acknowledgments

this book was unknowingly inspired by Harriet Hubbard Ayer, the nineteenth-century author of Bath

and Body Splash. It was her idea to use apple cider vinegar for bathing, bay rum for conditioning
hair, and oatmeal for washing hands. Her collection of age-old beauty wisdom is the time-tested
foundation of homemade, edible beauty recipes in this book. This probably explains why many beauty
recipes in this book are good enough to eat. After all, your skin is what you feed it.

I must thank the people who believed that my sincere passion can become a reality. My deepest
thanks go to Adina Kahn of Dystel &Goderich for her faith in me and her nonstop support. Deepest
thanks to Andrea Gold of HCI Books for her stellar professionalism, warm encouragements, and kind
patience. I am grateful to Stacy Malkan of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Dr. Zoltan Rona, M.D.,
Bianca Presto of Modus Dowal Walker, Melissa Amerian, Lisa Blau, Amanda Freeman, Susie
Fairgrieve, Nikki Gersten, Morgan Dub, Richard Isbel, and Katheline St. Fort. Thank you so much.
Without you, this book wouldn’t have happened.

I am extremely grateful to my husband and daughter for their suffering without a normally
functioning mom and wife all these months. Masha, thank you so much for being such a self-contained,
happy baby. You are the most beautiful girl in the world. And Mama, maybe now you’ll listen and let
go of your awful synthetic face creams. I care because I love you.