8 Day Herbal Skincare Creation Holiday and Hands-on Workshop in Alájar, Andalusia, Spain

Go to the southern reaches of Spain and join From Seed 2 Skin for a retreat that promises to be inspiring, transformative, and rejuvenating. At the herbal skincare workshop, you will learn details of how to harvest medicinal herbs to create your own organic botanical skincare products from scratch.

They will provide you with the knowledge and tools to craft natural and effective skincare products that suit your individual needs. You will cover topics such as harvesting methods, distilling, oil infusion techniques, formulation, and preservation.

You will also have the opportunity to experiment with a variety of medicinal herbs and botanicals to create your own skincare products. The use of the biodynamic lunar calendar in the harvesting and processing of medicinal plants will also be discussed.

You will receive a notebook to take your own notes and a recipe book including the creations covered in the course to take home with you. All handmade cosmetics are carry-on safe, but the option of shipping your goodies home is also available.

This workshop is a fantastic way to start your journey into the world of natural skincare or to fine-tune what you already have learned on your own journey with herbs.

Herbal skincare workshop

Harvest and create your own skincare products from scratch with organic botanicals.

Small groups

Eat, drink, and create herbs in a small group of people, immersed in nature.

The course

This introduction to botanical skincare production will take you through all the steps involved in creating your very own salves, creams, shampoos, soaps, and a number of other botanical adventures, including herbal teas and botanical cocktails. You will hand harvest, dry, process, distill, grind, and prepare oils and salves from the ground up.

You will be visiting local gardens, working with two different types of stills, and hand-blending local, organic ingredients to create the right cream for yourself. Take advantage of your newfound knowledge and create your own simple herb garden at home, giving yourself access in your daily life to the botanical alchemy that you deserve to have on hand.

What you’ll take home…

Beyond the newfound collection of herbal knowledge, you'll take memories and unforgettable experiences home. You will also have the opportunity to get to know a special little corner of the world, unlike any other, experiencing the local culture and cuisine.

In addition, in hand, you will return home with your complete pack of the organic cosmetics you have created: salve, solid shampoo, face cream, body butter, soap, and eco-print tote bag, all made by you, plus a bound recipe book and your own notebook full of notes.

Itinerary

Arrive in Seville from origins all around the globe. You may wish to book your flights directly into Seville or travel (by land) from some other destinations in Europe. Perhaps spend a day or two getting to know Seville.

Participants will meet in Seville on the afternoon of April 12th. Transportation will be provided, just over an hour's drive, to the Spanish foothills where you will be spending the week. After you have gotten settled, you will have dinner together at the farmhouse.

Each morning, either yoga or a short hike will be available to get your blood circulating in the fresh mountain air to invigorate your day.

A typical Andalusian breakfast spread will be served daily at the farmhouse. There will be hands-on workshops daily. You will be harvesting, processing herbs, infusing oils, distilling fresh plants, and creating salves, creams, and shampoos.

You will have an eco-print-botanical impression workshop at a nearby farm where you will use the fresh leaves you gathered to naturally transfer the botanical image to a tote bag. There will also be an excursion to the local wood-fired bread oven where your daily bread will be made.

The group will partake in a dinner at the local wood-fired pizza oven in town, where you will enjoy a private flamenco dance concert complete with a flamenco basics workshop. You will also visit a local organic artisan alcohol distillery or museum to see their distilling process.

Additionally, you will visit another local farm for an herbal soap-creating workshop and see yet another distillery, this time essential oils. Traditional local meals will be prepared daily at the farmhouse.

From Seed 2 Skin will have a van on hand at all times to move between locations during the stay and the group will return to Seville on departure day, April 19th.

To participate in all of the activities, namely the harvesting and the visit to the bakery, each participant will want to feel comfortable with a one-mile round trip on moderate hiking trails.

All activities and meals are included in the price, and all participation is voluntary. There will be free time every day to enjoy the local scenery and nearby villages, a glass of wine on the patio, or to sit by the fireplace with a book. You can also try the variety of hiking trails that leave from the immediate vicinity of the guest house.