Results for Category: Preparation How-To
Calming Tea Recipe & Natural Stress Management (With Video!)
Sometimes it seems as if stress is all around us. From big traumatic events to small irritations, stress is an inevitable part of life. Because stress can have a detrimental impact on our health and quality of life, it’s imperative that we develop habits—from simple lifestyle practices to go-to formulas, like our Calming Tea Recipe, […]
Stress-Be-Gone Balm Recipe (and Video!)
In trying times, it’s inevitable to feel anxious and stressed. When we are burdened with these emotions, everyday tasks often be...
How To Make Your Own Herbal Suppositories
When things start to feel out-of-balance “down there,” it’s easy to feel embarrassed or concerned. With symptoms such as vag...
How To Use The “Folk Method” To Make Herbal Preparations
When it comes to making herbal preparations, one of the simplest ways to go about it is to use the folk method. The folk method is often used by beginner herbalists because it’s a simple and easy method to follow, but that doesn’t mean it’s for beginners only. Many experienced herbalists continue to prefer this […]
Herbal Tea or Herbal Infusion: What’s the Difference?
It’s finally here: the time of year when there’s not much better than a cozy fire, a snuggly flannel, and a hot cup of herbal tea… or herbal infusion. Fall is the perfect time of year to introduce the healthful practice of enjoying an herbal tea or herbal infusion daily. Not only is this the […]
How To Make An Oxymel
A classic but often overlooked herbal preparation, oxymels have been used for ages for a variety of respiratory and immune system ...
How to Make A Homemade Flower Essence
I never understood the potency of flower essences until I made one myself — carefully picking each beautiful, delicate flower fr...
What Every Herbalist Should Know About Herbal Preparation Shelf Life
Have you ever pulled an older herbal salve out of your bathroom cabinet and wondered if it was still effective? Or perhaps you’ve thought about making a large batch of herbal tea to store in the refrigerator and drink over the course of several days, later second guessing yourself because you weren’t sure how many […]
How To Make Vegan Herbal Syrups
Herbal syrups are a common herbal preparation. Not only are they easy to make and tasty to use, but they require minimal ingredients that can be found in most homes. Other than herbs, all that’s needed to make herbal syrups are water and some form of sweetener. Many herbalists prefer to use raw honey to […]
Herbal Compresses and Fomentations: What They Are & How To Use Them
Pulled muscles and painful spasms, a bad run-in with the pavement, or a nasty cough all call for a little extra loving care—a ge...
Video: How To Make An Herbal Honey
An herbal honey is one of the tastiest herbal preparations one can make. They require little time to create, and they can be used ...
Video: How To Make Rolled Herb Pills
Rolled herb pills (also known as pastilles) are quick and easy to make. Not only that, but they’re one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to take herbs! Rolled herb pills only require two things: finely powdered herbs and honey. These ingredients are combined, thoroughly mixed, and then rolled into small balls or pills which […]
Video: How To Make A Calendula Salve
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is an herbal staple that many herbalists include in their herbal toolkits. While this herb has a plethora of uses, one of the most common uses is as a topical preparation for the skin. Calendula is a great herbal ally for the skin as a topical application on a wound, a rash, […]
How To Make Fresh Dandelion Blossom Oil
I have many favorite things about spring—one of them being the fresh, sunny faces of dandelion blossoms popping up everywhere. D...
How To Grind Herbs In A Coffee Grinder
As a beginner to herbalism, you will most likely start by learning about common herbs, making basic herbal preparations, and learn...
How To Make Herbal Homemade Wine and Mead
With the explosion of the DIY movement in recent years, more people seem to be returning to old-school food and drink traditions, many of them involving fermentation. The HuffPost’s hilarious list of “The 22 Most Hipster Foods On The Planet” includes a great many of these, from kombucha to pickles, craft beers to kimchee. But […]
How To Make and Use Rose Infused Honey
Tranquility, love, and contentment are some of the emotions triggered when inhaling the beautiful aroma of the humble rose. For thousands of years, roses have been powerful symbols associated with love and beauty. Not only are roses an elegant way to say “I love you,” but they offer extraordinary health benefits, both for our bodies […]
How to Make Herbal Ear Drops
Earaches never seem to happen at a convenient time. They often sneak up on you in the middle of the night causing pain and misery....
How To Craft Your Own Herbal Smoking Blends
There’s something fascinating about the alchemy of herbs and smoke. Part of it is visual. We can see the plants undergoing a vio...
How to Make an Herbal Syrup
The cold days of autumn and winter bring to mind cozy socks, warm cups of tea, good books, and for many herbalists, pots of simmering herbal syrup. Perhaps one of the most delicious ways to take herbs, herbal syrups are wonderful to have on hand during the colder months of the year. Enjoy learning the […]
How To Make A Mushroom Double-Extraction Tincture
Although the art and science of making plant preparations can seem to grow ever more complicated the longer an herbalist maintains a practice, the accessibility of making full-spectrum plant extracts frequently remains within the grasp of do-it-yourself home preparation makers. Today I’m going to share with you how to make a mushroom double-extraction tincture. This […]
How to Make an Herbal Decoction
That simple, tasty cup of tea is only one way of extracting the many virtues of herbs into water. Other ways include the making of...
How To Dry Fresh Herbs Using A Dehydrator
Summer is the season of abundance. The days are long, the plants are growing, flowers blooming, and the bees buzzing and dancing i...
How To Make Fresh Herbal Sun Tea
It’s an herbalist’s favorite time of year again. The earth has turned green and we have an abundance of plants all around us. What better way to become acquainted with your green allies than by sipping fresh herbal sun tea? Fresh plant teas produce a sparkling crisp drink that feels like sipping in the summer […]
Herbal Vinegar Hair Rinses
Every season provides a new way to strain and damage your hair. The sand and salt water of the ocean in summer can leave you with lusterless locks. The winter winds and ice leave your hair crispy and exhausted. The humid days bring frizz and fuss to anyone who dares step outside. Whenever I notice […]
How to Make an Herb and Flower Drying Screen
Growing your own medicinal, culinary, or otherwise useful herbs and flowers is a rewarding experience. The act of planting the see...
5 Ways to Freeze Fresh Herbs
It is high summer, and gardens are overflowing with herbs, many of which are at their peak and ready to harvest. This is the seaso...
How To Make A Poultice With Dried & Fresh Herbs
It’s easy to focus on the internal herbal preparations, like teas, extracts, and syrups, because we are so conditioned to “taking something” – whether that be supplements, OTC medications, or prescriptions – to manage our health. Topical herbalism, though, has many unique preparations that have benefited people for generations. In this post we’ll teach you […]
Breathe Easier With a Decongesting Herbal Steam
When I get a cold, my least favorite thing is not being able to breathe well. I even get dreams when I am congested that I am drowning, it bothers me that much. I will do just about anything to breathe better again! Before I began learning about herbalism, I used to turn to more […]
Making Herbal Vinegars
Fall is a bountiful and busy time of year. Now that I have decanted my infused oils and most of my herbal tinctures, I take to th...
