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Healing Herbs

Calm the Heck Down – Motherwort Herb Benefits

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Benefits of Motherwort

Motherwort herb is a lovely plant with a long history of use in supporting women’s health. The benefits of motherwort include effects on the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems. Motherwort herb is a wonderful way to calm frazzled nerves and emotions.

Motherwort Herb – Offering Unconditional Love

When was the last time you were held in an embrace of unconditional love? These special embraces are usually only shared in times of tragedy. Perhaps we are living in tragic times, and solid, loving embraces could be used as a preventative medicine?

Often you will hear experienced herbalists speaking of the plants as though they are individuals with distinct personalities. Whether you believe in the spiritual nature of the plants or not, understanding the benefits the plants have to offer can become more meaningful when we consider them as complicated and sophisticated, rather than in the simplistic, “this herb for that symptom” viewpoint.

Motherwort is one of those herbs with a distinct “personality”, and like us, she can be contradictory in her ways. She has silky soft leaves, delicate, but prickly flowers. And she offers unconditional support, especially during emotional times of stress.

 

The benefits of motherwort include both physical and emotional support. The physical benefits of motherwort include effects on the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems. Motherwort herb also provides emotional support, both subtle and strong, depending on your needs.

 

Motherwort Uses – The Tension and Anxiety-Relieving Herb

When I first began learning about herbal remedies, I frequently found myself skeptical of the long lists of benefits one plant could supposedly offer. However, I now have a better understanding of how this works, and motherwort is a good example of a plant that offers many benefits.

Motherwort has a long tradition of use in easing tension, anxiety, and as a supportive herb for women.

Studies indicate motherwort may be beneficial in reducing depression and those who use motherwort report a greater sense of calm and well-being. Motherwort is supportive to the nervous system during times of acute stress or emotional upheaval, and provides a soothing and calming effect (much like the sensation of being held in unconditional love by a loving mother, sister, or friend.)

Motherwort has a bitter flavor and this acts to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which puts the brakes on the flight-or-fight stress response. Motherwort’s bitter properties allow us to rest. (You can learn more about bitter herbs and their benefits – The Benefits of Bitters and How to Make a Bitter Tincture)

Motherwort Uses – Women’s Medicine

The common name “Motherwort” goes back to the tradition of using motherwort for aiding mothers and women.

Motherwort herb calms and soothes the nerves for overworked mothers who could use a little mothering themselves,” ~ Deborah Frances

Used as women’s medicine, the benefits of motherwort include:

  • Motherwort is used by experienced herbalists and midwives in preparation for birth and after-care.
  • Motherwort is an emmenagogue, which is a fancy way of saying an herb has a stimulating effect on the uterus and can bring on menses. This is useful for women with stagnation, delayed, or scanty menses, and cramping during menstruation or between periods.
  • Helps with PMS symptoms – used to ease tension, headaches, and anger.
  • Relieving hot flashes – Motherwort is a member of the mint family and has a strong cooling effect on the body.

Motherwort for the Heart

The scientific name for Motherwort is Leonurus cardiaca which translates to: Leonurus – Lion’s tail, and Cardiaca – heart.

Western medicine views the heart as a muscular valve, but we are all familiar with the emotional and spiritual qualities of the heart. We talk about feeling “heart-broken”, and we can either put “our heart and soul” into something, or “lose heart”.

Motherwort works on both the physical heart and the emotional heart.

Leonurine, an alkaloid in motherwort, acts as a mild vasodilator and anti-spasmodic, both of which can help reduce blood pressure, especially when high blood pressure is a primary symptom of tension, anxiety, and stress.

In addition to these physical properties, studies indicate motherwort may be beneficial in reducing depression, and those who use motherwort often notice a greater sense of calm and well-being.

Herbalist Rosalee de la Foret says this about motherwort:

Motherwort’s actions beautifully show us the connection between the physical and spiritual heart. It is often used when there is a rapid, fluttering, or pounding heartbeat (palpitations) associated with anxiety or nervousness. Through this, we can see that it acts on the physical heart by decreasing palpitations and mild hypertension while also acting on the spiritual heart to soothe and calm anxiety. An additional benefit of motherwort is that it is calming without being overly sedating.

