Untitled - JustIngredients

Index
Joints & Circulation ............................................ 9
Julie Bruton Seal’s Mustard Foot Bath .............................................. 9
Introduction ....................................................... 2
Colds & Flu ......................................................... 3
Muscle Relaxing Liniment ...............................................................10
Rosemary, Ginger & Cinnamon Tea .................................................10
Spicy Sweet Potato Soup .................................................................. 11
Winter Warming Unguent ............................................................... 11
Classic Cold and Flu Herb Tea ........................................................... 3
Congestion Ease Vapour Rub............................................................. 3
Elder & Lemon Thyme Throat Lozenges ............................................4
Lemon & Thyme Soothing Throat Spray............................................ 5
Thyme & Lungwort Syrup ................................................................. 5
Immune System ................................................. 6
Skin Health ....................................................... 13
Ali English’s Plantain Salve ............................................................. 13
Lemon Balm Cold Sore Salve ........................................................... 14
Lavender & Cinnamon Body Balm.................................................... 15
Nourishing Jasmine Hand Cream ..................................................... 15
Sweet Orange & Cinnamon Lip Balm ............................................... 16
Anne McIntyre’s Warming Winter Brew............................................6
Chinese Sweet & Sour Immune Boosting Soup .................................. 7
Echinacea, Elderberry & Ginger Tea.................................................. 7
Hedgerow Fruits Elixir .................................................................... 8
Old Fashioned Elderberry Elixir ....................................................... 8
Further Information ......................................... 17
Books - Recommended Reading ....................................................... 17
General Herbal Information ............................................................ 17
Regulatory Bodies ........................................................................... 17
Introduction
I’m very excited to bring you the first JustBotanics e-book, the first of many to
come, in this book we focus on winter health and how we can help our bodies to
survive the winter. We all know that during the winter our bodies can suffer from
a variety of ailments like colds and flu, those of us with aching joints seem to get
achier when it’s cold, and our skin can fall prey to the drying effects of winter cold
and wind becoming dry, cracked and sore. So what can we do about it?
We can learn from our ancestors… Our grandparents and great grandparents were
rather good at using everyday foods, herbs and spices to nourish the body during
the winter, almost without knowing what they were doing, they used kitchen
remedies to soothe sore throats, ease a chesty cough, unblock a stuffy nose and
reduce feverish chills. It occurred to me that looking at how our ancestors used
herbs in the winter may help us rediscover ways of helping herbs and spices play a
part in bringing us relief today from our winter ills, find ways of boosting our
immune systems whilst making us look and feel better.
So I set about remembering what I’d witnessed as a child, and looking at why and
how these things worked and began to experiment with herbal remedies myself. I
learnt a lot from my Nanna, she instinctively knew that there were some herbs that
should always be in her kitchen store cupboard, some were good to have and went
in some of her winter culinary recipes, and some she wouldn’t be without. They
were used for treating the winter ills of the family and for minor ailments, and
turned in to liniments, cough syrups, and one of her favourite uses was steam
inhalation, where herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage were put into a bowl of
steaming hot water and whoever had a stuffy nose due to a cold, popped a towel
over their head and took in the steam which helped unblock the nose, a tried
trusted method I still use today.
Herbs were used to soothe and repair immune systems, although the science and
the technical aspects of the immune system weren’t as well-known as they are
today, the concept of herbs “doing you good” was well known, and that knowledge
was part of the repertoire of every woman in my Nanna’s day. So any winter bug
that tried to compromise our health or launch a bacterial attack, was thwarted at
Nanna’s kitchen door. We had warming remedies to increase the circulation when
it was chilly and she made my Grandad his Chilblain Cream which contained
amongst other things Friars Balsam, it helped to soothe and heal the burning and
itching skin on his hands and feet that he suffered from whilst working during the
winter.
From those recipes I’ve learnt a set of my own which I’ve shared over the past few
years on the JustBotanics website, this e-book is a collection of those recipes that
have appeared in various JustBotanics articles, along with some new recipes I’m
sharing like my Chinese Sweet & Sour Immune Boosting Soup based on an old
Chinese Herbal remedy and a wonderfully moisturising and warming Lavender &
Cinnamon Body Balm recipe. The book also contains recipe contributions from
some of my generation herbal friends, the lovely Anne McIntyre, Julie Bruton-Seal
and Ali English, who happen to be well respected herbalists, whose knowledge and
wisdom I often consult, either personally or via books and articles they’ve
published, many thanks for your contributions ladies.
Debs Cook, 2016
Colds & Flu
Classic Cold and Flu Herb Tea
I make this tea up in jam jar quantities and keep it in the cupboard, ready for
immediate use each part is 20g but you can make a little or a lot, just use equal
part measures. For 1 cup you would need approx. 1.5g of each of the 3 herbs.
