Savory Spaghetti Squash Recipe from Our Guest Blogger, Jamie Barker of Wallace & James

We're Doing Things Differently This Earth Month.. This Earth Month, we're reminding ourselves and our customers that every choice we make has an impact on the planet. So, we're inviting you to join us in our mission to reduce waste and minimize consumption, by shopping consciously and responsibly. As a part of our commitment, we're holding our annual Earth Day Sale for the entire month of April, so you can shop on your own terms and make conscious decisions. No pressure, no countdowns. We invite you to do what's true to you. Happy Earth Month! So What's On The Earth Month Agenda? It's not enough to just talk about sustainability - we need to take action. We're excited to show you what we're doing to minimize our impact and empower you to do the same. Week 1: Our Origin We think the best way to kick off Earth Month is to explore the sustainable principles we were built off of. Week 2: Our Products We're committed to being transparent about what goes into our products, so you can feel good about using them. Week 3: Our Packaging & Sourcing A deep dive into our sourcing, packaging, and efforts to help create a cleaner tomorrow. Week 4: Our Impact Being sustainable isn't just about our products but, how we're making an impact in our community.   Follow us on Instagram or Sign up for our emails for the Earth Month scoop!

We all know about our carbon footprint, right? In simple terms, it's the idea that everyone leaves an impact or footprint on the Earth, and depending on how eco-conscious you are, your footprint can either be BIG or little. If you’re already an eco-friendly person, you know that we can REDUCE the size of our negative impact on the Earth. All it takes is a bit of conscious effort to make this happen... REUSE Taking what most people call “garbage” and reusing it for another purpose is a simple way to help reduce landfill waste. Creating works of art out of “trash” is our favorite — a pretty awesome way to reuse materials in general, if you ask us. Bottles and jars can be used for so many things other than their original use. For instance, you can repurpose your empty for your small plants or florals, just like we did! Empty hair spray bottles can be washed out and reused to mist your delicate orchids or fragile ferns. You can even create chic hanging lights with old wine bottles and turn old pasta jars into a storage containers for your school or art supplies. Helping the planet starts with mindful and informed daily choices that add up to big changes over time. Everyone can do their share. And the best part is, all you need is a caring, open mind and some creative improvisation! Take this spirit into Earth Day this year and celebrate the source of all life... Our planet Earth. REDUCE Reducing the amount of waste thrown into landfills by each person begins with small, everyday changes. Start by assessing your waste accumulation each week. Do you fill your garbage bins to the brim or are all of your waste baskets (compost, recycle, garbage) relatively empty? The average American tends to consume a lot of products with bulky, non-recyclable packaging that ends up in the trash. As we celebrate Earth Day, take a moment to evaluate how you buy and consume products. We wanted to share two practical things you can do today that will help reduce your carbon footprint. Consider buying frequently used products in bulk, when possible. Switch to brands that use eco-friendly packaging that’s recyclable and/or compostable. Lucky for everyone (especially Mother Earth), all John Masters Organics products come in recyclable packaging, so you can feel better about reducing your carbon footprint. We like to focus on RECYCLING and REUSING things as much as possible, not just on Earth Day. Not everyone is perfect and can do all the necessary steps, all of the time. So take things day by day and piece by piece — every little bit helps!   RECYCLE Do you know how to tell if something is recyclable? Some people may not know what’s actually recyclable and it generally varies by the city or state you live in. Here are some basic recycling guidelines to help you decipher recycling codes and get you going in the right direction. While this may take a little time and practice, try to pay close attention to these recycling codes to avoid throwing any recyclables into the garbage bin by mistake. Recycling can also be fun! And you can even save a little bit of cash while doing it! Here’s how. Review the recyclables list available on your local waste management company's website. Save all applicable pieces and turn them in for cash! It may not add up to much at first, but you can always donate that money to a charity or save it to buy something big in the future. And you can pay it forward — doesn’t Mother Earth deserve it?— by simply sharing your knowledge with others. These small adjustments create an almost effortless ripple effect that helps protect the environment. (We’re feeling warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.) Celebrate Earth Day, every day!    

