5 May Lindstrom Products That Made My Skin Look Instantly More Alive

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There’s a reason people become so emotionally attached to May Lindstrom Skin. The products don’t just make your skin look good. They make the entire experience of doing your skincare feel better.

Somehow, washing your face turns into an actual ritual instead of something you rush through before bed.

We’ve talked about a few May Lindstrom products over the years at The Chalkboard Mag, and after previously sitting down with May for a Living Well interview, it became even clearer why the brand has such a loyal following. The formulas are deeply sensorial, incredibly comforting on stressed skin, and the kind of products you genuinely look forward to using at the end of the day.

Below, the five products from the line that completely changed our skin ritual and the ones we keep reaching for whenever our skin looks tired, irritated, puffy, dull, or just generally in need of a reset.

The Blue Cocoon

If you’ve read The Chalkboard Mag for a while, you already know we’ve talked about The Blue Cocoon many times before and for good reason. It remains one of the most soothing balm-to-oil skincare products we’ve ever tried.

The first thing you notice is the color. The balm has this deep cerulean blue hue that almost looks like a tiny galaxy swirling around inside the jar, something beauty lovers online constantly reference when describing it. The color comes from blue tansy, the ingredient largely responsible for the product’s calming properties and signature herbal aroma.

Once warmed between your fingertips, the balm melts into the silkiest oil and instantly feels comforting on stressed skin. This is the product we reach for after flights, long work days, too much screen time, lack of sleep, over exfoliation, or honestly anytime our skin just looks irritated and exhausted.

In our interview, May shared that The Blue Cocoon was originally created to support clients experiencing damaged skin during chemotherapy and health challenges, which makes its deeply soothing nature feel even more intentional. She also called it the one product she never skips morning or night.

And honestly, we get it.

More than anything, this product changes the mood of your skincare routine. Applying it at night feels instantly calming in a way that most skincare products simply don’t. SHOP THE BLUE COCOON HERE

The Honey Mud

The Honey Mud is one of those products that immediately makes your bathroom feel like a spa.

Part cleanser, part mask, the texture has this rich honey pudding consistency that somehow feels both decadent and incredibly comforting at the same time. It smells warm, botanical, slightly chocolatey, and luxurious without being overpowering.

This is the product we love reaching for when skin feels dull, dry, tired, or just generally lifeless. It leaves the skin feeling absurdly soft and clean without that squeaky stripped feeling aggressive cleansers tend to create.

What also makes it so easy to keep using is the versatility. Some nights we use it as a quick cleanse. Other nights we leave it on for a few extra minutes while winding down before bed and let it work more like a treatment mask.

Either way, skin always looks noticeably fresher afterward.

May described it perfectly in our interview when she called it “a decadent, acid infused dream” that transforms into a silky milk once massaged into wet skin. Honestly, that description could not be more accurate. SHOP THE HONEY MUD

The Problem Solver

If The Blue Cocoon is the calming exhale of the routine, The Problem Solver is the dramatic reset button.

This warming treatment mask has become one of the brand’s most talked about products for good reason. The dry powder transforms into a rich mousse once mixed with water, and the warming sensation kicks in almost immediately.

The first time we used it, we completely understood why beauty people online talk about it like it’s some kind of facial in a jar.

This is the product we reach for when skin feels congested, puffy, inflamed, stressed, or like it desperately needs a refresh before an event. There’s something incredibly satisfying about washing it off and immediately seeing your face look brighter, smoother, and significantly more awake.

In our Living Well interview, May described it as a mask she reaches for whenever skin feels “off, finicky, sensitive, red, breaking out, or experiencing any kind of inflammation or discomfort.” That honestly sums it up perfectly.

Despite the intense warming sensation, our skin never feels stripped afterward. It just looks clearer, glowier, and more energized. SHOP THE PROBLEM SOLVER

The Pendulum Potion

A great cleansing oil can completely change your skin ritual, and The Pendulum Potion is one we’ve kept coming back to over and over again.

The silky oil melts down makeup, SPF, and the entire day in a way that feels incredibly luxurious without ever feeling heavy or greasy. But the real game changer is how you use it.

We’ve found this product works best when paired with a warm damp cleansing cloth. After massaging the oil into the skin for a minute or two, gently removing it with a cloth leaves the face feeling unbelievably smooth, soft, and fresh afterward. It gives that deeply cleansed feeling without making skin feel dry or overworked.

There’s also something incredibly grounding about the ritual itself. Slow facial massage, steam from the towel, the botanical scent. It feels less like “removing makeup” and more like signaling to your nervous system that the day is officially over.

May also shared that The Pendulum Potion is an esthetician favorite for opening a facial, especially when paired with the brand’s exfoliating towels. After using it ourselves, that makes complete sense. SHOP THE PENDULUM POTION HERE

The Jasmine Garden

Out of every facial mist we’ve tried over the years, The Jasmine Garden remains one of our absolute favorites.

Some facial mists feel refreshing for approximately three seconds before disappearing into the void. This one actually feels like it’s doing something.

The ultra fine mist instantly makes skin feel calmer, fresher, and more hydrated, especially on sensitive skin days when everything feels irritated or overheated. It’s the kind of product you end up keeping nearby at all times because you start reaching for it constantly throughout the day.

And after speaking with May, we understood why the formula feels so special.

In our interview, she shared that one of the hero ingredients is the brand’s “ridiculously good rose cellular water,” which makes up part of The Jasmine Garden formula and happens to be one of the most expensive raw materials they source. She described misting with it generously on ultra sensitive skin mornings and using it throughout the day to bring moisture and calm.

