Seeking Joyful Simplicity

Your best life after 40 - living with purpose and vibrant health. Empowering you with a holistic approach: nourishing foods, herbal remedies, and self-care to reduce overwhelm, manage your weight, and enjoy vibrant health in your 40's, 50's, and beyond.

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Homemade Herbal Gifts – 25 Inspiring Ideas for the Holidays

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Homemade herbal gifts are a delightful way to share our love for everything herbal. Instead of joining the holiday shopping rush, we can take the time to slow down and enjoy the creative process of making simple gifts for those we love. Homemade herbal gifts for friends and family are a great way to spread love and good health. Enjoy this list of 25 inspiring ideas for the holidays.

Homemade herbal gifts are a delightful way to share our love for everything herbal. Instead of joining the holiday shopping rush, we can take the time to slow down and enjoy the creative process of making simple gifts for those we love. Homemade herbal gifts for friends and family are a great way to spread love and good health. Enjoy this list of 20 inspiring ideas for the holidays.

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

Doesn’t it seem like the holidays have gotten completely out of control? I don’t even have a television, and I feel the hectic, desperate push of the holiday shopping season. Years ago, I decided to quit buying gifts. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy gifting. Those closest to me receive small homemade gifts. In the spirit of giving, and for the love of herbal medicine, I put together this list of 25 inspiring ideas for simple homemade herbal gifts.

25 Homemade Herbal Gift Ideas

Herbal Honeys are a lovely and delicious way to enjoy herbs. Honeys can be infused using culinary and medicinal herbs, and make easy and delicious gifts!

Herbal Vinegars are a great way to add flavor and medicinal benefits to our daily diets. Herbal vinegars are super-easy to make and fun to give.

Solid Perfume Lockets are adorable and made with all-natural scents.


Homemade Honey Wine is so easy to make and only requires water, honey,and wild yeasts. Get as creative as you want using herbs and seasonal flavors.

Homemade Air Fresheners are simple to make and only require water, alcohol, and essential oils. A cute label added to a simple spray bottle make these a great addition to your gift basket.

Herbal Bath Teas  for those who need a little relaxation. Scratch Mommy has suggestions for creating relaxing bath tea blends, rejuvenating blends, and directions for using them. Make extra for yourself!

Homemade Bath Salts are another idea for encouraging a little down-time for your family and friends.

Rose and Aloe Lotion is a delightful treat and so easy to make.

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.

Homemade Herbal Lotions are actually quite easy to make. This recipe makes a soothing lotion with chamomile and lavender.

Herbal Sugar Scrubs are a nice treat and good for our skin.

Homemade Herbal Lip Balm – using an herbal-infused oil, making homemade lip balm is easier than you think. I made enough herbal lip balm last year for all my friends and family.


Herbal Chocolates? Oh yes please! Check out these amazing Decadent Herbal Chocolate Recipes at the Herbal Academy Blog.

Chocolate Herbal Truffles. Great tasting and good for you – give the gift of love.

Homemade herbal gifts are a delightful way to share our love for everything herbal. Instead of joining the holiday shopping rush, we can take the time to slow down and enjoy the creative process of making simple gifts for those we love. Homemade herbal gifts for friends and family are a great way to spread love and good health. Enjoy this list of 20 inspiring ideas for the holidays.Herbalist Rosalee offers another easy herbal chocolate recipe

 

Homemade Candles are a delightful way to dress up your gift basket. Merissa at Little House Living has instructions for Fall Spice Candles.

Or how about lifting your spirits with these easy-to-make Lavender Rosemary candles.

DIY Herbal Bentonite Clay Face Mask with lavender and calendula.

Delicious herbal tea blends with warming and nourishing herbs to keep your loved ones healthy and happy. Include a label with ingredients and brewing instructions.

Share an Herbal Hot Chocolate Mix – using natural sweeteners and the benefits of herbs.

Herbal Infused Cordials combine healing herbs with fruit and alcohol for a delightful beverage that offers both taste and medicine. Use warming herbs and seasonal flavors to create beautiful holiday beverages.

