Winter Spirit…The Gift Guide

"Grasshopper" by Grazim

The autumn already seems to be ebbing away, though there are still a few wee tomatoes on my urban-dwelling vines. Still, many of autumn’s bright and colored leaves have fallen. Though I don’t usually create a treasury of beloved handcrafteds for this most herby of blogs, I was perusing through etsy favorites and felt inspired to share these lovelies with my dear readers. You may not want to spend that much on a chandelier, but you must admit….it is amazing! And if that is out of your price range, you might invest in a wee felted grasshopper, such as this one created by Grazim, and etsy shop located somewhere in Europe, and also the home of the sweetest felted slippers you’ve ever seen.

"Peaceful Afternoon" by SarahSeven

The Peaceful Afternoon dress, and other poetic creations, can be found in sarahseven’s etsy shop. One must pay for luminous handmade creations, but would we artisans have it any other way?

"Safe Keeping" by The Haunted Hollow Tree

There are many beguiling images by The Haunted Hollow Tree etsy endeavor, but this one demands a frame and prized wall space at my humble abode.

"Mutant Bunny" by Alma Pottery

Alma Pottery claims to have art + attitude in the shop’s clever creations. I think this absolutely bizarre-fairytale-meets-the-surreal Mutant Bunny mask. I love it!

"Cherry Root Chandelier" by Fiko Arts

Well, this is that (albeit *slightly pricy*) chandelier by Fiko Art I was talking about. I wish I lived in a house that could handle it! Maybe a converted one-room schoolhouse? Well, you’d need some lofty ceilings for this magical centerpiece. Take note of the absolutely amazing details, including the carving. This is an absolute work of art, and probably museum quality as well.

"Raven Terrarium" by Doodlebirdie

I find terrariums absolutely enchanting, I have to say. I recently made a few without reading any directions as to the actual process (duh) and needless to say they didn’t work out that well. The keys are 1) not letting the moss touch the glass (fog), and 2) using charcoal to absorb moisture and also making sure there is some rocks at the bottom for a bit better ‘drainage’. Next time I’ll get it right! But in the meantime, check out Doodle Birdie for some lovely creations.

"Branch" by After Winter

Ok, so let me send a subtle message into the ether. *I want this necklace for Christmas* Too bad my husband doesn’t read my blog! Alas. But still, this has been a favorite since it first appeared on the scene, at least a year ago. After Winter’s proprietress makes these absolutely amazing molded pieces using nature + pure sterling silver to create the most gorgeous pieces of adornment. These are heirlooms.

"Tire Swings" by Wooly Baby

I absolutely adore the vintage look to these handmade wool baby boots, complete with leather sole for those new walkers. I mean, I either have to buy these for some random baby I come across, or I need to have a new baby so I can shod its feet in these grey woolies. Either way – these booties must be worn by a baby that I know. Thank you Wooly Baby. Thank you for subtley pressuring me to have another baby so I can pay another $12,000 a year in child care costs.

"Tree Sisters" by Sarah Ogren

Is this a save the best for last moment? I’m not sure, but I can say, from one Sarah to another, Sarah Ogren is one of my absolute favorite etsy sellers. I do often wear a necklace creation, not unlike this amazing image, but I adore all of here animal headed Victorian creations equally, and someday soon, I want one for my walls (or at least my three year old daughter’s bedroom, where it would be most precious). Hint, Hint.

You know, most etsy officianados like the lovely Scoutie Girl blog (thank you, Tara Gentile) create things called ‘Gift Guides’. Even etsy has its own Gift Guides to help overwhelmed and confused shoppers. I create Give-me-this Guides, apparently. I’m laughing out loud here because I’m not serious (but kinda am). I will say this. Nobody needs to buy me the Chandelier or the $500 frock, but…my three year old, Maeve, could try her hand at making a terrarium perhaps? Daddy? What’dya say?

Herbal Remedies Tip#7 – Turmeric for Inflammation

Turmeric

Turmeric is the Indian spice that gives curry its distinctive yellow color, but this commonly used spice contains potent therapeutic activity. Indeed, it is a key ingredient in Kicharee, a therapeutic food from Ayurvedic medicine made up of mung beans, rice, ghee and spices turmeric, cumin, and coriander.

Probably considered one of the ’favorite’  herbs by nearly all practicing herbalists, turmeric is a powerhouse from Ayurvedic (east Indian) medicine, and part of a 3-5,000 year old tradition. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory that can be used for internal inflammation,  as well as topically for muscle strain. Because of its potent anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is a fabulous remedy for arthritis and chronic health issues rooted in excess inflammation. Because turmeric is antibacterial, it may be used topically in powder or paste form by applying it directly to a wound or sore.

Apply the powdered herb paste or extract of the fresh turmeric rhizome externally, but be warned that it may turn the skin yellow (temporarily), or take  300 mg of turmeric internally twice daily as a capsule, or 40-60 drops twice daily of the alcohol extract of the fresh rhizome.  Add liberally to food, as it is a perfect ingredient for soups, curries, egg, and vegetable dishes. 

As part of my work as an herbalist, I  make liver tonic tinctures that include turmeric for supporting liver function and livers under strain from diseases like Hepatitis.  I also use turmeric in my Botanical Assist Pain Relief cream for arthritis and/or menstrual relief. Check out my etsy shop for other Therapeutic offerings.

Herbal Remedies Tip #5 – Herbal Tooth whitener

As a follow up to my recent Herbal Remedies Tip #4 – Tooth Powder for Natural Mouth Care, in which I gave you a basic recipe for making your own herbal tooth & gum powder, I am writing this brief post to give you a few tips on natural tooth whitening.

Many chemical tooth whiteners on the market are very irritating to gums, even painful, and have short-term benefits at best. Regular beverages such as coffee and tea stain the teeth, and while you can do your best to keep stains at bay through brushing, you will still need regular teeth cleanings twice a year. That said, there are some natural remedies you can try to help eliminate stains.

Herbal Tooth Whitener:
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp 3% hydrogen peroxide
Dip toothbrush into the mixture and brush for three minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Fllow with regular tooth paste or herbal mouth rinse.

Strawberry Whitener:
To lighten tooth stains and whiten your teeth, crush a fresh strawberry and rub it onto your teeth. The natural alpha-hydroxy acids found in strawberry should help lighten teeth. Follow by rinsing with water.

REF: Laurel Vukovic

Herbal Remedies Tip #4 – Tooth Powder for natural mouth care

There are plenty of natural or slighly-more-natural-than-Crest toothpastes on the market, but many of them still contain ingredients such as chemical foaming agents like sodium laurel sulfate (SLS). While most of us can (and do) withstand constant contact with sulfates, some people develop allergies such as contact dermititis, which can sometimes lead to more severe skin infections because of broken skin. If you do have an allergy to SLS, you should by all means avoid this allergen as dermititis and broken skin can lead to vulnerability to MRSA infections.

I have no allergy to SLS, per se, but I also like the fact that you can treat various mouth problems with herbs. The power of cloves was recently driven home to me when at my stepmother’s dental practice. I had a cavity (hey! from when I was 18!) refilled three times with a modern filler and I experienced continual discomfort and pain for months, both during and between repeated efforts. Finally, they dusted off the clove oil filling and at last! Pure comfort. It was also nice to have the aroma of clove oil surround me during the procedure. For whatever your reason, you might want to experiment with creating your own tooth powders or trying herbal tooth powders that are already sold by successful etsy sellers such as Joyful Girl Naturals

Herbal tooth powders have been in use for centuries in one form or another, and modern blends contain ingredients such as baking soda, herbs such as chamomile (soothing, anti-inflammatory), sage (strongly astringent), cloves (pain relieving), goldenseal (antibiotic), marshmallow root (anti-inflammatory, demulcent), myrrh (healing), plantain (healing and demulcent). Sage, which some call the “tooth herb” can even be used fresh to treat conditions like gingivitis.

Try this recipe at home in your own kitchen, using a VERY clean coffee grinder to grind dried herbs into a powder. (It’s actually best to own a coffee grinder that you have on hand for grinding herbs and grains). You can also purchase dried organic herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. Baking soda whitens your teeth and freshens breath. Sea salt tightens the gums, peppermint oil and/or tea tree oil fights bacteria and adds refreshing flavor.

2 Tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp finely ground sea salt (not table salt)
1/4 tsp powdered sage
1/4 tsp powdered myrrh (or substitute another herb depending on your needs)
3 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix the ingredients (through a sieve preferably) and store in an airtight container. Use half a teaspoon each time you brush. You can sprinkle the powder on your toothbrush, or make a paste using water, botanical hydrosols, or ingestible natural aloe vera.

 

Ingredients 101: Chemicals are bad, aren’t they?

Lotions require preservatives

Yes, parabens have been shown to cause some dermatological reactions, including allergic ones, but they might not be quite as bad as we all seem to think. That said, they are on the ‘Ingredients to Avoid’ list in most cases, along with Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea, the most commonly used preservatives after parabens, well-established as the primary cause of contact dermatitis (American Academy of Dermatology), and also formaldehyde precursors. Indeed, there is a lot of fear around the use of chemicals of any kind in our products, including ones that purport to be ‘natural’. However, many chemicals, as I’ve learned from Cosmetics Unmasked: Your family Guide to safe cosmetics and allergy-free toiletries, are not as terrible as we might think.

At the end of the day, however, we absolutely must have chemical preservatives in our natural products. A top ingredient supplier, Essential Wholesale, outlines their philosophy about the need for preservatives. But this isn’t really about philosophy, belief, or hope, but rather, the science. Essential Wholesale makes some bulk bases for suppliers and has increasingly tried to create the most natural and organic formulations possible, but even products rated 98 percent organic still contain a chemical preservative, namely, phenoxylethanol, often with Tetrasodium EDTA. Essential wholesale knows, as all formulators do, that you cannot sell a product without a preservative. The shelf life is minimal and the product, potentially harmful. Anything that contains water is instantly susceptible to mold, bacterial, and fungal growth in a matter of days, even if created in sterile conditions. A great blog by natural skin care company, Sterling Minerals, has fabulous posts about the chemical side of things, including fillers for mineral make-up and the absolute necessity of chemical preservatives in creams and other hydrous (water-containing) products. By the way, her post on Mineral Make-up contains a brilliant expose of the so-called ‘natural’ (ha-ha) company, Arbonne, and her incredible quest to finally confirm the presence of silicone in their mineral make-up.

Orange Rosewood Facial Cream

Back to preservatives…many of you know that my relationship with preservatives has certainly evolved over time. I just have to say that it is incredibly difficult to find the prefect choice of preservative systems, and at first I mistakenly thought — like many do –that mere refrigeration would do the trick. Even using preservatives like potassium sorbate, I found that the preservative system wasn’t complete, and the product was still susceptible. Not only did I have to recall creams earlier on in my still very small endeavor, but I’ve since had to help customers who had used unpreserved products (made by other businesses) that had had terrible consequences for their skin.  The need for not only a system, but a full-spectrum system, is critical. One preservative might have good action against molds and fungi, but not bacteria. So that preservative has to be combined with another one effective against bacteria. Then you have to find a level that will be perfect in terms of preservation but at the lowest possible percentage in your formulation so as not to cause any irritation. It’s an incredibly difficult task in some respects, especially as you try to find the most gentle chemical preservative system possible.  After use of different systems, I’ve basically come around to Essential Wholesale’s recommended pairing of phenoxylethanol and Tetrasodium EDTA. Caprylyl Glycol is another component of my system that is simply an emollient base for the preservative. The phenoxylethanol basically covers the yeast and bacteria, while Tetrasoidum EDTA binds to components that enable mold to grow. Together, they act as a broad spectrum preservative system.

That said, I’m intrigued by the use of colloidal silver as a preservative, though this preservative requires a number of other chemical buffers, etc, a fact that is usually masked by labeling that purports to have a proprietary colloidal silver ‘formula’. Ah yes, but it looks so natural!  Be aware also that some ‘natural’ companies are able to mask their use of chemical preservatives under the INCI name of ‘fragrance’, which is as sneaky as it gets. For a long time, I would look at Burt’s Bees ingredients list and think, “How on earth do they do it?” Well, they don’t. Now I know.

So readers, what do you want to know more about? The chemicals that are harmful and should be avoided or the ones that appear in our products, sound “unnatural” and yet are perfectly fine, even helpful? I’m all ears. Let’s start a Lilith Round Table!

Immune Boosting Herbs talk @ Holistic Moms Network meeting

 

herbs

Tonight I had the pleasure of presenting about the use of herbs to fight colds and flus, particularly with regard to the treatment of small children. The presentation was delivered to a local chapter of the Holistic Moms Network. It’s fun presenting to the choir, more or less, as this group is made up of parents who are interested in holistic health & living in all respects. And such a lovely group of people, dads and moms alike!

We were able to talk about the energetics of foods and herbs, the use of preventative versus acute herbal remedies, and dosages for small children & infants. I am again reminded of how wonderful it is to share knowledge and information about our botanical allies, and of course giving such talks only reinforces that for me. I was reading a bog post on ProBlogger this morning about weighing the cost-benefit of speaking at events for free. In other words, what’s in it for the business? For some people, attending a far away conference to speak without compensation means that they have to figure out why the trip would be worthwhile, whether through contacts, networking, or business sales. I definitely identify with that when I think about my ‘day job’ in Public Health. I also make decisions like that when it comes to my business, Lilith’s Apothecary. But when it comes to herbal medicine, if I can afford it, I am more than happy to participate in any way I can. It’s true that I do indeed have an herbal bath and body business of sorts, but I don’t educate about herbs because I want to sell products. In fact, I hardly even indicated that I have a business tonight. Instead, I want others to learn how to make the products for themselves! Sure, I can make it for you if you don’t have the time or desire (i.e. I can’t sew, so someone has to sew things for me!), but if you want to make your own herbal syrup, by all means! Let’s do it. And doing it together is so much fun.

Holistic Moms Network
NJ/Philadelphia Chapter
Collingswood, NJ 
Thanks for having me!

Other posts that may be of interest:
What to do about H1N1: 5 Tips
Nervous About Swine Flu? Look to Herbal Medicine for Immune Boosting
DIY Remedies for the Cold Season Part I
DIY Remedies for the Cold Season Part II
Herbal Facial Steams for the Cold and Flu Season

A little autumn magic…

With the arrival of October, I welcome Autumn, the end of the summer harvest, the real advent of cooler, crisp breezes and sparkling fall days. While springtime seems to be my most productive and invigorating time of year, full of creative new projects, products, and inspiring concoctions, I also find this time of year poignant in many ways. Though it is more a time of retreat and reflection for me, it is also a time of gentle, creative magic and quiet meditation. I often think about the Sumerian goddess, Ishtar, and her decent to the underworld for renewal. She is seen by some scholars as the ’sacred whore’ but for me, her story is more about our need for retreat, our need for reflection, and perhaps even a need to descend into a time of darkness so that we may find healing and strength. Carl Jung writes of Ishtar as signifying “earth, nature, fertility, everything that flourishes under the damp light of the moon and also the natural life-urge”. (“Adam and Eve”, Mysterium Coniunctionis). Thus, Ishtar might stand, for us, as a return to the earth, and that like the roots of the forest that place their energy now in the roots rather than blossoms and berries, we must now ground ourselves and soak up the nutrients that in decay now cover the forest floor…leaves, nuts, fruits, and other organic matter.

Ishtar Root Tea Decoction

Back in 2005 or 2006, I created my Ishtar Root Blend with this myth in mind, and still find this blend ideal for autumn reflection and healing. Ashwaghanda, an ancient Ayurvedic tonic herb, is an adaptogen that brings balance, immune-building, and calming harmony to our nervous system. Shatavari, the ancient Ayurvedic fertility tonic for women brings fertile ground for our bodies, spirits, and reproductive system; it is indeed but another adaptogen with moistening energetics, soothing vata and providing an ideal tonic following childbirth, sickness, or as a vitality tonic for any time of year. Dandelion and Burdock roots attend to the needs of the liver, providing nourishment and nutrients to this oft’ overworked organ, the very organ responsible for processing hormones, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, environmental toxins, and fats & sugars from the food we eat. Cinnamon provides a warming energetic and catalyst to spark the other herbs into action, soothe one’s belly, and provide that delicious taste craved by many this time of year. In sum, I find it a lovely, nourishing accompaniment to autumn’s necessary moments of reflection and building of inner strength and peace. Namaste.

Directions for preparing a root decoction:
1. Measure 2 Tbsp of root blend and place in a pot with 1 quart of water to simmer.
2. Simmer roots for at least 15-20 minutes. Add milk and simmer a little longer if desired.
(*in Ayurveda, a Shatavari root tea is often simmered with milk and cinnamon and then honey and ghee, or clarified butter, would be added before drinking)
3. Steep 10-15 min longer with the pot covered.
4. Strain and drink as much as desired, or, in 1 cup increments 2-3x a day
5. Decoction will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.
6. Drink with honey and/or ghee if desired!

@ ciderandfaun.blogspot.com

By the way, for other magical connections to the earth around us, you might check out these additional delights:
Lady Lavona’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Cider and Faun
Violet Folklore
For Strange Women
Swan Bones Theatre
Totus Mel’s Wunderkammer

What to do about H1N1 flu? 5 Tips

Winter Spirit Immuni-Tea

The “novel H1N1 Flu” (aka “swine flu’) is a new strain of H1N1 virus that is affecting communities all over the world, thus, it is labeled as a ‘pandemic’. That label does not mean it is particularly dangerous or threatening, as was once feared. On the contrary, H1N1 is a bit on the wimpy side so far. (That doesn’t mean it will stay that way, but for the time being…). I was listening to a physician-vaccine expert on NPR this morning and he was referring to all important public health measures for flu prevention, but neglected to mention anything related to nutrition or herbal supports in our arsenal against flu, both in terms of prevention and treatment.

