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,…
Essential Oil Bath Safety: What To Do & Not Do
We are all well aware that the modern American lifestyle is very stressful. When you look up stress management techniques, you will find that a soothing evening bath is frequently on the list. As herbal practitioners, we may use a full, soaking bath, or we may use a smaller version of the bath such as…
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…
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 issues including coughs, mucus, and difficulty breathing (Hippocrates, 400 B.C.E.). Made from vinegar and honey, oxymels are a tasty and simple herbal preparation to make. Keep reading to learn how to make an oxymel…
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 from the plant, intentionally setting it in spring water, and placing the bowl under the sun in the center of my garden. It was a magical meditation as the golden rays of the sun penetrated…
How To Harvest Bark From Trees and Shrubs Correctly
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to harvest bark from trees or shrubs, you’re not alone. Bark is commonly used in herbal preparations, but the idea of harvesting barks can be rather confusing. How exactly does one go about harvesting barks from trees or shrubs in an ethical and sustainable manner? In the article…
Freezing Herbs For Later Use – 5 Ways
It is high summer and gardens are overflowing with herbs, many of which are at their peak and ready to harvest. This is the season when many leaves and flowers are most potent, and drying these herbs in bunches or laid flat on screens is one easy way to preserve summer’s bounty for later. Freezing…
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…
How To Make a Homemade Salve
In the Online Intermediate Herbal Course, we study plant energetics and their actions. Many of us in the herbal community share a passion for seeking out natural homemade remedies. We are not only studying plant’s actions individually but also how to create vehicles for these herbs to work together with the body. These vehicles have…
How To Make Herb-Infused Oils
If you have never made an herb-infused oil, you are in for a wonderful treat! These easy herbal preparations are a wonderful way to capture the benefits of herbs for many uses, from skincare to cooking. There are so many herbs you can choose from depending on your intended use, and there are so many…