 

The benefits of motherwort include both physical and emotional support. The physical benefits of motherwort include effects on the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems. Motherwort herb also provides emotional support, both subtle and strong, depending on your needs.

The content on this site may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. SeekingJoyfulSimplicity.com is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity. ~ Michelle

How to Use Motherwort

Although you could make a tea with motherwort, it is quite bitter, and most people prefer using it in tincture form. Motherwort can be used as needed to soothe tension and anxiety, or taken daily for a more therapeutic benefit. Using a tincture, one dropperful 1- 4 times daily is a frequently recommended dose. I recommend Herb Pharm Certified Organic Motherwort Extract for Endocrine System Support – 1 Ounce bottle.

Contraindications:

Motherwort can stimulate the uterus and should not be used during pregnancy (except by a highly experienced herbalist or midwife.)

If you have heavy menstrual bleeding, motherwort is probably not a good herb for you to use.

The safety of motherwort when breast-feeding is unknown.

Please Note: the information provided here is not intended to replace professional medical advice and care. It is simply my perspective for you to consider as you make good choices for you and your family’s health. The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and maintaining health. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care. The information provided has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not meant to diagnose any disease, nor is it intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Seek the support and care of a physician and/or complementary care practitioner you trust, and above all, listen to and trust in yourself. Be well!

Resources:Depression and Leonurine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29016795

Motherwort Physiology
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23042598

 

Feeling Anxious, Wired, and Tired? Benefits of Passionflower – Reduce Anxiety and Sleep Better Naturally

These 4 Simple Foods Fight Cold and Flu – Sage, Ginger, Garlic and Honey

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Marketing and commercialization by the pharmaceutical and health food industries tries to convince us that taking responsibility for our health is difficult. We are encouraged to buy expensive products and to rely on the “experts” to guide us in our choices.

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

The content on this site may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. SeekingJoyfulSimplicity.com is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity. ~ Michelle

Traditional Foods as Medicine

When you feel yourself with the beginning of a cold, there are some simple things you can do without turning to  store-bought medicines or remedies. Many of our common kitchen ingredients have been used for thousands of years as both food and medicine.

In our modern world of medicine today, the pharmaceutical industry continues to churn out “new” and “improved” medicines for us to buy, and bombard us with advertising, and the FDA regularly recalls drugs discovered to cause harm.

But we can rely on simple foods that connect us to the earth and our ancestors. We can use the remedies that have been available through the generations. Research is confirming these foods as powerfully effective in supporting our immune systems and keeping us healthy.

Four Simple Foods for Cold and Flu

  1. Raw Honey
  2. Sage
  3. Fresh Ginger
  4. Fresh Garlic

There are so many foods that support our health, but I chose these four because:

  • They are have a long history of use as medicine
  • Are easy to obtain
  • Have extensive research confirming they are incredibly effective
  • They taste great!

These four foods are effective medicine when used alone, but work even better together. Synergistically, these foods fight colds and flu by:

  • Destroying the bacteria and viruses that make us sick
  • Stimulating our immune system (such as increasing white blood cells)
  • Preventing viruses from reproducing, essentially stopping a cold or flu in its tracks

Sometimes when we use food as medicine, we need more than we can comfortably consume. Medicinal honey is a great way to enjoy the nourishing and healing properties of plant medicines, and honey is an excellent way to pull and concentrate the medicinal properties in the plants. Using good quality local honey, we can enjoy the medicine of the plants and the medicine of the honey.

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

Benefits of Raw Honey

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists honey as a demulcent, which means it is a substance that soothes dry, irritated membranes. Honey is effective for soothing coughs and sore throats, and it has antimicrobial properties (nature’s way of preserving the honey for the bees!) These antimicrobial properties help us fight the cold and flu viruses.

Honey is an excellent way to extract and preserve the medicinal properties of the plants. And the great taste helps us take the medicine we need.

But beware, most “honey” sold in grocery stores is highly processed, meaning the honey is heated to such a high temperature that all the medicinal qualities are destroyed. In addition to this heating process, the “honey” is diluted with water, corn syrup, and often found to be contaminated with chemicals and heavy metals.