First of all, it is worth noting that unlike colds, considered in Traditional Chinese Medicine to be energetically cold in origin and thus requiring ‘warming’ treatments and herbs such as the use of diaphoretics to increase sweating (elder flower, ginger) and the use of sweating therapy to help our bodies fight viruses, flus are considered in TCM to be energetically hot. This is significant in that we would thus not use diaphoretics, but other potent anti-virals that will help reduce fevers, lessen severity and shorten severity. Herbal treatments in this camp would include boneset, a potent anti-viral; echinacea, an immune stimulant; and herbs used in Chinese medicine in flu-fighting formulas, such as forsythia, honeysuckle, and red clover. Astragalus is often mentioned as an immune booster, and it certainly is, but we use astragalus for preventative means and not for treatment of acute infection. In addition, there was an intriguing comment on a previous post about the use of medicinal mushrooms being contraindicated with the treatment of flu because of the possibility of some strains of flus causing excess immune response in the form of ‘cytokine storms’.

Shiitake: Fungi MB

Master herbalist Michael Tierra,  clinical herbalist, educator, and a founder of the American Herbalists’ Guild (AHG),  recently addressed this possible misconception in a seminar about the use of herbs to treat H1N1.  It appears that cytokine storms, or the theory of an overly strong immune response of some healthy adults, is not so much to blame in flu-related deaths, but rather, bacterial co-infection. Indeed, cytokine storms may not really be responsible at all. And just today there were reports that one third of H1N1 deaths to date were not a result of the flu itself but of bacterial co-infection. For this reason, I am not convinced that medicinal mushrooms such as shiitake, reishi, and maitake should be put aside in the therapeutic treatment of flu– and at the very least, they certainly offer immune-boosting potential. You might check out a lovely recipe posted by the latest Herb Companion issue that utilizes shiitake, astragalus, and garlic in an immune-boosting winter soup.

Astragalus: Mountain Rose Herbs

TIPS TO PREVENT & TREAT THE FLU

1. Follow public health measures: wash your hands, cough into your inner elbow, and use anti-bacterial hand sanitizer in public places whenever necessary. Whether or not to get the vaccine is up to you. That said, vaccine manufacturers don’t claim that the vaccine will actually prevent flu, per se, but will just shortens the flu’s duration by 1/2-2 days and may decrease severity. Make an informed choice and it will be the right choice for you.  

2. Get some REST: Putting America’s obsession with business aside is a tough task for most, but realize that the less sleep and relaxation you get, the more vulnerable you’ll be! If you actually do get the flu, make sure you rest and don’t try to work through it. You’ll only end up more sick and vulnerable to nasty bacterial co-infections.

3. Plan to Stay at Home if you do get flu. Check out resources for sheltering-in-place and have some herbal and nutritional supplies stocked up ahead of time (maybe some extra soup frozen, some herbal syrups made, some tinctures all tinctured up, some herbal blends made both for tea and facial steams).  Vitamin C is better as a flu preventative than a treatment, but raw garlic is a powerful anti-viral remedy to take as soon as symptoms start to appear. Check out some earlier posts about such herbal remedies and recipes.

4. Take Astragalus syrups, formulas, soups, or capsules as a preventative measure. Along with immune-boosting soups, stews (both of which you can add astragalus root to), take astragalus or Jade Windscreen (TCM formula containing Astragalus) to help prevent the onset of flu. Stop taking if acute infection shows up. Tierra’s Planetary Herbalsmakes an alcohol-free glycerite of the Jade Windscreen for children.

5.  Fight Flu with Nutrition and Herbs: Use non-diaphoretic, immune boosting, anti-viral herbs to shorten the duration and decrease severity of flu symptoms, as mentioned above. Eat therapeutic foods such as kicharee, soupy grains, and easy to digest foods. Raw foods, particularly vegetables, are eliminating and difficult to digest, and thus are not recommended to fight flu. Tierra believes that fruit juices have the wrong energy for fighting flu, and thus recommends warm stocks and broths, kicharee and herbal teas and decoctions. Miso soup with onion and garlic (added at the end) is another great choice, as the miso provides assistance with digestion and keeps gut flora up to snuff.

Natural Remedies Tip #3 – Hydrotherapy with Salts

Hydrotherapy, or the use of water as therapy, involves the practice of purifying the body, whether in terms of detoxification or ritual purification, and has been in practice for millenia. The Romans and Greeks utilized water-based cleansing and bathing rituals, building elaborate bath houses and saunas, as have many other cultures throughout history. Water itself is seen as sacred in many mythological traditions –so much so that its use for deep cleansing is probably universal. Using water through the use of baths, saunas, steams, or rubs increases circulation of blood & lymph and helps the body detoxify by increasing perspiration.

Using salts, whether epsom, sea salts, or mineral-rich dead sea or himalayan salts can enhance the detoxification process. Salts draw impurities from the body, help heal infections, reduce inflammation, and add mineral content to the body &  aid in cleansing.  Adding salt to a bath replicates natural mineral springs, often seen as sites of healing, cleansing, and transformation. Bathing with mineral rich salts are also wonderfully relaxing and even serve to soften the skin. Salt water baths, all told, are much better for the body than chemically-produced bath bubbles! Below I include two recipes that incorporate the use of salts for your own water rituals.

Cypress & Rosemary Purifying Bath
2 cups Epsom salts or Dead Sea Salts
3 drops cypress essential oil
3 drops grapefruit oil
3 drops ginger essential oil
1 Tbsp whole milk or carrier oil (such as olive)
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Add the essential oils to the milk or carrier oil, mix with the salts, and then add entire mixture to a hot bath. Add the rosemary sprig to gently infuse into the bath water, releasing its fragrance. Soak in the tub for 15-30 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.

Detoxifying Seaweed Bath
1 cup Epsom Salts
1 cup Himalayan, Dendritic, or Dead Sea Salts
1/2 cup dried kelp, dulse or other seaweed
1 cup baking soda (to soften water and smooth skin)

Combine the epsom salts, sea salt, and kelp in a blender and grind into a fine powder. Alternatively, sift together in a flour sifter (this will still be safe for food use because you aren’t using any essential oils). Add mixture to a tub of hot water along with the baking soda. Soak for 20 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.

Check out my Etsy shop for Water Ritual and Dream Journey bath teas, Sea Milk Detoxifying Soak, and other bathing pleasures.

Hello everyone!

Well, I finally have my own blog, devoted to all the fun aspects of herbal-inspired (or should I say ‘infused’?) self care, including mind, body, and spirit… I am going to post recipes for home use, information to help sort out current debates about preservatives, chemical ingredients, and what constitutes a ‘natural’ product, as well as what some of our very mysterious precious ingredients, such as buckthorn berry and carrot root extract. I welcome questions and queries that will lead me down the research highway.

I currently have an ever-expanding line of bath, body & beverage tea products::: LILITH’S APOTHECARY ::: on my Etsy site: www.lilithsapothecary.etsy.com and I have a www.lilithsapothecary.com site in progress.

Also check out the Etsy Philly Street Team for some great, local Philadelphia artisans! http://phillyetsy.blogspot.com/

I also have a shop devoted to jewelry creation on Etsy: www.lilithsjewels1.etsy.com ~ as a friendly FYI !!!

Check out my new Clarifying Skin Serum

Facial oils have been in use for centuries, and present the most pure moisturization available. Oil has gotten a bad rap and I’m not sure why, except that most commercial products are created with petroleum-based products that are more like saran wrap on the skin than a nourishing body oil. (Yes – in fact, you should go look at the Real Ingredients listed on most commercial products…petroleum/”mineral” oils all over the place!!)  In fact, natural vegetable, nut, seed, other plant oils can help heal blemishes and acne, and many pure botanical essential oils are also used for just this purpose.

Precious ingredients are included to promote healing and provide extra nourishment and each essential oil was carefully chosen for its specific properties for this skin type. These are those same precious ingredients we’re going to look into more and find out exactly what they are and what they do! This is going to be fun.

My new line of facial serums are packaged in 85ml cobalt blue glass bottle with dispenser pump. Use one or two drops on the face at bed time and/or in the morning as needed. I especially love to follow application with a clean spray of my white peach & rose facial mist for extra hydration. Any hydrosol will do, and it seems to just revive and refresh in all the best ways. This bottle of skin serum will last you a very long time when you’re only using 2-4 drops a day!

INGREDIENTS:
Jojoba oil infused with organic calendula blossoms (much like the skin’s own natural sebum; healing),Hazelnut oil, Meadowfoam seed oil (rejuvinating), Rosehip seed oil (anti-wrinkle), Vit E (antioxident), Rosemary oil extract (antioxident), seabuckthorn berry oil (prized for damaged skin; anti-aging, anti-wrinkle), evening primrose CO2 extract (nourishing), helio carrot (root) CO2 extract, calendula CO2 extract (healing); essential oils of patchouli (anti-acne, regulates oil production), vir. cedarwood (toning), palmarosa, tea tree (healing, anti-acne), lime (toning), ylang ylang, lemongrass (balancing oil production)

My next post will start looking more closely at some of the CO2 extracts (and what that means)…

Clarifying Skin Serum

What is Sea Buckthorn Berry?

A popular new ingredient in many quality facial care products, sea buckthorn berry is all the rage but what does it actually do? Seabuckthorn Berry  (Hippophae rhamnoides) has been a highly prized natural resource in both China and Russia and is was even considered a “holy fruit” by Chinese emperors for its restorative benefits. We even hear stories of Ghengis Khan feeding the berries to his soldiers and horses before battle for additional strength and resiliency in healing afterward.  It is nutritionally packed with over 190 bioactive substances, including Vit C, which appears at dozens the levels found in other fruits & berries, and Vit E which tops that of all fruit. Used for centuries as a medicinal food in Asia and Europe, Sea Buckthorn Berry is considered an immune tonic, restorative, regenerative, and growth promoter.

Sea Buckthorn Berry

In topical applications, Sea Buckthorn Berry Seed is often extracted using CO2 and this extract is commonly called (not surprisingly a CO2 extract!). A CO2 extract is different from the steam distillation of the pure essential oil, in that more of the ’nutritional’ components of the plant are also extracted. In that sense, for example, Calendula CO2 is closer to the actual plant than its essential oil would be.  It is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acids, tocopherols and carotinoids.

As an oil or CO2 extract, Sea Buckthorn Berry has been found to have vulnerary action (help heal wounds), regenerative properties for the skin , the ability to help protect the skin from UV damage, to reduce premature aging of the skin through radiation, sun damage, etc.

In this sense, sea buckthorn is mostly used topically to treat damaged skin, scar tissue, wrinkles, skin conditions such as eczema, and burns. The oil, as opposed to the CO2 extract, is cold extracted from whole berries and can be applied directly to the skin or included in various topical applications. The oil itself is a very concentrated oil and should be used sparingly, and even small percentages of the oil or CO2 extract in lotions and creams can have a very beneficial effect.

I use Sea Buckthorn Berry in my facial serum line for all of these reasons, regardless of skin type, not only because it’s a nutritional powerhouse, but because we could all use a little help counteracting sun damage, aging, and wrinkle formation! I’ll probably start introducing it into other products such as my Green Tea Eye Potion and other applications where such assistance is most needed.  

The Herbal Gram, America’s most respected scientific herbal journal recently published an issue with Sea Buckthorn Berry’s therapeutic uses highlighted. The Herbal Gram is published by the Americal Botanical Council, and more information can be found at their website: www.herbalgram.org. There you can access their Herbal Library which provides you with many monographs and published clinical studies about various herbs and nutritional supplements.

 

My website

Oh I am dying to get my website up but it’s still not ready yet. It’s kind of my fault for delaying some deliverables over the summer, but now i’m chompin’ at the bit to get the thing together by november! It will be a nice site, though, with shopping cart options and newsletters and so on.

Long live the realization of one’s dreams! (that sounds like something out of wizard of oz)

Check out the new Regenerative Skin Serum on my etsy site! Stage Two in the Serum line. Yeah!

Welcome friends and family!

Maeve & Mom at the 2008 Renaissance Faire

Well, if you clicked on my wee blogspot link, thank you! I am so glad you have visited Lilith here at Lilith Headquarters (lol)!

I am struggling to start a legitimate bath & body business on my own while working a 40 hour week, parenting a two year old, and just handling all that regular stuff that life throws at you. My real challenge is finding time for further education, though I feel as though I am learning with every day. I am participating in an herbal course through Michael Tierra, one of the founders of the American Herbalists Guild and one of the most respected herbalists in the country. I am also thinking about trying to get a degree in Nursing at some point (something I should have done ages ago but didn’t realize at the time!) in order to lend further legitimacy to the work I do. Everyone wants credentials they recognize!

I love the practice of herbal medicine and herbal-inspired home & body care ~ there are many avenues to follow this dream and Lilith affords me daily participation and the honor of working with many wonderful customers who more often than not end up quite happy and well taken care of!

As my most prized audience, my own friends and family should not hesitate to let me know of products they are looking for and custom gift baskets and the like, should you all need them. Tell me! I’ll always try to accomodate. Thanks for visiting me and don’t forget … You are my inspiration!

Holiday Crafting ~ Cranberry & Sage Vinegar

It’s kind of exciting this time of year when you begin to really feel that the holidays are just around the corner. I hate the spending of money, but I love the gift giving — and I especially love giving hand made ‘delights’ that are tailored to someone’s specific tastes!

One of the first herbal concoctions I ever made was an herbal vinegar, and I thought this one would be especially nice to share for the holiday season.  The use of cranberries in this vinegar turn the color a wonderful crimson red and sage adds a “seasonal taste”. Great for use with fruit salad, chicken salad, greens (cooked or raw), etc.

As shared by Rita Richardson in The Herb Quarterly (www.herbquarterly.com):

Cranberry & Sage Vinegar
1 cup fresh cranberries
7-8 fresh sage leaves (or dried whole leaves)
1-2 bottles rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

In a clear glass bottle place 1 cup fresh cranberries, and a few fresh sage leaves. Cover wtih warm rice wine vinegar. Tie a thin ribbon around the bottle for flair.

Holiday Crafting ~ Herbal Honey

Herbal Honey…yum! This is by no means just a holiday treat, but for any time of year, and it’s especially nice to use some of that herbal harvest towards the end of the growing season before everything gets too cold. Herbal honey can be therapeutic, imparting the power of the herb into a honey to produce a useful and flavorful syrup to use for cooking, with tea, with plain yoghurt, and in myriad other ways. My daughter Maeve loves “honey yoghurt” and mom likes to control the sugar and provide some extra benefit as well!

Many aromatic herbs, or herbs that have a high concentration of essential oils, are carminative, which means that they aid digestion by helping to expell or reduce gas and reduce stomach spasms. These herbs are ideal for helping with indigestion and are great to utilize before or after a meal. A lot of these herbs are also mildy anti-viral and are therefore great for regular use during the cold/flu season and  a great addition to lemon & ginger tea when you do have a cold.

Some herbs you can use:
Cinnamon (carminative, spicy, flavorful)
Lemon Balm (emotionally calming, antiviral, carminative)
Spearmint or Peppermint (carminative, stimulating)
Orange Peel (carminative, flavorful)
Ginger root (carminative, anti-nausea, antiviral)
Lavender (calming, antiseptic, analgesic -pain-relieving, relieves headaches)
Rosemary (antiseptic, stimulating, carminative)
Thyme (antiseptic, anti-viral, carminative)

Take between a half cup and a cup of fresh herb and 2 cups of honey. Red clover is an especially therapeutic honey. It’s also a good idea to try to buy raw, natural honey from a local source, as bees are under a lot of distress right now and I personally feel as though sick honey comes from sick bees. Not only that, but commercial honey comes from bees who are often fed sugar water ~ not healthy for little bees.

Bring the honey and herbs to a slow boil over low heat. And watch that pot! It won’t take much for it to suddenly boil over and make a BIG mess (believe me). As soon as it starts to bubble around the edges and you believe it’s coming to a boil, remove the honey from heat. Let it cool down and then repeat this process again, bringing it to a boil or near boil. Heating it gently in this way will not alter the benefical enzymic content of the honey, so don’t worry.

Repeat again if you want (for a stronger honey) or feel free to strain the honey at this point and pour into clean, sterilized (boiled for 10 min) glass jars. I find it is easiest to pour the honey while it’s still hot. I also like to stick a spring of the herb in the jar before pouring it when appropriate. This is easiest to do with cinnamon or rosemary but not so much with the more fragile herbs of lemon balm or mint.

Stick on a pretty label, tie a ribbon around the jar, and there you have it! A wonderful home-made gift that is also something with herbal benefit and flavorful taste.

Herbal Infusions

Herbal Nourishment Daily Infusion

Wild Mint Rooibos Tea

Tisane Waterlily

I’m really happy that I got some new photos up today on my etsy site for some of my visually beautiful herbal tea blends. It’s hard to know, sometimes, what attracts people to a blend, but I always feel that some of these are too visually stunning to resist (let alone tasty).

It’s great to get comments and suggestions about herbal teas, though. One of my etsy customers, Waterlilysage, commissioned one of her favorites, and so I added a new spin off of that one. I drink thyme tea as a matter of course, so this jazzed up version is even more delightful and a new favorite for me too!

Herbal Infusions – part II

Chamomile Dill Tummy Soother

Dream Journey Herbal Infusion

Mama’s Milk Herbal Infusion

So we all know that herbs can benefit us by way of a ‘tea’ or, more accurately, infusion. “Tea” is actually meant to refer to the use of the tea leaf (camellia sinensis), which has wonderful anti-oxident benefits. An “Infusion” (or tisane) is a hot-water infusion of other plant material (herbs or fruits) and can refer to all sorts of wonderful combinations and blends.

An infusion of delicate flower material, such as chamomile, need only be done for a relatively brief amount of time in order to reap the rewards. Medicinal infusions of hardier herbs should really be done with a LOT of herb (1 oz) for a long time (4-8 hours or overnight). A little tea bag with nettle leaf in it, steeped for a few minutes is nice, and it certainly will impart some of its nutritional goodness to you, but to really have an effective, therapeutic result, you need to steep a lot of it (1 oz equates to about 5-7 Tbsp) in a quart of water (a mason jar will do).

Again, it’s kind of a question of what you’re aiming to do with the herb! But nourishing, green infusions steeped for 8 hours are such a boon to your systems and can do transformative work over time when taken consistently and persistently. My personal favorite daily tonic is one with red raspberry leaf, oatstraw, spearmint. Red Raspberry is high in tannins, has lots of vitamin and mineral content, and is tonifying to the uterus (which preceeding or following childbirth is a very good thing); oatstraw is nourishing to the nervous system (help!); and spearmint is helpful for digestion and also tastes good! Simple infusions of nettle, oatstraw, red clover leaf & flower, or alfalfa are all nutritious and highly beneficial.

