droplets into the skin.
Check in with your skin and see if it asks for any more moisture. If it does, you can add a little extra Shea, or a pump or two of your favorite Oil Serum. For the new moon we like Argan Intensive and Pomegranate Repair Serum.
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Bathed in Darkness — A complete new moon skin + body ritual
1.Perform the first three steps from the Deep Nourishment Simple New Moon Ritual.
2. With the shea butter saturating your face, begin to prepare your bath. Gather your salts - we like Dead Sea, Himalayan, or magnesium flakes. If you’d like you can make a soup-pot of herbal tea (we like nettles, lavender, rose petals and lemon balm), strain it, and pour that into the tub too. If you’d like, you can also pour yourself some tea to drink while you’re soaking. It’s up to personal preference if you like to fill the tub while you are in it or not. When the tub is full pour in your salts and tea.*
3. Turn off all the lights. Turn off any fans. Don’t light any candles. Allow yourself to be bathed in the darkness as you soak in the waters.
4. Once you’re in the tub the heat and rising steam to help penetrate the Shea Mask into the skin. When you’re ready, probably nearing the end of your soak, submerge a cloth into the bath water, and then lay it over your face, pressing into the cheeks, forehead and chin. Repeat until all the shea butter is absorbed. If you’d like, you can massage more shea into the skin and repeat the process.
5. Emerging from the tub, while skin is still damp and before toweling dry, massage an ample amount of Vetiver Hinoki Body Oilinto body, starting at your feet, and slowly working your way up to your neck.
6.Drench skin with HydroSoul.
7. Check in with your facial skin. Does it feel content? Does it want a little something extra? If it does, massage in a small amount of Whipped Shea, or your favorite Oil Serum, while skin is still damp from your HydroSoul application. For the new moon we like Argan Intensive Serum, or Pomegranate Repair Serum.
You are welcome to end your ritual here, and go on with your night, but you may find due to the dark and dreamy nature of the sequence that all you want to do is slip into bed and allow yourself to sink into a deep and restorative sleep.
*If you don’t have a bath tub, you can also take a shower in the dark for a similar experience.
The New Moon Rituals can be practiced at anytime during the new moon, or waxing moon phase.
To learn more about lunar skin care — why we practice it, the details on our Full Moon Ritual, what to do during the waxing and waning period, and more — read our detailed Lunar Skin Blog here.