Honestly, that tracks.

The mist feels cooling, calming, and incredibly luxurious in a way that elevates the entire skincare routine. We especially love pairing it with The Blue Cocoon at night or keeping it nearby during long work days when our skin needs a refresh. SHOP THE JASMINE GARDEN

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Why the Shift Away From Minimalism Is Becoming Personal, According to an Interior Designer

Minimalism had a long run. For years, it defined what “good taste” looked like, all white everything, barely-there palettes, spaces that felt more styled than lived in. But lately, something has shifted. Homes are starting to feel warmer, more layered, and more personal.

Interior designer Kim Lapin is seeing that change firsthand. Known for her instinct-driven approach, she builds spaces through tone, texture, and contrast rather than rigid rules, creating interiors that feel collected, not copied. As she puts it, minimalism hasn’t disappeared, it’s simply evolved into something richer, more intentional, and more reflective of the people who live in it.

Ahead, Lapin shares why design is starting to feel more personal again, and how to move beyond playing it safe at home.

Are we officially over minimalism, or are we just doing it differently now? I hate to label anything because I can get on board with different styles and aesthetics as long as they are done well. Thoughtful design is what I’m after, and the architecture of the home and space really dictates what I think needs to be done design-wise. I will say the “minimalism” I’m seeing now is much more tonal and warm, so it feels less minimalistic. It feels richer and more intentional. I feel like a lot of people are moving away from the traditional minimalism that felt boring and bright. Now it feels cleaner and more elevated.

We’ve moved away from the early 2000s version of minimalism with all the white and beige everything, and toward something more refined and layered. It’s a more evolved take on the same idea, just with more sophistication. I still tend to prefer a bit more curation and character in the mix, though.

There’s a sense that homes are becoming more personal again. What do you think is driving that shift right now? I think COVID really shifted the way we think about our homes. It created a desire for spaces to truly function for how we live. Homes became our retreat, our escape, and somewhere we want to feel connected to.

At the same time, social media has expanded what’s possible in design. We’re exposed to more ideas, materials, and ways of living, which has made people more confident in personalizing their spaces. There’s a freedom now to mix materials, incorporate vintage, and invest in pieces that feel meaningful. Because of that, our homes have become one of the most personal reflections of who we are, offering a glimpse into our taste, our lifestyle, and how we want to live.

Your design of the Via La Selva bathroom feels like a departure from traditional minimalism. What was your starting point for the space? I wanted it to feel soothing and spa-like, but also have tension between masculine and feminine details. I needed it to be a retreat for me visually, so I wanted the tones to be muted and relaxed. I hate when design feels simple and boring, so the key here was making sure to have texture and movement. The travertine provides beautiful striation, and the Murano glass chandelier has the most gorgeous hand-blown glass details that add depth and softness.

In that space, how did you use tone and material to create warmth without relying on traditional “statement” design? I use living finishes to add warmth and patina to add depth. I also will use muted tones if I am going for a calming environment, but there needs to be texture and movement so that it doesn’t feel flat. I love to add small, discerning pops of color for interest, which you see in the pink chandelier. All of these little details make a huge difference in the end.

What’s a color combination that feels very “now” without being trendy? I love a French blue or a soft, dusty grey-blue paired with chocolate. It just feels rich, grounded, and effortlessly timeless. It’s one of those combinations that’s hard to tie to a specific moment because it never really goes in or out of style. It doesn’t feel “trendy” to me, just consistently beautiful and well-balanced.

Wallpaper, especially bolder, more expressive designs, seems to be making a comeback. How are you seeing it show up in interiors right now? I am seeing people embrace wallpaper in main spaces again because for a while it felt too bold to invest in such a statement in a main space. I'm loving the commitment to a layered space. I am doing quite a few wallpapered spaces in my new home, and I am so excited for the warmth and charm they will immediately add to the house.

What’s one lighting choice people underestimate in design? How key lighting is to making or breaking the vibe of a home. If you don't maximize the lighting locations and ways to incorporate moody little moments, you're missing out. I want my house to be a warm hug from the world, and I'm not going to get that with overhead lighting.

What’s one design look that instantly dates a space right now? Reeded or fluted wood vanities feel very 2019 modern and feel a little basic to me. That and Taj Mahal, eeeek!

What does “good design” feel like right now, versus even five years ago? Good design is thoughtful design, and you can tell when things were considered. The small little details that add up to one very curated and effortless space are key. I also want to see you in your home. It doesn’t need to feel fancy or expensive, but show me who you are. Do you collect things? Show me. Do you love architecture? Prove it.

I should learn about what you love from being in your space, and if I can find out more about you and feel like there is a cohesive story, well, that feels like good design to me. The bottom line is it’s not rinse-and-repeat, basic, Pinterest-land design. It’s doing things differently because you have a point of view. Good design is having a point of view and owning your own style. Don’t just copy other people’s spaces.

To learn more about Kim Lapin and her work, visit her website https://www.kimlapininteriors.com/

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The Wellness World Has a Pollinator Problem

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Most people don’t associate bees with modern wellness. But quietly, almost every corner of the industry depends on them.

The herbs blended into adaptogenic lattes. The botanicals infused into skincare. The berries in collagen smoothies. The flowering plants that support biodiversity and regenerative agriculture. Even some of the ingredients now synonymous with luxury wellness culture would not exist in the same way without healthy pollinator ecosystems.

That’s part of why World Bee Day has started resonating far beyond environmental circles. As bee populations continue facing pressure from habitat loss, pesticides, climate stress, disease, and industrial farming practices, the conversation is becoming harder for wellness brands to ignore.