1 Part Dried Yarrow
1 Part Dried Elderflowers
1 Part Dried Peppermint Leaves
Boiling Water
Honey to serve
Combine the herbs and mix well and store in a glass jar out of direct sunlight.
When suffering from a cold, place 1 teaspoon (approx. 5g) of cold and flu tea per
250ml cup, in to a tea pot or cafetière, pour on boiling water and leave to infuse for
1-5 minutes, depending how strong you like your tea. Strain in to a cup and
sweeten with a little honey. Drink a cup up to 3 times a day.
Did you know that there are over 200 common cold viruses responsible for giving
us colds and 3 types of flu virus? New cold and flu strains appear all the time, in
fact colds are the most common type of infectious illness suffered from during the
colder months of the year. So far science with all its efficiency hasn’t been able to
find a cure for the common cold; and all ‘over the counter’ (OTC) cold remedies
treat only the symptoms of a cold but not the viral cause. There are a variety of
natural and easy to make herbal products you can make yourself at home that can
help to ease the symptoms of cold and flu which can help to make you or your
family members feel better, here are some to get you started.
Congestion Ease Vapour Rub
30ml Sweet Almond Oil (Use grapeseed oil if you suffer from nut allergies.)
5g Beeswax (Grated)
10 Drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
8 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
5 Drops Camphor Essential Oil
Method: Put the grapeseed oil into a glass bowl over a pan of hot water and stir in
the beeswax until melted, then stir in the eucalyptus, peppermint and camphor
essential oils. Pour into a clean, sterilised dark glass jar and leave to cool, label and
used within 6 months. To use, massage the vapour rub over the chest, neck and
throat. Using a decongestant rub before sleep can help to relieve congestion and
discomfort, allowing you to fall asleep more easily. Other oils with decongestant
properties can also be used such as juniper berry, rosemary and lavender.
Take the 225ml of boiling water and add your crushed/powdered gum arabic to it,
and stir using a wooden spoon until the granules of gum have turned into a thick,
syrupy consistency.
Elder & Lemon Thyme Throat Lozenges
Next strain the elderflower/lemon thyme infusion, and add 335ml of it to gum
Arabic, stir in the icing sugar and elderberry powder slowly, to make sure you
don’t get lumpy bits. The sugar acts as a preservative and gives the lozenges a little
sweetness.
These little homemade lozenges are perfect for sore throats and for when you’re
feeling a little hoarse, they are my version of a recipe that featured in James
Wong’s ‘Grow Your Own Drugs’ series for the BBC in 2009.
15g Dried Elderflowers
15g Dried Lemon Thyme
30g Golden Linseeds
30g Dried Elderberry Powder
140g Gum Arabic
280g Icing Sugar
900ml (in 675ml and 225ml batches) Hot Water
Method: To begin put the elderflowers and lemon thyme into a lidded jug or
container and pour on 675ml of freshly boiled water and leave to steep, so that you
are left with an herbal infusion. Whilst still warm add 30g of golden linseeds and
leave for an hour, the mixture is ready when the liquid starts to have a similar
consistency to egg white, this consistency is achieved due to the mucilaginous
nature of the linseeds.
Whilst the herbs are infusing, grind the gum arabic into the smallest pieces you
can, using an electric grinder or a pestle and mortar, the finer the Arabic pieces the
quicker it will dissolve in your liquid.
Put the rest of the herbal infusion, and the gum arabic/sugar/partial infusion
mixture in a pan on a low heat and stir continuously for about half an hour until
the mixture becomes a really thick, syrup-like consistency and starts to come away
from the sides of the pan. You can also test by pouring it with the spoon and
touching it; if it doesn't stick to your finger it's ready, but do be careful as it could
be hot.
Finally pour onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and leave to set.
When it's hard it's just a case of bashing it until you get the right size pieces.
Alternatively fill a deep baking tin/tray with icing sugar and push your middle
finger in to it to form ‘moulds’, then using a teaspoon fill each hole. When the
lozenges are set, remove them from the icing sugar and store in a dark glass jar
somewhere cool.
Lemon & Thyme Soothing Throat Spray
This spray can be made and used to help soothe your throat and larynx. Make a
batch that can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks to use during the colds
duration, decant some into a travel sized spray bottle for when you’re out and
about.
15 Drops Lemon Essential Oil
5 Drops Thyme Essential Oil
150ml Distilled Water (You can use boiled water that has been left to cool)
65ml Fresh lemon Juice
Method: Mix all ingredients in a screw top glass bottle and shake to combine,
decant into a spray bottle and spray in to throat as needed. Store excess throat
spray in the fridge until needed.
