The Home Herbalist

Take Time to Smell the Lavender

Belle — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:21:56 +0000

This blog has certainly been neglected of late, which makes me wonder where time goes. As the routine of each night begins I can hardly believe that another day has gone by so quickly. There must be a black hole somewhere out there in the universe that has the sole purpose of sucking in time.

Of course the more busy we are the more time flies and therein lies the secret to achieving a much more manageable and enjoyable pace of life. Slowing my life down is the process I’m in involved in at the moment and why I have time to write this blog.

Most of us, especially women, tend to take on more than can be realistically achieved. Take my life for example – as you know I’m a medical herbalist and tutor of the online Home Herbalist courses. As if this isn’t enough my husband and I live on almost six acres and we’re building a house. For the last two years he’s been working away and has only been home six days a month so apart from treating patients, teaching the home herbalism courses, and maintaining the website I’ve had to take over the responsibilities of owner builder while my husband has been away as well as maintain the property. This has been an overwhelming experience, which has left me little time to enjoy the other part of my life – art.

My biggest problem though is the ‘feeling’ I have to get every thing done as quickly as possible – hurrying and rushing! This has now been resolved in a most delightful way thanks to a very understanding husband and our daughters who have given me excellent advice.

What I’ve done to achieve this bliss is to prioritize what I have to do, stop rushing about, make time for those things I enjoy, and stop feeling guilty if I take time out to do a painting, sculpture, walk through the garden or sit quietly in the moonlight.

My first priorities are my herbalism clinic, teaching The Home Herbalist courses, writing this blog and maintaining the website (all things I love to do), the next is building the house and following these are property maintenance and cleaning the car etc. The most important thing though is that I’ve stopped rushing and hurrying to get jobs done and I’m making time for the other things that give me pleasure without feeling guilty. What I can’t get done in a calm and unhurried way today I will do tomorrow.

We can all do this and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life, a life that allows us time to smell the lavender.

About Clary Sage Essential Oil

Belle — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:12:23 +0000

Do you know that Clary Sage essential oil has a particular affinity for the female cycle? Its scent, said to be the most euphoric of all essential oils, gives it calming and soothing qualities that relieve painful periods, premenstrual tension, and abdominal cramps. Other female problems it treats are irregular and absent menstruation.

This delightful oil, distilled from the flowers of the European herb, Salvia sclarea, has a sharp, nutty herbal uplifting aroma that makes it very useful for treating the mind and emotions. It promotes communication; helps with frigidity, depression, and stress-related problems. In fact, it helps to uplift the most despondent person and release depressed thoughts.

It soothes and eases tension in troubled times and is relaxing when faced with apprehension.

In skin care, Clary sage is helpful as an anti-wrinkle application, especially for older skins; promotes cell regeneration, and regulates sebum production providing treatment for premenstrual facial blemishes.

Use this essential oil as a massage blend, a vapourisation, therapeutic bath, diluted for direct application such as rubbing in to the temples to ease headache, and as a facial oil.

Warning: Do not use during pregnancy or combined with alcohol. It may cause drowsiness so do not use before driving. Always follow the directions on the label.

Roman Chamomile Essential Oil

Belle — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:09:13 +0000

This is a delightful essential oil that helps to calm and sooth the mind and body and ease irritability.

As a massage blend it’s very useful for balancing the female reproductive organs helping to regulate menstruation, ease premenstrual tension, and relieve painful menstruation.

Because Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) essential oil is anti-inflammatory it can be used in a massage oil blend to treat skin allergies such as eczema and to relieve skin irritations. It’s also deodorizing and helps to lighten fair hair.

Make a massage oil blend and rub in to the neck and shoulders to help relieve insomnia, migraine headache, stress and tension. It can also be massaged in to any part of the body to help relieve aches and pains and over the abdomen in a clockwise direction to help ease the discomfort of indigestion.

Add a few drops to a child’s bath to help relieve upset tummies, teething, and fretful moments.