Herbalist Susun Weed has a great article for making herbal infusions found in her resources. She includes detailed information on what to do with various types of herbal matter, including barks, roots, berries, leaves, and flowers. I hope it is a great resource for you!

Phew – what a week!

Maeve & Mommy at Solebury Orchard

Maeve at Morris Arboretum’s fall festival

Halloween Party! Sarah & Tony

I have to say that working full time, parenting a toddler, dealing with regular household crises AND trying to get an herbal bath and body business underway is soooo tiring. Some nights I am just desperate to put my feet up. But on one hand, I remember reading about people starting their own businesses who would be up until 4 am every morning trying to get things accomplished. Still, when you are advocating for balance, it is hard not to crave some in your own life!

So this is what I try to sneak in as mini-moments of me time:
* blog entries!
* reading Herbal Quarterly and Herbal Gram, to great herb-based magazines/journals
* etsy surfing
* a glance at Mothering magazine or natural toys catalogues (with my toddler in mind!)
* a nice cup of tea in the afternoon ~ maybe even with a treat if I’m lucky.
* True Blood or Dexter (though now I’m trying to watch Bleakhouse, a BBC Masterpiece theatre production
* movies with my huspea! (that’s hubby to you)

Still, i am feeling pretty out of balance these days but it’s the holiday season so I don’t think I have much choice in the matter! Tough luck

Indie Craft Market TOMORROW!

Tomorrow I will have a table at the Indie Craft Market in Philadelphia. It’s a great marketplace of indie artisans of all kinds ~ a great place to start picking up things for the holidays! It would be great to see some of my beloved customers, friends, and family there.
There will be food, music, and “cool peddlers”, as they say:

11-6pm
@ Backseat Conceptions 941 Theater:
941 N. Front Street Philadelphia, PA (Northern Liberties)
http://randomsquirrellab.com/

Back from CA ~ ready for more!

Whew, holiday season has HIT but most of my orders on etsy still seem very personal, rather than gifts for family or friends. I love helping people craft custom formulas, and it’s so rewarding to get feedback that my creations are really working. What’s really amazing is how simple, pure ingredients are so much better for the skin than these expensive commercial foaming creamy whaznits! Love the feedback, guys! I am especially delighted that the Cleansing elixirs and Clarifying Facial Serums are having such success against acne.

Maeve and I went out to California last week to visit some LA cousins ~ we had a great time, enjoyed the fantabulous weather and also learned a lot about a product called Xango, a natural supplement that harnesses the power of mangosteen, a southeast asian fruit that has been used as a tea, a topical salve, and a medicinal remedy for many common complaints, including inflammation, pain, skin conditions, and infections. Xango is a *tasty* supplement and I’d love to start using it myself. I found that I was looking forward to having a little xango ’shot’ every day, just knowing I was gifting myself with all that antioxidant, anti-inflammatory goodness. Yeah, mangosteen!

Trunk Show at the TLA on South Street

Lilith's Apothecary Facial Mask Kit

There’s going to be a City Paper Trunk Show on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) this week. It’s going to be held at the TLA (Theatre of the Living Arts) on South Street in Philadelphia between 3rd and 4th. Check out www.citypaper.net/trunkshow for more info about this awesome event, of which Lilith’s Apothecary will be a part!

“The Greatest Trunk Show on Earth”
featuring 50 local boutiques and artisans
November 28 :: 10-3pm

Holiday craziness & handmade Soap

Wow, is this time of year ever insane! We had Thanksgiving at my house and of course the TLA/City Paper trunk show was on Friday, so the last week was pretty exhausting. The holidays are fun, though, and a lot of people seem to love all the hustle and bustle.

Looking for ideas for handmade gifts? One great way to make a simple, yet appreciated handmade gift is to try out Melt & Pour soaps. Most wholesalers (such as essentialwholesale.com, www.pvsoap.com and fromnaturewithlove.com sell melt & pour bases. All you need to do is buy the base, melt it down in a double boiler. Then you add your additional goodies, such as calendula-blossom infused oil, shea butter, jojoba beads, or lavender blossoms, and a small amount of pure essential oil. And finally pour it into plastic tray molds (also available for purchase at those sites).

There’s no question that Cold-Processed handmade soaps are lovely, but melt & pour glycerine soaps are very gentle for the face & body and are quick & easy to make, especially this time of year, when time itself is most precious. Here are some additional ideas for you to try with your M&P soap:

* Try making guest soaps with small guest soap sized mold trays and then wrap in cellophane with ribbon.
* Get creative with packaging by using hand-stamped paper, cardboard wraps, raffia, ribbon, and handmade tags.
* Add natural herbal colorants like a tiny amount of tumeric or beet powder to alter the color.
* Add a small amount of cornmeal as an exfoliant or a bit of dried herb, like spearmint, for texture
* Use your favorite essential oil blends or a simple essential oil that is well-liked, such as lavender or patchouli. Try to avoid fragrance oils, as they often contain harmful pthalates.

Indie Craft Market – holiday craft bonanza!

Well it’s happening again ~ another Indie Craft Market at the 941 Theatre in the Northern Liberties. This Saturday, DECEMBER 6
I hope to see some Lilith fans perusing all of the wonderful, handmade artisan goodies to be had. The best way to shop for this holiday is to shop Local and Handmade. Come and get a Lilith’s Apothecary gift basket made up for your loved one!

Sat., December 6
11-6pm
@ Backseat Conceptions 941 Theater:
941 N. Front Street Philadelphia, PA (Northern Liberties)
http://randomsquirrellab.com/

Blogging: you’re supposed to do it every day, right?

I guess I need to get better at updating my blog more regularly, eh? The busy holiday season has been busy but not totally out of control. I have lots to do to get things out by Tuesday for ample shipping time, but tonight I can’t bring myself to make one more batch of soap, lotion, or tea blend! It’s already 10pm but I might just need to watch that last 2 hour finale of True Blood (a show I like in concept, but which has ended up underwhelming and even disappointing) or maybe I’ll make some of my jewelry gifts I am planning to give this holiday season. You can check out a few things at www.lilithsjewels1.etsy.com but I am really bad at keeping that updated with new creations regularly. I love the bumble bee honeycome quartz earrings, though. I was thinking today that I really need to create a separate business card for Lilith’s Jewels and try to get on top of that more, even though there are only 10,000 etsy jewelers! I’m exaggerating, but not by much!

I have had a number of wholesale opportunities come up of late, and I am a little perplexed about what to do. Should I really try to push doing wholesale so I get Lilith’s name out there? It’s so much work for so little real, financial return, but I know that this is often the avenue to get a business off the ground. I would almost need to cut back a day of work at my ‘real’ job if I was really going to do a ton of wholesale.

I really would never be able to STOP working in my little apothecary, though. I have thought about the ‘cost benefit analysis’ when I am up working until 1 or 2am night after night, and then getting up at 7 to get my daughter and myself ready for daycare and work. It’s exhausting! I rarely have time to relax, let alone take care of my own self…but in many ways, the creative process is taking care of me by fullfilling something inside me. I love coming up with new ideas and products. I love helping others and learning by beginning to understand what other people are going through and experiencing. I get so much from the positive feedback my customers lavish upon me. It’s a lot of work, but it’s growing (albeit slowly) and I guess, ultimately, I wouldn’t want to live without the gift Lilith gives to me.

Herbal Facial Steams for cold & flu season

My 'Herbal Delight' facial steam

Ah! One of my dear etsy customers just commented on her use of my herbal facial steams during a recent sinus infection. What a wonderful way to use the healing powers of herbs!

Herbal Steam for cold & flu season:
1 tsp comfrey root
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp sage
1 drop of eucalyptus essential oil (optional) or 1 tsp dried eucalyptus leaves.
1 drop of thyme essential oil (optional)

Directions:
Place the herbs in a small saucepan of water, bring to a boil and then simmer for a 10 minutes, with the pot covered. Take the pot off the heat and add the essential oils. Drape a towel over your head and place your face over the steam, breathing in deeply and moving your head from side to side. Take a break if it gets to be too much. But keep placing your head over the pot for at least 10 minutes total, blowing into the water a little when it starts to cool down in order to direct the steam into your nasal passages. Breathe!

Thyme is a wonderful, handy herb that is also antimicrobial. I regularly drink thyme tea when I am sick or just during the winter to keep my immune system primed. Comfrey root is a healing herb that is also demulcent, so it is soothing to the mucus membranes and other body linings. Sage is astringent, which is often much needed during head colds. Eucalyptus e.o. helps open the nasal passages. I say “one drop” and yes, you could put two drops, but don’t over do it! Essential oils are very powerful, especially in a bowl of hot steaming water. By the way, this would also be a good steam for acne because of its antiseptic strength and astringency (except for maybe the eucalyptus). Don’t forget the ginger & lemon tea for that head cold!

Philly Etsy Team Blog … Brides & Babies

Chamomile & Calendula Body Lotion for Baby (and Mama!)

You may or may not know that I’m a member of the Philly Etsy Team and proud to be a part of such a diverse & creative group of local artisans. I’ve participated in events with members at the local Indie Craft Market events, as well as through the City Paper Trunk Show on Black Friday. The Philly Etsy Team has a nice blog highlighting many of these crafters & artists http://phillyetsy.blogspot.com/
They recently put together a nice article for Weddings & Bridal necessities, including lovely jewelry and even Bridal Party gifts (note: Lilith’s Apothecary!!!).

January makes me think of new Brides and new Babies, believe it or not! It’s a time for retreat and reflection and I guess I feel as though we need to deeply celebrate & remember the most important happenings, events, rituals, and rites of passage in our human existance. I will be highlighting my New Mama & Tender Baby Products for my January Special because I want to encourage the use of all natural bath & body products for little babies as well as healing products for the pregnant and post-partum new mama… I just created a wonderful new chamomile & calendula lotion for baby. It has no added essential oils or fragrance but smells just like chamomile tea! Great for baby eczema or winter dry skin.

January ~ winter solace

My new Winter Spirit herbal tisane

I think when I was younger, I thought January was sort of a drag (especially in Montreal, where I went to grad school). This year more than any other, however, I find January to be absolutey delightful! I can even stand the cold weather (somewhat) because of the coziness of retreating indoors, finding quiet places, serene moments, empty spaces. After the insanity of the holiday season, I can sigh and think “thank god it’s over!” I have also found myself thinking that instead of pushing myself to get one more thing done when I’m working at something, I can actually take a step back and think, “Naaaa…wait until tomorrow.” What luxury! What delight!

I have been having some ovarian cyst issues too…so low and behold, I’m taking some time to make my own herbal formulas for *myself* which is actually the shocker of 2009 so far (Inauguration, move over). It feels good, though. January, you are my new love. Stay with me a while…

Links & etsy sellers

Drat! I just added a thousand favorite links (mostly herbal) and ten thousand fav etsy shops and none of the links are live. I am figuring this out as a I go, but….I have no idea how to fix this! Maybe it will enter my brain by some kind of wierd wordpress osmosis. One can dream.

Anyway, in looking through all my etsy favs, I just have to point out one shop: gotcrowcreations.etsy.com
Wow do I love these amazing minature felted birds in minature hand crafted nests. I have bought two of them as presents and there are a million more people I would love to give them to. So precious!

Herbal study & research ~ anxiety & depression

Passion Flower for insomnia with circular thinking

I have been doing a lot of study lately around treating anxiety & depression with herbal medicine. Two of my most prized tinctures are fresh, organic St. John’s Wort & organic Skullcap, both herbs that are very useful in treating depression and anxiety, respectively. But there are so many different herbs one can use to really specifically treat variations of the depression or anxiety, dependant on the origin. More commonly known herbs such as Evening Primrose (herb, not oil), Lavender, Lemon Balm, Passion Flower, Night Blooming Cereus (Cactus Grandifloris), and Ginko all have roles to play.

‘Adaptogens’ are also critical to the lives of most people, as they help us cope better with stress and bring a level of balance to our systems. Examples of adaptogens would be Ashwaghanda, Asian Ginseng, Siberian Ginseng, Shatavari, Dong Quai, and Rhodiola Root. These are so important, I think I should do a special post devoted to them!

Recently, I was able to participate in David Winston (AHG)’s graduate course in Differential Diagnosis of Anxiety & Depression, which added a lot of depth to my study. I’ve been dying to do David’s course for years now, but just haven’t figured out a way to do it properly (well, since the arrival of my wee bairn). I just hope I catch it while he’s still teaching! He’s one of the US’s master herbalists, having practiced herbal medicine for nearly 40 years, and one of the original founders of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG). I consider him the leading authority in my own herbal work. www.herbalist-alchemist.com

Note: check out my “Bright Mornings” herbal tea blend for a gently mood-elevating, nervine tea that is safe and uplifting to the crest-fallen spirit. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13937696

Bright Mornings Herbal Tea

Scullcap and St.John’s Wort tinctures now on Etsy

I decided to post my fresh organic herbal extracts/tinctures of both Scullcap (sculletaria lateralist) and St. John’s Wort (hypericum perforatum) on my etsy site. These are such great quality extracts made with fresh, organic herbs from Pacfic Botanicals in Oregon. I have a nice fat disclaimer there because I have to. It’s a shame, really, but the main thing is that I want to make these kinds of quality, home-crafted tinctures available to my customers.

See Scullcap: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19669005 and St. John’s Wort: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19669005

Cloud Mist collaboration ~ artist Jan Blencowe

I often struggle a bit with a new tea label ~ be that tea a black, red, green, or herbal blend (and yes, I know, i know, technically herbal teas are not tea at all, but rather ‘infusions’). My new Cloud Mist (yun wu) green tea blend features jasmine blossoms and dried lotus petals and is quite a beautiful tea blend, meditative, and lightly floral.

In poking about the net, I found artist Jan Blencowe, and her lovely painting Cloud Mist (www.jenblencowe.com). I wrote her to ask her about using her painting on my label if I provided her website and name. She was more than willing, and dreamt up an idea to collaborate with a local tea shop in her area: Tea Savy, and perhaps have an art showing with her paintings and my teas! It’s such a great idea, I do hope it happens. Thanks Jan!

Twittering!

hm. twittering. I felt at first that I was just talking to myself (and that’s okay) in my attempts to find distractions during my day job, but then a cloud began to emerge … of…followers. A few I know well, a few I have never heard of in my life, though there is a tangential connection of some kind, and a few are loyal customers/acquaintances through Lilith. I am not sure yet what I think of the whole twittering phenomenon except that….
*sometimes it’s nice to just communicate a sentence or two to someone instead of feeling you owe them the big email ‘update’ as you’ve put it off for months.
*sometimes it’s just nice to kind of echo the banalities of your life (the bird that was flying around in your bedroom on a january morning, the fact that you watched Sillyville with your toddler, a yen for pumpkin muffins. Is this because of the fact that so much of our community is indeed Virtual?
Well…feel free to follow me on twitter (www.twitter.com/herbmuse) and I’ll be happy to exchange a few of those real-life-me moments!

Barak

I would be remiss in neglecting to acknowledge the wonderfully exciting inauguration events that took place for our 44th president, Barak Obama, yesterday, January 20, 2009. As an American, I can certainly say that this is the first time I’ve ever felt excited, inspired, and hopeful about a new president. I know I’m not alone in this.

Barak!

Jeanne Rose ~ Scented Geranium Toner

Peppermint Scented Geranium

Jeanne Rose is an amazing herbalist & aromatherapist who has distilled her own essential oils for decades and has taught others how to do so! She’s been inspirational in my creation of natural & herbal bath & body products, including lovely lotions and creams. I always have lots of scented geraniums to nurture through the winter (indoors) and before bringing them indoors I often trim them up a bit (hopefully that’s an okay thing to do ~ i am a beginner gardener!). Anyway, what to do with these lovely, fragrant scented geranium leaves? Well, aside from herbal hair rinses and bath teas, Rose’s geranium “lotion” seems an appealing project for a dark winter day…

Infuse 1/2 oz assorted scented geranium leaves in 1 cup of vinegar for 5-10 days. Strain and use as a stimulating refreshing astringent. Dilute with water to use. (Jeanne Rose’s Herbal Body Book, 1976)

Thanks Ms. Rose!

You might also try adding the dried leaves to a batch of soap or making a strong infusion of say, rose scented geranium, to create a toning facial or body cream (as the water component)

Featured Blog & Featured Etsy Seller

I think its time to feature some other bloggers and artisans out there with amazing blogs and etsy shops and/or products. For instance, check out The Alchemist’s Garden for early 20th century herbal pharmacopeia & wisdom, such as the Cocoa Essence: http://herbalwitchcraft.com/blog/I could spend ages checking out this blog, full of all kinds of interesting notes, gardening experiences, tidbits, and lore

As for etsy sellers, I would love to highlight an old favorite: Fairy Tale Fibers, based in the US’ Northwest
www.fairytalefibers.etsy.com

Wee Fairy Hood

I have one of these magical fairy hoods and love it! I have gotten many comments on it, of course, and living in urban Philadelphia, it gives me a bit of deep, dark forest feeling (much needed).

Eco headwear for the wee ones

So…i guess in this winter cold i have my darling Maeve’s wee little pig-tailed head in mind when I am perusing etsy. First I hightlight a fairy fiber hood for small tykes and now, this lovely find. In their wonderful Woodland & Feathers gift guide, i came across Little Bit of Sunshine’s (www.littlebitofsunshine.etsy.com) eco touque…that would be ‘hat’ here in the good U.S. of A. I love the little appliqued mushroom on this eco find.

Little Bit of Sunshine is obviously a Canadian shop, and I was dismayed to see this little notice in the shop:
“As you are all aware, certain legislation will come into effect on February 9th 2009 in America, governing the sale of all items intended for use by children ages 12 and under. I can not conciously flout the laws of your good nation, and so as of that date, Any child or baby item in my shop will no longer be available for purchase in the United States of America. I am truly sorry, and look forward to a day when this is no longer the case.”

