In recent years there has been some debate over the effectiveness of commercial sunscreen, as well as concerns about the potential harm of some of chemicals used in these products. As a result, many folks (including myself!) are looking for herbal alternatives. Since there is a lot of misinformation out there about both conventional and…… Continue Reading
Summer is on – how is your skin doing? This question never occurred to me until I reached my 40s, when I realized that all the years I’d spent sunbathing as a teenager and feverishly hiking and camping in my 20’s and 30’s was catching up with me. My fair skin did not do so…… Continue Reading
We all know that a home-cooked meal made with whole ingredients is far healthier than a package of processed food from the store. The same is true for skin care. Most of us are becoming increasingly thoughtful about what we put in on our skin, and a DIY approach can give you some of the…… Continue Reading
I have been making my own skin creams for over 10 years, and I’ll never go back to store bought! My skin is now accustomed to these fresh, nourishing creams, and I love being able to infuse my garden flowers like calendula and lavender right into my skin care. Also, I avoid all the unwanted…… Continue Reading
It’s glorious spring time again! One of the ways we welcome the spring season in my family is making a big batch of dandelion cakes. Inspired by Susan Weed’s recipe, we harvest the cheery dandelion blooms from our garden and make a delicious breakfast (see recipe below). Those blossoms are sweet with spring sunshine, and…… Continue Reading
So many of us today are changing diets to promote a more healthy digestive system, and are cutting out gluten, grains, dairy, coffee or other potential allergens that are, sadly, a pleasure to the taste buds. While a healthy gut is definitely worth the sacrifice, I thought I’d share a recipe that is tastes like…… Continue Reading
For many of us, salve making is our introductory experience into crafting our own herbal medicine. It’s our entry into the alchemy of turning living plants into a medicine we can use to heal our bodies. It happened to me – when I infused calendula, plantain, and comfrey into olive oil, and then melted it…… Continue Reading
As we approach the holidays and post-election season, it’s a good time to think about how to fold in some good self-care so we can enjoy (and even relax!) during the hectic holidays. My self-care focus this year: calming and nourishing the nervous system. Why the nervous system? Between a severe case of Lyme Disease…… Continue Reading
Lip balms are one of the easiest herbal preps to make – the recipe is flexible, you can easily customize it with your favorite oils and herbs, and you can even give them color and shimmer without using any synthetic ingredients. You can make lip balms just for color, or make them medicated to treat…… Continue Reading
Are your herbs growing like crazy in the garden? What do you do with them all? Here are some tips to help you successfully dry them for use all year round. Why Bother to Dry Herbs? Even if you just have a small patch of calendula, chamomile or mint, you will be impressed how much…… Continue Reading