 Tips and tricks from our influencer community to help you relax & unwind. As people, we’re often worried about all of life’s external factors – like studying for a test, preparing for a job interview, or simply just taking care of those around us daily. What is truly most important in life - and what is often overlooked - is taking care of yourself.    Practicing self-care may not come as easy for some as it does for others. We all live busy lives in our own ways, and it may feel challenging or stressful to think about making time for doing things for ourselves. Adopting a self-care routine, or just simply practicing self-care in moments throughout your day, can be greatly beneficial to your overall health and wellness.   Self-care looks different for everybody, so be sure to focus on what you and your body truly need when developing new habits. Below we have some tips, crafted with the help of our creator community, on ways that you can begin to self-care and de-stress this new year.    1. Journaling  Journaling is one way to help you to connect with yourself, your thoughts, your wants, your needs, and your desires. Journaling is often used to ground yourself, and for good reason. Taking a few minutes each day or a few days out of the week to check in with yourself through journaling can help to expand your own awareness, clarify your thoughts, and help to reduce stress and anxiety.   Journaling your thoughts and feelings not only allows you to fully express yourself with zero judgment, but it also allows you to focus on why you’re feeling the way you are and build a solution. Without fully explaining our feelings, we may not know why we feel the ways we do. By allowing ourselves to express our emotions through journaling, we are better able to figure out ways to improve our moods and incorporate new habits to live a healthier life.   Over time, with journaling, you’ll also begin to get to know yourself on a deeper level, boosting your own self-confidence and emotional intelligence, and setting yourself up for a happier and more mindful life.  2. Skincare/Haircare/Scalp Routine  There’s a saying that says, ‘When you look good, you feel good’, and we couldn’t agree more. Building a routine where you are taking good care of your skin, hair, and scalp is beneficial in more than just improving your appearance. Engaging or practicing a self-care routine has been clinically proven to help with reducing or eliminating stress and anxiety, as well as helping to increase happiness and overall hygiene.   What’s important when creating a self-care routine is that you’re using products that are benefitting you and your overall wellness, rather than products that may be counterproductive in doing so. All of our formulas at John Masters Organics are curated without harmful ingredients, such as silicones, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes and fragrances, and artificial preservatives, so you can remain worry-free when focusing on your self-care.  3. Spending Time Outside  Nature, and especially the sun, have healing properties that can be extremely beneficial to our well-being. Soaking up the sun or getting natural light every day can help you to maintain a positive mood, relieve stress, and remain grounded throughout your day. Simply taking a walk at lunchtime or spending a few minutes watching the sunrise with your morning coffee can greatly increase your mood and overall health. Spending time outdoors is also known to help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and overall boost your mood.  Nature can also improve your self-esteem and be a motivating factor for you to continue your physical wellness journey. If you have a hard time trying to get yourself moving or going to the gym, spending time outside can be one way you help yourself stay physically active.    4. Quality Time with Loved Ones (even furry friends)   Spending time with loved ones – yes, even those furry friends – is one way to help reduce stress and anxiety in our lives. Not only does spending time with loved ones help us to remain connected to those around us, but it also helps to combat feelings of loneliness and allows us to become more vulnerable and openly express our feelings, thoughts, and emotions. Spending time with loved ones also allows you to build a support system of people who you trust and can turn to when you need it.  If spending too much time with others isn’t your forte, spending time with your furry friends is also one way to de-stress and improve your mood. On the physical level, spending time with animals can help to lower heart rates and blood pressure, increase immune system functioning, and decrease levels of pain. On an emotional level, animals help to increase happiness, decrease loneliness, and ease stress and emotional pain.   It's also shown that spending time with loved ones and having strong relationships with others leads to a longer lifespan than those who lack strong connections.  