Um…i guess I am not exactly aware of this ‘certain legislation’. Huh? Enlightenment would be nice, as it is midnight and I am not about to launch an investigation! Well, at least my Canadian friends can purchase from Little Bit of Sunshine for their darling wee bairns. (That said, i have to admit that my cousin-in-law, Nicole, if posting the same on her own lovely blog http://www.windbornelife.blogspot.com/ would have done the research!!! Shame on me, I guess)

UPDATE: Littlebitofsunshine did write me back with the following:
The legislation I was referring to is the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
(CPSIA for short) which will come into effect as of February 10th 2009 throughout America. It is the American government’s attempt to contol the onslaught of shoddily made and dangerous toys coming into the market from less controlled suppliers in countries like China, Thailand, and India. It is a widesweeping law that legislates that any product intended for use by children under the age of 12 must have every element within it tested for controlled substances like lead and phospates, irregardless of the material used to make them. While on the outset this law seems like a pretty goood idea, the reality is that the testing is so prohibitively expensive that in order to test each of my children’s items I would have to mark them up to well into the thousands of dollar range just to recoup my losses, and all that when I already know that I didn’t dip the baby hat into a vat of lead. It’s a very huge issue right now amongst artisan who deal in handmade children’s items, as this law will ultimately ruin many an artisan of fine handmade children’s wear and toys.

You can read more about the law here
http://buggalove.blogspot.com/2009/01/cpsia-faqs-volume-1.html
(not my blog….but a very concise write up on the CPSIA)

Chamomile (matricaria recutita) ~ gentle giant

Soothing Skin Bath Soak

Chamomile is a common name for an herb that usual includes both the Roman and German varieties. Once called ‘maythe’ or ‘mayweed’, the name is based on an old English word for ‘maide’ or ‘woman’ and is probably due to the plant’s calming, relaxant effects which have been used to soothe menstrual pains (Pollington2000). While both varieties have similar action, German chamomile is purported to be better tasting and milder in action that Roman Chamomile, which makes the former a better choice for pregnant women and children.

Chamomile is a commonly known herb that has amazingly wonderful, diverse qualities. It is traditionally used as a remedy for teething or cranky babies, to relieve and upset stomach, to ease menstrual cramps, and to reduce tension and induce sleep (K&W2001). Though individuals who have ragweed allergies may find that they are allergic to topical application of chamomile poulstices or salves, an allergic reaction is fairly unusual. In addition, in treating eczema, chamomile has been found to be as effective as hydrocortisone (steroidal cream) and superior to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (Aertgeertsetal1985). My own daughter has had eczema since she was an infant, and I have been delighted to find that a lotion created with chamomile & calendula infusions in both distilled water and natural vegetable oils has provided wonderful eczema relief. I now offer this lotion in my shop, primarily targeted for use for individuals with eczema, for children & infants, and for those with sensitive skin, though this lotion is fine for anyone and has a light scent of chamomile tea without the use of any fragrance or essential oils.

Chamomile

Chamomile is a wonderfully calming herb, both calming to the skin (as above) and calming to the tummy, the mind, the body, and the spirit. It gently brings someone into a state of restful sleep, and soothes even an irritated baby or newborn struggling with colic. German Chamomile has a long history of use during pregnancy and breast-feeding and is a common tea in Europe, Central America, & South America. (That said, it is important to note that Roman Chamomile has been found to have aborficent effects in studies on animals, and so it is important to choose German Chamomile over the Roman variety.) Part of chamomile’s calming effect on the nervous system is the large amount of easily assimilable calcium, making it a great herb to treat insomnia, nervousness, irritability, restlessness, and nighmares, along with connected conditions such as hypertension and cramps, spasms, and stomach distress. Menstrual cramps can be eased with the combination of chamomile & ginger (Tierra2003).

Conditions for which chamomile is beneficial are myriad, and include irritable bowl syndrome, indigestion, infant colic, gastric reflux disease, dysmenorrhea (cessation of menstrual cycle), gastritis, stress-related insomnia, peptic ulcer disease, spastic colon, cramping w/ diarrhea, oral ulcers, topical wound healing, eczema, and anogenital irritation. Chamomile can be taken in many forms: dried flowers, capsules, cream, salve, tea, tincture, bath tea or salt blend, but in this case we are fortunate because chamomile both smells and tastes lovely! I use chamomile in several different bath tea blends, including my Dream Journey bath tea

Chamomile & Calendula body lotion

Dried flowers can be added to the tub or in a muslin bag and in combination with epsom salts, this remedy can be very beneficial for hemorrohoids or irritated skin. Add a handful of oatmeal to the bag and you have a soothing emollient, combined with chamomile’s anti-inflammatory powers to aid allergic skin rashes, eczema, or just as a wonderfully soothing bath for baby. Topical poulstices made from the dried flower (clean cloth dipped into a water infusion) is useful for treating mastitis or other inflammatory issues

I find that the smell of the essential oil is a bit cloying and not always reflective, in my mind, of the light sweetness of the dried flowers, but the essential oil also has therapeutic action and is a welcome (though sometimes expensive!) addition to facial creams that require some ‘calming’ action to facial tissue. It is also good to use in balms and salves for children, as it is both therapeutic and very safe for all ages. For insect bites, the essential oil can be mixed with some aloe vera gel and applied directly to the bite.

Contraindications are few, though it may potentiate anticoagulants such as warfarin so use should be cautious and monitored if an individual is taking such a pharmaceutical. Again, though chamomile has a long, empirical track record of use for pregnant & breast-feeding mothers, it’s probably a good idea that Roman Chamomile be avoided throughout pregnancy (breastfeeding would be okay) and perhaps even in the first trimester because of chamomile’s mild emmenogogic effect (brings on menstruation). Chamomile overall represents one of the safest possible herbs for use with infants, childrens, and nursing mothers, who deliver the benefit of the tea through their breastmilk, and therefore is one of my herbs of choice in bath teas and products for babies, though it’s light, sweet fragrance and flavor certainly add to the strengths of this gentle giant. I say ‘giant’ because its gifts to us are so great.

REFS:
Aertgeerts, P. et al (1985) Z Hautkr. 60(3):270-277
Kuhn, Merrily and David Winston (2001) Herbal Therapy & Supplements: A Scientific and Traditional Approach
Pollington, Stephen (2000) Leechcraft: Early English Charms, Plantlore, and Healing
Tierra, Leslie (2003) Healing with the Herbs of Life

DIY Movement

For those of us getting nervous is this economic downturn, there’s more of a push than ever to engage in DIY projects..and DIY education! The blogosphere is a place that is offering more and more of this information and advice. Even trade professionals like electricians are offering DIY technical help via phone or web for those who would rather not expend the money to hire someone to come in their house. Do-it-Yourself!

As part of my G R E E N L I V I N G category, I’m going to start offering more DIY recipes and advice for natural body care, using materials that are often readily available, in order to cut down on some of our most costly products: bath, beauty, and personal items.

I’ll also link you to others who are offereing DIY instructions for making personal care or baby products that will save you loads of money and be better for the Earth in the long run!

Secret Ingredient: Carrot Seed Oil (daucus carota sativa)

Colorful Carrots

The oil derived from Carrot seed (daucus carota sativa) is a premier skin healing, rejuvinating oil. It is this wonderful oil’s high carotol content that gives it it’s reknowned skin-regenerative properties, which is why it is a key ingredient to skin special products such as my Rejenerative Skin Serum and eye creams like my Chamomile and Green Tea Eye Potion. (visit www.lilithsapothecary.etsy.com)

Carrot Seed Oil is a thin, yellow oil distilled from ground seeds is rich in Beta-Carotene. Not only beneficial for mature skin, sundamaged skin, or skin that is exposed to harsh weather conditions, it is also valued for its soothing, relaxing properties. Part of its strength is that it not only helps sun spots or other signs of age or damage fade over time, but it also helps to prevent wrinkles from forming in the first place! Look for this ingredient in top class facial care products aimed for skin regeneration or repair.

Try this on for size!

DIY Rejenerative Treatment Oil
* This can be used as a facial treatment moisturizer, make-up remover, or oil cleanser.

15 drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil
10 drops Rosewood Essential Oil
5 drops Geranium Essential Oil
2 Tablespoons Carrot Seed Oil (different from the E.O. ~ an infused or mascerated oil made from the pulp)
4 Tablespoons Jojoba oil or sweet almond Oil

Shake well, store in a dark, glass bottle or jar.

Tamara’s Herbes interviews Lilith…er, me!

Herbally-inspired artisan and fellow etsian Tamara of Tamar’s Herbes has recently interviewed me for her charming blog as a featured seller. I thought I would share this interview for those who would like to know a bit more about what is “behind” Lilith (or who!) as Tamara’s questions are great. Don’t miss that last ‘random question’ for a fun bit tidbit or two! Thanks Tamara.

TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF:
I am trained as a medical anthropologist and work full time in the public health sector. The intersections of disease, healing, and culture have always interested me, from historical, cross-cultural, and even philosophical perspectives. I’ve been studying herbal medicine for a number of years now, and when I first discovered herbology, it was a total “ah-ha!” moment — finally everything was coming together in a way that really resonated with my life. It’s my true passion! I am also a mother with a two and a half year old toddler, Maeve, and wife of Tony McNichol, who is an archaeologist and kindred spirit. I work a forty hour week and then spend between 15 and 20 hours more (at least!) toiling away at night in my basement workshop to create what is Lilith’s Apothecary, a vehicle for my herbal knowledge.

HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR CREATIVE NEEDS WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?
Well, first of all, Lilith does fulfill many of my creative needs. In that sense, I am lucky. I would love to be able to devote more of my life to the Apothecary, but at the moment, my day job provides an income that we can’t really do without. The tough part is not finding moments to be creative, it’s finding a way to make THAT my full-time job. Finding a balance between a full-time job and a ‘hobby’ that really wants to be a full-time endeavor is not easy, actually. Lilith is always growing! But that’s a good thing.

IF YOU COULD MAKE ONE CHANGE IN THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
You mean, philisophically? I could answer this questions a hundred times over. I personally believe that a lot of the problems that we have as a species boils down to the fact that we’re just big apes at the end of the day. It sounds reductionist, but when you look at primate behavior, it makes more sense why we as humans do the things we do. That said, what we lack in biological superiority, we do have in the potential to be creative, wise, and cultured beings. I wish we could — as a species — tap into that aspect of ourselves more readily. Can’t there be more Ghandis? Capitalism needs to go, for one thing. It demands an underclass.

WHAT DO YOU WANT THE WORLD TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU’RE GONE?
I think we all think about this. At the end of the day, I want to feel as though I have impacted people in a positive way. I don’t think there is a legacy that is more important than being a loving, positive influence on those you love the most. I’ve been to memorial services of academics, for instance, who were mostly estranged from their own children because of the all-consuming nature of their work. The negative impact that had on those children is probably worse than the so-called legacy of their academic contributions.

HOW DO YOU DE-STRESS?
Yoga is a wonderful respite, but I haven’t practiced in a while. It’s really hard to make time for myself that isn’t “work” related, even in terms of Lilith. That said, Ikebana (the art of japanese flower arranging) has been a wonderful outlet for me. I study with an ikebana teacher of 30 years, Midori Tanimune, and she is an incredible influence on me. I have learned so much from her. I also make jewelry, and have a little site www.lilithsjewels1.etsy.com, and I do custom work for family and friends, which is a lot of fun.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR ETSY STORE.
Etsy, for as ‘expensive’ as it ends up being between etsy fees and paypal fees, has been a wonderful thing for me. I have learned so much about my business since I opened Lilith’s Apothecary in 2007. My photos have evolved, my products have evolved, I’ve been able to reach a much wider audience, and I get a real sense of what my market is and a deeper confidence in my product and what I have to offer.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS MEDIUM/HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
In my studies of herbology, I learned how to make basic skin care preparations, including salves, ointments, syrups, linaments, tinctures, creams, and skin care products. I have always had sensitive skin, and I realized how superior my hand made products were compared to commercial versions. Family members started “ordering” products from me, and soon I was being commissioned to make things at christmastime as gifts. Once etsy came along, beginning to think about a real business began to take shape, and the etsy store has really forced me into a wonderful learning curve.

WHAT OTHER MEDIUMS DO YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH?
I love making bath & body things, but I also love herbal teas, which I offer in my shop, using my herbal knowledge, and I make jewelry, garden, love cooking & nutrition, and practicing ikebana. I hate to sound like a dork, but creating is really what I love to do most, whether it’s a dandelion and gruyere quiche or my latest ‘Boudoir Blossom Facial Cream’

IS THIS A HOBBY OR FULL TIME BUSINESS?
I wish this was a full time business! Maybe someday it will be. It is not really a hobby though, either, as I devote 15-20 hours a week to the development of Lilith, on top of my full time job and family responsibilities. Do I *make* money? No, not really, but I am optimistic! Lilith is young.

WHAT DO YOU FIND INSPIRES YOU FROM DAY TO DAY?
Other crafters’ stories of success can be very inspirational (though sometimes it makes me feel a bit defeatest too). At the end of the day, just knowing that I would not ever really want to live without Lilith keeps me going. It’s too much of a wonderful creative outlet for me, and I absolutey thrive from the feedback and interaction with customers. Such a positive experience.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR CRAFT?
I love the creative evolution ~ the continual refining of a product as well as trying out new formulas and products.
LEAST?
The shameless self promotion that I know i should be engaged in 24/7 to really push these products and get myself out there.

WHERE DO YOU EXPECT TO BE IN FIVE YEARS?
I have no idea. But let’s say that in ten years, I want Lilith to sustain me financially.
That’s my dream. I don’t know if it will happen but that’s my dream.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN STORE/WEBSITE?
I have a website that has been in development for a year now and a source of great frustration. Hopefully it will be together soon ~ that’s a different story. I don’t have a brick and mortar store and don’t forsee that happening for a long time, though maybe some day! I am starting to do some consignment and wholesale and it will be interesting to see where that takes me.

Random Question:
If you were having a dinner party and could invite three famous people, who would they be?

I would like to be really ‘clever’ with this question, but I think I’ll be self-indulgent and answer it as honestly as I can (of course it is somewhat impossible because there are so many people I’d love to sit down & share a glass of wine with). I am not sure if these famous people are supposed to be alive or if I can drag some back from the dead, but I’ll be doubly indulgent and go with the latter: Marcel Duchamp, Alistair Crowley, and Gertrude Stein. Now that would be an interesting party!

DIY ~ Herbal Remedies for the Cold Season Part I

Ginger Root

Yes, we are smack dab in the middle of cold and flu season and for those of us with toddlers in day care (a-hem), herbal remedies seem to be a constant part of life in the wintertime! You actually never need to touch the chemical laden and possibly detrimental cold & flu symptomatic remedies on the counters of your local pharmacy. Instead, turn to the natural gifts of nature, for far more effective, immune-building resistance and treatment.

PREVENTION:
Astragalus root is a chinese herb that has been long used as an immune tonic. Michael Tierra recommends making an herbal syrup from astragalus for those with compromised immune systems, but I often just add astragalus regularly to decoctions or even to soup stocks for an added immune boost! Astragalus is not an herb to use once a cold has already set in.

Adaptogens are a wonderful gift to us and are used in many cultures as tonics for longevity and resilience throughout life. They help to balance our systems and create better resistance to stress, including stress-induced colds and flus. Regular use of an adaptogen is recommended for anyone living in our stressful, postmodern, multi-tasking world! Examples of adaptogens include Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero), Asian Ginseng, Ashwaghanda, and Rhodiola Root. You should consult with an herbalist or herbally-savy naturopath to assess which adaptogen is best for you. That said, Siberian Ginseng seems a good all-around adaptogen that is often used as an energy tonic for athletes.

TREATMENT:
Echinacea is still the superior choice in cold and flu treatment. There have been studies suggesting a lack of effectiveness, but the dosages and herb formulations in those clinical studies were not therapeutic, more often than not. I still swear by the stuff! As with many (if not most) herbs, echinacea’s clinical power is not isolated to one ingredient, but rather, its whole chemical make-up contributes to its immune-boosting power. The action of this wonderful herb is quite different from allopathic antibiotics and even other antibiotic herbs such as Golden Seal. Echinacea actually vitalizes the immune system rather than attacking the virus directly, and thus assists the lymph, adrenal and thymus glands in their immune activity. It is also a fine fever herb and does not interfere with the needed (slight) elevation in temperature, as bacteria and viruses cannot survive above 100 degrees, but keeps the fever low enough to prevent convulsions (Susun Weed, Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, 1986).

Echinacea

Echinacea does appear to have some preventative power, especially when used in the early stages (you feel that throat tickle, perhaps, or you’re starting to feel run down), but it also shortens the length of a cold and lessens the severity. Echinacea is better taken in tincture than capsule form, but I also like to make a strong herbal syrup from a decoction of echinacea, chapparal, ginger, and thyme to really pack a punch to that mean old cold. I’ll post DIY instructions for making an herbal syrup at some stage soon. The important thing is taking ENOUGH of the stuff. Most people under-dose. At the first signs of a cold, you may need to take a dropperful of the tincture four to six times a day. This is equivelant to 1-2g dried root per day. Take up to nine 300-400mg capsules per day. If you are taking the tincture, you should have a transitory numbing, tingly sort of feeling on your tongue. For babies and children, put 10 drops of echinacea in a four oz. bottle/cup of water or juice. Allow your child to drink as desired and this will help keep a fever in bounds. Even the newest of newborn babies old will benefit from the breastmilk from a breastfeeding mother taking echinacea infusions or tincture.

Garlic and Onions are potent anti-virals in an of themselves. Fresh garlic is much more potent than cooked or roasted garlic and one way to get around popping a whole clove in your mouth is to dice up a few cloves, add to olive oil and dip bread in the oil & garlic. You might even add a dash of cider vinegar for good measure! It’s yummy AND it’ll treat that cold. In addition, the old adage about chicken soup seems to be linked more to the onions and garlic simmered in that warm vegetable or chicken stock than to the chicken itself. Not only are the onions and garlic antiviral, but viruses don’t survive at hot temperatures and drinking hot broths, soups, and teas can really inhibit viral replication, along with keeping you well hydrated. I’ve also heard of wise women making strong garlic teas from fresh cloves. One half cup of this stuff and you could really knock that cold back a couple steps, or if taken early on, might deter it completely.