Sadly, most of the large national honey distributors import honey from countries with poor quality standards, and the FDA is unable (or perhaps unwilling) to test more than a very small percentage of the honey industry. *If this disturbs you, and you want to learn more, this is an excellent resource.

Your best choice is to buy organic honey from a trusted source, or better yet, buy local raw honey. Raw honey does cost more, but when making medicine for ourselves and our families, using raw honey is essential.

Raw honey can be used to make some truly indulgent infused honeys. Consider indulging yourself with rose honey, lavender honey, mint honey, and more! Check out my herbal honey recipes – Herbal Infused Honeys .

Benefits of Sage

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

 

Sage is a plant used as food and many kinds of medicine for thousands of years. For colds and flu, sage kills the virus and bacteria responsible for our respiratory infections, relieves our cough and sore throats, and because sage has astringent properties, it’s excellent for treating drippy sinus. Sage can be used alone as a tea, or as a gargle to sooth a sore throat.

Avoid medicinal amounts if you are breast-feeding (slows lactation).

Benefits of Ginger

 

Ginger is an incredibly versatile food and medicine that has been used for thousands of years. Traditional uses and current science agree that ginger has potent antibacterial and antiviral properties. Ginger also has strong anti-inflammatory properties and several large studies have shown that ginger is as effective at treating aches and pains as Ibuprofen. And by increasing circulation, ginger has a warming effect; perfect for the cold seasons.

Benefits of Garlic

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

For over 5,000 years garlic has been used as food and medicine. Garlic stimulates the immune system, helps thin mucous, and acts as an expectorant. Like ginger, garlic has anti-inflammatory compounds that help relieve the discomforts of cold and flu.

The Cooking Detective has a well-researched article on the 39 Health Benefits of Garlic. 

Avoid medicinal amounts if you’re on blood thinners or antibiotics.

Easy Steps to Making a Medicinal Honey

Click here for your easy-to-print PDF: Cold and Flu Recipe

Supplies:

Instructions: 

  1. Fill a clean, dry jar 1/3 to 1/2 full with loosely chopped sage, ginger, and garlic.
  2. Cover ingredients with honey, stirring lightly to remove air bubbles.
  3. Add more honey as needed to completely cover the herbs.
  4. Cover and allow to infuse. The longer you leave it, the stronger the flavor. You can use within a few days, but I like to give mine a week before straining into a clean jar.

You don’t have to strain the honey, but I prefer to strain mine for a smooth honey and take it by the spoonful.

Dosing:

During acute illness:

  • Adults – 1 teaspoon every 2 hours up to 10 doses daily
  • Children over 1 year – 1/2 teaspoon every 2 hours up to 5 doses daily.

Summary

When I think about making medicine at home for myself and my family, I want to keep it simple and accessible. I have used these simple plant medicines, and I see how well they work. Unlike the store-bought cold medicines which simply suppress our cold and flu symptoms, the plant medicines work deep, supporting and strengthening our body’s immune system.

I’m excited to share this simple traditional medicine with you. I encourage you to give it a try, and let me know how it works for you! And don’t forget to share this with others.

Do you have a traditional remedy for colds and flu? Maybe something shared in your family?

~ Michelle

Here are some more of my favorite homemade remedies:

Honey-Vinegar Cough Medicine

Easy Fermented Garlic and 5 Recipes

 

 

Please Note: the information provided here is not intended to replace professional medical advice and care. It is simply my perspective for you to consider as you make good choices for you and your family’s health. Seek the support and care of a physician and/or complementary care practitioner you trust, and above all, listen to and trust in yourself. Be well!

Vibrant Skin from the Inside Out: 7 Strategies for Glowing, Radiant Skin 

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There is a billion-dollar market ready to help us fix what’s wrong with us. Most of the mainstream strategies promoting radiant skin treat the external surface, but to enjoy vibrant skin from the inside out, we can take advantage of foods and herbs for healthy skin.  

Vibrant Skin from the Inside Out 

The market is filled with creams, lotions, over-the-counter, and prescription products promising solutions to our skin problems. Tone, firm, remove blemishes, hide and conceal…whatever we need fixed, there is a product promising to solve our all our problems.  

What we forget is the condition of our skin reflects our internal health. Let us begin our skin care with the basics using these 7 strategies for glowing, radiant skin.

