If you’re anything like me, you have a tube of lip balm in every room ready to apply to dry chapped lips at a moment’s notice. If you’re also like me, then that means you have lip balms, most of which are homemade, in a variety of different flavors and formulas to keep things interesting....
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DIY Rosehip and Rosewater Face Moisturizer
When I used to work in the supplement department at my local health food store, I loved perusing the beauty products as I straightened the shelves. One of the products that stood out to me was a simple formula by Nourish Organic called Rosehip and Rosewater Body Mist. I remember reading the ingredients and exclaiming...
120+ Books for Your Herbal Library
I'm often asked about which books I use and recommend for all levels of herbalism so I've compiled a list on some of the best books you can pick up ranging from beginner herbalism to setting up your own successful clinical herbal practice. Some of these tomes dig DEEP into the science of herbs, custom...
How to Balance Rest, Stress, and Exercise So You Can Crush Your Goals
This time of year is swirling with suggestions on how to bounce back after the holidays leaving us feeling conflicted and confused as we’re swept into the latest hyped up supplements, 30-day challenges (who else is on that Whole30 train?), and dietary dogma. It can be overwhelming to sift through what’s true, what isn’t, what...
Diffuser Blends for Christmas
Diffusing essential oils is a really fun way to bring the natural aromas of your favorite holiday treats, outdoorsy scenes, and cozy winter cheer into your home for the holidays. It’s tempting to buy scented candles this time of year, but let’s face it, they’re overly expensive and often filled with toxic synthetic fragrances. Diffusing...
Jack Frost's Hot Cocoa
I remember when I was a child, a friend asked me if I would rather live where it was too hot, or too cold. It's kind of a funny question to me now (I hate the cold), but at the time I thought about it long and hard until I finally decided that I would...
Holiday Gift Guide: Ideas for Everyone on Your List
It's that time of year again! Aren't you excited to brave crowds of people at the mall, wait in endless lines, and hmmm and haw over what gift to buy for friends and family? No? Well, I'm with you on that one! Which is why I've put together a holiday gift guide that will hopefully...
DIY Healing Gum Serum with Essential Oils
On my journey to healing my gums after avoiding the dentist for 7 years, I have come up with a few handy tricks to help speed up the process. While my gums weren’t all THAT bad, the top being all twos and the bottom mainly threes and fours and the errant five, I didn’t want...
How to Make Thieves Hand Sanitizer
Fall is in full swing meaning lots of planning, lots of stressing, and lots of intermingling with friends and family as the holidays approach. It is always this time of year when cold and flu germs are thriving and our close proximity to others within confined spaces makes it easier to come down with the...
Festive Four Thieves Candle Recipe
This time of year is the perfect opportunity to infuse everything in your life with the scent of cinnamon, clove, peppermint, citrus, and garden herbs and nothing personifies those aromas better than four thieves essential oil. What better way to fill your home with holiday-inspired scents than with a homemade four thieves candle? Dotting a...
CBD Oil Benefits – What You Need to Know!
One of the most politically and morally charged topics in the health industry today is the use of medical marijuana. For centuries, cannabis has been cultivated and used for physical, mental, and emotional health as well as for spiritual enlightenment. It was only in the 1930s when the medical use of marijuana was banned due...
Ocotillo Tincture Recipe – For Stagnancy & Lymphatic Drainage
Over the weekend, my husband and I visited family out in Tucson Arizona. I had half expected the Sonoran Desert to be dry, brown, and brittle, but to my surprise, the recent rains had turned the barren landscape into a profusion of green. Among these green desert plants stood towers of spiny arms – not...
Skin Softening & Acne Reducing Apple Cider Vinegar Toner
One of the most common questions I get about skincare is if you can swap out rose water with raw apple cider vinegar as a toner. My answer? Yes! You most certainly can! As much as I adore using rose water in my skincare routine for its astringent and pH balancing properties, not to mention...
DIY Cinnamon Scented Pine Cones
One of my favorite things to buy at Trader Joes this time of year is their super cinnamon-infused decorative brooms. Simply hang them up where desired, and they fill your home with a lovely aroma that gets you in the perfect festive mood for Fall. This year, however, I’ve decided to change things up a...