Ginger and Lemon infusions should not be understated as a helpful treatment strategy. Not only is the hot liquid good to take in, but ginger is warming and can help heat the body up, helping you to ’sweat it out’. Herbalist Michael Tierra recommends taking the hot ginger tea (fresh or dry ginger root infused for at least ten minutes) after a hot bath and then piling on the blankets. Heating up the body temperature helps prevent viral replication and can really do a number on the little suckers. That’s why our immune response is often to have a fever! Viruses simply cannot survive in body temps over 101 degrees. You need only get concerned when your temp gets to 102 or higher or that they persist for more than a couple of days. Lemon is very rich in infection-fighting vitamin C and is also a fever cooler when the temp rises.

Elder Berry and Flower : Elder, herbalist Susun Weed tells us, seems to help the body regulate temperature, and when those lovely white blossoms are tinctured, can provide a superior remedy for treating infants’ tinctures, as well as our own. It reduces frighteningly high fevers without fail and doesn’t have the detrimental effect on kidneys and livers as commercial fever-reducers (advil, tylenol) do. Put one drop per pound of body weight under the tongue (for infants and adults alike) and thoe dose can be repeated as often as needed. It is completely harmless. The fever usually begins to decrease within a few hours of the first dose. (Elder can also be administered by dropper while breastfeeding).

RECIPES for therapeutic foods & herbal infusions to follow in Part II!

SOURCES:
Pacific Botanicals
Mountain Rose Herbs

Bay ~ Laurus Nobilis ~ International Herb of 2009

I have been wanting to blog about the wonderful qualities, the spicy sweetness, and the versatility of the lovely bay leaf for a number of days now. The popular herby’s publication, Herb Companion, published a lovely little article on Bay, highlighting its associated legends and lore, including the story of Daphne, who transformed into a laurel tree when being pursued by Greek God, Apolllo. Bay is the herb of poets, oracles, warriors, statesmen and doctors ~ truly a noble herb!

Bay is  a perennial native to the Mediterranean, and as such, requires wintering indoors for those living  in colder zones.  Susan Belsinger’s article in Herb Companion tells us of its medicinal qualities, for treating headaches, stomachaches, wounds and insect bites. Today it is used externally for muscular aches and pains, including arthritis. The leaves are antimicrobial and fungicidal, and so bay is a valuable aid in treating colds, flues, congestion, and viruses. It stimulates digestion, regulates menstruation, soothes inflammation, fights infection, stimulates urinary elimination and calms the nervous system.

Along with many other great factoids about this lovely herb, Susun published a wonderful recipe for bay-infused chocolate pudding that I just had to post! This is the real thing, and very easy to make. The subtle fragrance of fresh bay (find at your local grocery store), rather than dried, is all you need to make something special out of a big pot of chocolate pudding, as if it wasn’t special enough already. My toddler and I took out comforting spoonfuls of one of the loveliest comfort foods around.

Chocolate Pudding with Bay (serves 6)

Ingredients:

2 cups half-and-half or light cream
3 large fresh bay leaves
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2/3 cup sugar
2 pinches salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup milk
3 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (no imitation stuff here!)
Whipped cream (not the canned stuff either!), optional

1. Heat half-and-half with bay leaves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When half-and-half startes to bubble around the edges of the pan, remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 30 min.
2. After bay has infused the cream for nearly 30 minutes, combine cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cocoa in a bowl and whisk in milk. Pour mixture into the warm cream and place over moderate heat. Continue whisking and cooking and pudding thickens (this doesn’t take too long)
3. When pudding begins to bubble and come to a boil, stir and boil for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and whisk in chocolate pieces until they are melted. Add vanilla and stir well. Carefully remove bay leaves and pour pudding into six ramekins or custard cups (or a nice sized bowl!)
4. Place custard cups on a plate or pan and allow them to come to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled; at least 30-45 min. Serve at cool room temp and garnish with whipped cream if desired (or you can pour it into a bowl and pop it in the fridge)

YUM!

Therapeutic Herbal Hair Rinses ~ March special

Therapeutic Hair Rinse

My March special on etsy highlights the benefit of herbal hair rinses, comprised of a strong infusion of therapeutic herbs in organic cider vinegar. The rinse is diluted 1 Tbsp to 1 cup of water and used as a final rinse over cleaned hair. The reason vinegar is used is because it neutralizes the alkalinity of shampoos, helping to balance the natural pH of the scalp. It also softens and conditions the hair.

In this day and age of heavy hair processing and incredibly frequent shampooing with detergent-based products, our hair becomes stripped of its nutrients and the scalp plagued with excess oil production, dry, itchy scalp conditions, dandruff, sorborrheic dermitis, and other signs of imbalance. Basically what happens is that we strip natural oils out of our hair with the detergents and then try to put the oils back in using conditioners! The result is hair that may be dry while the scalp is oily or any other combination of hair imbalance. Part of the journey back to hair and scalp health is the use of herbal rinses. The other part is using natural herbal shampoos (homemade or made by small herbal crafters), but you have to be willing to accept the very different feel of a natural shampoo, which often does not have the chemical lather created by Sodium Laurel Sulfate and similar ingredients.

An herbal cider vinegar infusion can be made or the herbs can be steeped in water and used over several days. This water infusion can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days to prolong freshness. In the case of a water infusion, you would not need to dilute.

Herbs can also be used to lighten or darken hair, additionally benefiting by providing luster and shine. Here are some DIY Recipes!

Conditioning Rinse for Dark Hair (using all dried herbs)
1 Tbsp Rosemary
1 Tbsp Nettle
1 Tbsp Cloves
1 Tbsp Cassia Chip (cinnamon chip)

Conditioning Rinse for Light Hair (using all dried herbs)
2 Tbsp chamomile
1 Tbsp orange peel
1 Tbsp calendula blossoms
1 Tbsp mullein flowers (if you can get them! these can be fresh)

Directions: Mix herbs together. Put in a covered non-metal pot with 1-2 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5-10 min. Strain. Add 1 cup cool water to the infusion. Now pour this strained infusion over your clean, wet hair, catching excess if you can to repour over your head, all the while rubbing into your scalp. You need not rinse with clean water, but you can if you wish. Let your hair air dry.

Check out my etsy shop: Lilith’s Apothecary for Therapeutic & Deep Cleansing organic cider rinses.

DIY ~ Herbal Remedies for the Cold Season Part II

Elder Flower

Ah, here I am sniffling away from a wee cold given to me by my darling 2 and a half year old, Maeve, who is all to0 glad to bring home little daycare germs to share with her family. *sniff*! Well, happily, there are lots of remedies to shorten the length of the cold, as well as to add some relief.  My Winter Spirit blend can help prevent colds but also treats those with slight fevers and benefits the immune system with high levels of nutrient-dense herbs like alfalfa and vitamin rich rosehips, a great source of in Vit C.

Again, among other preventive strategies mentioned in Part I, raw garlic always helps to banish a cold away, and broths or soupy grains made with a stock of simmered onions and garlic is always a good old wives’ remedy, with good reason! Add some ginger for an extra warming, antiviral punch. But raw garlic, steeped in olive oil and used for dipping a bit of bread, is an incredibly tasty, potent remedy.  Herbal Steams using essential oils and herbs are also a great way to add relief, and my post on that subject provides recipes in that direction.

The Best Cold Remedy Soup ever!
1. Combine 3 cups vegetable stock & 2 cups sliced onions (or two sizable onions)sliced
(Simmer the onions in the stock until tender)
2. Add: some sliced carrot & 2 Tbsp shredded fresh ginger root
(simmer for 10 min until carrot is soft)
3. Reduce heat to low and take a little bit of the stock out, whisk in 2 Tbps miso, and return to the soup. Do NOT allow the soup to return to a boil, as this will reduce the enzymic activity of the miso.

My real content of this post, however, is about making your own herbal tea blends to assist you when you have a cold. I’ll start with some of the wonderful herbs that are readily available, such as thyme leaf (antiviral, antimicrobial), elder flowers or berries (immune boosting, 2 antiviral compounds, significant relief for fevers), nettle leaf (the so-called weed that is one of the most nutritious plants available), and ginger (nearly a dozen antiviral compounds; reduces pain & fever; cough suppressant; warming).

The first recipe is for a lovely, incredibly pleasant blend that works throughout the winter months to boost your body’s ability to ward off illness, primarily by strengthening your immune system and nourishing your body:

Herbal Infusion for the Cold & Flu Season: Prevention
1 part alfalfa (nutritive)
1 part nettle (nutritive, adrenal support)
1 part rosehips (nutritive, vitamin C rich)
1/4 part cinnimon (catalyst herb that helps other herbs work ‘better’, warming)
1 part rose (spirit lifting!)
1 part thyme leaf (antiviral, antimicrobial)

Directions: combine the above and use 1 tsp – 1 Tbsp per cup of water. Steep in boiling water for 15- 30 min, strain, drink hot or cold. You can make a mason jar’s worth and just keep it in the fridge, heating it up as needed.

Herbal Remedy for that mean old Cold:
1 part thyme leaf (antiseptic, expectorant, carminative)
1/2 part dried ginger (nearly a dozen antiviral compounds; reduces pain & fever; cough suppressant; warming)
1/4 part lemon peel OR add a slice of fresh lemon to the tea (high in vit C)
1 part rosehips (vit C)
1 part elder leaf/flower (antiviral, helps treat fevers)
1 part alfalfa or nettle (nutrient rich)

Herbal Remedy for that mean old sore throat or cough:
1/4 part marhmallow root or slippery elm (demulcent, throat-coating, soothing qualities; anti-inflammatory)
1/2 part licorice root (demulcent, antiviral)
1/2 part mullein flowers/leaf (expectorant, demulcent, soothing)
1/2 part ginger root (nearly a dozen antiviral compounds; reduces pain & fever; warming)
1/2 part rosehips (vit C)
1/4 part lemon peel OR add a slice of fresh lemon (vit C)

Directions for either of the above: Combine the herbs as directed and use 1 tsp – 1 Tbsp per cup of water. Steep in boiling water for 15- 30 min, strain, drink hot or cold. You can make a mason jar’s worth and just keep it in the fridge, heating it up as needed. Keep in mind that the mucilage in the sore throat/cough tea will make the infusion more viscous. Also feel free to add a touch of herbal honey, especially a honey made with immune-boosting, antiviral herbs.

*Remember that any of these herbs made into a tea provides a valuable remedy. You don’t need to use them all! Simple ginger root and fresh lemon is most often my favorite remedy along with soups and broths. I might start the day with simple thyme & ginger and end it with a more soothing, alfalfa rich, vitamin C stocked blend. Experiment!

Watch out for my Next DIY cold & flu post: Herbal Syups , including my Herbal ‘Mucinex’ Recipe!

Featured Seller – Motley Mutton

This is a blog about the world of herbs, botanical medicine, natural skin care, and related ingredients, is it not? Well, it’s also about green living. What does that mean, though? When I think about “green living” i am usually thinking about it from the urban standpoint of making eco-friendly choices, recycling, upcylcing, choosing sustainable practices, but just wait until you read about the etsy artisan below and the truly Green (note, capital G) life that she lives. Not only is she giving back to the earth and providing for her community by having a market garden and participating in community 4H via her children, but she is giving back to humanity by caring for so many children and by fostering new little lives at her wonderful homestead in West Virginia.

I was immediately drawn to the amazing felt craft of etsy artisan Nancy Bevins, proprietor of Motley Mutton fom the first moment I saw one of her creations. In fact, I sometimes go to her shop just for a bit of respite when I want to see some exquisitely crafted little felty animals, swinging on swings. How does she do it? I wondered. They are so skillfully created. I love to create and learn how to do new things, but sometimes I feel that it’s nice to just see what people can do with a material that is still a total mystery to me.

Nancy Bevins lives on a farm in West Virginia. She moved from California and with her family and built a house on an old abandoned farm. With four grown children, four more adopted from foster care and two additioanl foster children, needless to say, things have to be pretty busy in the Bevins household!  The family homeschools, raises sheep, chickens, and has large garden which enables them to sell at the local farmer’s market. The whole family pitches in and shares in the profits.

In respect to her craft, Nancy tells me, “After first moving here, we tried raising a few different animals, but then my children began raising sheep for 4H. We began using the wool for various things, but then discovered felting. Our wool isn’t the greatest, not the best for spinning, not really soft and silky, so this has been a good fit for our farm. It definately helps pay the bills, and justifies having so many “pets” around the place!

“I began selling on Ebay, but then discovered Etsy and started a regular shop there. I still sell on Ebay once in a while, and once a month I offer larger pieces at the PFATT Marketplace (Pfattmarketplace.com). I’m not crazy about custom pieces because I have so many ideas for things I’d like to make, and every time I accept custom orders I have to neglect my Etsy shop. There’s just never enough time for everything!”

You really ought to check out Motley Mutton …be inspired!

A word about the divine Body Polish

I’d be remiss in not at least once bringing up the pure luxury of a simple salt or sugar scrub. First of all, you don’t have to pay huge amounts of money for this kind of product, as it’s something you can easily make in your own home! That said, of courseit’s worth the $12 to buy my beautiful essential oil blended scrubs with premium dead sea salts, a diverisity of high quality therapeutic oils, and nice packaging. (I had to say that, I’m running a business) But seriously, $12 is a totally reasonable price. Many companies charge upwards of $25 or more for such a product. And again, you can do this yourself!

Salt or sugar scrubs are absolutely marvelous. There are many versions out there, some which contain soap or ‘whipped’ soap, some that are emulsified with other oils and waxes (such as my brown sugar scrub) and many that are simple combinations of salt or sugar and oils. Cheap versions –such as some chain bath & body stores that I won’t name outright–use petroleum-based oils as the primary ingredient in these products. Not helpful. The point of a body scrub is to provide exfoliation to slough off the outer dead skin sells and thus ‘polish’ the skin into a healthy, revitalized glow. Not only does this get rid of the dull outer skin cells, but it also increases circulation and invigorates the tissue. The oils then sink into the fresh layer of skin to provide nourishment, moisture, and protection from the elements. Indeed, oils not only provide SPF protection against UV rays, but the oil also acts as a natural barrier to keep the skin from getting too dry or chapped. Scrubs are great in the summer because they keep your skin glowy and fresh, and somehow, even more necessary in the winter because they keep your skin protected and well-moisturized. I find that I don’t need a moisturizer when I use a polish towards the end of a shower or bath, and my skin doesn’t get that winter itchy, dry feeling that is the norm.

For those who don’t like applying oils directly to the skin in this way or like something a bit smoother in texture, an emulsified scrubis ideal. This is a bit more high-tech to make and so it’s better purchased, but emulsified scrubs do eliminate the slippery oils that can often coat the floor of the bath tub in the former. Some people hate those oils and also find the salts a bit too harsh if they have extra sensitive skin. The oils are actually in a solid state, adhered to the fine sugar crystals, so the texture is like fine breadcrumbs. A handfull of this can really do the trick in gently exfoliating and moisturizing the skin.

So how do you make something like this at home instead of spending a lot of cash on the so-called ‘upscale’ spa version?
Well, it’s simple.
DIY – Simple Sugar or Salt Scrub.
1. Find a nice container – plastic or glass – and make sure it is clean and dry. It’s very important that you keep the container as dry as possible and try to avoid getting water in the scrub unless you intend to use it up quickly, as the introduction of water can create a potential for mold growth, especially if the scrub sits around with water in it.
2. Fill the container with salts or sugar – it doesn’t matter what kind, though an extra course texture of salt or sugar will be more ’scratchy’. I find that the finer the texture, the better, in most cases. Leave a little of room on the top but not more than 1/2″ – 1″.
3. Add a little Vit E (squeeze out one capsule or add 1/2 tsp oil) to prevent rancidity (if you have it on hand).
4. Add the fragrance. Start with 20 - 30 drops of your favorite essential oil. I generally advise away from most fragrance oils because of the presence of pthalates and because only true essential oils offer aromatherapeutic benefit. That said, some essential oils are extremely expensive, so you might have to use a fragrance oil to get the scent you want. For true essential oils that are readily available and affordable: Try ylang  ylang for intense, heady floral notes; orange for a lovely citrus fragrance: peppermint & rosemary for something zesty and refreshing (don’t overdo the e.o.s on this); lavender for its beautiful, relaxing qualities; or patchouli for it’s earthy, sensual scent.
5. Fill the container with a skin-nutritive, natural oil or blend of oils. Jojoba, Sesame, Olive, Grape seed, or other oils, many of which you may be able to find in small quantities at your grocery store. Do NOT use mineral oil, J&J “baby oil” (How can J&J actually market this for babies?), or other petroleum-based oils, as these are equivalent to putting saran wrap on your skin. The petroleum oil creates a barrier but doesn’t provide any true moisturization or nutrition for your skin cells. It’s basically a useless oil slick, as far as I’m concerned.

Voila! Pure luxury for the bath time ritual and an absolute must for regular skin exfoliation and moisturization.
See my store for various salt scrubs, including my Ayurvedic Healing Scrub for those who suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis.

Home Spa: Beauty Blossom Facial – PART I

Do you dream about that fabulous facial you had…oh, once upon a time? Most of us can’t afford a facial these days, especially at $50-$150 for an hour long treatment. The good news is that anyone can do an incredibly luxurious, spa quality facial in one’s own home! A facial is just what we need this time of year ~~ it will quickly revitalize skin, give you a lovely glow, tighten pores and smooth the texture of your skin. There are so many great ways to accomplish a beautiful facial and scads of recipes out there to follow. In this post I am going to give you the outline of the “perfect” facial, including Herbal Steam, Clay & Herb mask, & Simple Home Spa Toner.

Take the time and effort to do an herbal facial steam. You can check out my facial steams for drier or oiler skin types in my etsy shop, and that will give you more specifics about what different herbs will do for your skin, but I would also encourage you to put together an herbal steam from herbs you might have handy or would be able to obtain fairly easily. Try this recipe below for STEP ONE of your facial in order to open your pores, deeeeply cleanse your skin in the most gentle manner available, and allow the herbs to do their good work on your facial tissue. It’s a quiet, meditative practice and really necessitates you taking some time out just for yourself!

STEP ONE: Herbal Facial Steam.