Our skin reflects our internal health. Let us begin our skin care with the basics using these 7 strategies for glowing, radiant skin.

7 Strategies for Glowing, Radiant Skin 

Strategy One – Promote Good Gut Health 

The link between gut health and our skin. 

Few of us think of gut health beyond the typical symptoms of heartburn, gas, bloating, reflux, and  constipation. Even if you never experience any of these symptoms, your gut health may be compromised.  

The growing research directly linking the health of our digestive system to inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and skin conditions is strong, and our healthcare system and providers are slowly starting to catch on to the importance of addressing gut health as the root to many of our chronic health conditions.  

There are a few simple strategies you can begin (or continue with consistency) to promote good gut health.  

In the not-to-distant past, fermented foods were once a common part of everyone’s diet (and they still are in many parts of the world.) But with modern food systems, the desire for safe, sanitary foods and products with a long shelf life, our foods became increasingly sterilized.  

The bacteria and yeasts that naturally occur within our digestive systems are vitally important to our health. The standard American diet does not support a healthy gut flora, and our health is being effected in profound ways.  

One of the simplest things you can do to improve your health, and the condition of your skin, is to include a variety of fermented foods as part of your diet. Foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchee, taken in small daily doses, provide our bodies with the gut flora vital to our health.  If fermented foods seem too foreign or difficult to include consistently, taking a quality probiotic can be effective as well. 

Strategy Two – Avoid Inflammation-Promoting Foods 

We are surrounded with quick, easy, convenient food choices. Unfortunately, most of these foods are filled with added simple sugars, rancid vegetable-oil based fats, and processed flours devoid of fiber. These foods promote inflammation in the body, leading to many of our chronic health conditions. Chronic inflammation shows up in the skin as well. 

Everything in moderation is key to good health. You will have to learn what “moderation” means for you.  

Inflammatory foods to limit include: 

  • Sugars (even ‘natural’ sugars) 
  • White flours 
  • Vegetable oils (found in most packaged foods and fried foods) 
  • Alcohol 
  • For some people – dairy and gluten 

Strategy Three – Include More Anti-inflammatory Foods 

Including more antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits, in a rainbow of colors, helps reduce oxidation and inflammation in the body.  

Good sources of antioxidant-rich foods: 

  • Red and yellow peppers 
  • Sweet potatoes 
  • Broccoli 
  • Kale 
  • Cabbage 
  • Spinach 
  • Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, goji berries 
  • Turmeric
  • Garlic
  • Ginger

In addition to the rainbow of vegetables and fruits, including more sources of the omega-3 fatty acids reduces inflammation and promotes healthier skin.

Natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids include: 

  • Salmon 
  • Walnuts 
  • Ground flax seeds 
  • Chia seeds 
  • Pasture-raised beef, chicken, and eggs 

Strategy Four – Exercise for a Healthy Glow 

One of the best ways to increase circulation throughout the body and especially for the skin is through exercise. Even better, if you sweat, you will help eliminate toxins through the skin. The healthy glow that comes from exercise (and perspiration) cannot be replicated through creams or lotions! 

Strategy Five – Hydration 

Drinking adequate fluids, especially water, can make a tremendous impact on the appearance of our skin. There are plenty of flavored water products available, many with added vitamins and electrolytes, however, I prefer real, natural water to a manufactured product with marketing gimmicks. Why not have water in a glass with added lemon, lime, raspberry, blackberry, cucumber, mint leaves, or other simple fruit added?  

Strategy Six – Sleep 

Not enough or poor quality sleep has a deep impact on our skin. Sleep is the time when the body heals and rejeuvenates – poor sleep shows up as dark circles, puffy eyes, droopy skin, and a dull complexion. Making sleep a priority in our hectic lives can be a challenge, but like nutrition, sleep has profound effects on our overall health.  

If you struggle with difficulty sleeping, you are not alone. You can read more about the Natural Ways to  Sleep Better, The Best Herbs for Better Sleep, and How to Make Your Own Sleep Tincture. 

Strategy Seven– Herbs and Supplements for Healthy Skin 

Herbal skin products are a wonderful way to pamper our skin. But did you know you can use herbs as food to promote a healthy, glowing complexion? Herbs work from the inside out, providing a glowing, healthy complexion. 