12 Amazing Healing Benefits of Far Infrared Mats
Using heat to treat illness and abnormal growths within the body dates back thousands of years. In fact, Hippocrates himself discovered how inducing a fever could help cure diseases and shrink tumors. Whether it be through the use of Turkish baths, Finnish saunas, Russian banyas, sweat lodges, or the healing power of local hot springs,...
How to Treat Endometriosis Naturally
Endometriosis is said to affect over 176 million women worldwide and is one of the leading causes of infertility. It is a painful and inflammatory condition in which the uterine tissue, or endometrium, attaches itself to other organs within the pelvic region. In rare instances, endometriosis can even travel as far as the lungs! Whether...
Doesn’t Budge Pumpkin Pie Lip Balm
I recently got my hands on a few Fall-Inspired essential oil blends by Plant Therapy and have been enjoying using them in a few seasonal recipes. My favorite blend in the Fall collection is their Pumpkin Pie essential oil. I just cannot get over how delicious it smells! I kid you not, it smells JUST...
The Benefits of Glycolic Acid for Your Skin
Meet your skin’s new best friend- glycolic acid. While the word acid can seem a bit intimidating, this skin care ingredient has a wide variety of benefits for almost every skin type. It helps many common skin care problems and leaves your skin looking refreshed and vibrant after just one application. Today, my friend Andrea...
How to Make Simple Elderberry Tincture
As the Summer starts to wane, it’s time to fortify our immune systems and buckle down for the colder half of the year. Elderberry tincture has been a staple in my medicine cabinet for a number of years to help boost immunity and stave off cold and flu. It’s quick and simple to make (like...
How to Make The Perfect Fool-Proof Arnica Salve for Bruising, Post-Surgery, and Aches & Pains
Learning how to make the perfect arnica salve is one of the first things you learn as a budding herbalist. Whether you spend your free-time gardening, are an avid hiker, an outdoor enthusiast, build things with your hands, suffer from joint disorders, have children, or are just clumsy like I am, a well-made arnica salve...
The Power of Red Light Therapy – The Vital Nutrient Your Body is Missing
In recent years, red light therapy has gained popularity as a staple wellness protocol for improved weight loss, auto-immune support, increased collagen production, muscle recovery, and even hormone balance. But what is red light therapy exactly, and why should you consider adding it to your wellness routine? Today, we’re going to learn why red light...
Butcher Box Review - Is It Worth It?
As someone who really enjoys the convenience of online shopping, it comes as no surprise that when high-quality organic meat starting entering the stage that I was super excited to try it. Well, my dreams have come true, you can get high-quality meat ONLINE and I cannot wait to share my experience! Never heard of...
12 Must-Have Remedies for Cold and Flu Season
With the reintroduction of the nasal flu vaccine (aka FluMist) in the upcoming months, it’s more important than ever to be prepared for cold and flu season. In case you didn’t know, this vaccine differs from traditional vaccines because it uses a live, though weakened, virus (four different strains of flu to be exact) that...
Ghost Pepper Chili Salt
My husband loves everything spicy, so it was no surprise when he started growing his own ghost peppers. I, on the other hand, can’t even handle jalapenos, so if you’re one of those people, maybe this isn’t the post for you! However, for those of you who love a bit of heat in your meals,...
DIY Flower Petal Body Oil and Roll-On Recipe
While perusing World Market the other day, I came across an aesthetically pleasing body oil and roll-on combo that really caught my eye. The simple yet beautiful body oil was a clear 4oz dropper bottle filled with a clear carrier oil and real rosebuds while another had real lavender flowers. Unfortunately, after giving each a...
DIY Lavender Sachet Dream Pillows
Placing herbs beneath one’s pillow is a practice that dates back centuries. Depending on which herb you chose, they were thought to induce vivid dreams, bring good dreams, attract true love, deter evil, foresee the future, and keep nightmares at bay. Nowadays, herbal sachets are used to infuse closets, linens, and dresser drawers with pleasing...
All-Natural Homemade Vanilla Extract
Don’t you just love being able to make some of your favorite store-bought items at home for a fraction of the cost? I know I do, and homemade vanilla extract is no exception. This little project is quick and simple to throw together and makes the perfect homemade vanilla extract you can use in all...