I have a great suggestion for a simple healthy indulgence. Have you tried making your own herb-infused cordials? Cordials are fun to make, fun to drink, and can be used as gifts for all seasons. Use warming herbs for winter months, cooling herb combinations for summer season, or enjoy anytime!

Kathie at Homespun Seasonal Living has instructions and ideas for Making Herbal Dream Pillows.  

Ginger Snap Face Mask – Rose, calendula, ginger, cinnamon, bentonite clay.

Monica at the Yummy Life Blog has instructions for making absolutely gorgeous, totally easy, Natural Room Scent Jars and they make beautiful center pieces.

For culinary friends, how about creating some Homemade Spice Blends.

DIY Potpourri Jars are both beautiful and add wonderful scents to your home.

 

 

Giving homemade herbal gifts is a great way to share the beauty of herbal medicine and to enjoy the creative process of working hands-on with the herbs. Using natural and non-toxic ingredients and sharing our passion for homemade gifts shows we care for the health of those we love.

Do you enjoy giving and receiving hand-made gifts?
What’s the best homemade gift you have ever given or received?

Visit me at Seeking Joyful Simplicity – Willow Trees Farm Facebook and let me know what’s on your gift list this year!

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


Herbal Hair Care – A DIY Nourishing Herbal Hair Rinse

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Herbal Hair Care

Herbal remedies are not only good for our bodies, they are good for our hair. A great way to enjoy natural hair care is to make your own DIY herbal hair rinse. The herbs in this homemade hair rinse are nourishing for the hair and scalp and work well for all hair types. Easy to make and easy to use!

Natural hair care with a DIY herbal hair rinse recipe using rosemary, calendula, thyme, and plantain. Excellent herbs for dandruff too!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity.

Have you seen how expensive the “natural” hair care products are?! A little crazy, isn’t it? We can easily make our own, and the herbs I recommend you can grow yourself, forage (plantain is easy to find everywhere), or buy at the grocery store.

Before I share the herbal hair rinse with you, let’s talk about something first.

Dandruff

Itchy. Annoying. Embarrassing. Have you ever had dandruff?

I began suffering about ten years ago. It was more or less a chronic problem, although I did have periods of remission.

Over the years I have tried over-the-counter medicated shampoos with varying success, but I hated using them. Why? Because they contain petrochemical products that are harmful, and these substances are absorbed into the skin each time I shampoo.

Besides, the dandruff shampoos made my dry hair worse, and I hated the constant tangles, split ends, and worst of all, the frizzies.

Of course I tried many of the natural shampoos, most of them with tea tree oil, but they didn’t work for me. Not at all. And they dried my hair too.

After awhile, I began adding honey and aloe vera to my vinegar rinse, and finally enjoyed healthy, dandruff-free hair (see post with recipe here.) But then we moved, I went to work full-time, and my routine got interrupted. The dandruff came back with a vengeance.

In desperation, I decided to experiment with some of the herbs I am growing, and applying their healing properties to my scalp. But before I share the recipe, let’s talk about something else frustrating…

Causes of Dandruff

For such a common problem, it seems amazing to me how little we understand dandruff. Researching the cause of dandruff will lead you to a long list of reasons for this uncomfortable condition, and many of them are contradictory:

  • dry skin
  • oily skin
  • too much hair washing
  • too little hair washing
  • hygiene
  • stress
  • fungal infection with malassezia globosa or pityriasis capitis
  • Seborrheic dermatitis
  • food allergy or intolerance
  • omega 3 fatty acid imbalance
  • allergies
  • genetics

We can build rocket ships and smart phones, but we can’t figure out common dandruff? Or even agree on what causes it?

Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter does it? All that matters is that we find relief. Here’s what is working for me.

 

Herbal Hair Rinse

We are going to make a better vinegar rinse. One that both treats many of the (suspected) causes of dandruff, soothes our irritated skin, and is nourishing to our hair. Making our own rinse might be a pain at first, because any change in routine is always a struggle, but once we get started, it will be easy to maintain. (I promise.)

Natural Hair Care – Herbs for Dandruff

Some great herbs for our hair and scalp also happen to be common culinary herbs. Plantain is a common weed found in most lawns (if you harvest, make sure it hasn’t been sprayed!) Calendula is a super-easy flower to grow, it’s sold in many health foods stores, or you can order online. A little goes a long way.