Gather together small amounts of herbs rich in volitile oils that smell heavenly and will also greatly benefit your skin. Some examples are mints (spearmint, lemon balm), scented geraniums, chamomile, lavender, lemongrass, orange peel, or even thyme or rosemary.  Citrus-smelling herbs are often useful for oily or acne prone skin, and indespensible herbs like thyme and rosemary have some antiseptic properties and so can be additionally helpful for troubled skin. In addition, you will want to use an emollient (skin soothing) herb and a healing herb in order to balance any skin issues that may exist. Comfrey root is both emollient and healing, so this beneficial root shows up in most of my steams. You can always try a bit of licorice root (emollient) along with calendula blossoms (healing) if they are on hand.

Beauty Blossom Herbal Steam:
1. 1 tsp rose petals (aromatic, astringent)
2. 1 tsp chamomile flowers (anti-inflammatory, calming)
3. 1 tsp hybiscus (emollient)
4. 1 tsp calendula blossoms (healing)

Directions: combine herbs and place in a non-metal pot, fill with 2 cups of filtered water and bring to a simmer on the stove. Cover tightly and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and find a comfortable spot to sit. Put your face over the steam and drape a towel over your head to trap the steam. Move your face from side to side and steam it for 10 minutes. When the water begins to cool, blow into the steam to direct it back into your face, where you can attempt to target more troubled areas. You can bring the water back to a simmer and do it again if you’d like!

A facial steam is the ideal preparation for a home spa clay & herb facial mask, which should always be applied to a very clean face. Part II of my home spa facial series will explain how to make your own facial mask at home! Stay tuned…

Home Spa: Beauty Blossom Facial Part II

Part II:  The All-Important Facial Mask

Ah yes, the facial mask. Quite possibly the most intantly transformative part of your home facial. Facial masks should be applied to a very clean face and are wonderful when preceeded by an herbal facial steam, such as that outlined in Part I. Clay masks have been used for refining delicate facial tissue for ages, as it serves to detoxify, smooth, reduce the appearance of pores, and balance facial tone, including the reduction of redness and even flakiness.

What you need here are 1) good quality facial clay, and 2) botanicals that will help address any facial issues you might have. Below, I will help you in this process by giving you a sample structure for creating your own simple facial mask, depending on your skin type.

Facial Clays:
Cosmetic clays of different varieties are quarried from mines all over the world. Some examples of facial clays are French green clay, Moroccan Rhassoul red clay, Fuller’s Earth clay, Dead Sea clay, Bentonite clay, and Kaolin (white) clay. Having good quality clay is important, as you don’t want a mask that is filled out with lesser quality ingredients, and different clays can provide a different outcomes. Good sources for fine clays include Mountain Rose Herbs, Essential Wholesale, and From Nature with Love. In the following paragraphs, I’ll talk about two good quality, often used, and highly effective facial clays: French Green Clay and Moroccan Rhassoul red clay.

Fench green clay is heavily used in the cosmetic industry as a facial clay, but that said, it is difficult to get significant quantities of any effective clay in over-the-counter facial masks. You are better off making your own, purchasing masks from a reputable, quality-driven seller (a-hem), or attending a good spa for a professional facial. If a clay is purchased already ‘wet’, it must be used quickly once opened or is subject to mold or bacteria growth. It is for this reason that I sell my facial clay & herb masks as powders.  This way, we can avoid high levels of preservatives in a facial treatment, and you can also control your ‘wetting agent’ to better suit your skin type.

French green clay is a great clay for all skin types, but you might want to mix it with French white (Kaolin) clay if you have sensitive skin, as it is a ’strong’ clay, in terms of its drawing power. A wonderful detoxifier for the skin, green clay draws out impurities, toxins, and pollutants from the skin, all the while tightening pores and smoothing the facial tissue. This drawing action also serves to stimulate circulation, bringing blood to the surface of thes skin and thus, revitalizing and ‘awakening’ facial tissue. French green clay is also rich in minerals and nutrients, and thus adds additional skin nourishing power to a facial application. Try using this clay with some of the herbs or fruits for normal to oily skin below to help balance oily skin and treat acne issues.

Moroccan Rhassoul red clay:
Drawn from below the Atlas mountains in Morocco, rhassoul clay is a centuries old, but also a newly popular facial clay with Western spas. This fine, red clay has wonderful skin-balancing properties. It is suited for all skin types, but especially loved among those with mature, dry, and/or sensitive skin. It acts as a gentle exfolliant but is also rich in minerals such as Silica, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Sodium. Clinical studies have found (www.irsi.org) that rhassoul clay reduces dryness (79%), reduces flakiness (41%), improves skin clarity (68%), improves skin elasticity and firmness (24%), and improves skin texture (106%). I am not even sure how 106% is even possible, but this clay definately does good work! My own Moroccan Rhassoul mask incorporates healing myrrh, the humectant honey, oat starch, and mineral-rich dead sea salts for a nutrient-rich powerhouse that has moisturizing, healing, and soothing properties on top of the clay’s detoxifying properties.

Herbal, Vegetable, or fruit additions for various skin types:
1) Normal to Dry ~ irish moss, chamomile, apple, oranges, avocado, pear, melon
2) Normal to average or combination skin~ lavender, rose petals, chamomile, tangerine, carrot, peppermint, banana, peach, zucchini
3) Normal to oily skin~ kelp, lemongrass, lemon peel, orange peel, cherry, strawberry, peach, apricot, tomato
4) Troubled skin in need of healing~comfrey root, calendula blossoms, lavender, chamomile, holy basil, red sandalwood, myrrh, neem

Other helpful additives:
Oatmeal (soothing, softening, moisturizing), Honey (antibacterial, humectant, hydrating), Rosehips (exfoliant), Apricot Kernal meal (exfoliant), Yoghurt powder (nutrients, moisturizing, smoothing), Buttermilk powder or Milk powder (nutrients, moisturizing, smoothing), Dead sea salts (minerals, exfoliant), Vinegar (pH balancing, antiseptic), coffee grounds (exfoliant) 

Wetting Agents:  As the facial powder will be dry, you will need to choose a ‘wetting agent’ according to the condition or needs of your skin. Of course, regular filtered or spring water can be used, but you could also choose your favorite (non-alchohol) astringent, natural cleanser, or heavy cream, milk, or yoghurt for more moisturizing effect. Botanical hydrosols, or distillates, are the water by-product of steam distillation, when the essential oil is extracted from a plant. Some distillers work specifically to produce incredibly good quality distillates that can also be used for aromatherapeutic use because the hydrosol retains many of the same beneficial properties as the essential oil or indeed, the plant itself. Hydrosols or pure aloe vera are my favorite choices for facial mask applications.

Aloe Vera gel is a fabulous wetting agent, but be sure to get the good stuff! You want the natural, liquid type of gel that is also drinkable (though not the kind sold as a kind of pop drink in Asian countries). Aloe is a bit ‘drying’ and also tonifying, so it’s great for oily skin, in addition to its well-known skin healing properties.

Rose Distillate or Hydrosol is another wonderful wetting agent that has age-old tonifying properties, also blessed with a heavenly fragrance. It is also said to reduce the appearance of capillaries, and thus can be fabulous for mature and/or damaged skin. Real Bulgarian rose hydrosol is a wonderful treat to the senses with tremendous benefit to the skin.

Lavender Distillate or Hydrosol seems to be helpful for rosaccea but is also effective for all other skin types. It’s tonifying strength makes it a good choice for oily skin. It smells nice but not the same as the essential oil, so be prepared for the difference! I use this in my Lavender facial cream to address the tonifying needs of normal to oily skin types, but because it also appears to help address the needs of those with rosacea, or an inflammed, reddish, sensitive skin.

Orange Blossom (Neroli) Distillate or Hydrosol is a lovely, fragrant and very safe hyrosol. Yes, it’s tonifying, but it is also appropriate for sensitive, dry skin, as well as children! You can use this very gentle hydrosol in myriad ways. I make my Orange Rosewood facial cream, and its mate, the Orange Blossom (unscented) cream with this hydrosol because of its therapeutic effect. The Orange Blossom cream is called thus because though it is unscented, it is still gifted with the lovely, light scent of the neroli flower.

Some other hydrosols: Lemon balm (uplifting, fragrant, tonifying), Rose Geranium (gently astringent, tonifying), Sandalwood (healing, balancing), Cucumber (soothing, cooling), Chamomile (soothing, sensitive, anti-inflammatory), Witch hazel (tonifying, astringent)

NOTE: For herbs, use powdered herbs or grind them into a fine powder by using a clean coffee or spice grinder. For fruit and/or vegetable additions, you can just squeeze out the juice and add the juice to the clay to wet it, and then mix in the pulp and apply directly to the face)

Directions:
Add 1 – 2 Tbsp. facial clay
Add 1 tsp powdered herb (or herb blend)
Add 1 tsp additonal additive, such as powdered oatmeal, milk, or honey
Add wetting agent a little at a time until the powder becomes a smooth paste. Don’t add too much!

Apply to clean face, avoiding the eyes, and leave application on until it dries and becomes tight, aiming for 15-30 minutes. Use a warm, wet washcloth to gently remove mask and behold the radient glow of your refreshened skin! You may indeed experience some redness for a little while after the application, so it’s best to do this at night, before bedtime. By morning, the redness should be gone.  Facial masks should be done up to once a week, but it’s good practice to do a mask at least once a month to refresh the skin and rid it of environmental pollutants and toxins, particularly if you live in an urban environment.

Home Spa: Beauty Blossom Facial Part III

Rose Water, or Hydrosol

Part III in the perfect home facial is quite simple, really, in that it requires only a gentle, natural toner to close pores, further tonify the skin, return facial tissue to it’s natural, slightly acidic pH, and leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvinated.

Happily, this final step is easy to achieve with the use of natural botanical hydrosols, which are the water by-product of steam distillation. When making a pure essential oil, the fragrant, therapeutic, volitile oil is separated from the flower pulp. The water by-product, while not containing the essential oil, will retain many helpful, therapeutic components. Some manufacturers of hydrosol actually pay more attention to achieving the perfect hydrosol than they do the essential oil. Hydrosols, the natural distillates, are different from some ‘floral waters’ that are made up of distilled water and synthetic fragrance, so take care to make sure you are obtaining a natural product.

I discussed several different hydrosols in Part II, so you can choose the hydrosol of choice based on those descriptions. I am going to give you a simple recipe, however, for a toner utilizing pure aloe vera, rose hydrosol, chamomile hydrosol, neroli hydrosol, and a touch of white vinegar to re-balance pH. Be aware that any of these ingredients, when used in isolation, provide a perfectly wonderful finishing touch to your facial. The aloe vera also adds some additional moisture that may mitigate the need to follow with a moisturizer. You might want to go without a final serum or cream unless your skin feels too ‘tight’, in which case a simple, non-clogging facial oil may be the best choice, as it is the most likely to be preservative – free and best on that freshly cleansed face.

Beauty Blossom Toner

1/3 cup aloe vera ‘juice’ (pure, natural aloe vera has a thin consistency, as it doesn’t contain synthetic gelling agents)
2/3 cup rose hydrosol (tonifying, regenerative, aromatic)
1/3 cup chamomile hydrosol (anti-inflammatory, calming)
1/3 cup neroli hydrosol (gentle, aromatic, tonifying)
1 Tbsp white distilled vinegar (pH balancing)

Directions: combine ingredients and package in a dark glass bottle. As this is an unpreserved, aqueous product, it is best to keep it refrigerated. You can apply the toner to a cotton cosmetic pad or cloth and apply to face and neck following removal of your facial mask. Alternatively, package in a glass bottle mister and mist onto face when desired. A lovely summer time refresher!

Some sources for these ingredients include Essential Wholesale, which pays a lot of attention to quality control and microbial checks, and Mountain Rose Herbs, which provides organic, incredibly beautiful quality products in their most natural state. From Nature with Love also provides natural hydrosols, but be sure you are buying the hydrosol and not the synthetic “floral waters”.

Body Butters ~ help me, readers!

Whipped Shea Body Butter

My Silk Kimono body butter is one of my favorite products, and certainly one of the favorites of my customers. Its silky smoothe texture glides onto the skin and soaks right in. The butter is made of whipped shea and coconut oils, with just a touch of vitamin E to protect the oils. I generally use only 100% natural, pure essential oils to scent my products and generally shy away from fragrance oils unless I am sure that they are pthalate free. I also feel that it’s better to use a product that has some aromatherpeutic value, a characteristic that is completely lacking in synthetic fragrances. We all know that there is just no comparison between natural essential oils such as lavender and their fragrance oil versions. 

So, here’s my dilemna. My customers and retailers are clammoring for new scents for this whipped shea body butter, currently only available in the signature Silk Kimono scent. What other scents would you like to see? I’d love to take a poll from my readers and get some feedback about the kinds of blends that would make you want to indulge in the wonders of whipped shea! What do you think?

Featured Seller for April – All Natural Baby & New Mama Care – Baby O’Really

When I became pregnant with my wee Maeve (now 2 1/2 yrs old), I was excited to research the natural, organic products available to support as sustainable and ‘green’ a pregancy, labor, and delivery as possible. The herbal support and natural baby care products were already at my fingertips, but baby slings, nursing pads, non-disposable baby wipes, and other cloth products were still yet to be discovered.

Baby O’Really contacted me a while ago about providing her with samples of my Mama’s Milk lactation tea and then later for samples of my lavender-scented Tender Baby Bum Balm to include with her orders of sweet felt baby hair clips and cloth nursing pads, available in a wide array of wonderful patterns.  I immediately wanted to trade for one of her hairclips, which are incredibly well made and just equsitely precious. I also thought it was absolutely wonderful that she would include samples from a variety of sellers with all of her sales. There is nothing more delightful than getting a free sample or two with a new order, and trial sizes often lead to full sizes when someone is given the opportunity to fall in love with a handmade product.

As an example of green living and sustainable products for pregnancy, baby, and postpartum/breastfeeding support, I am delighted to feature Baby O’Really for the month of April.  Baby O’Really’s proprietress, Amber, is a wealth of helpful information and green advice, and even writes about the downsides of using bamboo cloth in her Etsy shop profile. She’s full of innovation and has a great sense of style and craft, more of which you can discover at her blog.  Amber lives with her husband, 4 year old son, and 2 year old daughter in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon, and they are happily awaiting the birth of another daughter in August. Here’s the story of Baby O’Really, as told in Amber’s own words:

“I started making cloth nursing pads in March of 2007, my daughter was a few months old. I remember staring at the box of disposable pads, really not wanting to have to use another one ever again! The shifting in the bra, sticky plastic…. and all the waste! I had probably gone through 4 or 5 massive boxes already and my baby was only 3 months old. It isn’t much fun having to buy things you hate to use. I decided to try my hand at making my own, out of fabric I had at the house and I was so very glad I did! It was so soothing to use cloth instead of the scratchy paper and plastic pads. Even the little things can make a huge difference.

I had also found Etsy in March of 2007 quite by accident, while looking for a wool felt supplier. I began selling my little felt hairclips there and had success. I was hooked! After realizing what a demand there was for natural, reusable, products I listed my first set of nursing pads. I wasn’t sure if anyone would buy nursing pads with cute fabric print… plain white seemed to be the normal thing. But I liked them and they were easy to find in the wash! So I went with it. And I sold the first set the same day I listed them. And then another 20 sets in those last few days of June! I am so happy to be providing moms with something pretty and comfortable. Like I said, it’s the little things that make a difference. AFter almost 2 years, and over 1400 sets later, I can officially state that nursing pads are a major part of my life. My children refer to them as “mommy’s circles”, and my husband very patiently tolerates my sewing messes, and thinks the whole idea is pretty amusing. Felt hairclips will always have a soft spot in my heart, and I add them to my shop from time to time, but nursing pads have become my business! My only regret is not discovering the wonderful world of cloth pads while nursing my firstborn!”

Thank you, Amber! I am happy to have a source for those well-loved cloth nursing pads, the likes of which I, too, was happy to use while breastfeeding. No more yucky disposables necessary now that we’ve found the gem that is Baby O’Really!

If there are other eco-conscious sellers of babywear, baby support gear, such as slings, or pregnancy & postpartum products you’d like to share with me and your fellow readers, please do comment below!

Etsy Item of the Day features Morrocan Rhassoul Facial Mask!

I’m excited that Etsy Item of the Day, a great little blog devoted to highlighting all kinds of wonderful finds from Etsy has featured a second item from Lilith’s Apothecary: one of my favorite products, a fab facial mask suitable for all facial types. The Morrocan Rhassoul facial mask is made up of spa quality Moroccan rhassoul red clay, finely powdered dead sea salts, honey, oatstarch, and powdered myrrh and a few wee drops of precious myrrh essential oil for a balancing mask that provides mineral-rich nutrients, hydration, even skin tone and may improve complexion as much as 75% after the first application! Now you know why spas everywhere are relying on rhassoul clay for great results. Happily, though, you don’t have to spend a fortune on a great facial.

Guest Blogger for Herb Companion: yours truly

I have  really enjoyed reading the herby magazine Herb Companion in recent years and have had fun discovering new recipes, herbal histories, and lots of fun information and resources. It’s great to have the feeling of an herbal community through periodicals, blogs, and web-based information on top of all that book learnin’. Recently, I decided to begin guest blogging for Herb Companion and it’s a lot of fun, as you all know how much I love to share information about herbs, nutrition, and natural body care! Be sure to check out my latest post on wild crafting healing herbs to make your own infused oils and medicinal salves.

Support Local! Trenton Ave Arts Fest (Phila)

I’m still riding on the high from the fabulous Fishtown Shad Fest this past weekend. Awesome weather, great bands, wonderful location in the historic Penn Treaty Park.
Next Up: The Trenton Ave Arts Fest on May 16th!
This street fair is a fabulous event with great local bands, food vendors, and artists and artisans galore, including Lilith’s Apothecary.

Come out to support local vendors, including members of the Handmade Philly team.

Nervous about Swine Flu? Look to Herbal Medicine for Immune Boosting

I’m going to reveal something you might not know about me – as a medical anthropologist (my professional training, aside from herbal studies),- it is tough to find a job that is ’specific’ to my anthropological studies (as any anthropologists reading this will attest to!). One place where medical anthropologists fit in fairly neatly is in the public health field, particularly anthropologists who are more on-the-ground oriented. I work in a Center for Preparedness Research Education and Practice as my ‘regular’ 40 hour work week job, and part of what I do involves providing support to non-profit service providers of vulnerable populations in the area of emergency preparedness planning and training. I’ve been involved in numerous discussions, planning efforts, and even some research around pandemic influenza planning, and so am well tuned-in to the events of recent days.

