Two days before Christmas, just as we were getting ready to turn out the lights and go home for the holidays, a huge crate arrived at our door. I had almost forgotten it was coming that day. Naturally I was intimidated – how would I ever lift or even open this large box? – but mostly excited for what was inside!

Over a year ago, my herb mentor, Mazin Al-Khafaji, was visiting LA to teach a class. He lives in England, where I studied with him. After a number of trips back and forth to London in 212 and 213, I took his Dermatology Diploma Course. It was a lot of hard work and I felt very proud to have completed it. Mazin is tops in the field of herbal dermatology. He has had success with complicated cases for over thirty years and his record keeping is impeccable. So there was no question that his teaching is worth traveling halfway across the world for.

When Mazin was in LA, I had the good fortune of him coming to check out my herb pharmacy. He was curious about the quality of herbs and the set-up that I had. In my pharmacy, he opened herb jars, smelled the herbs, tasted the herbs. It was such an amazing experience for me to have this kind of input – so fun and educational.

One major recommendation that he made was that I purchase a packing machine from China. (Spoiler alert: *this* is what’s in the crate!) These are the same machines that are used in most hospitals in China that provide Traditional Chinese Medicine. They are truly top of the line.

I certainly had my hesitations – I know that these machines can have problems and I’m certainly no handyman. I don’t think the company will send a repair person over when I run into trouble. But I finally decided to go for it, and several months after contacting the company, my new machine arrived – just in time for Christmas.

This new beauty makes herb pouches that are different sizes, making the dosing of the herbs even more precise. I was also able to order herb pouches with our logo on them! How cool is that?

But what makes me most excited is looking to the future of Yin Yang Dermatology. With the top quality herbs that I am able to source, and the great machines that we use to prepare each person’s customized formula, my dedication to offering only the best to my patients has now reached a whole new level.