Beardy Beard Oil
A good beard oil nourishes facial hair and skin, tightens pores, and moisturizes without leaving behind an oily residue. This blend does just that with the added bonus of a woodsy scent with just a hint of clove. This recipe is designed to make a single small bottle. You can scale up the recipe, store […]
High Ache Balm: Cannabis Salve for Achey Joints
Cannabis makes a terrific topical, especially when paired with Solomon’s Seal. Together, they ease the muscles and tendons and help the body purge inflammation, thus reducing pain while the joints recover. This blend uses a bit of cottonwood or Balm of Gilead both for its anti-inflammatory and its preservative properties. A dash of lavender essential […]
Chai Masala Syrup or Chai Tea Syrup
I love Chai, or spiced tea, especially the home-style kind I learned to make ages ago. It’s sooooo much nicer than the store-bought flavors in part because of its simplicity. Still, there are days when I just don’t have the time or tools to make a good cuppa Simple Chai. That’s when I’m grateful for […]
Fall to Winter Transition Tea: Build Immunity, Stay Healthy
This is a slow-cooker recipe. You can make it on the stove top as a standard decoction using the same ratio of herb to water. Here’s what’s in it and why: Astragalus – This is a good adaptogen specializing in the immune system and upper body, according to Dr. Courtney Connell of Acupuncture Therapy. It’s […]
Elder: Boundary Keeper
Sambucus canadenses, Sambucus nigra a.k.a. Black Elderberry, Blue Elderberry, North American Elder, European Elder Back in 400 B.C.E, Hippocrates called elder his “medicine chest.” Since then, it’s donned the moniker the “country people’s medicine chest” with good reason. Elder’s skill at tending gateways is more than folklore. Elder keeps viruses at bay by blocking them […]
Dandelion: Herbal Medicine Rooted in Your Front Yard
Taraxacum officinale a.k.a. Fairy Clock, Piss-a-bed, Piscialetto, Pissenlit Few plants can fill the herbalist’s heart with such joy as the common dandelion. Dandelion’s sunny yellow flowers open every morning with a familiarly radiant head on their own hollow stems. The toothed green leaves grow in a rosette form on most lawns and byways. These leaves […]
Build an Herbal First Aid Kit: How to Choose Plant Medicine Wisely
We like to think that first aid kits are universal and you can just put together a list of tools and medicines that’ll cover whatever crisis arises. That is one approach you can take. It may work just fine for you…and it may not. Practical herbalists know that from a very practical and experience-based perspective. […]
Safe and Easy 5-day Cleanse
Fasting and cleansing are a normal and natural part of life for all species, humans included. That doesn’t mean we need to be doing special diets all the time. One to four times a year is plenty to help your body maintain general health through out a lifetime.
Easy Colon Cleanse Formula
Once in awhile, it’s a good idea to offer your large intestine, or colon, a bit of support. One of my favorite ways to do that is to do a simple five-day cleanse and include this Colon Cleanse formula as a part of the fast.
Tea Tree: Liquid First Aid
Melaleuca alternifolia a.k.a. Tea Tree, Ti Tree, Narrow-leafed Paperbark Tea tree is a gift from Australia. It grows as a small, humble looking tree with distinctly fragrant leaves, but its use as an essential oil has caught the world’s attention. Tea tree essential oil is a powerful antiseptic that knocks out even the most resilient […]
Strawberry: A Wealth of Healing in one Sweet, Tasty Package
Fragaria vesca a.k.a. Wild Strawberry, Woodland Strawberry Nothing says summer like a ripening field of strawberries. The tingly scent of the freshly picked fruit can bring a smile to almost any child’s face. It makes the herbalist smile, too, as this delicate woodland plant offers a wealth of healing in one sweet, tasty package. New […]
Deatra Cohen & Adam Siegel, Guests
Hear from Deatra Cohen & Adam Siegel on Real Herbalism Radio. Here’s a list of the shows where she’s featured and more info on her. Real Herbalism Radio is an Herbal podcast of The Practical Herbalist.