Thyme & Lungwort Syrup
This soothing expectorant mixture is made with dried thyme and is excellent for
easing a chesty cough, it’s based on a recipe from herbalist Penelope Ody’s book
‘Home Herbal: A Practical Family Guide to Making Herbal Remedies for
Common Complaints’ and is made every year in our household when the cough
and cold season begins, I add a little marjoram to my recipe for flavour and to
boost the expectorant properties of the syrup. Thyme is a useful antiseptic for
helping heal chest infections, all the herbal ingredients in this recipe make
excellent expectorants, and the lungwort can also help heal damaged mucus
membranes, whilst the anise seeds and liquorice add flavour.
10g Liquorice Juice Stick
750ml Water
10g Dried Thyme
10g Dried Lungwort
5g Dried Marjoram
5g Dried Cowslip Flowers
5g Anise Seeds
500g Thyme Flower Honey - If you can’t get it, use any runny honey.
Method: Place the liquorice juice stick in the water in a pan and heat until it has
fully dissolved, stirring frequently. Take the pan off the heat and add the dried
herbs and seeds to the liquorice juice and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes, then
strain off the juice through muslin or a fine sieve into a clean jug, it should
measure approximately 500ml, if it’s less add a little water to bring it to 500ml.
Return to the pan and stir in the honey, then heat the mixture gently until it begins
to simmer, stirring the syrup constantly until the honey is dissolved. Once the
honey is completely dissolved, turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool
slightly, then pour into clean, sterilized, dark glass bottles, and seal with cork
stoppers. This syrup should keep in the fridge for several months. Take 1 x 5ml
spoonful no more than 6 times a day.
Tip: Syrups can sometimes ferment during storage so never use a screw topped
bottle.
Caution: It is now known that lungwort, like one of its sister plants in the
borage family, comfrey (Symphytum officinale), contains toxic pyrrolizidine
alkaloids, so taking this herb internally without medical supervision is not
recommended. It is also not advised to take this herb over a long period of
time or if you are pregnant or a nursing mother.
Immune System
Anne McIntyre’s Warming Winter Brew
Cinnamon is a perfect remedy for warding off the effects of the cold, invigorating
the digestion and detoxifying the body. Did you know that the volatile oil in
cinnamon is one of the strongest natural antiseptics known? Its antibacterial,
antiviral and anti-fungal properties make it an excellent medicine to prevent and
treat a whole range of infections and for keeping the gut bacteria in balance. A hot
cup of sweet and exquisitely aromatic cinnamon tea with its expectorant and
decongestant effects, taken regularly, will help to relieve coughs and colds, flu and
catarrh.
A great Ayurvedic recipe made from warming spices that makes a delicious drink
for coughs, colds and flu and is especially good for clearing catarrh and a blocked
nose is as follows:
Helping to boost your immune system at this time of year can mean that you don’t
fall victim to a lot of illnesses that our bodies can succumb to during the winter
months, but if you’re already ill, giving the immune system a boost can help your
body rid itself of an illness quicker.
The immune system doesn’t just help us fight of colds and flu, it also protects us
from viruses such as chicken pox and mumps, and from harmful bacteria like ecoli and other forms of bacteria that can cause ear infection, meningitis and
tonsillitis, so it’s important that you keep your immune system in tip top condition
and keep it functioning properly to help you ward off these potential threats.
½oz Fresh Ginger Root, Sliced
1 Cinnamon Stick
3 Cloves
3 Black Peppercorns
3 Cardamom Pods
Method: Place the above in a pan and cover with 1pt/600mls of cold water. Bring
to boil, cover and simmer for about 20 mins. Strain, sweeten with honey if desired
and drink a cupful hot every 2 hours.
Turmeric is another wonderfully effective remedy. 1 tsp of the powder can be
mixed with honey and taken off the spoon or stirred into a cup of hot water and
taken every 2 hours at the onset of symptoms. Alternatively mix 1 tsp each of
ginger powder, turmeric and black pepper together and take ½ tsp of this mixture
with warm water or honey and take similarly.
Anne McIntyre FNIMH MAPA
About the Herbalist - Anne is the author of over 20 books on herbal remedies and
Ayurveda, and as the mother of three daughters, has specialised in the treatment of
treating women and children. As one of the few Ayurvedic practitioners in the
country, Anne identified the need for an easily accessible, yet in depth, introduction
to Ayurveda. So, in 2015, she launched her exciting online Ayurveda course Learn
Living Ayurveda http://www.learnlivingayurveda.com/, as a next step for people
wanting to take their knowledge of Ayurveda further to benefit their lives or their
practices.