Some of the best herbs for healthy skin include: 

  • Nettle 
  • Red Clover 
  • Bitter Herbs 
  • Burdock Root 
  • Shizandra 
  • Quercetin

 These can be taken as teas, tinctures, in recipes, and in capsules.

More articles on skin care:

For a simple homemade and luxurious rose and aloe lotion – Rose and Aloe Lotion.

Make Your Own Rose and Aloe Cooling Lotion and Spray

 Make your own herbal summer skin salve – DIY Summer Skin Salve

DIY Summer Skin Salve – All Natural Relief for Summer Skin

 

Make Your Own Rose and Aloe Cooling Lotion and Spray

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All-Natural Rose and Aloe Cooling Lotion and Spray

Roses are alluring and beautiful, and despite their delicate appearance, they offer some pretty amazing health benefits. Combining the anti-inflammatory and cooling property of rose petals with soothing aloe, we can create a simple, all-natural rose and aloe cooling lotion.

Roses excel at cooling and soothing hot inflamed skin, and a homemade rose and aloe cooling lotion is a wonderful way to treat skin irritations like acne, rashes, eczema, sunburn, and insect bites.

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a commission at no cost to you. Seeking Joyful Simplicity.com is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity. ~ Michelle

Healing Qualities of Roses

Roses have a long history of use in cosmetics, but did you know roses have many benefits as food and medicine? Roses provide healthy antioxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonoids, and roses, especially the rose hip are exceptionally high in vitamin C.

Roses excel at cooling and soothing hot inflamed skin, and a homemade rose and aloe cooling lotion is a wonderful way to treat skin irritations like acne, rashes, eczema, sunburn, and insect bites.

In addition, roses have astringent properties and are often used in skin care products to tighten skin and connective tissue.

This is a simple recipe combining the healing and soothing properties of aloe vera with roses. This makes a simple lotion that can be applied to irritated skin, or better yet, you can add a small amount of distilled water to make this a spray. It’s also a great addition to your herbal first aid kit.

Making Your Rose and Aloe Cooling Lotion

To make your own rose and aloe cooling lotion, you will need:

  • Rose petals – fresh or dried, although fresh is best. If you are harvesting, be sure the roses are grown organically.
  • Aloe Vera gel liquid – I prefer a food-grade quality brand like this one.
  • Lavender essential oil

Instructions:

  1. Place your rose petals in a blender. Use just enough aloe gel to cover all the rose petals. Blend on high until creamy.

2. After blending, strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer.

3. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil and stir.

4. Place in a glass jar, bottle, or fine mist spray bottle. If you want to use as a spray, dilute the mixture with a small amount of distilled water.

5. Store in the refrigerator.

Use a small amount as needed to relieve irritated skin, sunburn, and insect bites.

Roses excel at cooling and soothing hot inflamed skin, and a homemade rose and aloe cooling lotion is a wonderful way to treat skin irritations like acne, rashes, eczema, sunburn, and insect bites.

The antioxidant properties of the rose and lavender essential oil help preserve your rose aloe lotion, as well as prevent skin infections. Storing in the refrigerator both prolongs the life of your lotion, and adds to the delightful cooling effect.

For more information on the benefits of roses, here are a few resources:

Mountain Rose Blog – Rose and Lavender Facial Toner Recipe

Seeking Joyful Simplicity – Roses as Food and Medicine and 6 Rose Recipes

National Institute of Health Paper on the Pharmacological Benefits of Rosa damascena

If you enjoy learning about herbal remedies and making your own, follow me on Pinterest!

Seeking Joyful Simplicity on Pinterest

Michelle

DIY Summer Skin Salve – All Natural Relief for Summer Skin

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Warm breezes and sunny days, summer is the time for outdoor activities. But along with the summer fun comes summer skin irritations like sunburn, blisters, insect bites, and the dreaded poison ivy. You can buy over-the-counter products to treat all of these, but you will also be getting the added chemicals and preservatives. Why not take a little time to make your own highly effective, all-natural DIY skin salve?