And increasingly, some companies are moving beyond sustainability as a marketing phrase and treating pollinator health as a core part of how they operate.

The Shift From Sustainability to Stewardship

One of the clearest examples is Mānuka Health, the New Zealand based wellness company whose business is deeply tied to the health of bees, mānuka forests, and the ecosystems surrounding them.

The company manages more than 15,000 bee colonies using low intervention beekeeping practices designed to support hive resilience rather than maximize short term production. Antibiotics and growth hormones are not used within its hives, and hive placement is carefully managed to avoid over stressing surrounding forage areas.

Their Original MGO 400+ / UMF 13+ Mānuka Honey has become a staple in many wellness routines as interest in authentic New Zealand mānuka honey continues growing. Whether added into tea, smoothies, or taken straight off the spoon, the honey has become especially popular for everyday wellness rituals.

Beyond honey production itself, Mānuka Health also invests in planting native mānuka trees across degraded farmland throughout New Zealand to help restore biodiversity and create healthier environments for pollinators and wildlife.

Its partnerships with Māori communities and rural landowners further reflect a growing shift happening across wellness right now: the idea that environmental health and human wellness are deeply interconnected.

Bee Derived Wellness Has Officially Gone Mainstream

That same connection is beginning to show up across the wider wellness space, too.

At Beekeeper’s Naturals, bee derived ingredients like propolis, royal jelly, and bee pollen have become staples of the functional wellness movement, particularly among consumers focused on immune support and everyday resilience. Hive ingredients that once felt niche or overly crunchy are now finding their way into modern supplement cabinets, wellness cafés, and beauty routines alike.

Their Propolis Immune Support Throat Spray, in particular, has been one of our own staples ever since the brand first launched onto the market. The propolis powered spray has developed a loyal following for good reason, especially among wellness enthusiasts looking for everyday immune support that feels easy to incorporate into a routine.

The brand’s Bee Pollen has also become a daily ritual in our kitchen. Often referred to as “nature’s multivitamin,” just a teaspoon delivers nutrients like protein, iron, B vitamins, and copper. We’ve been adding it into smoothies for years as an easy way to bring a little extra nourishment and energy into the day without overthinking it.

As interest in functional wellness continues growing, brands centered around hive ingredients are helping reshape how consumers think about bees not simply as honey producers, but as an essential part of broader ecosystem health.

Luxury Wellness Is Getting More Regenerative

Meanwhile, brands like Flamingo Estate are approaching pollinator health through the lens of regenerative luxury and biodiversity.

Their recently launched Pollinator Bath Soap Brick was created as a tribute to pollinators during Milan Design Week 2026, inspired by the flowering Linden trees that perfume Milan each spring. The soap blends Linden blossom, Bergamot, Chamomile, Heliotrope, and pollen inspired notes, while visually nodding to the golden flower meadows surrounding the installation.

The brand has also leaned into bee connected ingredients more directly through products like its Manuka Honey Soap Brick, formulated with wild mānuka honey, Shea Butter, biodynamic Hemp Oil infused with ozone, and Calendula grown at the base of Ruby Peak.

Alongside it sits Flamingo Estate’s California Native Mountain Wildflower Honey, harvested deep within protected Southern California forest areas where bees forage on Sage, California Buckwheat, Golden Currant, and native wildflowers away from pesticide heavy agricultural zones.

Together, the products reflect a growing consumer appetite for wellness products that feel rooted in biodiversity, ingredient sourcing, and environmental stewardship rather than surface level sustainability messaging.

Beauty’s Longstanding Relationship With Honey

Even beauty brands are continuing to deepen their relationship with bee derived ingredients.

Farmacy Beauty has helped bring honey and propolis into the mainstream skincare conversation in a way that feels approachable instead of overly earthy or “clean beauty” coded.

Their Honey Halo Ultra Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer has become one of those products people pull out every time their skin feels dry, over exfoliated, irritated, or generally exhausted. The texture is rich and comforting without feeling heavy, and the combination of buckwheat honey and ceramides makes it especially good during colder months or whenever your skin barrier feels a little off.

Meanwhile, Honey Milk Hydrating Essence is the kind of product that quietly becomes part of your routine without much effort. Lightweight, soothing, and easy to layer, it gives skin that soft, hydrated look that makes everything else applied afterward sit better.

It’s all part of a bigger shift happening within beauty right now. Consumers still want science backed skincare, but they also want formulas that feel connected to nature, ingredient sourcing, and a little bit of ritual too.

Why World Bee Day Matters More Than Ever

Together, these brands reflect a broader shift happening within wellness. Consumers are beginning to ask bigger questions not just about whether a product is “clean,” but about where ingredients come from, how ecosystems are treated, and whether companies are contributing something meaningful beyond the final product itself.

That’s ultimately what makes World Bee Day feel more relevant than ever. It’s not simply about celebrating bees. It’s about recognizing how deeply interconnected modern wellness is with the health of the natural systems supporting it.

Because without pollinators, much of the wellness world as we know it simply would not exist.

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How to Reduce Microplastic Exposure in Everyday Life

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For something most people can’t actually see, microplastics have become surprisingly hard to ignore.

They’ve been found in bottled water, household dust, synthetic clothing, seafood, tea bags, food packaging, and increasingly, inside the human body itself. At the same time, modern wellness culture still relies heavily on plastic, from supplement containers and shaker bottles to grab-and-go “healthy” meals packaged for convenience.

The reality is that you probably can’t eliminate microplastics from your life entirely. But you can lower your exposure in ways that are practical, realistic, and genuinely worth paying attention to.