The Perfect Sun Tea Recipe
Ahhh, sun tea. The perfect summer drink on hot Southern California days. Growing up, I remember my mom making sun tea in a huge gallon jar, sometimes with fresh lemon slices, on the hottest days of summer. She would add black tea bags, plenty of spring water, and then just let the sun do all...
How to Remove Mucoid Plaque Naturally
Sometimes the journey to vibrant health leads us down some rather unsavory aisles – and mucoid plaque is one of them. If you have ever done any research about intestinal health, chances are, you’ve come across this controversial substance. Does it actually exist? And if so, how do you get rid of it? It is...
How to Make Infused Cottonwood Oil for Balms, Salves, & Ointments
I’ve been on a bit of a cottonwood kick lately, but I just can’t get over how amazing this herb is! It’s just so good for so many things and has been one of my must-haves for pretty much every type of physical pain or bout of inflammation I’ve experienced. If you haven’t tried your...
Pedicularis Tincture for The Side Effects of Stress
I think this year, more than anything, I’ve felt the effects of burnout, stress, and its accompanying symptoms like insomnia (which I’ve never had before), feelings of apathy, and a lingering fatigue that lasts all day. It’s made things really difficult. It’s hard to get things done, and that’s sort of a big deal when...
DIY Elderberry Syrup for Cold and Flu – Potent, Quick, & Easy!
Around this time of year, when summer is about halfway over, I start to think about cold and flu remedies I need to get started before the weather gets cooler. You may be wondering why I need to start now and the short answer is – herbal remedies take a looong time, up to six...
How to Make Cottonwood Tincture
Ask any herbalist how they feel about cottonwood and you’d be met with a unanimous dreamy sigh. I think it goes without saying just how amazing these fragrant little buds are and they’re just so good for so many things! If you’re looking for a remedy renowned for its pain relieving, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties,...
The Perfect DIY Oil Cleanser Recipe for Oily Skin
I’ve been following the oil cleansing method for some years now, and my skin hasn’t been better! In fact, I very rarely get breakouts anymore – usually just one pimple, and that almost always coincides with my cycle. But it wasn’t always like this. The journey to finding the perfect balance of oils with the...
Natural Cycles and Non-Hormonal Birth Control
I have long been an advocate for turning to natural methods whenever possible in my everyday life. This crazy hippie journey has been a wild ride like switching to The Oil Cleansing Method instead of using store-bought cleansers, throwing out my tampons in favor of the diva cup, making my own skincare, and going no-poo,...
How to Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Naturally
Chronic fatigue syndrome, or more recently Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease, is a chronic disorder characterized by severe fatigue that lasts for at least six months. This condition is notoriously difficult to diagnose via conventional laboratory tests, yet many doctors now acknowledge its existence as a real disorder since it has become so prevalent in modern-day...
Camper’s Cascade Forest Dry Shampoo Recipe
you’re out in the wilderness for several days, personal hygiene can go by the wayside in favor of more primitive methods like taking a dip in chilly lakes, using body wipes, or just going all-natural, but if you’re a stickler for feeling fresh on the trail like me, then this simple dry shampoo recipe is...
3 DIY Beauty Treatments Featuring Beetroot, Turmeric, and Vitamin C
I’ve partnered with iHerb to share 3 of my favorite DIY beauty treatments featuring Nature’s Way Beet Root Powder, Turmeric Powder, and Vitamin C Powder! Thank you for supporting my sponsors! Making your own DIY beauty treatments doesn’t have to be boring – in fact, it can quite fun and fulfilling if you’re willing to...
Citrus and Rose Bath Salts
Taking a luxurious bath is one of my favorite evening activities. It allows me to focus on self-care, something that’s hard to do in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and it gives me the chance to let go of the day’s stress, ease tension, and clear my mind of negative energy. I’m a...
Pique Tea Review – The Best New Tea for Health?
If you’ve been a follower of mine, then you know I’m a fiend when it comes to tea, especially Earl Grey and Jasmine. In fact, I often peruse the tea aisle looking for new teas to try. It’s sort of a quest to find the best versions of my favorite tea flavors. Recently, I’ve had...