There have been numerous reports to date that demonstrate the many ways that Tamiflu and other pharmaceutical antirvirals do not really work in preventing viruses. But for centuries, alternative medical systems have practiced preventative medicine by 1) building the immune system, and 2) using anti-viral and anti-biotic herbs. Herbs contain chemicals with different ‘actions’ on the body, and many of these chemical compounds are extracted or copied in order to produce the pharmaceuticals. The downside of these pharma drugs is that the side effects are often bad and the toll on the body can be hard, particularly for the liver.

Fears about swine flu abound, and with the alert level raised to ‘5′ today, its no wonder that the public is getting a bit anxious. In the preparedness field, we have learned one thing (at least), and that is to give people something that is in their control to do in the given situation. Does that make sense? In other words, if you can be proactive in taking care of at least one or two elements in your situation, you will feel empowered and are less likely to be fearful or panicked.

Approaches to viral and retroviral medicine have shifted over time to favor immune-building approaches to treatment rather than relying solely on antiviral drugs. The reason? The huge rate of mutation and eventual resistance to these drugs (if not immediate resistance). Boost your body’s immune strength and concurrently treat it with antivirals once a pathogen strikes.

So what herbs can we use? Lots. Master herbalist, Michael Tierra of the East West School of Planetary Herbalism, writes about the antibiotic and antiviral powers of pure oregano oil in his blog post about MRSA, and much of this is just as applicable to treating cold & flus. In some earlier posts, I also outlined some Herbal Remedies for Colds and Flus, Part I and Part II, both of which included immune-boosting herbs like Astragalus and anti-viral herbs and foods such as onions, garlic, thyme, etc.

I can’t leave out the power of Adapotens to boost the body’s ability to ward off infection and just generally cope with stress, reduce fatigue, and help us ‘adapt’ better to the stressors of our lifestyles. Adaptogens include well known ayurvedic tonics, Ashwaghanda and Shatavari, and Asian tonics such as Red Ginseng, Korean Ginseng, Eleuthro Root (Siberian Ginseng), and Rhodiola Root. These should be taken regularly and constently, along with Astragalus, for a strong immune-boosting tonic.

I have recently posted some immune-boosting capsules and herbal syrup on my etsy site and would welcome your comments and feedback both on etsy and here. What herbal anti-virals have worked well for you? I’ve heard about the use of colloildal silver for the treatment of flu, for instance, but have no experience with this treatment. Let me know your thoughts by commenting on this post! This won’t be the last of its kind.

Herbally Infused Liquors for a Delightful Summer Treat

I’m a lucky gal – in my ‘real job’, I am about to take on a new research assistant, and lo and behold, she’s a top class bartender by night! We got to discussing the special world of mixology and she mentioned a local bar known for their use of herbal tinctures and infusions in fine vodkas and other drinkable liquors. What a great idea! I did make a wee visit to said establishment and had to chuckle when I saw a mention of an herbal ‘liniment’ on their drink list (a liniment is used topically for various conditions, rather than internally as a medicinal extract). That said, my local mixologists are not the only herbal cocktails gaining attention. Savvy bartenders nationwide are experimenting in the herb garden for new, unusual, and often delightful new cocktails.

Happily, we don’t have to depend on fancy bars for fun herbally-infused beverages. We can all have herbal mixology fun in our own kitchens. Much like making a simple herbal vinegar, herbally-infused alcohol is a simple process.

Step 1: Choose your beverage and the desired herbs. Vodka is a good choice because it has clean, smooth finish that allows the herb to shine through. Gin provides an interesting dimension, and brandy, the choice of many herbalists, is an often-used vehicle for medicinal herbs. Aromatic, flavorful herbs are the best to begin your experiments: ginger root, dill, basil, cardamom, lavender, rosemary, bay leaf, and elderberries would all be fun choices. Use only one herb per infusion so that you don’t muddle the flavor and so you are able to experiment with each new flavor independently.

Step 2: Wash your herbs and pat dry to remove excess water. Roughly chop the herbs and place in clean, glass container. Pour alcohol over herbs and allow to steep in a cool, dark place for 1-4 weeks. Strain the herbs out and replace with a fresh sprig for a nice visual effect, especially if giving as a gift. A container with a rubber, sealed top is a great choice for storing your new herbal extract.

Step 3: Experiment away! Try adding the froth of whipped egg white, a hint of berry or ginger juice for an extra splash of flavor and color, or a touch of citrus for a lovely fresh finish. There are plenty of drink recipes out there in culinary land to get your started. Just be sure that in whatever herbal coctail you concoct, you allow the qualities of your chosen herbs to shine through and make themselves (and all their loveliness) known!

A Crowd Ready to Rally: Crafters in Lean Economic Times

There’s no question that the impact of the ecomomy has affected all of us, not least crafters who depend on a loyal customer base, local craft events, and on-line venues such as Etsy and Artfire to sell our products. After hearing about a local Doylestown bath & body business closing its doors, I wanted to explore the impact the economy is having on businesses like my own.  I wanted to share with my readers, especially all of you working on a business that is based on your own handmade items, my recent blog post with just that subject.

Please do check out my latest blog post for Tara Gentile at the amazing blog, Handmade in PA. Tara works night and day to bring the stories, products, and promotion of Pennsylvania crafters to the fore. She’s been such an awesome support and I’ve been having great fun writing for her blog.

Limited Edition Art Print – Puddle Jumper by Robert David Bretz (Girard, PA)

Springtime…ahhhh

Living a more ‘green’ existance? My top five favorite strategies

Wonder Cabinet’s Globigerina

Wonder Cabinet

It seems that living a ‘greener’ life can actually be a very subjective process, as individuals make specific choices for lifestyle habits, eco-passions, or environmental issues that he or she considers most pressing. I realize that my choices are just as biased to my own subjective views and particular soapboxes, or so-called ‘green’ priorities.

1. Support local.
There are myriad benefits to supporting local movements and businesses. For one, you are investing in your own local economy, which adds to revitalization of the area in which you live, builds community, and provides numerous long-term perks. Second, you are decreasing the use of energy to transport items long distances. Third, you are making choices to support items p1oduced by individuals who earn a living wage for what they do. And fourth, you are considering your choices more carefully, whether that be a hand screen-printed organic cotton t-shirt, or local produce. I am lucky to have Greensgrow Farms  right here in my neighborhood in Philadelphia, and Greensgrow is a stellar example of an amazing local endeavor gone right.  The farm was actually built on a superfund site, using hydroponic agriculture and raised beds, and it is thriving as it directly supports, and is supported by, its local community, with a spring nursery, a CSA program, a regular farm stand full of all kinds of local produce, mik, dairy, eggs, meats, and hand-crafted goodies like arugula pesto and the most amazing smokey eggplant dip imagineable.

2. Cloth Diapering.
I know that there have been studies ‘demonstrating’ that the use of energy and water to wash cloth diapers negates its environmental benefit. But I’m sorry. There are plenty of studies that show that water use is wholly dependent on where you live (and I live in the most flood-prone state in the union) and in my opinion, untreated human waste, wrapped in plastic, sitting in a landfill for the next thousand years (trash in landfills don’t really decompose very quickly, to say the least) is simply not the same as using a bit more water and energy. It’s not equal! Check out an earlier post about greener breastfeeding support.

3.  Kitchen Gardens
I live in the middle of a working class, urban neighborhood in Philadelphia, I have a fantastic organic farm minutes away from me (right in the middle of the city), as described above, but I have no community garden in site. Community gardens are a fantastic investment of time and energy, and if I didn’t have so much on my plate, I might try to mobilize the formation of on. However, despite my absence of actual ‘land’ (we have what they call a “pavement” around here), I manage to grow quite a bit through the use of pots, trellises, and window boxes. Nearly everything in my garden is either a food or an herb, so that I can maximize the space rather than growing annuals that might not help feed the family. I just wish I could do more! Though I am an herbalist, that doesn’t mean I’m a gardener, and I am definitely learning more with every growing season, especially with a handy subscription to Organic Gardening. Someday I’ll have a ‘real’ plant-things-in-the-ground garden.

4. Keep your own Chickens
I had to put this in here because I think this is a brilliant move; many individuals are engaging in raising their own chickens, which is awesome! Fresh, organic eggs in your own yard; lovely fat chickens when needed; and certainly, a smaller population of pests such as ticks, a favored snacks of our poultry friends.  This is a fantasy for me at the moment, but again, someday when I have my own yard, perhaps!

Pigeons in the Attic's Toppled Mushrooms

 Pigeons in the Attic

5.  Composting, urban or rural
There is just no excuse for not composting this day and age, no matter where you live. I am a hypocrite here, because I have really wanted to figure out a good system for urban composting that is going to work for me and my family with extremely limited space. However, I have heard that many Montrealers have this down, and I have no doubt that there are resources out there for figuring out a good system. There is simply no excuse for throwing away kitchen scraps, tea and coffee waste, and especially herbal matter when one could be turning it all into garden GOLD!

Extra!  Recycle, upcycle, downcycle, whatever
I love the many artisans out there who upcycle sweaters, vintage clothing, leather, plastic–you name it–in order to create incredibly useful, beautiful hand-crafted pieces. I’ve purchased leg warmers upcycled from cashmere sleeves, notebook cases from recycled herringbone fabric, and other items with this focus on re-purposing goods that would otherwise go to waste, languish in thrift stores, or end up in the trash. I was walking outside one night and it happened to be ‘trash night’, when I happened across a pile of so-called trash left out for the trucks. Full art boxes filled with sponge stamps, paints, brushes, markers, and other crafty items intended for children! I was shocked that anyone would throw this out rather than even trying to take it to the thrift store, but Americans are notoriously wasteful. We would do better to learn from our European cousins or even our Canadian sisters and brothers to the North: even the plastic wrapper from a tea bag can be recycled. Do it! (and pay no mind to this hilarious blog post that pokes a little fun at those who prefer to recycle.) Just as an FYI: there’s a new on-line venue, Cosa Verde, that tries to bring together many of these artisans with ‘green’ practices.

Girlscantell crafted moleskin

Girls Can Tell

So tell me, what are your favored strategies for Greener Living? Comment below so that I and my readers can benefit from all that creativity and originality out there!

Herbal cocktails: another twist.

In a recent post, I gave lots of instruction about creating your own herbal liquors using a base of vodka or gin and infusing with herbs to provide added flavor, herbiness, and even a bit of benefit.

Some bartenders may use a splash of the above alcohol infusions to impart a strong flavor or the highlighted herb, such as in chef David Burns’ (of Le Meridien Hotel, Chicago) “Herbtini” made from vodka infused with sage, rosemary, and thyme.

However, for a different twist, try another method: muddling herbs at the base of a shaker, along with the alcohols, and simply strain and serve, adding whatever other ingredients may be desired. This is a faster process that may not have quite as strong an infusion, but also provides an herby freshness full of complex flavor and interest.

Here are some fun recipes I came across a few years ago:

Citrus Lavender Martini
1 wedge fresh orange
2 fresh lavender leaves, or 5 – 6 pieces dried lavender
1 1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz cointreau
1/2 oz sweet & sour mix
1 Tbsp honey

Muddle together the orange wedge and lavender at the base of the shaker. Add vodka, Cointreau and sweet & sour mix over ice in a shaker. Skake very well. Rim martini glass with honey and dip rim in sugar. Pour in the mixture and enjoy.

Rasperry Lavender Margarita
1 1/2 oz silver tequila (such as Patron)
1/2 oz Cointreau
1 1/2 oz raspberry puree
1/2 oz margarita mix
2 fresh raspberries
1 dried lavender stem

Mix together tequila, Cointreau, raspberry puree, and margarita mix over ice in a shaker. Shake well. Salt the rim of a chilled martini glass. Strain ingredients into the glass. Garnish with raspberries skewered onto a dried lavender stem.

Can you tell I love lavender? I promise, I’ll give you more recipes, but tell me what you’d be interested in! Chocolately tastes, more citrus, or more unusual cocktail combinations using strongly tinctured herbs like elderberry, ginger, or even ginseng. I want to hear from you, readers!

Rose Infused Vodka: Now what would you like to try?

I’ve been having fun lately infusing fresh herbs into various liquors, though I tend to lean towards the fresh, neutral taste of vodka, which takes on the aromatic qualities of various herbs just beautifully.

This photo depicts vodka infused with organic rose petals. I think I’ll take this with me to Montreal this week for a little bit of cocktail experimenting. Maybe a bit of egg white, muddled lavender, and a hint of citrus (lemon? orange?).

In light of recent posts about Herbal Cocktails and how to infuse your own liquors, what infusions would you like to try or what results have you found?

Here are some other ideas.

1. Plum & rose petal in white wine or vodka
2. Fresh lemongrass & ginger root in Sake
3. Chamomile & Lemon Balm in Gin, Vodka, or unoaked Brandy
4. Lemon Verbena in Vodka or Gin
5. Lavender (a pinch) in Vodka, Gin, or unoaked Brandy
6. Try lavender w/ Lime or Orange
7. Peach & Lemon Balm in Vodka

Keep in mind that if you include fresh fruit like raspberry, cherries, peach, apricot, or plums, the infused liquor may not keep as long, and you might want to keep the (strained) liquor in the fridge for a longer shelf life. Try adding a splash of flavored liquors such as orange liqueur (Cointreau) or raspberry flavored liqueur (Chambord) for additional flavor and complexity. Now you just have to let me know how your experiments turn out!

P.S. here’s a fun post about various liquors by the Cordoroy Ninja

Want to know more about Natural Insect Repellents?

Happily, there are lots of natural repellents in the form of essential, or volitile, oils derived from many aromatic botanicals. Essential oils are used in very small amounts when mixed with neutral carrier oils such as sweet almond or grapeseed oils. Other repellent oils, such as Neem and Karanja, are cold pressed oils that can be used directly as insecticides and/or repellents when mixed in a formula, such as a lotion or salve.

Essential oils such as lemon eucalyptus, eucalyptus globulus, lemongrass, lavender, pennyroyal (do NOT use if pregnant), citronella, mints, thyme, sage, and rosemary are all useful repellents, and these can be used in dried herb sachets tied to ankles and wrists (perhaps spiked with a few essential oils).  My prefernce, however, is to use the pure and very potent essential oils (try just a few drops at a time) in water-based spray solutions, oils, and/or balms. Such preparations utilizing repellent essential oils need to be re-applied more frequently than chemical deterants (such as Deet), but I would much rather surround myself with a cloud of essential oil-scented solution every hour or two than apply a chemical that poses health risks, especially when it comes to children. (It’s pretty incredible to me, actually, that something with potentially harmful neurological effects would appear in bug sprays made specifically for children!) For infants, try to stick to a solution with extra gentle essential oils such as lavender, perhaps with a tiny bit of spearmint or rosemary.

Try the recipe below for your own insect repellent oil spray. This will last for a long time, as water based formulas are always more susceptible to problems than oils. Vitamin E and Rosemary Oil extract are anti-oxidants that help protect the oil against rancidity.

DIY (oil based) Insect Repellent Spray
1. measure 30 drops of any of the above e.o.s
2. add to 2 oz. carrier oil, such as olive, grapeseed, or sweet almond
3. add a few drops Rosemary Oil Extract or vit E (optional)
4. Store in 2 oz. spritzer bottle

Neem (Azadirachta indica) is an Ayurvedic herb well known for its insecticidal effects, mostly by targeting the reproductive system of pesky wee critters. Unlike the volitile essential oils used in the herbs above, neem oil is a coldpressed oil derived from the pressed kernals of the neem fruit. Snowdrift farm features insecticidal recipes for a salve, lotion, and massage oil using Neem & Karanja oils for treating mange and mites in pets.

There’s a fascinating folk remedy called “vinegar of the four thieves” that I’ve recently come across. It is tied to a story about perfumers during the Black Plague who utilzed the antiseptic properties of several herbs to create a protective infused vinegar. Using wormwood, lavender, rosemary, mint, and sage, one can create an infusion that can then be sprayed on cutting boards, diaper pails, or anywhere else that some anti-septic, and insect repellent action is necessary. It can also be applied to clothing and exposed skin, it is supposed to be effective against chiggers, ticks, and fleas.

DIY Infused Vinegar:
1. Measure 1 oz of dried herbs, including lavender, wormwood (or rue), sage, rosemary, and mint
2. Put herbs in a mason jar and cover with cider vinegar
3. Steep 1-6 weeks in a cool, dark place
4. Strain into a spritzer bottle and use liberally wherever an anti-septic or insect repellent is needed.
(This will keep indefinately, as vinegar is a natural preservative)

Herbs of wormwood and garlic also have insecticidal properties, and these herbs can be used even as protection for house or garden plants. The spray below is easy to make and the materials are cheap, though I’ve never tried it. You can try subsituting beeswax for the paraffin and see how that works (and let me know how it goes!).

DIY Houseplant insecticide using Garlic:
1. chop 90g raw garlic
2. soak in 2 Tbsp paraffin oil for 24 hrs
3. slowly add 600ml water with 7g soap dissolved in it.
4. Stir well and strain through cheesecloth or muslin.
5. Store it in a glass container (do not use a metal).

Have some home remedies or recipes? Let me know about them so I can share them with my readers!

FYI: My own Lilith’s Apothecary “Shoo Bug!” Insect Repellent and cooling peppermint Bug Bite Soother can be found in my etsy shop!

What to do with fresh, local summer fruit?

Oh, have I mentioned how much I adore the summer months? We’ve been lucky this year (here in the Philadelphia area) with lots of plant-loving rain and cooler-than-usual summer days. I have been thinking that we’ve had an especially long spring, but here it is, nearly mid-July. In any case, here in Philly, there have also been more and more local farmers markets creeping up. Thanks to the Food Trust, one just opened on Temple University’s campus, where I work my day job in the department of Public Health.  Amish farmers come in from Lancaster every Thursday to bring a lovely array of local produce, including all the seasonal berries and fruits.