This DIY herbal hair rinse is made with fresh or dried herbs (not the essential oils).

  • Rosemary – Rosemary’s volatile oils have strong antimicrobial functions, especially against fungal infections. Rosemary stimulates blood flow to the scalp, and adds shine to your hair.
  • Thyme – Thyme’s volatile oil constituents, especially thymol, are antimicrobial and thyme has been used by herbalists as a wound wash or poultice for preventing infections. Works against fungal infections as well as bacterial.
  • Plantain – Plantain is our family favorite plant for all kinds of “owies” including bee and insect stings, splinters, and cuts. Plantain has both antimicrobial as well as healing and soothing properties. Plantain soothes the scalp, relieves itching, and moisturizes the hair. We always seem to find it when we need it. If you have some growing near you, you can easily dry the leaves and store in a jar for year-round use.
  • Calendula is a common medicinal herb and ornamental garden plant, and has been used medicinally for centuries, both internally and topically. Calendula flowers have constituents that improve healing and are anti-inflammatory. For our hair rinse, the calendula treats both the scalp and moisturizes the hair. I thought my idea using it as part of a vinegar hair rinse was unique, but then I read that Nicholas Culpeper, a 17th century botanist and herbalist mentioned using calendula juice mixed with vinegar as a rinse for the skin and scalp. (Darn, he beat me to it.)The bright yellow flowers may add some color to your hair, so I recommend starting with a small amount. Of course, if you want the color, you can add as much calendula as you like.

 

Natural hair care with a DIY herbal hair rinse recipe using rosemary, calendula, thyme, and plantain. Excellent herbs for dandruff too!
Thyme

 

 

Natural hair care with a DIY herbal hair rinse recipe using rosemary, calendula, thyme, and plantain. Excellent herbs for dandruff too!
Plantain

 

Natural hair care with a DIY herbal hair rinse recipe using rosemary, calendula, thyme, and plantain. Excellent herbs for dandruff too!
Calendula

 

Natural Hair Care – Keeping it Simple

You can use all the herbs, or only some of them, depending on your preference and what you have access to – experiment as you like. A touch of lavender essential oil would be nice too.

Recipes – Single Application or Large Batch

Single Application – Ingredients

This is for making one application of an herb-infused vinegar rinse.

  • Apple cider vinegar – 2-4 tablespoons (I don’t use expensive raw vinegar for my hair rinse, but you can if you want to.)
  • Rosemary – fresh or dried. If using fresh, a sprig about 4-6 inches. If using dried, 1 tablespoon.
  • Thyme – fresh or dried. If using fresh, about the width of two fingers. If using dried, 1 tablespoon.
  • Plantain – 2-3 fresh or dried leaves
  • Calendula Flowers – 3-4 fresh flowers or 1 tablespoon dried petals. (Or more as you like!)
  • 2 cups boiling water

Directions 

  1. Boil water and add herbs. Remove from heat.
  2. Cover and allow to steep for at least 15 to 30 minutes. It’s important to keep covered to prevent the volatile oils from escaping with the steam.
  3. Once cooled, strain out the herbs and add the 2-4 tablespoons vinegar.

Directions for Using

Pour the rinse onto your hair and massage it into your scalp. (Watch out for your eyes, the vinegar stings!)

You can either leave the vinegar rinse in your hair, or rinse with fresh water. (The vinegar smell fades as your hair dries.)

DIY Herbal Hair Rinse – Recipe for Larger Batch

This time we will be making a vinegar infusion – adding the plants to the vinegar and allowing it to sit for a week or two. Vinegar is a good medium for pulling the medicinal qualities out of the plants. This method takes more patience, but saves time because you are making a large batch. Because of the antimicrobial volatile oils, the vinegar should keep without spoiling. I store mine in the bathroom for adding to my dispenser at shower time.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup of herbs

Directions

  1. Add the herbs to a glass jar and cover with the vinegar.
  2. With the lid on, store for at least one week.
  3. Strain the vinegar into a clean jar.
  4. When ready to use, dilute 4 tablespoons of the vinegar into 16-ounces of water.