Researchers are still studying exactly how microplastics affect long term human health, but early findings have raised growing concerns around inflammation, oxidative stress, hormone disruption, and the body’s overall toxic load. Scientists have now identified microplastics in human blood, lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, and brain tissue, though researchers are careful to note that the long term health implications are still being investigated.

Thankfully, some of the most effective shifts are also some of the simplest.

What Are Microplastics, Exactly?

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles generally smaller than five millimeters that form as larger plastics break down over time.

Some are intentionally manufactured at microscopic sizes, while others come from everyday wear and tear: synthetic fabrics shedding in the wash, plastic containers degrading with heat, or food packaging slowly breaking down.

Researchers now believe exposure happens through a combination of ingestion, inhalation, and environmental contact. They’ve been detected in household dust, rainwater, seafood, produce, table salt, and indoor air.

The challenge is that modern life is deeply built around plastic. The goal is not perfection. It’s reducing unnecessary exposure where you reasonably can.

Stop Heating Food in Plastic

If there’s one habit many experts agree is worth paying attention to, it’s reducing the amount of heated plastic that comes into contact with your food.

Heat can accelerate the release of plastic particles and chemicals, particularly in older or damaged containers. Microwaving leftovers in plastic, pouring boiling liquids into plastic lined cups, or leaving bottled water in a hot car may seem harmless, but over time those repeated exposures can add up.

One of the easiest shifts we’ve personally made is moving away from reheating food in plastic containers altogether. Instead, we’ve been using Anyday’s glass cookware for everything from leftovers to quick weeknight meals because it makes the swap feel surprisingly easy and realistic to stick with.

We’ve also been liking Anydeli, which basically rethinks the classic plastic deli container using platinum silicone instead. They’re durable, reusable, and designed to prep, freeze, store, and reheat food all in one container, which makes it easier to rely less on disposable plastic during the week.

The bigger takeaway here isn’t that you need to overhaul your entire kitchen overnight. It’s just becoming more aware of how often heat and plastic overlap in daily life, especially around food.

Even your coffee habit matters more than people realize. Many takeaway cups are lined with plastic despite appearing paper based from the outside. Ceramic mugs or stainless steel travel cups can help reduce repeated exposure without requiring some dramatic lifestyle reset.

Rethink the Products Living in Your Home

One of the more interesting shifts happening in wellness right now is that people are paying closer attention not just to what they consume, but what surrounds them all day long.

That includes cleaning products, hand soaps, candles, air quality, and the materials used in everyday household items.

For us, one of the easier swaps has been cleaning products. We’ve been using Koala Eco products at home lately and genuinely love how clean the formulas feel compared to a lot of the heavily fragranced conventional cleaners out there. The scents are subtle, the ingredient lists are more thoughtful, and the whole experience feels less chemically overwhelming overall.

The same goes for hand soap. It sounds minor, but it’s one of those products you use constantly throughout the day. Lately, Flamingo Estate’s glass bottle hand soaps have been sitting by our sinks partly because they cut down on some of the disposable plastic packaging that tends to pile up around the house, but mostly because they feel elevated in a way that makes sustainable swaps easier to actually enjoy long term.

None of these products are magic fixes, obviously. But they reflect a bigger shift happening in wellness overall: people becoming more intentional about the everyday products they interact with most often.

Rethink Bottled Water

Several studies have found bottled water contains measurable amounts of microplastics, often linked to the packaging and bottling process itself.

A 2024 study led by researchers at Columbia and Rutgers found that a single liter of bottled water could contain hundreds of thousands of nanoplastic particles, many of which are small enough to potentially cross biological barriers in the body.

That doesn’t mean you need to panic every time you grab a water bottle at the airport. But it does make a strong case for investing in a good home filtration system and relying less heavily on disposable bottled water day to day.

Many wellness experts recommend filtered tap water paired with reusable stainless steel or glass bottles whenever possible. It’s one of those changes that quietly reduces exposure over time without requiring a complete lifestyle overhaul.

Your Activewear Could Be Part of the Problem

Synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and acrylic are among the biggest contributors to microplastic pollution. Tiny fibers shed during wear and especially during laundry cycles, eventually making their way into waterways, household dust, and indoor air.

Ironically, many “wellness” wardrobes are built almost entirely around synthetic activewear.

Research published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimated that synthetic textiles account for roughly 35% of primary microplastics entering the oceans.

This doesn’t mean you need to throw away every pair of leggings you own. But it does make a strong argument for becoming more intentional moving forward. Natural fibers like organic cotton, linen, wool, and silk generally release fewer synthetic particles and tend to feel more aligned with the growing low tox movement overall.

Some people also choose to wash synthetic clothing less frequently, use cold water cycles, or add microfiber catching laundry bags and filters to help reduce shedding.

Again, the point isn’t to become obsessive. Awareness is often enough to start making better choices gradually.

Indoor Air Matters More Than Most People Think

Microplastics don’t just enter the body through food and water. They also circulate through indoor air and household dust.

Considering most people spend close to 90% of their time indoors, improving your home environment may matter more than some of the expensive wellness habits people obsess over online.

Researchers have found microplastics can accumulate in indoor dust, which is part of why air quality has become such a major conversation lately within wellness circles.

At home, one of the things we’ve become more mindful about is air filtration, especially living in a city where windows aren’t always open all day. Rabbit Air purifiers have been one of the few wellness adjacent home products that genuinely feel practical rather than gimmicky. Mostly, it’s just reassuring knowing there’s less dust and particulate matter constantly circulating indoors.

