Natural Herbal Beauty

Soapwort

Soothing and healing, a strong brew can be made from soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) by boiling up a potful of roots, stems, flowers and le wes with enough water to cover. Boil for 10 m nutes, stand, cool and strain. It can be used as a face wash, a hair wash and hair conditioner, and can also be dabbed onto eczema.

Tomato and Lemon Oily Skin Cleanser (more…)

 

In making up the simple recipes, there are various methods of preparing herbs for use in lotions and creams. The methods listed below will help you to get started.

Decoction

A decoction of herb usually means the boiling up of the herb, and it is often prepared by using roots, stems, bark and berries, ie the hard parts of plants. The herb, or part of the herb, is boiled for about 15 minutes and then allowed to cool. The resulting liquid is drawn off and used, and the herb is discarded. (more…)

Make time in your life each week to create your own at-home spa experience. Set aside at least 2 hours if you can, but even if you have only I hour, you can indulge in a variety of bodycare treatments that will refresh and renew your body, mind, and spirit.

Gather together everything you will need; your skin, hair, and bodycare products and a thick bathtowel and robe are essentials. Some nice extras include a bath pillow, candles, incense, and soothing music. (more…)

Taking care of our skin is very important. The skin, intact, is our first defense against any invasion of foreign matter that can be harmful to our system. The skin is considered a thirdkidney because we excrete toxins through the pores just as we do through the kidneys. We also ingest many chemicals and toxins through the skin, so it is important that we pay attention to what we use to clean, soothe, or heal our skin. The skin also plays an important part in regulating our body temperature.

Most injuries to our skin are simple and taking care of them is easy. Cleaning any wound or puncture immediately following an injury should be the first step. Seek medical help if necessary. Keeping the area clean during healing prevents many problems from developing later on. (more…)

THIS WAS ONCE USED AS A SMOKING TOBACCO FOR ASTHMA: Mix 1 cup each of rosemary, coltsfoot leaves, eyebright, thyme and lavender. Crush and mix well. Roll into cigarettes or place mixture in a pipe for smoking. I don’t know anyone who has tried this recipe, but it was said to have been used quite often by Native Americans.

ASTHMA: Mix 1 tablespoon each of boneset, Irish moss, coltsfoot, mullein, thyme, rosemary, valerian, and lobelia. Add 1 teaspoon of the herbal mixture to 1 cup of boiling water. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Strain. Peppermint or cherry oil may be added for flavoring if desired. Drink 4 cups daily to obtain relief. (more…)

COUGH SYRUP: Put 1 tablespoon elecampane, 3 tablespoons boneset, 1 tablespoon coltsfoot, 1 tablespoon Irish Moss and 1 tablespoon of lobelia in a pint of water. Boil down to half the liquid. Strain well and add 1 pint of honey. Refrigerate and take by the tablespoon as needed for cough.

COUGH SYRUP: Put 1 tablespoon each of boneset, Irish moss, white yarrow, slippery elm bark, thyme, peppermint, horehound and lemon balm in 1 quart of boiling water. Steep for 30 minutes. Strain well and add 1 quart of honey. Drink several cups of this liquid a day for coughs.

CURRENT COUGH SYRUP: Simmer 3 teaspoons of black currents in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Strain and add 2 tablespoons of honey. Use as needed for coughs. (more…)

TREATING DIARRHEA IN CHILDREN: Children dehydrate very quickly by losing fluid and salts in the body due to diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. It is important to replace the fluids through any liquid the child will drink, and to continue to feed them the liquid.

Prepare the following rehydration drink and give at the onset _of diarrhea. Mix together 1 teaspoon of table salt, 8 teaspoons sugar, and add to 5 cups of water. (If you have time, sterilize the water by boiling it, but be sure to cool it before giving it to the child.) Give 1 cup each time the child has a bowel movement, half of that for a smaller child. Spoon-feed the babies. Let the child drink as much as they want. You can stop giving it as soon as the child stops having loose bowel movements or loses desire for the rehydration drink. (more…)

Arthritis Liniment: Add 1-1 /2 tablespoons of bruised mustard seeds and 1 /4 cup of cayenne pepper to 1 pint of whiskey. Simmer for about 10 minutes and strain. Dip cloth in the liquid while hot and apply to affected joint. Bottle and reuse by heating the liquid each time. Relieves pain fast. Caution: Apply warm olive oil to the area before applying the poultice.

Wintergreen Rub: Add 1 dram of wintergreen to 1 pint of witch hazel. Bottle and label. Use as a massage for sprains and sore muscles.

Arthritis Treatment: Here’s a recipe that’s included just for curiosity’s sake.When applied to the affected joint, stinging nettle is reputed to relieve pain within several hours. I add this just as a curiosity. I don’t believe I would use this as it could be very uncomfortable. (more…)

One of the best rubs I know is camphorated oil. Because it is no longer sold commercially, it may be necessary to make your own. You can purchase some small, 1 ounce camphor blocks from your local druggist. If it is not in stock, ask your druggist to order it for you, or to please stock it for you. Most druggists are very pleasant and helpful if you tell them why you need a certain product.

The camphorated oil is cheap to make and very handy to have around. It makes a good chest rub for chest colds as well being good for arthritic conditions. Shave the block of camphor in an earthenware or glass bowl, and add 1 ounce of menthol crystals. This too can be purchased at your local drug store. (more…)

A tincture is nothing more than a highly concentrated liquid extract of herbs. A tincture can be applied externally or taken internally. The kind of herbs you choose to put in your tinctures depends upon what conditions you need to heal. For example, you would make a tincture of comfrey root to heal and clean sores, because comfrey has pain-killing properties and it also aids in cell rejuvenation. If you are choosing herbs to use in a tincture that will be taken orally, be careful to choose “safe” herbs, ones that you know you can safely ingest. (more…)