My Natural Hair Care Routine

I don’t use this rinse everyday. Since I don’t use shampoo everyday, I often simply rinse with water. When my hair needs some conditioning, or my scalp starts to get itchy, I use the herbal vinegar rinse. Sometimes I use all the herbs, sometimes only one or two. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

If you try this, I would love to know how it works for you.

~ Michelle

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Honey-Vinegar Cough Medicine

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Learn how easy it is to make herbal oxymels and your own herbal cough medicine. Are you prepared for your next cold? Do you want to make your own herbal medicine but feel overwhelmed at finding the ingredients or preparing the medicine yourself? Don't wait until the next time you aren't feeling well to try an herbal remedy! There are simple yet powerful medicines you can make easily at home with common kitchen ingredients. Start now with this easy, yet incredibly effective honey vinegar cough medicine.

Preparing for Cold and Flu Season – How to Make an Herbal Oxymel and Herbal Cough Medicine

Learn how easy it is to make an herbal oxymel and your own herbal cough medicine.

Are you prepared for your next cold? Do you want to make your own herbal medicine but feel overwhelmed at finding the ingredients or preparing the medicine yourself? Don’t wait until the next time you aren’t feeling well to try an herbal remedy! There are simple yet powerful medicines you can make easily at home with common kitchen ingredients. Start now with this easy, yet incredibly effective honey vinegar cough medicine.

Learn how easy it is to make herbal oxymels and your own herbal cough medicine. Are you prepared for your next cold? Do you want to make your own herbal medicine but feel overwhelmed at finding the ingredients or preparing the medicine yourself? Don't wait until the next time you aren't feeling well to try an herbal remedy! There are simple yet powerful medicines you can make easily at home with common kitchen ingredients. Start now with this easy, yet incredibly effective honey vinegar cough medicine.

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

What is an Oxymel? Making Your Herbal Cough Medicine

Oxymels were used during the time of the Renaissance, and is the simple practice of combining herbs with vinegar and honey. Vinegar helps to concentrate and direct the herb’s medicine to the respiratory tract, and honey is an excellent antimicrobial and soothing for coughs and sore throats. Oxymels are a tasty way to take your medicine!

The Latin translation for oxymel is literally “acid and honey”. Combining the health benefits of raw honey, apple cider vinegar, with herbs creates a highly effective remedy.

Learn how easy it is to make herbal oxymels and your own herbal cough medicine. Are you prepared for your next cold? Do you want to make your own herbal medicine but feel overwhelmed at finding the ingredients or preparing the medicine yourself? Don't wait until the next time you aren't feeling well to try an herbal remedy! There are simple yet powerful medicines you can make easily at home with common kitchen ingredients. Start now with this easy, yet incredibly effective honey vinegar cough medicine.

 

I make an oxymel early each fall, using fresh herbs from my garden. But you can make yourself a batch right now with fresh, dried, or a combination.

This simple oxymel is a wonderfully effective traditional recipe. My other seasonal favorite is a simple herbal honey using the collective power of sage, ginger, garlic, and raw honey to stop a cold when it is starting. You will love making this simple and delicious cold and flu medicine.

How to Make an Oxymel

There are several different methods for making oxymels. The simplest method, and the one I use, is to simply combine the herbs with vinegar and honey, and allow the plant medicinal properties to infuse. This is the best method for aromatic herbs, such as rosemary, sage, and thyme, as it preserves the aromatic oils.

I fill a pint-sized canning jar 1/3 full with herbs, 1/3 with honey, and 1/3 with vinegar. Place the lid, give a shake, and let it sit! After a week or two, strain off the herbs and bottle your honey-vinegar mixture.

The Herbs

The herbs I chose for this oxymel recipe offer benefits for upper respiratory infections, relieve cough and sore throat, and are immune-boosting.

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Hyssop has been shown to have antiviral properties, excellent for relieving symptoms associated with cold and flu season. Hyssop has a warm spicy energy, and has a long history of use as remedy for treating upper respiratory symptoms.