This week I purchased some lovely looking apricots, a fruit my daughter Maeve has only seen in dried form. She’s a terribly picky eater, as many toddlers are, and so I thought that perhaps making a fruit “Fool” with whipped cream would do the trick, as she’s already sold on whipped cream. All I did was cut up a few apricots, cook them down a bit with some water, drizzle some honey over the cooked apricots, and then fold them into freshly whipped cream.

Happily, my sneaky plan worked! She tried the new fruit in freshly-sliced form, as these beauties really are too hard to resist, and then enjoyed a cooked fruit version when folded into freshly whipped cream and drizzled with honey for a delightful summer confection.

Try  William Sonoma’s Raspberry-Rhubarb Fool recipe for another take. Martha Stewart, whose recipes are pretty fool-proof, I must admit, has a blackberry fool recipe, among others, on her recipe-finder.

Lilith Restructuring: Do I get a bail out?

This is an important post because first and foremost, Lilith’s Apothecary is here to serve my customers. For those of you who are loyal to my products, contact me for custom products, facial consultations, herbal tea and tincture blends, and just rely on natural body and facial care, I am here for you! The upside of this business is that it is growing and growing! In fact, I can’t possibly keep up with the growth curve, though I wish I could. It’s unfortunate that I am not in the financial position to quit my 40 hr a week ‘day job’ and that, combined with parenting a toddler and trying to be a good partner to my archaeologist husband, makes it almost impossible to keep up with the diversity of offerings, increasing numbers of wholesale requests, and local retail opportunities here in Philadelphia.

I love what I do with Lilith’s Apothecary and I am not willing to let the business diminish, but I am going to need to ‘restructure’ a bit to ensure that I can keep up. All these 3 am work nights are just not sustainable! Though there’s no financial bail out for me (sadly), despite my passion and love for what I do, I still need to find ways to refine my product offerings, perhaps limiting some lines that are currently available.

So the very important request for YOU, my fans, is to comment below on what you personally can’t live without or had hoped to try in the future. What are the vital Lilith products that stand out? Not only will this feedback help me hear the voice of my customers, but it will ensure that I don’t cut out a product that you personally love. I don’t want to let anyone down as a restructure the Apothecary.

Educational Partnership: Lilith & Blossoming Bellies

Post-Partum herbal sitz bath

First of all, dear readers, I must thank you for your generous response to my “restructuring” post and for all of your wonderful support for your favorite products!

One of the reason for making more room in the Lilith landscape is so that I can move forward with my herbal study, a path that has been certainly aided but also hindered by an ever-expanding herbal bath & body business. I spend so much time processing orders and preparing products that I can’t properly focus on my true love: herbal medicine.

Earlier this year, I decided that I wanted to reach out to some local services supporting natural childbirth and mothering–to let them know that Lilith’s Apothecary products for pregnancy, post-partum, and new baby exist, but also just to perhaps engage more with a community of services very much in line with my own interests in herbal medicine. I was incredibly fortunate to have made contact with an amazing woman, Brittany Sharpe McCollum CCE(BWI), CD(DONA), the trained and experienced doula behind Blossoming Bellies birth services.

Far beyond a mere introductory exchange, Brittany and I enjoyed an enthusiastic conversation that progressed into plans to create curricula around the use of herbs during pregnancy, labor, delivery, post-partum, and childcare, with intended audiences of doulas, midwives, and possibly new women. Just in the same way that Brittany advocates the empowering of women to take control of their own bodies in the natural birthing process, I am an advocate of empowering women to use herbal allies at these critical times. Along similar lines, I believe, the hegemonic medical ‘establishment’ has created fear about and certainly a medicalization of birth that takes women away from the control of this very natural process, and certainly has created fear around the use of even the safest of herbs during pregnancy and childbirth. It is important that, through education, we advocate the use of safe, empowering, and natural approaches toward natural pregnancy, child birth, and mothering. In this, Brittany and I are brilliantly in alignment.

As for Brittany and Blossoming Bellies, her story is a wonderful one. After the birth of her son in 2006, Brittany discovered a passion for women’s health, informed decision making through the process of labor and birth, and the need for support in the postpartum period. Moving away from her roots in journalism and creative writing, Brittany began devoting much of her energy to the study of natural pregnancy and childbirth. Her fascination with the body’s amazing abilities and her desire to aid women in rediscovering these abilities inspired her to enter the world of the birth professional.

Brittany completed childbirth educator certification with Birth Works International and completed birth doula certification with DONA. She now teaches several different formats of the Birth Works childbirth education preparation class series and supports women and their partners in labor through emotional, physical, and informational support. Brittany is also trained by Birth Arts International, a program based on the midwifery model of care, which includes basic information about the ancient wisdom of herbs. As a breastfeeding advocate, she has also completed breastfeeding counselor certification with Nursing Mothers Alliance. Her services also include postpartum doula support, in which she fills the traditional role of assisting the new mother transition into parenthood through breastfeeding support, discussion of infant care, and help with household necessities such as laundry and pet care.

Through regular attendance at workshops and conferences and through hands-on support, Brittany continues to embrace her passion for informed decision making and the power of the female body in birth. In supporting families through pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, Brittany helps ease the transition into parenting and build confidence in childrearing in both the mother and her partner. Information about all of the services Brittany offers can be found on her website at www.blossomingbelliesbirth.com. Her services and workshops are supportive of the Philadelphia region, but if you are trying to find a doula in another region of the country, Brittany would no doubt be of assistance in directing you to a good resource.

Natural Remedies Tip #1: Heal Skin Rash with Clay

Welcome to my new series of weekly tips introducing some easy, home-made, DIY tips for handy remedies using natural, inexpensive, readily available ingredients. These might include remedies for your body, pets, home, natural environment, cooking, or garden. Thank you for visiting to read my first tip. For these posts, I also welcome you to ask me random questions that could be addressed in future tip posts, so please do comment!

Green Clay: Mountain Rose Herbs

Clay! Waaaaay more useful than you might think. Yes, you can make pots with it, but it also helps clear up skin conditions such as rashes, even those caused by bacteria, including MRSA. French green clay is a cosmetic clay that is especially good for bacterial infections, including Methicillin-Resistant Staph. Aureus (MRSA) and is also useful for killing salmonella and E.colli when used internally.

If you have a skin rash caused by a poisonous plant and/or insect bite that is red and inflammed, apply a poultice of cosmetic clay (including bentonite, french green, dead sea, fuller’s earth, kaolin, and other cosmetic clays, though the first two listed are probably the best choices), aloe vera gel, and peppermint essential oil. The clay is drying and draws out toxins, aloe vera promotes healing, and peppermint oil is cooling and temporarily relieves itching. Add a few drops of lavender for added anelgesic (pain-relieving) strength.

Directions:
2 Tbsp cosmetic clay
Aloe Vera Gel
2 drops peppermint essential oil
2 drops lavender essential oil.

Mix the clay with just enough aloe vera to make a paste. Add the essential oils, spread the paste on the rash, and let it dry (15-30 min). Reapply the poultice mixture as often as you wish until symptoms subside!

My favorite source for French Green Clay is Mountain Rose Herbs, and thank you MRH for the photo above!

What’s all the fuss about Seaweeds?

Thalassotherapy, from the Greek word “thalassa”, meaning “sea”,  involves the medical use of beneficial aspects of the marine biosystem, including seaweeds, mud, sand, and sea water.  Long used by Mediterranean peoples, thalassotherapy has been enjoying more global attention in recent years, and indeed, seaweed wraps, dead sea clay masks and scrubs, and sea mineral soaks have been popping up in spas everywhere. Many Americans are a little more leary of actually eating seaweed, though its nutritional benefits are tremendous. It’s well worth acclimating oneself to the taste and texture of seaweed, which is actually quite subtle and lovely, especially when made in ways traditional to Mediterranean or Asian cultures who have long experimented with in local cusine.

Nutritionally, seaweeds are an exceptional source of bioavailable, essential minerals necessary for proper functioning and optimum health. It is well understood that the peoples who consume high rates of seaweeds, such as the Japanese, have high amounts of seaweed in their diet. Indeed, I have heard more than once that Japan’s great health secret is not soy, increasingly found as a controversial food that actually blocks the update of vital minerals, but rather, seaweeds. Gail Faith Edwards, in her lovely Herb Quarterly article, “Seaweed:  Herb of the Ocean,” writes that Kelp (brown algae; Luminariales family) contains the broadest range of minerals of any food: “the same minerals found in the ocean and in human blood, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron.” (Edwards, 2007:29)  Luminaria longicruris is one variety of kelp to be found on the NE coast; it has lovely long golden fronds and exceedingly high levels of these minerals, as well as being an unparalleled source of other essential trace nutrients, including iodine. Kelp apparently has a normalizing effect on the thyroid and parathyroid, which help the body absorb all of these minerals, and this leads to a reduction in the risk of hypertension and high blood pressure (Edwards, 2007:29). Other research suggests that kelp destroys cancer cells and stimulates immune function, as well as an intriguing finding that kelp even has the ability to bind with radioactive isotypes in the body, alllowing them to be safely excreted. This leads one to believe that consuming kelp during radiation treatment may protect you from some of the nasty side effects many fighting cancer endure. Indeed, herbalist Susun Weed writes about kelp’s protective, anti-cancer, anti-radiation, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-toxic, anti-rheumatic, antibiotic, antibacterial, and alterative properties in her well-known book, Healing Wise (Weed, 1989:222).

Dulse (Palmaria palmate) is a deep, red algae with a very high protein content of more than 22% of the daily recommended allowance. Dulse is a better source of protein than chick peas (gram), almonds, or whole sesame seeds, and is also high in iron, potassium, fiber, and vitamins B6 & B12. I often use dulse flakes sprinkled liberally over my rice, vegetable stir fries, or other savory dishes. You don’t need to use much to gain tremendous nutritional benefit. You can rinse it a bit to tenderize it before adding it to salads and other foods where the steam of cooking won’t soften it a bit. But otherwise, no cooking necessary for this useful supplement. It is interesting to note that adding seaweed to cooking beans actually helsp tenderize the beans, shortening cooking time and aiding in their digestion.

Worried about the salts in seaweed? Unlike sodium chloride (table salt), which is made up of sugar, aluminum salts, and several other agents along with sodium chloride and may cause cardiac stress, sodium itself is not to blame for high blood pressure. The naturally-occurring sodium in seaweeds relieves tension in blood vessels. Real, evaporated sea salt is pinkish in color, so be sure you know what you are using! (Weed 1989:225).  Seaweed is a heart-healthy food that can help correct cardiac problems (Kosuge, et al 1983: 683-685).

Finally, seaweed appears to be a wonderful endocrine regulator, providing optimum nourishment for hormonal, lymphatic, urinary, and nervous systems.  In other words, you can’t go wrong by incorporating this superfood into your diet. For daily supplemental use of seaweed, try a teaspoonful (5 g) of seaweed daily, combined with other nourishing herbal infusions as needed. This is a wonderful adjunct therapy for addressing problems with thyroid malfunction, goiter, impotence, infertility, obesity, anorexia, prostate enlargement, lack of ovulation, menopausal distress, allergic reactions, and hives.

Dead Sea clay facial mask

Japanese beauty customs have long incorporated seaweed into rituals. The electorlytic magnetic action of seaweed is said to release excess body fluid from congested cells and disolves fatty waste, replacing it with depleted minerals. A regular seaweed bath may even help insure more well-balanced hormones, due to high levels of vitamin K, which helps regulate adrenal function. You can easily make your own bath tea using mineral rich dead sea salts and dried seaweed (see recipe below).  Create a seaweed infusion for your hair to help remove dirt and excess oil, while nourishing hair with necessary nutrients for beautiful locks. Just add 2 -3 Tbsp of seaweed to hot water and infuse for 30 minutes before using as a hair rinse at the end of a shower or bath. I  also love using dead sea clay along with seaweeds (kelp, Irish moss, and dulse)  and medicinal mushrooms in a balancing, deep cleansing, and mineral rich facial mask, such as my dead sea clay facial mask, pictured above.

RECIPES:

 

(Sunomono) Wakame & Cucumber Salad:

1 small cucumber

1/2 tsp salt

(.5 oz) 1 cup wakame seaweed (softened in cool water for 10-15 min & sliced)

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 lb. small cooked shrimp (optional)

toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

Cut softened wakame seaweed into about 2inch-long pieces. Slice cucumber into very thin rounds. Put salt over cucumber slices and set aside for 20 minutes. Squeeze cucumber slices to remove the liquid. Mix vinegar, tamari, & sesame oil in a bowl. Add wakame seaweed and cucumber slices in the bowl and mix well. Add optional cooked shrimp if desired.

 

Thalassotherapy Seaweed Bath Soak:

1 cup (.5 oz) dried seaweed (wakame, kelp, etc)

1 cup dead sea salts or other mineral -rich bath salt

2 Tbsp dead sea clay or other cosmetic clay

1 large muslin bag or cheesecloth

Preparation: 

Blend the above ingredients (dry) and use it to fill a large muslin bag or fold into a square of cheesecloth and tie. Of course, you don’t have to enclose the ingredients if you don’t mind the loose blend in the tub! Fill a bath tub with warm water (not scalding) and add the seaweed bundle. Allow the seaweed & salts to infuse into the bath water and soak in the tub for thirty minutes or so.

References:
Edwards, Gail Faith (2007) “Seaweed: Herb of the Ocean,” The Herb Quarterly. Fall 2007: 28-31.
Kosuge, T, H. Nukaya, T. Yamamoto, & K. Tsuji (1983). “isolation and Further Identification of Cardiac principles from laminaria,” Yakugaku Zasshi, 103(6), 683-685.
Madlener, Judith C. The Sea Vegetable Book. 1977. Potter Pub. (nearly 200 recipes! Look in Used Book sites)
Weed, Susun (1989). Healing Wise. Ash Tree Publishing: NY.

Sources of locally-sourced US seaweed:
Maine Coast Seaweed
Pacific Botanicals
Mendocino Sea Vegetable Company (including Sea Vegetable Gourmet cookbook)

Sea Mineral Toner on www.lilithsapothecary.etsy.com

Natural Skincare 101 ~ nourishing from within

Skin Care 101 @ Herb Companion

Achieving naturally glowing skin starts with nourishing the body from within. Check out my latest post for the fabulous periodical & blog, Herb Companion. In this post, I outline just how the skin ‘operates’ and what it needs in order for you to achieve a lovely healthy tone & tenacity. I also provide recipes for a Skin Food Smoothie & an herbal infusion that will greatly aid your skin by providing you with the bioavailable vitamins and minerals that you need most.

This is the first in a series of posts for Herb Companion that will address natural skin care as well as treating troubled skin issues such as eczema and acne. Fortunately, we have many wonderful herbs and other helpful ingredients in our arsenal!

Do visit Herb Companion’s site and leave me a comment! I’d love to hear from my readers.

Natural Remedies Tip #2: Honey mask for oily, blemished skin

Raw, unprocessed honey is ideal for treating oily, blemished skin. Even better, an herbal-infused honey can add more ‘punch’ to the already wonderful qualities of raw honey. Generally speaking, honey’s antibacterial properties, combined with being a wonderful humectant, serves to moisturize the skin without clogging pores or contributing to excess oil production. A ‘humectant’ attracts moisture, actually drawing water right out of the air, and thus, honey has fabulous hydrating abilities.  Jeanne Rose, the famous essential oil distiller and aromatherapist, recommends a “honey pat” or a facial mask (best done in the bath tub!), wherein raw honey is applied to the face and then tap-tap-tapped with the fingers until it becomes tacky (‘type your face like a keyboard’). When you remove the mask with warm water, best done with a warm washcloth, you will find your skin to be supple and soft. Adding cosmetic clay to the mask provides more drawing & detoxifying properties, thus increasing the cleansing potential of the mask.

Honey & Clay Mask

2 Tbsp raw, unprocessed honey or an herb-infused honey (with antiseptic herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage)
1 tsp cosmetic clay (French Green, Bentonite, Fuller’s Earth, Rhassoul, or Dead Sea)
2 drops lavender essential oil (soothes inflammation, antiseptic, healing

Bonus: If you have it, try adding a tsp of seaweed (powdered or ground in a coffee grinder) to benefit from seaweed’s balancing, mineral rich properties too!

Herbal Remedies Tip #6 – Herbal Mouthwash for Healthy Gums

I’m kind of on a roll here with natural mouth care, so why stop now? Personally, I prefer not to use alcohol-based mouth washes that permeate the market and either make my own, or use ‘more natural’ mouthwashes such as those made by Tom’s of Maine. Happily however, recipes abound for making your own mouthwashes. You can use witch hazel in mouth wash blends too, but try to obtain the natural witch hazel distillate rather than commercial witch hazel made with ethyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol).

In the recipe below, peppermint and anise seed freshen breath.  Myrrh tincture/extract helps strengthen the gums, and is also antiseptic and also mildly preservative.  The tincture/extract may be made with grain alcohol (but a very small amount in the recipe) or vinegar.

 

Recipe #1:

1 cup boiling water
2 tsp dried peppermint
1 tsp anise seed
1/2 tsp myrrh tincture

Pour the boiling water over the peppermint and anise seed. Cover and steep until cool. Strain and add the myrrh. Store the mouthwash in a bottle and shake before using. This will keep for a week or so if stored in the refrigerator.

 

Witch Hazel

Recipe #2:

  This recipe avoids even an alcohol extract in favor of sage-infused vinegar. To infuse, simply fill a small jar with sage, fill with warmed apple cider vinegar, and allow to steep for 2-6 weeks. Alternatively, you could heat-infuse the herb in a non-metal (non-reactive pot) and allow to infuse (so that vapors are coming off of the vinegar), covered, for 30 min-1 hour.  Again, try to btain the natural witch hazel distillate rather than commercial witch hazel made with ethyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol).

1 cup witch hazel distillate
1/2 tsp sage-infused vinegar
1 tsp peppermint
1 tsp spearmint

Recipe #3:

1 cup water
1 tsp vegetable glycerin
1 tsp aloe vera juice (ingestible!)
6 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix the ingredients together and store in a covered container, using within a few days. Peppermint essential oil helps fight odor-causing bacteria, and aloe soothes gums

REF: Laurel Vukovic