Natural Herbal Beauty

You can greatly enhance your cleansing and detoxification program with the addition of saunas or steam baths. As much as 25 percent of all toxins—including pesticides, solvents, drugs, and heavy metals—are eliminated through the skin. By increasing perspiration, saunas step up your body’s efforts to get rid of such poisons. Use saunas or steam baths as often as 3 times a week during a cleansing and detoxification program, and once weekly or every other week on a regular basis to maintain optimal health. (more…)

It’s simple to create your own custom blends of aromatherapy massage oils. Essential oils not only add a delightful fragrance to a massage blend, but they also impart healing properties which are absorbed through the skin and into the tissues. (more…)

SWEETEN BREATH DURING COLDS: Chew fresh parsley during a cold. This not only freshens the breath during a cold, but rids the mouth of any bad odors anytime. Parsley also gives you the extra vitamins you need while suffering through a cold.

FEVER WITH COLDS: Take 1 ounce of elder flowers or white yarrow and add 1 ounce of peppermint leaves. Simmer the leaves in 1 pint of water for 30 minutes. Strain and drink by the 1/2 cupful during the day, as long as fever is present.

COLDS WITH FLU SYMPTOMS: Mix 1 cup each of plantain, black elder flowers, juniper berries, rosemary, Irish moss and peppermint. Steep 1 teaspoon of the herb mix in 1 cup boiling water for 15 minutes. Strain, reheat and sweeten. Drink twice daily. (more…)

GOUT TREATMENT: Add 1 cup of cherry stems to 1 pint of water. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and add 1 pint of honey to the liquid. Take several tablespoons daily to prevent gout.

GOUT TREATMENT: Strawberry tea is good to use in treating gout. Place 4-5 leaves in a cup of boiling water and allow to steep 15 minutes. Strain and drink hot with honey.

GOUT TREATMENT: A diet of nothing but strawberries for 2 days is said to cure gout. (more…)

Tag Alder Salve: Add 1 ounce of tag alder bark to 1 /2 pint of hot olive oil. Cover and simmer 3 hours. Add 3 ounces of beeswax and 1 /4 teaspoon of tincture of benzoin to the strained mixture. Test for consistency and store in a labeled jar.

Tag alder’s signature is the small corky warts on its bark, so this would indicate that it could be used for various skin disorders. Using the signatures of the herbs is another good way to tell what you could use in preparing the salves.

Aloe Vera Salve: Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 teaspoon of pekoe tea and 1 tablespoon of Irish moss. Allow to sit until cool. Add 3 tablespoons of aloe gel. Mix well and store in labeled jar. (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…)

Infusion, Cold

Some ingredients lose medicinal properties when heat is applied, but you can make a tea nonetheless. To prepare a cold infusion, measure the recommended quantity of ingredients and soak overnight in cold water. The following morning, you may warm slightly to sipping temperature, if you wish. Strain before using.

Infusion, Hot and Cold

On occasion, you’ll find a plant that contains some elements that are released by heat, and some that are leached out by soaking in cold water overnight. Here’s how to get around that dilemma. (more…)

There are dozens of herbs used for skin problems, just as there are dozens of different kinds and causes of skin problems. Different herbs help different rashes and different people. Most herbalists believe that a rash is a symptom of an internal complaint and prescribe ‘blood cleansing’ herbs or diet. Nutritional supplements such as zinc, vitamins B6 and E can help.

Before you rush off to seek professional advice, try these herbs:

Comfrey

Comfrey is available as an ointment or cream, or you can make a strong decoction (i.e. a tea boiled rather than infused) of the roots and leaves. Wash the roots with a nail brush before boiling. (more…)