Other conditions that benefit from applications of a massage oil blend made with this essential oil are flatulence, rheumatism, and gout.

Warning: Use with care if suffering from low blood pressure.

Cedarwood Essential Oil

Belle — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:09:41 +0000

Highly valued since ancient times, Cedarwood essential oil has calming, astringent and drying actions that make it useful for the treatment of many conditions and beneficial for skin care.

In ancient Egypt beauticians valued this oil for its preserving qualities so it comes as no surprise that it’s still used today for regenerating and preserving the skin as well as restoring hair.

Derived from two species, Juniperus virginiana and Cedrus atlantica, genuine Cedarwood essenital oil has the aroma of a freshly cut tree that gives a delightful restful effect of being in a forest. Its relaxing and regenerating properties help to release long-term anxiety and reduce stress.

Conditions this remarkable oil benefits include hair loss when combined with rosemary, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, and dandruff as well as those that affect the respiratory system such as catarrh, bronchitis, mucous congestion, and sinusitis. It’s also an excellent deodorizer, which makes it ideal for foot baths.

Other uses for Cedarwood essential oil include direct application to help oily skin and heal shaving nicks; diluted it can be used to treat pimples and acne as well as part of a blend for skin and facial applications. After washing hair add a couple of drops of the oil to the final rinse water to treat dandruff, seborrhoea and maintain a healthy scalp. For respiratory problems and to calm tension and stress use the oil in a vapouriser, a therapeutic bath or as a steam inhalation. Its refreshing woody aroma makes it a popular ingredient in men’s toiletries.

Warning: Do not use during pregnancy.

Bergamot Essential Oil

Belle — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:03:41 +0000

If you suffer from nervous tension, anxiety or depression then you will find the uplifting qualities of Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) essential oil very beneficial. This oil, popularised in Italian medicine folklore, is made by pressing the fresh peel of a fruit that resembles a miniature orange first grown in Bergamot, a small village in northern Italy.

As its botanical name suggests, Bergamot essential oil is light with a delightful floral and citrus aroma and yellow-green colour. It has astringent and antiviral actions that give it many uses.

Conditions that this oil treats includes those mentioned above as well as stressful states, adult colic, anorexia nervosa, dermatitis, intestinal parasites, eczema, dermatitis, sores, and wounds. It relieves cramps, premenstrual tension and symptoms; symptoms of acne and cold sores and is helpful for post-natal stress. Use it to heal oily skin and skin conditions of nervous origin; diluted in water it can be rinsed in the mouth to help with bad breath and relieve the discomfort of mouth ulcers. It’s also highly antiseptic and cleansing.

Warnings: Do not use for Berloque dermatitis or externally when exposed to ultra-violet light. It may increase skin photo sensitivity and be irritating to sensitive skin. Do not use before exposure to sun.

Use only as directed and seek advice from your health care professional if symptoms persist.

Basil Essential Oil

Belle — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 07:00:55 +0000

Not only one of the best essential oils for relieving mental fatigue basil (Ocimum basilicum) also has a wonderfully clarifying effect on the brain helping to focus thoughts and promote clear thinking. Other benefits of this uplifting oil include adding it to a vapouriser to help with decision making and improve concentration. It can also be used as an all-round nerve remedy and is very effective when applied as a compress to help relieve migraines.

Use basil essential oil for all manner of respiratory ailments by adding it to a vaporiser, as an inhalant or as a chest rub. This oil can also assist digestion, induce menstruation, and be used as an anti-spasmodic. Other conditions it treats are indigestion, whooping cough, colic, and scanty menstruation. Basil oil can also be used on wasp stings, as a mosquito repellent, and to add shine to hair.

For massage blends use 5 drops of essential oil to every 10ml carrier oil. To use in a vapouriser add 6 to 8 drops to the water, and for inhalation add 3 to 4 drops to a bowl of near boiling water or 1 to 2 drops on to a handkerchief.

Warning: Don’t use this oil for massage during the first three months of pregnancy.