Insect bites, bee stings, sunburn relief. Only four ingredients and using easy-to-find herbs like plantain and dandelion, you can make your own highly effective, all-natural DIY skin salve

The content on this site may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. SeekingJoyfulSimplicity.com is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity. ~ Michelle

All Natural Skin Salve – 4 Ingredients

  • Coconut oil
  • Beeswax
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Herb-infused oils

Best Herbs for Summer Skin Irritations

  • Plantain
  • Calendula
  • Dandelion
  • Jewelweed

These four common plants have traditionally been used to treat skin irritations. You can use any combination of these depending on availability and your preference. If you will be collecting wild herbs, be sure they haven’t been treated with chemicals, and if you are unfamiliar with any of the plants, be sure to use a good plant identification resource – I recommend A Peterson Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs (Peterson Field Guides) .

Plantain – Plantain sp. 

Plantain weed, not to be confused with the tropical plantain fruit, is a common weed found throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Insect bites, bee stings, sunburn relief. Only four ingredients and using easy-to-find herbs like plantain and dandelion, you can make your own highly effective, all-natural DIY skin salve

This is my favorite summer plant for skin irritations, and if you can only use one plant for your summer skin salve, this is the one I recommend!

Insect bites, including spider bites and bee stings, can be painful. Plantain is quite effective at treating bites and stings. Herbalists refer to plantain as a powerful “drawing agent”, and it is used for a variety of purposes, including:

  • Drawing venom from snake and spider bites
  • Drawing infections from wounds
  • Treating bee stings and mosquito bites

Plantain as a remedy is considered cooling and soothing, making it a perfect ingredient to include in our DIY skin salve. The leaves are collected and used fresh or dried, and plantain makes an excellent addition to your DIY herbal first aid kit.

The primary species are Plantago major, and Plantago lanceolate. Both are found plentifully, often growing in lawns, along sidewalks, and other areas of disturbed soil. Be sure to use a good resource for identifying plants before making remedies. You can also purchase dried plantain leaves here.

Calendula – Calendula officinalis

Insect bites, bee stings, sunburn relief. Only four ingredients and using easy-to-find herbs like plantain and dandelion, you can make your own highly effective, all-natural DIY skin salve

Calendula has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, making it useful for all kinds of skin inflammation. In addition, calendula has antibacterial and antiviral properties, making it valuable for preventing a variety of infections. Studies show calendula helps damaged skin and wounds heal more rapidly. (Reference here.)

 

Calendula is part of the marigold family and is quite attractive in the garden. Flowers are collected and dried and used to make herb-infused oil. Dried calendula flowers can be purchased here.

Dandelion – Taraxacum officinalis

Dandelion is another prolific weed with many healing properties. Traditionally used topically to treat muscle aches and pains, dandelion flowers are infused in oil and make a nice addition to your summer salve.

Jewelweed – Impatiens capensis

Jewelweed is a lovely little plant that prefers growing in moist areas and is frequently found growing in close proximity to poison ivy. Native Americans believe nature provides the cure, and jewelweed is one of the best natural remedies for the rash associated with poison ivy.

Insect bites, bee stings, sunburn relief. Only four ingredients and using easy-to-find herbs like plantain and dandelion, you can make your own highly effective, all-natural DIY skin salve

The golden orange blossoms and leaves are traditionally used to make herbal remedies. Identifying jewelweed is easiest once is starts blooming, typically after the hot days of summer arrive (along with the insects and poison ivy!). Again, be sure you properly identify the jewelweed using a good plant guide. .

Making Herbal-Infused Oils

The first part of making a salve requires infusing your herbs in oil.

Step One – gather your herbs. Allow the fresh plant (leaves and flowers) to wilt for a few hours, this helps remove some of the moisture, which can cause your oil to become moldy.

Step Two – crush or cut the plant material into small pieces, then place your leaves in a clean pint-sized jar.

Step Three – cover the leaves with oil – olive or jojoba work nicely. Be sure you have completely covered the leaves with oil to prevent mold from forming. Place the lid.

Step Four – Fill a saucepan ¼ full of water and bring to a gentle boil. Carefully place your jar of herbs in the water and allow to simmer for 2 hours. Allow the oil to cool before straining off the herbs.

Step Five – After the oil has cooled, strain off the herbs and save your oil.

