On 22 April, the world celebrates Earth Day. At PHYTO 5, we use this date to speak about another Earth — the one that lives within us, according to the Law of the Five Elements.
An Earth nobody speaks about
The four seasons — spring, summer, autumn, winter — each correspond to an Element: Wood, Fire, Metal, Water. Four Elements, four seasons. One remains: Earth.
Earth does not have its own season. It settles between each season, for eighteen days, four times a year. These periods are called intersaisons. They are the moments when nature — and our body — makes the transition from one Element to the next.
This is the fifth secret of the Five Elements: Earth is not a season, it is the passage.
We are in the Earth intersaison — right now
The spring intersaison opens around 17 April and closes around 4 May. Eighteen days during which Wood (spring) withdraws and Fire (summer) settles in. In between: Earth, stabilising, nourishing, central.
The fact that global Earth Day falls right in the middle of our Earth intersaison is no historical coincidence — but the alignment is beautiful. The world celebrates the outer Earth at the very moment our inner Earth most needs attention.
What Earth governs within you
In Chinese medicine, each Element governs organs, emotions, and — for PHYTO 5 — a skin signature. Earth governs:
- Spleen and Stomach — digestion, assimilation, the transformation of what you consume into usable energy
- Reflection — to ruminate, to digest mentally, to maintain grounding
- The centre of the face — the middle of the nose is the reflex zone of Earth
- Skins with imperfections, oily or prone to breakouts — when Earth is out of balance, it shows on the skin through excess sebum, enlarged pores, eruptions
Signs your inner Earth is calling for support
During an Earth intersaison, the body works deeply. Certain signs, while not alarming, suggest this work could use some help:
- A sense of digestive heaviness, a preference for simple meals
- Skin less clear in the centre of the face, more shine on the nose, sometimes a few imperfections
- A need for grounding, for settling things down, not getting carried away
- The urge to take care of others, sometimes at the expense of oneself — Earth is also the maternal archetype
These signs are not imbalances: they are seasonal messages. The body is asking to be accompanied.
Your Earth ritual for the 18 days
Our Earth range is designed to accompany this signature: gentle purification, sebum balance, renewed clarity on the central zones of the face. During this intersaison, we recommend:
- Morning — Cleansing, Earth Toner, Earth Phyt'Ether Serum, Earth Cream
- Evening — Makeup removal, Earth Toner, Earth Mask once or twice a week, Night Cream
- Every day — Simple cooking, warm meals, less refined sugar, more whole grains, carrots, squash, millet. Earth loves yellow and orange.
- Grounding — Walking, belly breathing, moments of pause. Earth needs slowness.
Earth Day, Earth Within
Caring for the outer Earth and the inner Earth is the same gesture. Listening to cycles, slowing down, restoring, grounding. The Earth intersaison is an annual invitation — four times a year — to come back to the centre.
On 22 April, plant a tree, pick up litter, sign a petition. And when evening comes, offer your inner Earth its 18-day ritual.
Photo by Nidhil Amen on Unsplash.