Herbalism and Essential Oils

Belle — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:06:22 +0000

For most of my life I’ve been involved in herbalism both professionally and in my daily life. To me herbalism – whether practiced by a home herbalist, professional herbalist or someone who just enjoys herbs – embraces all uses of herbs from adding interest and colour to gardens to healing illness.

One very popular and beneficial way to use herbs is utilizing their essential oils for massage, healing, and to provide a pleasant and aromatic atmosphere in the home. Although the term ‘Aromatherapy’ was not adopted until the twentieth century, the use of essential oils for healing has been known for thousands of years. Around two thousand years ago Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, understood the benefits of aromatic baths and massages for restoring mental and physical health.

Essential oils used in aromatherapy are not only distilled from herbs but also from trees, flowers, and bushes. I frequently use these delightful oils when prescribing treatment for my patients and at times the treatment wouldn’t have been successful without their addition. Balancing mind, body, and spirit is so important for treating all conditions whether the primary concern is physical or mental. All cases must be treated holistically.

Following are some wonderful remedies made with essential oils.

To clean scrapes and cuts add 2 drops each of the essential oils of tea tree, bergamot, and lavender to 90mls of filtered or distilled water.

For minor burns add 10 drops of the essential oil of lavender to 90mls of almond carrier oil.

To ease aches and pains add 20 drops of of lavender, 15 drops of orange, and 10 drops of marjoram to 90mls of olive or sweet almond oil.

Bruises can be treated with 20 drops of lavender, 10 drops of sandalwood and 15 drops of juniper added to sweet almond oil.

To help induce a restful sleep add 2 drops each of lavender, sandalwood, and orange to a warm bath or to 90ml of sweet almond oil to use for a relaxing massage.

Some of my favourite blends include these for babies:

To help heal and prevent nappy rash add 20 drops of lavender to 90mls of olive oil and apply at each nappy change.

For cradle cap blend 20 drops of cedarwood to 90mls olive oil and apply after each bath or whenever baby’s hair is washed. Dry the scalp well before applying.

There are many ways essential oils can be used for treatment in the home so I will add remedies as time goes by.

What’s So Good About Tea?

Belle — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:02:24 +0000

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the highest sources of antioxidants, in fact it contains more of these health giving constituents than any vegetable or fruit. The antioxidants in tea appear to protect the body against heart disease by slowing the break down of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, improving blood vessel function and preventing blood clots. They also appear to have protective functions against strokes, cancer, and the type of DNA damage that causes cells to turn cancerous.

Drinking only one or two cups of tea a day may reduce the risk of artery blockage by forty-six percent. Antioxidants in tea belong to a group called flavonoids that are rich in catechins and these are responsible for giving the herb most of its health giving properties. Cell studies showed that one of the most important catechins, epigallocatechin gallate, blocked an enzyme that is needed for cancer cells to grow.

Black tea is made by crushing the leaves and allowing them to ‘ferment’ in the tea’s enzymes while green tea isn’t fermented; both come from the same plant. The most popular non-alcoholic beverage, tea can be purchased in various forms but the finest and most expensive is made from unopened leaf buds and leaves picked from the youngest shoots .

To gain maximum health benefits from tea allow it to brew for at least five minutes to extract the maximum amount of catechins. Tea can prevent the absorption of iron so try to drink it between meals rather than with them but if you enjoy a ‘cuppa’ with a meal eat a few apricots every day to keep your iron levels up. Drink two to five cups daily and keep tea leaves in airtight dark glass containers in a dry cool place; green tea has less caffeine than black tea.

Warrigal Greens – Wild Plant Food and Medicine

Belle — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 11:39:01 +0000

It’s amazing how things happen sometimes. For quite a while now I’ve been hoping to find Warrigal greens (Tetragonia tetragonioides) growing on our 6 acre property but it was nowhere to be seen. A few days ago I decided that it mustn’t grow in this area so gave up any thoughts of gathering this plant to use as vegetable. As I was walking back to the house I saw a plant that looked like it but only had the time to check it out today. To my sheer delight I found that it is Warrigal greens.