Hyssop has a pungent flavor, said to be similar to camphor. I don’t care for the strong flavor, so I combined my hyssop with the aromatic sage and thyme, both of which have medicinal properties to complement the hyssop.

Sage (Salvia officinallis)

Sage is my favorite kitchen medicine! Sage is a plant used as food and many kinds of medicine for thousands of years. For colds and flu, research demonstrates antiviral and antibacterial properties – killing the virus and bacteria responsible for our respiratory infections. Sage relieves our cough and sore throats, and because sage has astringent properties, it’s excellent for treating drippy sinus. *Should not be used medicinally when pregnant or breast-feeding.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Thyme is another mint family (Lamiaceae) herb known for its antimicrobial properties. It helps to relieve fevers and sore throats, and has expectorant qualities, helpful in relieving coughs. In fact, thyme has a long history of treating coughs. Dioscorides, an ancient Greek physician and pharmacologist, wrote of the healing benefits of thyme in his Materia Medica, a text that was widely read for nearly 1,500 years. Clinical studies are indicating the benefits of thyme (dried or extract) in treating bronchitis.

Thyme has a hot, dry energy, and a wonderful aroma and flavor. (It’s another one of my favorite kitchen herbs.)

 

Learn how easy it is to make herbal oxymels and your own herbal cough medicine. Are you prepared for your next cold? Do you want to make your own herbal medicine but feel overwhelmed at finding the ingredients or preparing the medicine yourself? Don't wait until the next time you aren't feeling well to try an herbal remedy! There are simple yet powerful medicines you can make easily at home with common kitchen ingredients. Start now with this easy, yet incredibly effective honey vinegar cough medicine.

 

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

Elderberry has been used in folk medicine for centuries to treat colds and influenza, and research shows it has powerful antiviral properties. (source) In addition to antiviral properties, elderberries have a direct effect on the immune system, and elderberries have been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for both cold and flu (source).

Learn how easy it is to make herbal oxymels and your own herbal cough medicine. Are you prepared for your next cold? Do you want to make your own herbal medicine but feel overwhelmed at finding the ingredients or preparing the medicine yourself? Don't wait until the next time you aren't feeling well to try an herbal remedy! There are simple yet powerful medicines you can make easily at home with common kitchen ingredients. Start now with this easy, yet incredibly effective honey vinegar cough medicine.

The Recipe

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Honey Vinegar Cough Medicine

To make this recipe you’ll need…

To make your oxymel, you want a good ratio of herbs to vinegar and honey. The easiest way to do this is to fill your jar 1/3 with the herbs and add equal parts honey and vinegar to fill the jar. Label and place lid. Although you can begin using the medicine within a day or two, it’s best after it sits, preferably a week or more.

When you are ready to use, strain the herbs and take by the teaspoonful. If dealing with an acute issue it is generally better to take smaller amounts more often, rather than larger doses only a few times a day. For my congested cough I took this oxymel 2 teaspoons every 2 hours for the first few days. Once my cough improved, I took 2 teaspoons three times a day until my cough was resolved (about three days.)

Oxymels will keep for a long time.

Let me know if you have any questions!

In good health,
Michelle

Further Resources:

If you want to learn more about making and using herbal medicine for you and your family, I highly recommend The Herbal Academy online courses. Last year I thoroughly enjoyed their Intermediate Herbalist Course. They offer all levels of classes, from beginner to advanced, and their coursework includes plenty of recipes!

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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!

How to Make a Stress Relief Tincture – Stress Relieving Herbs

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Relieve Stress and Anxiety Naturally

The stress. The anxiety. It hangs over you like a dark cloud. Little things seem to nearly push you over the edge. Some days are better than others. Most days you hate how you feel but you don’t know how to change it.

I know, I’ve been there. I didn’t even realize just how bad I felt until I got better. Then it was like the cloud was lifted and I could see and think clearly again.

There is nothing wrong with you. You are not broken. It’s the world we live in, and until we start to feel better, we won’t be able to find a better way to move through life without feeling like a wreck.

Three years ago I underwent a transformation. With the daily addition of stress-relieving herbs, I was able to drastically reduce my stress and anxiety. Using a combination of daily herbal infusions and tinctures, I quickly found relief. I was able to sleep better, manage my anxiety, and think more clearly.

