Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

  Thanks to Angry Julie Monday for this great idea!


German chamomile in my garden this summer, with a white sage seedling mixed in for good measure.
(Look closely in the back left.)


Sunday, October 9, 2011

Why Make Your Own Salve?

Why take the time to source the ingredients and supplies to make your own salve when you can stop by any drug store or discount store and pick up a commercially prepared remedy for almost any ailment? The same reason you'd make a cake from scratch instead of buying one at the bakery, or grow your own basil to add to your homemade spaghetti sauce. Quality. Freshness. Personal satisfaction. Natural preparations. Knowing exactly where the ingredients originated. Although you may choose to add glycerin or other preservatives, you will have a mixture without cetyl alcohol, socium lauryl sulfate, methylparaben and other chemical ingredients you can't pronounce.

High quality, natural beeswax, pure oils and organic herbs combine to create unique lip balms, skin salves and natural remedies for many conditions. When you use fresh, natural ingredients, whether it's for cooking or personal care preparations, you become more closely connected to the natural world, mitigating many stresses of modern life. You also create something natural and useful for yourself, your family and friends, and contribute to their wellbeing as much as your own. And if you grow the ingredients yourself, you know exactly where they come from, how they look, smell and feel and the environmental conditions that produce them.

Why not try making your own herbal muscle rub instead of buying products like Bengay or IcyHot Patch? Why not add natural, organic vanilla to a small batch of melted beeswax and almond oil to use on your lips this winter? Why not distill 8 ounces of that peppermint in your garden (or from a fresh herb supplier) into a marvelous essential oil to use in your own refreshing foot cream? This autumn season, I'll share simple recipes for these and other easy, useful recipes for natural salves, rubs, creams and lotions that are perfect for your first aid supply, medicine cabinet, personal toiletries and gift giving. They are a perfect way to get your green on and add some natural ingredients to your life!