This lovely wild food and medicine plant is growing quite near our house – after living here for just over two years I find it incredible that I have been hoping so much to have it growing here and then after searching for it for such a long time it turns up almost on my doorstep!

Warrigal greens, also known as Warrigal cabbage and New Zealand Spinach, is a member of the pigface family and is native to New Zealand, Australia and Norfolk Island where it grows in arid woodlands and plains, and in salty coastal soils. It also grows in other regions of the Pacific from Japan to South America. It has escaped from cultivation in Asia, the United States, Africa and Europe.

During Captain Cook’s first voyage to New Zealand in 1769 the ship’s botanist, Joseph Banks, recognized its value. Cook tried to get his crew to eat the plant as a vegetable to protect them against scurvy but they refused until they realized his officers were eating it. It became so popular among them that the supply had to be rationed. Not only did this incredible green vegetable protect the crew from scurvy but it also cured those who already had it.

During this first voyage Cook also discovered Warrigal greens along the shores of Botany Bay, Australia. After European settlers arrived on the continent the plant was gathered and eaten as a popular and easily obtained source of green vegetable.

This wild plant that can also be cultivated contains properties with sedative effects and anti-inflammatory chemicals. It’s also anti-scorbutic and may be effective in preventing the formation of ulcers.

Warrigal greens is a perennial creeping plant with thick stems that grow to one or two metres long. Leaves are thick, bright green, alternate, and are two to eight centimetres long. Small yellow flowers appear in late spring to summer and the green seed capsules are hard and long with three to six small ‘horns’.

Because the leaves contain oxalates, which can be harmful when consumed in large quantities, they should be blanched for three or more minutes then rinsed with cold water before cooking them or using them in salads.

Essential Oils for the Emotions

Belle — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:27:06 +0000

Essential oils are not only very beneficial for physical problems but also for the mind, emotions, and spirit. To know true health is to have the mind, body, and spirit nicely balanced or in harmony.

There is much focus these days on physical health yet the mind, and especially the emotions or spiritual aspects of our being are generally neglected. If there is a problem it’s usually shut away to be dealt with at a later date or when there is more time. There are some lovely essential oils that work on the emotional and spiritual level, which means any problems can be helped in a pleasurable and time saving way. Following is a list of emotional problems and corresponding essential oils that will help to dispel them.

Releasing Anger: Chamomile, Rose, Ylang Ylang

Calming Anxiety: Bergamot, Geranium, Lavender, Neroli, Basil

Relieving Boredom: Basil, Frankincense, Peppermint

Enhancing Confidence: Frankincense, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vetiver

Clarifying Confusion: Rose, Lemon, Cypress

Uplifting Depression: Bergamot, Clary Sage, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang

Calming Emotional Instability: Bergamot, Geranium, Neroli

Releasing Jealousy, Envy, and Resentment: Juniper, Thyme, Rose

Dispersing Fears: Frankincense, Lavender, Sandalwood

Releasing Frigidity: Chamomile, Clary Sage, Ylang Ylang

Soothing Grief: Marjoram, Rose

Relieving Insomnia: Bergamot, Lavender, Marjoram, Neroli, Orange

Settling Impatience, Irritability: Lavender, Neroli, Rose, Ylang Ylang

Releasing Mental Fatigue/Helping Poor Memory: Basil, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Pine

Calming Nightmares: Bergamot, Frankincense, Sage

Releasing Stress: Bergamot, Lavender, Neroli, Rose, Sandalwood, Myrrh

Healing Emotional Wounds: Chamomile, Rose

To use these essential oils for their corresponding emotional problems apply them as a single remedy or a blend in a vaporiser, added to pure water as a room spray, or in a carrier oil for massage. They can also be applied to a tissue or handkerchief and sniffed as often as desired.

For massage oils always use the ratio of 5 drops of essential oil to 10 ml carrier oil; don’t use them directly on the skin and follow directions on the labels.