Other habits that can help reduce exposure without turning your life upside down:

• opening windows regularly when possible
• vacuuming with a HEPA filter
• dusting more consistently
• removing shoes indoors
• choosing fewer synthetic materials at home where you can

The larger point is that wellness is becoming less about chasing perfection and more about creating environments that support your body a little more gently over time.

Upgrade Your Kitchen Slowly

The kitchen is one of the easiest places to reduce everyday plastic exposure without turning your life upside down.

Many people are becoming more mindful about everyday kitchen items that come into frequent contact with heat and food, including making swaps like:

+ older nonstick cookware for ceramic or stainless steel options
+ plastic cutting boards for wood alternatives
+ black plastic takeout containers for glass storage containers
+ plastic cooking utensils for wood or stainless steel tools
+ tea bags made with plastic mesh for loose leaf tea
+ heavily processed packaged foods for fresher, less packaged options

Research has suggested that ultra processed foods may expose people to higher levels of microplastics partly because of industrial packaging and processing systems.

One thing we’ve noticed lately is that people are becoming much more curious about cookware materials overall, especially around PFAS and traditional nonstick coatings. Brands like Our Place have become part of that broader shift toward ceramic coated cookware that feels a little more thoughtful for everyday cooking without leaning so heavily on traditional nonstick materials.

Again, none of this means your kitchen needs to become perfectly “clean” overnight. In fact, trying to replace everything at once usually creates more stress than sustainability.

Instead, think of it as a gradual edit. Maybe you replace plastic cooking utensils with wood or stainless steel. Maybe your next food storage purchase is glass instead of plastic. Maybe you switch to loose leaf tea instead of individually wrapped plastic sachets.

Those small shifts are realistic, and realistic habits are the ones people actually stick with.

The Research Is Growing Quickly But So Are the Questions

One reason microplastics have become such a major topic in wellness is because the research has accelerated dramatically over the last few years.

In 2025, researchers publishing in Nature Medicine reported that microplastics and nanoplastics were present in human brain tissue, with concentrations appearing significantly higher than in the liver or kidneys.

Other studies have identified microplastics in placentas and blood samples, reinforcing the idea that exposure is now widespread.

At the same time, scientists consistently emphasize that there is still much we do not know. Finding plastics in the body does not automatically mean they are directly causing disease, and many long term effects are still being studied.

That nuance matters because wellness conversations tend to swing between complete dismissal and full blown fear. The reality is usually somewhere in the middle.

Focus on Progress, Not Perfection

One of the least healthy things wellness culture can do is convince people they need to live perfectly in order to be healthy.

Microplastics are a legitimate concern and the research surrounding them is evolving quickly. But stressing yourself into paralysis over every water bottle or takeout container probably isn’t helping your nervous system either.

The most effective approach is usually the most balanced one: reduce exposure where it makes sense, prioritize the habits that have the biggest impact, and let go of the idea that wellness requires perfection.

Because ultimately, the future of wellness seems to be moving toward something much bigger than optimization. It’s about creating homes, routines, and environments that support the body more gently in the first place.

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OUAI’s New Bond Repair Balm Repairs Hair in 3 Minutes and Honestly, We Get the Hype

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Hair usually gives you the reality check before anything else does. A few too many hot tools, one stressful month, delayed trims, travel, color appointments, dry weather, suddenly your hair is looking a little dull, feeling rough at the ends, and refusing to cooperate the way it used to.

And the frustrating part is that once your hair gets to that point, a lot of products start feeling interchangeable. Another mask. Another “repair” treatment. Another promise that sounds great until your hair looks exactly the same two washes later.

So when we were recently invited to FLORE Salon to experience OUAI’s new Bond Repair Balm firsthand with a full wash and blowout, we were curious, but cautiously so.

By the end of the appointment, our hair genuinely looked and felt different.

The salon experience

The experience started at the wash bowl, where Bond Repair Balm is used in place of conditioner. Right away, the texture stands out. It has that rich, cushiony feel of a treatment, but with enough slip that the hair instantly starts feeling smoother and easier to work through.

And then there’s the scent.

Bond Repair Balm features OUAI’s Melrose Place fragrance, which has quietly become our favorite scent the brand has ever done. It’s soft, clean, slightly floral, and somehow manages to smell both polished and effortless at the same time. Think bergamot, lychee, rose, jasmine, white musk, sandalwood, and a little champagne accord woven through it all.

We love it so much we already own both the Melrose Place Hair & Body Mist and the full fragrance, so the second we realized that was the scent worked into the formula, we were immediately excited.

It’s one of those scents that people constantly ask about because it smells fresh and elevated without overpowering everything around you. Very “you smell good” instead of aggressively perfume-y.

Honestly, it made the whole experience feel even more luxurious. Between the scent, the scalp massage, and the blowout after, it felt less like testing a new hair product and more like giving our hair a much needed reset.

The formula sits for three minutes, which honestly feels refreshing in a category where most repair products want a full routine commitment.

Even before styling, there was already a noticeable difference. Hair felt softer, healthier, and less tangled. Not coated or artificially silky, just stronger and smoother in a way that felt believable.

Then came the blowout.

The kind of blowout that makes you keep checking your hair in mirrors

This is where Bond Repair Balm really showed itself.

Hair dried noticeably smoother with less effort, and there was far less frizz than usual. The ends looked polished and healthy without needing to overload the hair with finishing products. The shine looked natural, not heavy or overly glossed.

