Step into the world of May Lindstrom Skin, where skincare isn’t just a routine—it’s a ritual. Known for her meticulous formulations and luxurious, sensorial approach to beauty, May Lindstrom has cultivated a devoted following with her artisanal, skin-loving creations. At the heart of it all? The Blue Cocoon, a cult-favorite balm that has earned near-mystical status for its ability to soothe, restore, and transform the skin with a single indulgent touch.
In this edition of Living Well, we sit down with May herself—founder, formulator, and true skincare alchemist—to talk about the inspiration behind her signature blue balm to the daily rituals she swears by, get ready to glow deeper with May Lindstrom.
Living Well With May Lindstrom
My Skincare Philosophy:Our company was built on a big, ‘what if’. What if we cut no corners? What if we used the very best ingredients in the world? What if we took exceptional care from seed to soil to bottle? What if we could deliver real results to the kinds of people who really, really need something that goes beyond moisturizing, beyond cleansing, to nourish and heal the skin?
And then, what if that was the prettiest, most special-feeling skincare, too? What if every person wanted this? What if the aspirational thing was to simply feel good in our skin?
What if skincare could just feel good?
How I started: I’ve been formulating results-oriented, sensitive-skin-centric, sensorial skincare for more than two decades. It’s always been a very personal mission.
One of my first memories of skin was washing up as a five-year-old child at a friend’s house before dinner. Immediately after I dispensed the fragrant soap onto my palms, the skin on my hands flushed red and broke out in a burning rash. We ultimately learned I was allergic to many of the most basic ingredients in conventional skincare, causing my ultra-sensitive body to erupt in painful blisters and chronic redness and discomfort.
Early on, I learned from my bodyworker healer mama how to use clays, salts, herbs, oils, and honey to cleanse, feed, and soothe my skin. Years later, I more formally studied plant-based formulation, focusing on creating bespoke blends for private clients with general sensitivity to synthetic skincare ingredients, like me, as well as those with painful and inflammatory conditions like eczema, rosacea, and dermatitis.
The May Lindstrom Skin collection officially launched in 2011, finally bringing my private formulas to the public.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how do you incorporate it into your life or business? When I was a child, my mom always told me to keep my light bright, to not turn down my sparkle to fit in or hide. I took this also as permission to bring my weird, to not dim the parts that felt different. We’re in a culture that reinforces sameness, and in both my life and business, I’ve always broken the expected template and forged my own path. Sometimes I’m confident, and sometimes I’m shaking, but always when I double down on what’s truly fundamental to me, what’s really important, the more I see the world sparkle back.
Current Skincare Routine:I wake most mornings, splash with warm water at the sink until I feel my skin soften under my fingertips, and then melt The Blue Cocoon (ultra-soothing, blue tansy-infused, daily moisturizing concentrate) between my palms, breathing in, massaging directly into the wetness. Sometimes this is it, all I need. But most often, I like to layer or blend with The Youth Dew (a bright and juicy, vitamin-packed glow serum), and The Jasmine Garden (a calming, clearing, kiss of a mood-boosting mist, dripping in flowers and cooling colloidal silver).
If I’m showering, I’ll exfoliate with The Clean Dirt first. (I do this 2-3x weekly, so it’s perfect to pair with shampoo days) This powder-to-mousse herbal formula smells like holiday cookies and bubbles and fizzes as it brightens and decongests. It’s a must for flakiness and feels ridiculously pleasurable in the steam, its tingle invigorating skin over the neck, breasts, armpits, and anywhere that needs a little extra love.
I alternate treatments of The Clean Dirt with masking with The Problem Solver. This is a warming clay and charcoal-infused mask that comforts and calms when the skin just feels off, finicky, sensitive, red, breaking out, or experiencing any kind of inflammation or discomfort. (I get this one on as often as possible – up to 4x weekly, equally good am or pm).
I reach for The Pendulum Potion when I’m craving a steamy, ultra-grounding oil cleanse (especially when wearing makeup/spf) paired with our exfoliating towels. This is an esthetician favorite for opening a facial. And then, The Honey Mud is a decadent, acid-infused dream that doubles as both a mask (in the form of a soft, rich pudding smoothed over dry skin) and cleanser (where it transforms to a silky milk when massaged into wet skin).
For the body, I rotate or blend The Good Stuff (sexy, chocolatey, shimmering, sensually aromatic golden goodness – our original body hero) and The Happy Galaxy (cerulean blue, bright and effervescent, bouncy, skin-loving nourishment infused with a plethora of vitamin actives and hero humectants – like a supercharged Blue Cocoon for neck to toes).
Can’t Live Without My: Glass quart jar of water, always at my side.
If I Could Give One Piece of Advice on Skincare/Health, it would be: Tune into your skin’s unique needs with your fingertips, noticing heat, texture, and sensation, rather than just looking with your eyes or following a prescriptive routine. There’s a relationship to build here and it just gets better and better the more you feed it.
3 Staples Always in My Medicine Cabinet: Honey. Oil. Salt.
What are some non-skincare rituals or habits that are essential to your overall well-being? I have a 5-minute-a-day commitment to my body in the morning. I can just roll around in ‘Happy Baby’, dance to two songs off a playlist, dry brush before the shower, or run up the hill with my dog. The point is to take just that handful of minutes and really show up, be conscious of my body on purpose, and make it feel as wonderful as I can for that brief moment.
What’s one skincare ingredient you’re obsessed with right now?Our ridiculously good rose cellular water. This soothing, aromatic fluid makes up part of the formula for The Jasmine Garden and is one of the most expensive raw materials we source. Worth every penny. I’ve been misting generously with this on ultra-sensitive skin mornings, skipping a cleanse altogether, and it’s been a real gift. It’s gorgeous all throughout the day to bring moisture and calm. We might have to bottle this on its own someday!
The Blue Cocoon has a cult following. What’s the story behind its creation, and what makes it so special? This is absolutely our number one, our landslide best-seller, and the single thing I never, ever miss on my skin, morning and night. It’s really the first of its kind and is known for putting blue tansy on the map. I originally made this formula to support clients with damaged skin during chemotherapy and health challenges, but it’s my favorite I can recommend to just about everyone. It’s wonderful for dryness and heat and is simply the most beautiful, concentrated daily moisturizer you could dream of for all skin types.
My most important wellness goal this year: It’s time to break my phone habit. I’m online a lot in general and spend way too much time on social media. This is where I get to talk directly with our community (I value this soooo much!), so I don’t want to pull the plug completely, but the number of daily hours I’m attached to a screen has gotten absurd. This is the moment to practice what I preach and really return to presence, to touch, breath, body, and connection to self, spirit, and each other.