 

Relieve stress and anxiety naturally - make your own stress relief tincture with these all natural stress relieving herbs.

 

Disclaimer: 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!

Stress and Anxiety-Relieving Herbs

It seems hard to believe simple herbal remedies can offer so many benefits. But herbal remedies for stress and anxiety are powerfully effective and the science is catching up to the folklore.

For example, there are studies showing Passionflower, a perennial plant traditionally used to treat anxiety, is as effective as the anti-anxiety drug Oxazepam, without the side-effects. If anxiety is an on-going challenge for you, I encourage you to read and learn more about Passionflower for Anxiety and how this wonderful herb helps with chronic worry and anxiety, cyclical thinking where you can’t seem to stop repetitive thoughts, feeling easily distracted, and feeling overstimulated or “wired and tired”, but unable to fall asleep at night.

There are a number of herbs traditionally used to relieve stress and anxiety naturally. Some herbs work in a very subtle way, like chamomile and lavender, while others provide stronger effects like valerian and kava. Keep in mind many of the herbs work slowly and their benefits are cumulative over time.

These herbs offer us deep healing and a greater sense of well-being. Unlike manufactured medications, these plants work with the body and offer so much more than simply relieving our symptoms.

You can read more about these and other herbs and how they support the body in 4 Herbal Remedies for Stress. And the good news is, many of these herbs are easy to grow as perennial or annuals. Growing your own herbs is easier than you think – Starting Your Medicinal Herb Garden, 5 Herbs to Grow in Containers and Gardens.

The following five herbs were chosen for their history of use, research supporting their benefits, as well as recommendations from herbal teachers and my personal experience.

Keep in mind everyone has individual responses to the different herbs, and like medications, not all herbs work the same for everyone. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works best for you.

My Favorite Herbs to Relieve Stress and Anxiety Naturally

You can experiment with one, or all of these herbs. I enjoy a combination tincture with motherwort, blue vervain, holy basil, passionflower, and milky oats.

 

Relieve stress and anxiety naturally - make your own stress relief tincture with these all natural stress relieving herbs.

How to Make a Stress-Relief Tincture

Using any combination of the above herbs, fresh or dried, we will create an alcohol-based tincture. Alcohol is a simple way to extract the beneficial compounds from the plants, and is a strong preservative. If you prefer a non-alcoholic tincture, the Herbal Academy Blog has a simple tutorial on making an herbal glycerite.

 

Relieve stress and anxiety naturally - make your own stress relief tincture with these all natural stress relieving herbs.

 

Ingredients:

  • Combination of fresh or dried herbs
  • 80-proof alcohol like vodka or brandy

Directions:

  1. Combine equal parts of your dried herbs in a pint-sized jar. The herbs should almost fill the jar, but not be crammed too tightly.
  2. Add enough alcohol to fill the jar and cover your herbs completely. Put the top on the jar and give a shake to help settle the herbs. Add more alcohol if needed to cover all the herbs.
  3. I like to use these plastic canning jar lids to prevent corrosion of the metal lids from the alcohol.
  4. Label and date your tincture and let it sit for four-to-six weeks.
  5. Strain the herbs using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and bottle your tincture.

I purchased a 12 pack of 4-ounce amber tincture bottles, and these tiny funnels for filling them.  Having a dropper bottle makes taking the tincture much easier, and I can wash and reuse the bottles as needed.

 

How to Use Your Stress-Relief Tincture

Dosing is such an individual thing when it comes to herbs, and a good herbalist recommends doses based on their assessment of the individual, the particular herbs used, and their personal experience.

I suggest starting with a smaller dose – 1/2 dropperful on the tongue or added to a small glass of water, 3 times a day to relieve stress and anxiety. Work your way up to 2 dropperfuls, four times daily as needed.

Finding Peace

These wonderful plants won’t take the stress from your life, but they will help you gain some peace. Unlike medications, the herbs don’t simply treat or mask the symptoms (stress and anxiety), the plants work with the body on a deeper level to help us achieve long-lasting health and well-being.

Wishing you peace and comfort!

In health,
~Michelle

 

 

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