Learning all about herbs…and loving it!
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In the past I have done a little reading on growing herbs and making natural remedies (tinctures, salves, etc.), but never really have done anything about it. Well the past couple weeks I have had so much fun purchasing some herbs (and even finding some in my own yard that I thought were weeds…more on that in a bit), and getting some natural remedies brewing! I plan on posting more later after these remedies are done and I try them out. But for now I just want to share what I have been up to…
From left to right: Herbal Hand Sanitizer, Herbal Insect Repellent, Plantain Tincture
I am just going to give a brief description of these now, but will plan on doing more detailed posts later with links to recipes and where to buy the herbs. I want to make sure these work before I post them! I should note also that these mixtures need to be shaken up daily during the time that they are “brewing”. Ok…here we go…
Herbal Hand Sanitizer
This is a mixture of apple cider vinegar, lemon peel, and orange peel. Once it has sat for a few weeks, I will add in some Eucalyptus oil (I didn’t have any Eucalyptus to put in the jar, so I am adding some oil at the end). When it is done I will strain out the herbs and put the liquid in a spray bottle to use as a hand sanitizer.
Herbal Insect Repellent
I am very excited about this one, as I have a son who is a mosquito magnet! I hope this works! I hate spraying him with the store-bought sprays…they smell nasty and when you accidentally breathe some of it in…yuck! I bought an herb mix for this called Vinegar of the Four Thieves. It contains rosemary, sage, lavender, wormwood, and peppermint. Garlic is added in at the end of the infusion time for a few days. These herbs are placed in a quart jar and then fill the quart jar with apple cider vinegar. It has to sit for two weeks and then it is ready to use. I will strain the herbs off and use the liquid to make insect repellent by putting half water, half vinegar mixture in a spray bottle.
Plantain Tincture
Plantain is an herb that is used for drawing out poisons or toxins from bites or stings. This tincture can be applied to bites or stings and can also be used to clear up your complexion. I want to try this out before I post more on how it works. The cool thing about Plaintain is that YOU probably have some growing in your yard! You would not believe my excitement when I found several big patches in our yard (yes, I guess there is some blessings that come from a yard full of weeds!). One of the kids helped me pick a huge bowl of Plantain to use for this tincture. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
All it has in it is apple cider vinegar and Plantain leaves that have been broken and torn up. I filled the jar with the Plantain and then added the vinegar to fill it up. It will need to sit for a couple weeks before it is ready to use. When done, I will strain out the Plantain and put the liquid in a glass jar. I can then use a cotton ball to apply to bites or stings, or to use on my face (if you use it on your face, it is only for a short time-a few weeks-to pull toxins from your skin and clear your complexion.
I plan on using Plantain (since we have so much of it!) to infuse oils for lotions and salves too! Can’t wait to try those soon!
If you don’t know what Plantain looks like, here is a picture of some from our yard:
As you can see, the veins in the leaves run from the stem up to the edges of the leaves. I guess I always thought these were dandelion plants…now I can see the difference when I look at the leaves. If you have some in your yard, just make sure you wash it and then make yourself some Plantain Tincture!
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As you can see, I am having some fun! I will do some more detailed posts later when I have had a chance to try these out. Now I’m just praying for patience as I shake these jars every day…waiting to give them a try!
DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the services of licensed, professional health care providers. Readers are encouraged to use this material in conjunction with the advice of their physician.
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