Making Your Skin Salve

Insect bites, bee stings, sunburn relief. Only four ingredients and using easy-to-find herbs like plantain and dandelion, you can make your own highly effective, all-natural DIY skin salve

Now that you have your herb infused oil, you can make your salve. The addition of beeswax will help protect, soothe, and nourish your skin, and helps keep the salve solid even in the heat of summer. Lavender essential oil has properties that reduce pain and inflammation, as well as promote healing (source here). Coconut oil is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and helps keep the salve from spoiling.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup herb-infused oil – use one or several herbal oils, depending on preference and availability
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup beeswax (I prefer the pastilles, they melt easier)
  • 10 drops of lavender essential oil (optional)

Directions

  1. Using a double boiler set-up, melt the beeswax.
  2. Add the herb-infused oil and coconut oil and warm gently until everything is melted.
  3. Remove from heat and add the lavender essential oil.
  4. Pour into small jars with lids. Don’t forget to label your jars with the ingredients and date!

How to Use Your DIY Summer Skin Salve

Simply apply a small amount as frequently as needed to treat cuts, scrapes, bites, stings, bruises, aches, and pains.

If you enjoy creating your own herbal remedies, I recommend making this delightful Rose Aloe Cooling Lotion and Spray. It’s super easy and wonderfully effective!

Wishing you much health and happiness,
~ Michelle


Chickweed Recipe – Chickweed Pesto

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Chickweed is a great-tasting weed that offers plenty of flavor and nutrition. Making chickweed pesto is a great way to enjoy this early spring weed.

 

Chickweed is a great-tasting weed that offers plenty of flavor and nutrition. Making chickweed pesto is a great way to enjoy this early spring weed.

 

Chickweed – A Simple Nourishing Weed

Traditional cultures looked forward to taking in the fresh green plants erupting in the early spring. After a winter of heavy foods and root vegetables, many of the earliest greens provided much-needed nutrients and today we have scientific insights into their immune-boosting and cleansing properties. Most of the nourishing early spring greens are currently regarded as weeds, and we can often find them in our own backyards.

Today I want to share a favorite weed – Stellaria media, commonly known as Chickweed. Chickweed is the first herb plant my youngest daughter learned to use. At age three, we had just identified a large batch of chickweed growing in a shady patch at the meeting place for our weekly home school cooperative. Minutes later, my daughter fell and skinned her knees. I gently picked her up and placed her on the picnic table, talking to her in my soothing mother voice as she tried to hide her tears from her friends. She promptly hopped down, quietly picked and chewed some chickweed, and made herself a nice little spit poultice to place over her bleeding knees.  No more owies.

Chickweed Nutrition

Chickweed is great medicine for owies, but is also very nutritive. Chickweed is high in vitamin C and iron, and the B-complex vitamins.

The taste is somewhat like cucumber, with the same cooling properties. Chickweed is great added to salads, similar in texture to fresh sprouts. It can be chopped small and added to eggs and other dishes as a fresh garnish.

Although chickweed grows year-round in my home state of Virginia, I find the best flavor and growth is in the spring time, just as it is forming flower buds. One way to enjoy and preserve this abundant herb is to make pesto, which can be frozen.

Chickweed offers nutrition and flavor. Learn the benefits of chickweed and enjoy a chickweed pesto.

Identifying Chickweed

Small ground-hugging, green herb with heavily branching stems, chickweed typically grows in patches and prefers shady spots. You can find a single line of “hairs” on one side of the stem which switches with the other side of the stem after each leaf node. Leaves are opposite on the stem joint and the flowers are white and delicate.


Simple Chickweed Pesto

This pesto stays bright green, even after freezing!

2 cups fresh chickweed
2 cloves garlic
1/2  – 1 cup olive oil
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup walnuts

Place all in a blender

I like to freeze these in small batches in 4-oz jelly jars. Another idea is to freeze in ice-cube trays, then remove and store in a freezer bag.

If you enjoy using herbs as food, you might enjoy this Lemon Balm Recipe – Lemon Balm Cookies. They’re sweet with a touch of lemon!

Corina at Marblemount Homestead has a Delicious and Nourishing Nettle Pesto Recipe, and she shares why Nettle is great food and medicine! – Nettle Pesto