A POTION A DAY

The term self-care seems to be everywhere these days. Yet, more often than not, we are quick to write it off as a self-indulgent practice reserved for those who we perceive to have more time, more freedom, or fewer responsibilities than us. After all, we have jobs to attend to, children to raise, places to go, and people to see. But, the truth is, self-care can be accessed by anyone—at any time—and it can be as simple as making yourself a cup of tea.

Self-care is a practice that Scott Linde, founder of Sun Potion and long time Santa Barbara resident, wants to you to experience. A simple, daily act, that helps you press pause on your never-ending to-do list and suspend a moment in time to cultivate joy and positive energy. A practice made all the more enjoyable when routine is transformed into ritual with the addition of organic and wildcrafted adaptogens.

When I arrive at the Sun Potion headquarters here in Santa Barbara, I’m greeted in the parking lot by Scott himself, and ushered into their light filled office to begin our chat about all things adaptogens. But first things first, Scott offers me a taste of one of his new tonic creations: the transcendent elixir. With a name like that, how could one refuse? Scott retrieves two rocks glasses from the cupboard and two bottles of chilled Topo Chico (his sparkling water of choice) from the fridge and proceeds to concoct a sparkling tonic for each of us, complete with a trio of transcendent elixirs: Shatavari, Ashwagandha, and Triphala. While the earthy tone of the drink may be off-putting to some, I think back on my days working at a health bar in Honolulu, where locals of all ages would come to savor a healing root beverage called Kava. After a sip of Scott’s tonic, my taste memory is confirmed, and the effects of this drink are similar: I feel a sense of ease rush over me followed by a slight—and welcomed—shift in perspective.

It’s clear that these transcendent elixirs live up to their name, but their creation was no easy task. When Scott started developing the elixir line in 2018, he set out to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of plant tonics. It took him two years to get the formula up to his standards, and the company just released the final product last fall. The result: a ‘Vedic Alchemical Triple Extract Tincture’ made with three different parts of a single plant. Each component is extracted for purity and potency and then combined to produce a hyper concentrated plant extract that can be taken alone, or mixed into a tonic or tea. Written by Keri HaugsePhotographed by Silas Fallstich

Packaged in luxurious blue glass bottles and wrapped in cosmic gold labeling, it’s no surprise that Scott’s adaptogenic ‘potions’ have an immense loyal following around the world. Sun Potion products are sold everywhere from the pristine shelves of Le Bon Marché in Paris to the humble shelves of your neighborhood health food store, right here in Santa Barbara. But before we dive into the daily luxury that is the act of making a Sun Potion tonic, you might be asking yourself: what exactly are adaptogens and what do they do?

In general terms, adaptogens are a group of medicinal plants,

Yin Powder, sunpotion.com Ceramics, Letter Perfect superfoods, and tonic herbs that help the body react to stress and achieve homeostasis. Once a luxury reserved for royalty, the use of adaptogens dates back thousands of years to the early beginnings of Ayurveda in India and Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. When used as part of a daily routine or ritual, adaptogens may provide support for immunity, energy, hormonal balance, mental clarity, stress relief, cellular regeneration, radiance, healthy circulation, and emotional equilibrium. However, Scott is quick to point out that adaptogens are not meant to treat specific ailments. Rather, the beneficial effects of adaptogens are the natural result of a less stressed system.

Sun Potion’s line of 48 different herbs, tonics, and potions are curated by Scott himself, and are a reflection of what he wants to put in his own body. From this starting point, came a personal motivation to source the highest quality tonic herbs, algae, greens, and mushrooms from around the globe.

One of his most intriguing formulations is the activated Yin Power, a ‘tonic herbal formula for the feminine’ that contains eight different adaptogens, hand selected by Scott to promote total body awareness. Among these adaptogens are freshwater pearl (a consummate beauty food); He Shou Wu (an herb that helps restore radiance to hair, skin, and nails); Tocos (a natural form of skin nourishing Vitamin E); and Ashwagandha (an herb regarded for its ability to bring balance and harmony to the body and mind) to name a few.

Scott recommends the comprehensive Yin Power as a great place for someone who is interested in adaptogens to start. But if you’re looking for a single plant to begin with, he recommends the figurative queen of adaptogens: Ashwagandha. And for ultimate skin health, Scott recommends a reviving trio: Triphala for total body cleansing, Shea Butter to balance the external PH of the skin, and high-vibing Solar Rose Water, made from roses grown in Vrindavan, India, for the ultimate mood lifting, skin soothing, self-care ritual. *

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