Jana Blankenship: Clean Beauty Pioneer on Natural Fragrance and Meal Hacks for Busy Families

<p>Mother, entrepreneur, herbalist, and founder of pioneering green beauty brand Captain Blankenship, Jana Blankenship joins us for a conversation rooted in the powerful connection between plants, scent, memory, and family tradition.</p><p>We start where every episode does — with dinner last night — and hear about the first meal Jana's family shared after a long stretch of home renovation. From there, we explore the Serbian food traditions passed down by her grandmother, Baka Milka, how childhood perfume “potions” led her to develop a sensitivity to synthetic fragrances, and how that journey inspired her path into natural perfume, herbalism, and clean beauty. Jana is the author of <em>Wild Beauty</em> and co-author (with Emma) of <em>Seasonal Family Almanac</em>.</p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><ul><li>Serbian food and herbalism traditions passed down by Jana's grandmother and aunt</li><li>Developing a childhood sensitivity to synthetic fragrances, and how it inspired her work with natural scent</li><li>The power of scent — the first sense to develop in the womb — to anchor us in memory</li><li>Founding and growing Captain Blankenship as an early clean beauty brand</li><li>DIY herbal beauty, and why making things yourself is so powerful</li><li>Practical meal strategies for busy families juggling sports, school, and chaotic evenings</li><li>Foraging and harvesting responsibly, including how to work with evergreens</li></ul><p><strong>Mentioned in this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.janablankenship.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Jana's website</a></li><li><a href="https://captainblankenship.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Captain Blankenship</a></li><li><a href="https://janablankenship.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Witch Way</a> by Jana Blankenship on Substack</li><li><a href="https://www.janablankenship.com/wild-beauty" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Wild Beauty</a> by Jana Blankenship</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Seasonal-Family-Almanac-Recipes-Rituals/dp/1797222457/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2D1809XVTH4U5&amp;keywords=seasonal+family+almanac&amp;qid=1695916059&amp;sprefix=seasonal+fam%2Caps%2C407&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Seasonal Family Almanac</a>, co-authored by Jana and Emma Frisch</li></ul><p><strong>Subscribe</strong></p><p>Never miss an episode: Follow <em>Dinner Last Night</em> and <a href="https://emmafrisch.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review, tap “like”, and share it with a friend! It helps more people discover the show. 💛</p><p><strong>Giveaways</strong></p><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScN3ZQCUTgDYa_rx3gUinh_jgs-4-f-Ki-1NEeOZrLvxXFnPg/viewform" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">CLICK HERE</a> to enter the giveaway for any episode!</p><p><strong>Follow Us</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Substack</strong>: <a href="https://emmafrisch.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">subscribe to our newsletter</a></li><li><strong>YouTube: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DinnerLastNightPod" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">@DinnerLastNightPod</a></li><li><strong>Instagram</strong>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dinnerlastnightpod/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">@dinnerlastnightpod</a></li><li><strong>Website</strong>: <a href="https://dinnerlastnightpod.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">dinnerlastnightpod.com</a></li></ul><p><strong>Credits</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Produced</strong>: Wombmate Productions, Inc., <a href="https://repstudio.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">REP Studio</a>, and Stuart Hetzler</li><li><strong>Editing</strong>: <a href="https://repstudio.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noop