While the holidays are a wonderful time of the year spent enjoying time with family and friends afar, we often ignore how stressful they may actually be. From wrapping gifts and cooking grandma's famous pie, to dodging political conversations at the dinner table, we can all agree there is a lot going on throughout the holiday season.  If you’re feeling like you may need a reset going into the new year, we’ve put together a few tips to help you ground yourself post-holiday season:    What does ‘grounding yourself’ mean?   Being grounded means that you’re present in your body and connected with the earth on a physical, mental, and emotional level.   How can I ground myself?     Tip 1: Practice Your Breath Work  There are many types of breathing techniques that can help you to calm your mind and feel more connected to your body. We love the “body scan” technique as it’s great for beginners.  Here is a video guide from “Well Mind & Body Psychology”. Clinical Psychology Registrar, Oriane Macfarlane takes you through a 10-minute guided body scan meditation.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6ISRE4JD5Y    Tip 2: Take a Cold Shower  Taking a cold shower can help to refresh and relax your body and your mind in many ways. Cold showers help to reduce inflammation, improve circulation, reduce muscle aches and soreness, and relieve pain. In turn, these cold showers can also help to improve your immune system and help you to fight off the latest illness, so you can stay on top of all your responsibilities and to-do lists.     Tip 3: Journal to Start Your Days Intentionally  Journaling is a powerful tool to use to help you stay grounded and focused. Journaling in the mornings can help you to prioritize your responsibilities, sort out your thoughts, and manage your emotions more clearly. Overall, journaling can help to reduce anxiety and stress and create more awareness of yourself and your feelings.    Tip 4: Set Time Aside for Yourself  Our last, but one of the most important ways to stay grounded after the holiday season is to make sure you’re setting time aside for yourself. Keep up with your skincare and haircare routines, don’t forget to hit the gym, and even schedule that much-needed massage or facial appointment. You deserve it. Staying in touch with your mind, your body, and what YOU truly need is one of the best ways to de-stress and bring yourself back to Earth after another busy holiday season. 

Looking for something new to try but unsure of where to start? We’re proud to have not one bestseller, but multiple bestselling products that garner cult-classic status in the organic and natural beauty realm. But why listen to just what we have to say about our products? It doesn’t get more honest than these candid reviews from our tried and true customers:   Shampoo & Conditioner for Dry Hair Restore even the driest hair with this hydrating duo. Our silicone-free formula leaves hair naturally soft, radiant and manageable. “My hair is very curly so it can get pretty dry and brittle. Usually I have to use products with silicon or other less-desirable ingredients just to get my hair moisturized. So you can imagine my surprise when this all-natural organic product worked wonders - after just two washes! And the scent is botanical and light. Highly recommend!” - Christine A   “I liked the original detangler, but am loving this new formula. It's the best lightweight conditioner, and I love that it's silicone-free (a definite improvement from the previous version). And the smell is nice and light, just a touch of floral and citrus. Paired with the Evening Primrose Shampoo, it's perfection for my hair!” - Carly C.   Hair Mask for Normal Hair with Rose & Apricot One of our favorite and most beloved products, this five-star rated natural hair mask drenches dry strands in moisture and an indulgently rich cream formula.   “I have never in my life gotten such instant results from a hair mask. It’s absolutely incredible.” - Jessica V.   "I have long curly highlighted hair and this mask makes my hair look shiny, frizz-free and soft. It also does not weigh my hair down. What a miracle! It works because there are no silicones added. I love this mask so much I ordered four more just in case it is sold out! Thank you John Masters!” - Pamela L.   Leave-in Conditioning Mist with Green Tea & Calendula A fan-favorite, this mist is an excellent pick for all hair types. Its lightweight formula gives hair a boost of nutrients that keep it soft, tangle-free and touchably soft all-day long.   “Love this leave-in mist. It provides the perfect amount of hydration for my hair which is on the finer side. I do have a lot of hair though, so a detangler after the shower is must. Leaves my hair super soft after blow-drying also!” - Aly L.   "This leave-in works great for a blowout on my tightly coiled hair because it is very light. I missed this product during the time John Masters Organics was not selling it. I'm glad it is back.”  - Meadow

Many who are born with naturally fine hair struggle to find balance between lifeless roots and dry, frazzled ends. Hydrating shampoos and conditioners can overwhelm the scalp and weigh hair down while volume-boosting products can dehydrate lengths. When fine hair is grown long, it can create knots and matts that are painful to brush out and cause detrimental breakage, leaving hair looking even more fine and thin. When fine hair is short, it often lays flat and deflated. This is why we brought back our fine-hair savior: Shampoo for Fine Hair with Rosemary & Peppermint. This lightweight formula was specifically designed to give limp hair a boost at the roots without stripping away essential moisture through lengths. Organic rosemary oil stimulates the scalp and optimizes conditions for healthy hair growth to create body and volume. Organic peppermint oil rids the scalp of build-up while create a tingling sensitization to stimulate circulation to hair follicles. Antioxidant-rich white tea extract leaves hair shiny and boosts defenses against damaging pollution and free radicals. And finally, hydrolyzed rice protein fortifies strands to keep them strong and less prone to breakage. After just one wash with rosemary shampoo fine hair is left feeling bouncy, healthy, shiny and weightless so you can let go of fear of instant tangles, oily roots, and brittle ends, and instead flaunt your natural beauty to the world.

