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…
Take A Peek Into Our New Botanical Skin Care Course!
We’ve been dropping hints like hotcakes for several weeks, and this morning, we are thrilled to start shouting from the rooftops that our Botanical Skin Care Course is now OPEN for registration! Oh heavens, you are in for a scrumptious treat with this course! For some of you, this course may even be life-changing. Our…
St. John’s Wort in Bloom: How To Identify And Forage St. John’s Wort
St. John’s wort, sometimes known as St. Joan’s wort, (Hypericum perforatum) is one sign that summer has indeed arrived. It typically blooms very near to the summer solstice, which is a useful identifier as to the best time to harvest the aerial parts with their sunny yellow flowers. The harvest season of St. John’s wort…
Easy DIY Bee Sting Poultice
Let’s face it: as beautiful and amazing as it is to be outdoors in nature with the birds and the bees—sometimes you get stung! Whether you are hard at work gardening, on a hike, or even just wandering around your city, bee stings can happen anywhere. Luckily for us, once you learn how to prepare…
How To Manage Burns Naturally From Start To Finish
Burns are a common type of ailment that many of us will experience at least once in our lifetime. While some burns require emergency medical assistance, such as severe burns which cover large portions of the skin, those that penetrate deep into the tissue, or burns that are the result of a chemical or electrical…
Edible Mushroom Benefits of Six Super Star Mushrooms
Perhaps you are a mushroom lover by nature and incorporating edible mushrooms into your diet comes naturally to you. On the other hand, you are not alone if you find mushrooms to be an acquired taste. Proper preparation techniques and well-balanced recipes certainly improve the appeal of edible mushrooms. However, if tantalizing recipes aren’t enough…
Herbal Support for Canine Rabies Vaccination
Of all the diseases transmitted from wild animals to dogs, rabies is the most deadly. Our canine friends are the main transmitter of the rabies virus to humans (World Health Organization, n.d.). A dog has to have active rabies in order to be contagious and pass the virus through their saliva in order to infect…
How To Approach Headaches Naturally
There’s nothing that can make me reach for an over-the-counter pain reliever faster than a splitting headache. Since I want to avoid unnecessary medications as much as possible (saving them for when I need them), I approach headaches naturally through dietary, herbal, and lifestyle methods before medications are required. Over the years, I have not…
8 Herbs That Calm The Anxious Mind
It may feel like today’s world is in a state of upheaval with social, political, and economic issues stirring up emotions inside of each of us. These emotions are often generically labeled as stress, and while that may be the case, acute stress has a tendency to become chronic stress if not properly addressed, and…
5 Multi-Use Herbs for your Herbal Toolkit
The study of herbalism can seem very overwhelming because there are so many herbs out there! For simplicity and practicality, it is helpful to become knowledgeable about some common herbs to have on hand that have multiple uses. In this post, we will focus on five soothing, multi-use herbs that can be supportive of multiple…
Urban Herbalism: Herbal Recipes For Life In An Urban Environment
Some of the most courageous herbalists are the ones who choose to live in cities and share their skills with the community-at-large. Urban herbalism is not always easy. The act of harvesting plants is less accessible and growing herbs is more challenging due to limited space. Not to mention, living in an urban environment presents…
Spiritual Heart Medicine: How To Use Herbs for Emotional Self-Care
Humans are emotional beings, though, in our modern society, we often place importance on the physical body. This focus can lead to ignoring the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, messages from our emotional body. While it may feel easier to put attention on the physical body, tending to emotional self-care is necessary for overall…
DIY Firming Wild Rose Undereye Cream
This recipe for undereye cream is from a book excerpt from The Backyard Herbal Apothecary by Devon Young. My slow evolution into “becoming an herbalist” started with a love of plants and a love of knowledge. My earliest memories are a library of pretty plants and heavenly aroma, diverse textures and pleasing flavors. To say…
What Dosha Pain Type Are You?
Ayurveda is the ancient healing tradition of India, and in the ayurvedic philosophy, all things in nature are comprised of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. These elements combine together in various ways to form the three doshas, known as vata, pitta, and kapha. Air and ether combine to make vata dosha….
A Delicious Tummy Tamer Glycerite for the Whole Family
Like me, you may periodically experience trouble with digestion after a big meal with symptoms including stomach cramps, gas, pain, bloating, and general unease. For many years, I searched unsuccessfully for a formula to ease my stomach and gastrointestinal issues. I found that over-the-counter formulas were too harsh and contained unwanted side effects. Unfortunately, some…
What Could Changes In FDA Dietary Supplement Regulations Mean For Herbalists?
Herbal preparations, which are regulated as dietary supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are popular consumer products for those interested in a holistic approach to wellness. Herbalists, who may use herbs and natural ingredients to make their own holistic preparations for clients and herbal products businesses, must keep informed about FDA dietary…
