How to Make a DIY Autumn Root Tonic
When autumn begins to show its signs—earthy colors, golden afternoons, and crisp evening air—it may be a good time to utilize a particular plant part within your herbal toolkit: roots. Herbal roots can be used to make a delicious autumn root tonic to support your vitality, especially as the season begins to change. Making this…
DIY Garlic Honey for Cold & Flu Season Preparation
We all know cold and flu season is coming when the temperature begins to steadily decrease and we start to hear sniffly noses, scratchy throats, and coughing all around us. Cold and flu season can come on rather quickly, affecting significant portions of the community at once. However, this time of year tends to be…
How To Formulate A Gut-Nourishing Herbal Tea Blend
Making a gut-nourishing herbal tea is a tried and true herbal preparation that herbalists of all backgrounds turn to time and time again. As ancient Greek physician Hippocrates proposed so long ago, “all disease begins in the gut.” This insight holds true today since so many health imbalances often have a direct connection to the…
Liver Care 101: Herbs, Foods, And Wellness Practices For The Liver
The importance of holistic liver care cannot be underestimated. Your liver is one of the most multi-functional organs in your body, silently performing a myriad of tasks on a daily basis. Some of your liver’s functions include: Detoxification: Converts drugs and other toxic substances into substances that can be more easily excreted through your urine…
6 Green Storage Tips for Food
Now that summer is in full swing and our gardens are bursting with healthy fruits and vegetables, we need to store our produce for longevity. With increased awareness of the downsides to plastics and the threat of climate change, green food storage has become more popular than ever. These green storage tips for food will…
An Aromatherapy Guide for Infants to Elders
Aromatherapy is a topic that is easily romanticized and often lends itself to fluffy writing and dreamy concepts, such as “a drop of this for that” thinking, or even more concerning, using too much, applying inappropriately, or treating essential oils as a panacea. Aromatherapy is a complex subject that requires quite a bit of know-how,…
Our Favorite Herbs to Help You Get Your Study On (Plus, a DIY Memory Tonic Tea Recipe!)
It’s back to school season, and that means kids and adults are gearing up for another year of learning. Here at the Herbal Academy, we, too, are in the midst of back to school season. Whether you’re new to herbalism or you’ve been practicing for a while, we’d love to have you join us in…
A Journey From Herbal Student To Business Owner: Heart Grown Wild
The chance to guide so many committed and enthusiastic folks closer to their calling is an opportunity we here at the Herbal Academy do not take for granted. One of the things that brings us the most joy is seeing what a student does with their newfound herbal knowledge after attending one of our courses. …
3 Late-Summer Herbs and How to Use Them: New England Aster, Chrysanthemum, and Goldenrod
Spring and early summer seasons are the peak time for blossoms, but many supportive plants are still in bloom during late summer as well. In this article, we’ll look at three late-summer herbs, such as New England asters, chrysanthemums, and goldenrod, that bloom towards the end of the summer season. Some of these herbs are…
Super Affordable Resources For Learning Herbs
While there are many free resources one can use for learning about herbs, at some point, you may find that you are ready to either invest in something more in-depth or to incorporate additional resources that can help further support your current herbal education. Some investments can be quite costly, but when it comes to…
The Best Places to Purchase Herbs and Supplies World-Wide
Are you new to herbalism and wondering where to find the herbs you need to get going on your craft? Or perhaps you are looking for a new, wonderful place to buy your next batch of botanicals. Regardless of where you are on your herbal path, purchasing herbs and supplies for making botanical creations can…
Clinical Vs. Community Herbalism: Striking A Balance In Your Herbal Practice
As we carve out our individual herbal paths, there are many directions we can choose to go. Every herbalist has their own “way” of practicing herbalism, making the herbalism field vast and diverse. Being an herbalist is certainly never a boring career path for this reason! When choosing an herbal studies program or a way…
4 Everyday Ways To Use Hydrosols
I studied herbalism for nearly seven years before I stumbled across hydrosols! When I finally started researching how to use hydrosols, I was amazed that this safe and versatile product wasn’t more popular. Aromatherapist and herbalist Cathy Skipper calls hydrosols “the quiet revolution in plant medicine” (AromaGnosis, 2019), and indeed, they’ve started to gain more…
The Comfrey Controversy: Can And Should One Use Comfrey Internally?