Cleanser, toner, essence, serum and cream –– lots thought goes into our skincare routines, yet beyond the normal wash, rinse and repeat three or four times a week, the scalp’s care tends to fall by the wayside. With the season of crisp, dry, moisture-robbing air –– it’s time to give the scalp the attention it deserves.             Just like the skin on the face and body, it’s important to protect, cleanse and moisturize the skin on our heads. With a higher number of sebaceous glands, sweat glands and hair follicles, along with a lower barrier function as compared to the skin on rest of the body, it’s imperative to understand that healthy hair starts at the root. Clogged hair follicles from product build-up, sweat and dead skin cells can both inhibit hair growth and create a happy environment for dandruff-causing fungus that leads to insatiable itch and a flurry of flakes.             To maintain a healthy routine for the scalp, start with our Spearmint & Meadowsweet Scalp Stimulating Shampoo. Its gentle, detoxifying formula consists of an expert blend of botanicals, such as spearmint and peppermint, to stimulate and refresh the scalp, while meadowsweet extract and eucalyptus oil act as natural astringents to balance sebum levels and leave the skin’s surface flake-free. Hair is left perfectly balanced between cleansed and hydrated from root to tip. Try and wash hair no more than three to four days a week, otherwise the scalp tends to over-create its natural oils, leaving hair greasy and limp between washes.             Finish off your scalp care routine with our Deep Scalp Follicle Treatment & Volumizer. This proprietary combination of nature's well-known cure-alls creates optimal conditions for fuller, healthier hair while providing a volumizing boost for commercial-worthy tresses. Organic jojoba seed oil is a close match to the sebum our skin naturally produces and leaves the scalp soft and balanced. All-star ingredient hyaluronic acid can hold 1,000 times its weight in water, dousing the scalp in the thirst-quenching hydration it's craving.             The skin on your face and body is worth the attention it gets every single day. Lend your scalp some of that love by supporting it with a routine that maintains a perfectly balanced environment for beautiful, healthy, shiny hair from root to tip.

We proudly boast the incredible style-holding power of our USDA-certified organic, aerosol-free Hair Spray because it’s one of the few of its kind on the market. How can a natural and organic hair spray mist possibly work just as well –– if not better –– than the colorful aerosol cans we see lined up on the shelves in stores and salons?             The secret to the long-lasting, flake-free medium hold of our Hair Spray is called acacia senegal gum: an ingredient sustainably sourced from the bark of Acacia Senegal trees. The extracted white powder is a natural, soluble fiber obtained from the hardened sap, and is used as a binder in many beauty products from skincare to toothpaste. Its ability to provide texture and hold is what gives our hair spray the ability to keep styles in place all-day long while still remaining easy to brush and wash out at the end of the day.             If the idea of giving up your tin of aerosol hair spray makes you clutch your pearls, we challenge you to try out our Hair Spray so you can experience firsthand why its one of our most loved products.  

As the mercury rises in thermometers it becomes less and less appealing to spend any amount of time in the kitchen cooking with a hot stove or oven. When the air conditioner is cranked high and the ice in your glass is melting, try one of these quick, easy and vegan-friendly summer snacks that will keep your body (and home) cool as a cucumber:   Watermelon Pops Blend watermelon, a squeeze of lime, a pinch of salt, and a sprig of mint into a blender. Strain using a mesh strainer to remove pulp and separate the sweet, concentrated juice. Add mixture to popsicle molds and freeze for a refreshing treat.   Frozen Banana Sushi Fun, quirky and absolutely delicious, kids and adults alike will love snacking on these frozen banana bites.   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler. Peel ripe, spotty bananas and roll them in the dark chocolate, then roll in toppings such as nuts, granola,  or dried fruit. Place on the baking sheet and freeze for at least two hours. Once frozen, slice into bites-size pieces and enjoy!   Mediterranean Salad This cool and refreshing salad is easy to make and absolutely delicious eaten on a sandwich, cracker or bed of lettuce.   1 15-oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 14-oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and cut into strips 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup chopped olives 1/4 small red onion, chopped 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar salt and black pepper to taste   Lightly  the chickpeas in a big bowl, leaving some texture. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve with crackers, bread or over lettuce as a salad.