What we kept coming back to was how light everything felt. Sometimes “repair” products can leave the hair soft but weighed down, almost like there’s a layer sitting on top of it. This didn’t do that. Hair still had movement. It still felt clean. Just shinier, smoother, and healthier overall.

What makes Bond Repair Balm different

Bond Repair Balm has been three years in the making and marks OUAI’s first major step into extreme damage repair.

According to Diana Pratasiewicz, Senior Director of Global Education at OUAI, the formula was intentionally designed to simplify a category that often feels overly technical and intimidating.

“Bond repair isn’t a trend, it’s a permanent part of the conversation,” she tells us. “But it’s also one of the most confusing categories in hair. And that’s exactly where OUAI shows up best. We take something complicated and make it effortless and of course, make it smell incredible.”

That ease is a huge part of why the product stands out. Instead of creating another multi step treatment, OUAI designed Bond Repair Balm to fit into a routine you already understand. You use it like a conditioner, not an extra step.

“It’s bond repair, the OUAI way: easy, elevated, and actually doable,” says Pratasiewicz.

The formula itself takes a more modern approach than many traditional bond repair products. Instead of relying on a single ingredient story, Bond Repair Balm uses a blend of silk protein, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and lipids to reinforce, hydrate, smooth, and help restore the hair barrier all at once.

“It works in 3 minutes because we didn’t overcomplicate the repair,” Pratasiewicz explains. “BRB reinforces, hydrates, and smooths all at once, so you see and feel healthier hair immediately.”

She also notes that the formula was specifically engineered to perform quickly.

“You have small, targeted ingredients that absorb quickly, a conditioning system that instantly smooths and seals, and hydration that hits right away,” she says. “You’re not waiting on a long, drawn out process. You’re getting instant reinforcement, hydration, and protection in one step.”

And honestly, after seeing the results firsthand, that immediate payoff feels very real.

Who will notice the biggest difference?

According to Pratasiewicz, Bond Repair Balm works across all hair types and textures, but it especially makes sense for people dealing with the kind of everyday damage most of us are constantly putting our hair through.

“If your hair is color treated or chemically processed, if you’re not getting regular trims, if you’re using heat daily, blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons, BRB is for you,” she says.

She also points to environmental stressors like sun exposure, pollution, and hard water, along with finer hair types that tend to break more easily.

“At the end of the day, this is for anyone whose hair doesn’t feel as healthy as it should,” she says. “It brings it back stronger, softer, and just overall better.”

Honestly, that’s probably why the product resonated with us so quickly. The results didn’t feel dramatic in an unrealistic way. Our hair still felt like our hair, just noticeably smoother, shinier, softer, and healthier after one appointment.

Shop the Bond Repair Balm Here. 

The post OUAI’s New Bond Repair Balm Repairs Hair in 3 Minutes and Honestly, We Get the Hype appeared first on The Chalkboard Mag.

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The Full Blue Moon on May 31, 2026: What a Blue Moon Actually Means

Full moons have become the wellness world’s version of Mercury retrograde: everyone suddenly has a theory, a ritual, or an emotional breakthrough to share.

And honestly, it’s not hard to see why. Somewhere between astrology TikTok, sleep tracking, wellness routines, and collective burnout, lunar events have quietly become part of modern culture again. People plan moon circles, journal under full moons, blame chaotic weeks on planetary energy, and suddenly feel the urge to reevaluate their entire life around midnight.

On May 31, 2026, that energy ramps up even more thanks to a rare Full Blue Moon. No, the moon won’t actually glow blue. A Blue Moon simply refers to the second full moon within a single calendar month, which only happens every few years. But astrologically, Blue Moons tend to carry a reputation for heightened emotions, major realizations, and moments that feel strangely significant.

Even if you’re not someone checking your birth chart every morning, there’s something undeniably magnetic about a rare celestial event. It gives people permission to pause for a second, look up from their phones, and reflect on where they are in life and where they actually want to go next.

So What Does a Blue Moon Symbolize?

In astrology, full moons are associated with culmination, clarity, release, and illumination. They tend to bring things to the surface emotionally, whether that’s tension in relationships, burnout you’ve been ignoring, or decisions you’ve been putting off for months.

A Blue Moon is often viewed as an amplified version of that energy. Because it’s considered an “extra” full moon, astrologers connect it with accelerated change, emotional breakthroughs, and moments that feel impossible to ignore. Think of it less like quiet reflection and more like your inner voice suddenly using surround sound.

The May 2026 Blue Moon falls in Sagittarius, the sign tied to expansion, truth, freedom, travel, perspective shifts, and asking bigger questions about life. Sagittarius energy tends to push people toward honesty and growth, sometimes in inspiring ways and sometimes in slightly chaotic ones.

Which explains why people may suddenly feel the urge to book a solo trip, finally quit the draining job, cut ties with situationships that have gone on far too long, or decide they need a complete life reset after one particularly emotional playlist.

Why Full Moons Tend to Feel So Intense

Even outside astrology circles, people often say they feel “off” during a full moon. While science hasn’t confirmed that the moon directly controls human emotions, some research has suggested lunar cycles may influence sleep and circadian rhythms in certain people. And as anyone who has stared at the ceiling at 2 a.m. knows, poor sleep tends to make everything feel dramatically more emotional.

But there’s also a cultural and psychological layer to all of this. Humans naturally attach meaning to rare events. A Blue Moon feels symbolic because it’s uncommon. It creates a moment where people collectively slow down and reflect, which is something most of us rarely do intentionally anymore.

In a world built around constant stimulation and nonstop notifications, maybe that’s part of the appeal. The moon feels ancient, cyclical, and grounding in a way modern life often doesn’t.