Can and should one use comfrey (Symphytum spp.) internally? This is a question that herbalists have been debating since safety concerns were first brought to light regarding the potentially negative health effects associated with using comfrey internally. While many herbalists have used comfrey internally for years with no known problems, others are heeding the warnings…
The Beginner’s Guide To Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root is known by a number of names, including Indian ginseng and winter cherry, and its usages are even more plentiful than its aliases. Ashwagandha has become increasingly popular for its many applications as a tonifying (strengthening) herb and is one of the premier rasayanas, or rejuvenating herbs, in Ayurveda. This cream-colored…
4 of the Best Herbs for Pink Eye
When we think of common childhood ailments, pink eye ranks up there with winter colds and summer abrasions. I think back on the time I had pink eye, when I was 7 years old, and how my itchy eyes would stick together every morning. The thing I remember most is the drops my mum would…
3 Ways To Use Self Heal In Your Materia Medica
Although self heal (Prunella vulgaris) is an herb that commonly grows across the world and has been used traditionally for ages, its wellness-supporting virtues are often forgotten about in many modern herbal practices! Roughly 400 years ago, self heal was considered one of the top herbs in its class and was highly sought after by…
4 Tips to Control Mint in the Garden
There is nothing quite like the invigorating scent and flavor of mint (Mentha spp.) freshly picked from the garden. Mint can be added to many food dishes, it can add freshness to a summer lemonade, and it is helpful in supporting a variety of wellness conditions. From well-known peppermint (Mentha x piperita) and spearmint (Mentha…
Free Registration To Our New Making Herbal Preparations 101 Mini Course!
The history of herbs is a fascinating one that goes back thousands of years and spans the globe! While there have certainly been periods of fluctuation in the use of herbs for wellness, herbs have been a staple in culinary and wellness protocols for the majority of the world’s population. Today, herbalism is alive and…
Video: Rose Helichrysum Skin Serum
Herbal serums are versatile skin care preparations that can be crafted for a variety of skin types and imbalances. They’re also really quick and easy to make! Below, we’re sharing how to make a favorite everyday skin serum that works to tone, moisturize, and calm sensitive skin. This tutorial video and printable recipe is from…
How To Find The Best Holistic Skin Care Routine For You
Beauty is certainly more than skin deep. However, the health and beauty of your skin should not be overlooked or dismissed as a matter of mere aesthetics. Your skin serves as far more than a lovely facade. Skin tissue is not only vital for physical protection; it is also a clear reflection of the body’s…
How To Make A Summer Garden Bath Tea
What’s better than unwinding into a summer garden bath tea? Much like drinking herbal teas, herbal bath teas can also be enjoyed long past the last sip, or in this case, soak. You see, when you soak in a relaxing herbal bath tea, not only does your skin soak in the calming, stress-relieving herbal benefits,…
A DIY Floral Delight Soap Recipe You’ll Love!
The craft of soapmaking is regaining popularity as people become more interested in learning more about traditional skills and homekeeping. While some people approach soapmaking as an artistic outlet, others make soap and shampoo bars in an effort to control the safety of the ingredients in the products they use in their homes, and some…
Two Basic St. John’s Wort Preparations To Keep In Stock
“This is her greatest trick: Bringing light and warmth to your darkness by helping to re-create the electric leap of synapses firing and energy moving along. Call on St. John’s Wort when you need a sip of sunshine so you can find your light in the darkness.” – Maia Toll, The Illustrated Herbiary St. John’s…
6 Herbal Mocktail Recipes for the 4th of July
When summer approaches, patios begin to bustle, umbrellas and sun hats come out, and perhaps you even find yourself on a blanket at the beach. During this laidback time of the year, we are often accompanied by a favorite libation to aid our relaxation. While there is a heavy emphasis on alcohol in today’s culture,…
How To Make A Clarifying Facial Toner
One of the first steps to achieve clear skin begins on the inside of the body by eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water. However, when it comes to external efforts you can make towards clear skin, a good facial toner is one piece of the puzzle that will help you meet your…
Your Favorite Botanical Skin Care Recipes—In Print!
We all have to make good choices for our lives and our health, and we also want to do the very best for those we love. As herbalists, we’ve come to understand how important herbs are to our wellbeing—from the plants we ingest inside our bodies to the ones we use topically on the outside….
Cooking With Edible Mushrooms: A Beginner’s Guide
When it comes to cooking with edible mushrooms, the options are exciting, creative, and vast. Even for the novice chef who is just dipping their toe into the world of edible mushrooms, culinary options span far beyond the common button mushroom. Curious looking fungi such as morel (Morchella esculentoides), enoki (Flammulina velutipes), porcini (Boletus edulis),…
Video: Mediterranean Garden Lotion Bars
Like body butters, lotion bars are incredibly quick and easy to make. Not only that, but they are easy to apply to any area of the body by simply smoothing the bar over the skin and allowing your body heat to melt them into the skin. Lotion bars also do not contain any water-based ingredients,…
A DIY Herbal Electuary To Give Your Next Smoothie A Wellness Boost
When I first started working with honey, it was merely a logical leap as a mother who happened to be an herb-grower and a beekeeper. At the time, I was just working with the materials I had available to keep my kids from fighting my herbal preparations. Shortly after crafting my first herbal electuary, it…