The Wellness World’s Obsession With Lunar Rituals

At this point, lunar rituals have fully entered mainstream wellness culture. You’ll find people hosting full moon dinners, taking moon baths, setting intentions, cleansing crystals, doing breathwork, or simply using the night as an excuse to unplug for a few hours.

And honestly, you don’t need to go fully mystical to get something out of it.

The real value behind rituals isn’t necessarily whether the moon itself is changing your life overnight. It’s the act of creating intentional space for yourself. Most people move through their days on autopilot, rarely stopping to ask how they actually feel or what they genuinely need.

A Blue Moon can serve as a reminder to check in with yourself in a more honest way.

A Few Ways to Actually Use the Energy Productively

One of the best things you can do during a Blue Moon is take inventory of what’s currently working in your life and what clearly isn’t. That could mean looking at your routines, relationships, work habits, boundaries, or even the way you speak to yourself on a daily basis.

Instead of focusing on becoming a completely new person overnight, think about what feels unsustainable. Usually, your body and emotions have already been trying to tell you for months.

It’s also a surprisingly good time to romanticize your evening a little. Not in a performative social media way, but in a way that actually helps you slow down. Put your phone away for an hour. Make tea. Sit outside. Take a long shower. Journal without trying to sound profound. Listen to music that calms your nervous system instead of overstimulating it.

Tiny rituals tend to matter more than dramatic ones anyway.

At the same time, it’s worth remembering that heightened emotions can create the illusion that every feeling requires immediate action. It doesn’t. Reflection is useful. Impulsive life decisions made under moonlight are another story entirely.

You can absolutely reevaluate your life without texting your ex or booking a one way flight at midnight.

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He Went From Ziploc Bags in His Kitchen to 350,000 Customers. Meet the Founder of Flewd

Some brands start in labs. Others start in boardrooms. Flewd started in a New York City kitchen, with Ziploc bags, late nights, and a founder who was completely burnt out and couldn’t find anything that actually worked.

Before Flewd reached more than 350,000 customers, Michael Lupo was behind the scenes at some of the biggest beauty brands, learning how to build and market products. What he couldn’t find was something that actually helped him feel better. So he went deep, spending months studying the science of stress, absorption, and how the body really responds under pressure.

The first version of Flewd wasn’t polished. It was a homemade formula sent out in Ziploc bags to friends and family, all focused on one thing: whether they could actually feel a shift.

What started as a personal experiment has since grown into a category of its own, blending real formulation science with a more approachable take on stress. Ahead, Michael shares how it all came together and what’s next.

In Conversation with Michael Lupo

He Went From Ziploc Bags in His Kitchen to 350,000 Customers. Inside Flewd You spent years inside major beauty brands before launching Flewd. What did you see behind the scenes that shaped how you approached building your own product? I started my career at L’Oréal as a brand marketing consultant. At that time, what was unique about L’Oreal at that time was that the brand and product development teams were one singular team. It wasn’t a company where the people who created the formulas were entirely separate from the people marketing the formulas, so I learned both sides. It was an incredible training ground for learning how to translate real product science into clear messaging and visual storytelling. I also learned a lot about product marketing claims, and the rules around highlighting different ingredients on labels and what is marketable.  

And after L’Oreal, I continued to work at proof-driven brands helping to meet unmet needs in the market. For example, Carol’s Daughter is an incredible example of a brand that paved the way for an entire category. We had to actually educate manufacturers on the formulas we wanted created that had never been done before. 

So I learned a ton, an absolutely insane amount, about everything from manufacturing to marketing to formulating. But I also kept receiving common feedback that my ideas were just a bit too out there, too “unproven”. So when I had the opportunity to create something on my own, I finally had the chance to put everything I had learned about to work, in a way that was as extra as my real personality and unusual ideas. That’s where Flewd comes in, and why I think it’s so special. Our formulas really do help people dealing with real issues, many of the same issues that I experienced on my own while feeling incredibly burnt out from everyday life like insomnia, fatigue, aches and anxiety, but nothing about the brand is super clinical or boring - it's fun and approachable and surprising.

Take us back to the Ziploc bag phase. What were those early formulas like and what were you trying to solve that you couldn’t find on the market? Well for years I had experienced burnout. I was pretty much always working, always running on empty, and feeling like that was the definition of success. If everyone around me who was also successful was super stressed out, I figured that was just what it took. I spent a ton of my own money on things like gummies, meditation apps, and drink mixes that really never helped me feel any better. Then once I finally left my last job, I had an actual panic attack situation. And that was what it took for me to have the idea for Flewd. 

In the very early days, I spent months and months at the library reading science journals. I taught myself all about the science of stress, and the actual chemical reaction that happens in our bodies when we are attacked by stress signals on an everyday basis (which most of us are). I researched topics like absorption and even ancient hot springs, which is what first led me to the idea for a stress solution rooted in the bath.  Ultimately, this led me to learnings about magnesium, a star ingredient most of us do not have enough of us, and the idea for a bath soak that could deliver on three key principles to allow the formula to actually absorb into the body: the molecule must be small enough to pass through the skin barrier, it must be water-soluble, and there needs to be enough soak time for absorption to happen.

I developed  Flewd’s first formula - ache erasing - and put it into a Ziploc bag. I asked friends and family members to be testers. I sent them the ziploc bags without telling them what they were supposed to feel or what is was really intended for. In the least weird way, I would sit on the phone with them during their bath until I would hear over and over again what I wanted to hear, which was that often within 8-10 minutes they felt a total wave of calm. We actually do all of our initial testing this way still!

You spent years decoding scientific research on stress. What were the biggest misconceptions you uncovered about how we treat stress today? I think the idea that any brand can have just one magic “stress” product, and have that product work for the majority of people is flawed. That would mean we all experience stress in the same way, and we don’t. It’s like saying that one skin serum, or one shampoo, would work for all of us, and we know that’s not true. Stress is a massive umbrella that shows up differently for each of us, and so there should be personalization within the category. 

You went from making soaks in your kitchen to reaching over 350,000 customers. What was the hardest phase of that transition that people don’t see? I’m happy to say that Flewd is successful. We increase our sales and customer base every year, with real reviews from people who feel genuinely supported by what we’re doing. We are a super small team of 4 people and a couple of freelancers and agency partners, and we were a bootstrapped baby from the beginning. But one of the realities of being a small, independent brand in a sea of massive beauty companies is that we can be deprioritized by operational partners. We’ve had to fight tooth and nail for every good deal. But over the last five years, even as others have raised prices given inflation, we’ve stayed totally committed to maintaining our best-in-class formulas and our affordable pricing. We just work really hard everyday to stay focused, listen closely to our Flewdiverse, and grow in the right way. I’m still in the weed every day, and  I’m not sure I ever want to get out of them because I love them. I’m focused on longevity and sustainability over fast, accelerated growth. 

Flewd is positioned as a transdermal stress solution. For someone who’s never heard that term before, what’s actually happening in the body during a soak? There are so many ways that an ingredient can be absorbed by the body. And during the many years that I worked in haircare and skincare, I learned about all of them. Transdermal absorption is one of those ways. It simply means that the body can absorb nutrients through the skin, aka transdermally. Transdermal absorption is more effective than oral absorption by a lot, therefore a better way for the body to actually absorb missing minerals and vitamins faster and in greater quantities. But, the skin is a super great barrier, not just any molecules can get by. So in order to get past that barrier, molecules have to meet certain criteria. They need to be teeny teeny tiny, water soluble, and the correct molecular weight. Before Flewd, no other brand on the market met all of these scientific criteria to actually make a bath soak that can absorb transdermally. After soaking in a warm bath for 15 minutes, the skin is basically ready to soak up all of the nutrients in a Flewd formula like a super sponge. And after the body has been flooded by stress hormones like Cortisol and Adrenaline, nutrients like magnesium help the body rebalance and produce more of the good positive hormones like Serotonin and Norepinephrine rather than being stuck in a fight or flight. 

Magnesium is everywhere right now, but not all forms are created equal. Can you break down the difference between bioavailable magnesium chloride and what most people are used to seeing? The most common magnesium variants that are used in self-care wellness products are pretty big in molecular size so our bodies identify them as “false” versions of the mineral, making them a top priority to be flushed out of our systems once we take them. So we can ingest as much as we want, but if the magnesium  doesn’t stay in our bodies to be drawn on as needed, we won’t feel better. Magnesium Chloride, the type we use in Flewd, is especially unique since it has one of the smallest molecular sizes AND it is one of the most bioavailable meaning our body holds onto it for up to 5 days instead of flushing it out of our system in the first 24 hours or less.

Beyond magnesium, how did you decide which nootropics, vitamins, and amino acids to include and what role do they play in targeting stress symptoms? As part of our foundational and ongoing research we’ve combined over 200 studies that identify the most common symptoms that stress causes for us - anxiety, insomnia, overwhelm, fatigue, migraines, etc - and created a master list of each stress issue we want to help people put on notice. From there we dive into more of our foundational process of consulting hundreds of studies on that specific stress symptom, the specific hormones the body releases, and the unique physiological processes our bodies go through. Those then guide us the best ingredients to formulate with - the ones best suited for that unique stress symptom. For example, we first worked with Nootropics in our Sads Smashing soaks since it’s about helping with our moods when stress makes us feel down and overwhelmed. Nootropics are naturally occurring ingredients that help boost our mood.

Out of all the formulas, which one do you personally reach for the most? I have 2 go-to soaks - Sads Smashing for when I’m feeling down and Fatigue Defeating for when I’m feeling totally burned and exhausted.  I sometimes combine the two using an unscented version of one soak and the scented version of the other. I’m super fortunate to have a jumbo tub where it makes sense to drop two whole pouches in at once instead of just a single soak. But I didn’t invent this, it actually came from one of our earliest Flewdies back in 2020 who was mixing 2 formulas into her bath by only using half each at a time.

If someone is completely new to Flewd, where should they start and why that formula? The thing about Flewd is that there really is no one-size-fits-all soak. That’s actually the beauty of our brand in comparison to every else available. So my first recommendation is to simply identify how you have been feeling lately. 

But the #1 stress symptom is feeling fatigued, feeling tired all the time no matter how much sleep or how much rest. It’s actually in the top 3 things people complain about when they go to see their doctor.  So, I’d recommend the Fatigue Defeating soak as the best starting point for somebody who is shopping with us for their first time!  The star ingredients here are magnesium + tryptophan powerhouse ingredients that help our bodies naturally create two essential hormones that fight burnout -  Melatonin and Serotonin. 

You’ve hinted at expanding beyond bath soaks. Are there particular formats or categories within stress care you’re especially excited to explore next? I keep a huge list of ideas in my phone. What I will tell you is that Flewd is not a bath brand, Flewd is the pioneer of stresscare. So yes, we’re definitely exploring. And I’m super excited for what may come next in the tub and out of it! But whatever we do, we will test it and make sure that it meets our standards aka it has to actually help people catch their calm.

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