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
10cm piece of Fresh Root Ginger, peeled and grated
1 Tsp Sea Salt
Method: This looks like a large list of ingredients, but once assembled this soup is
very quick to put together, the hardest part is waiting for it to be cooked and ready
to eat! In a large pan add the water or stock whichever you prefer to use, sliced
chicken, onions, mushrooms and all the roots, berries, spices and salt. Bring to the
boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 1- 1½ hours. Serve hot in bowls. To make
the meal more substantial you can add cooked noodles to the pan 5 minutes before
serving.
Chinese Sweet & Sour Immune Boosting Soup
Echinacea, Elderberry & Ginger Tea
This soup is my version of a traditional Chinese remedy, the astragalus root, goji
berries and jujube fruit add a touch of sweetness to the soup, and astragalus is
used in TCM as a tonic and for giving the immune system a kick. You can make a
veggie version of this recipe by using vegetable stock and adding root veg like
potatoes, carrots or celeriac to the soup instead of the chicken and chicken stock.
480ml Boiling Water
2 Teaspoons Dried Echinacea
4 Teaspoons Dried Elderberries
½ Teaspoon Fresh Grated Root Ginger
1 Teaspoon Honey (per cup, or to taste)
2 Litres Water or Chicken Stock
2 Medium Onions, peeled and sliced
350g Chicken, cooked and sliced
50g Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
20g Huang Qi (Astragalus Root)
6 Da Zao Fruits (Jujube Dates)
30g Gou Gi Zi (Goji Berries)
10g Dang Gui (Chinese Angelica Root)
1 Tsp Wu Wei Zi (Schizandra Berries)
1 Fresh Chilli, Deseeded and finely sliced
Method: To make 2 mugs of this immune boosting and tasty tea, which is also
good for soothing a sore throat, pour boiling water over the echinacea, elderberries
and grated ginger in a teapot. Cover the teapot with a lid and cosy of you have one
and leave steeping for 10-15 minutes. Using a tea strainer, strain the tea in to 2
mugs, stir in the honey to taste and serve.
N.B. You can use a cinnamon stick roughly broken instead of ginger root for a
change.
Hedgerow Fruits Elixir
This wonderful fruity elixir is full of immune boosting ingredients like elderberries
which are antiviral and can help boost the immune system, the bilberries are
antioxidant and can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Sloe berries are
full of vitamin C and have a depurative action which means they can help remove
impurities from the body, they also have a febrifuge actions, which means they can
help to reduce a fever.
125g Dried Bilberries
125g Dried Elderberries
125g Dried Sloe Berries
125g Dried Rosehips
Cold Water to cover
100g Golden Castor Sugar (Per 100ml of finished fruit infusion)
15ml Brandy (Per 100ml of finished syrup)
Method: Put all the dried fruits in a pan and cover with enough cold water to
cover, bring the water to the boil then turn down the heat and allow the berries to
simmer until they are soft. Allow to cool slightly then strain through a nylon sieve
or muslin cloth to remove any seeds or pips and tough skins from the fruit.
Measure the juice you have in a jug and calculate the amount of sugar you require,
you will need 100g per 100ml of liquid, so 500ml will require 500g sugar. Once
you’ve figured out how much sugar you need place the fruity liquid in a clean pan,
add your sugar and bring the two to a boil stirring occasionally, once the liquid has
come to the boil, turn down the heat and allow to simmer until the liquid is thick
and syrupy, this takes between 25-40 minutes.
Once you have a syrupy consistency, allow the syrup to cool slightly then add 15ml
of brandy for every 100ml of syrup. Bottle the syrup and store, the syrup with keep
for 12 months unopened, but once opened keep it in the fridge and use it within 14
days. Take 1 teaspoon of elixir 3 times a day to help boost the immune system.
Old Fashioned Elderberry Elixir
This is one of my favourite home remedies to make, it’s delicious, don’t wait for a
cold to develop before treating yourself to a little of this. You can use fresh
elderberries if you prefer if they are available, when using fresh, increase the
amount to 100g.
50g Dried Elderberries
1 Cinnamon Stick (roughly broken)
10g Ground Ginger
5g Coriander Seeds (lightly crushed)
25g Dried Rosehips
Fresh Orange Peel, Chopped plus the Juice from 1 large Orange
500ml Brandy
225g-450g Runny Honey (depending how sweet you want your elixir to be)
Wide neck screw top jar that will hold 1.2 litres.
Method: Put the elderberries, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, rosehips and orange
peel into a jar, add the honey, orange juice and brandy and mix well, keep stirring
until the honey is thoroughly mixed in to the elixir. Put the lid on the jar and leave
to macerate for 4-6 weeks, mix again, strain and bottle into a dropper bottle. Take
¼ - ½ a dropper dose of this elixir every 2 to 3 hours when the first signs of a cold
present themselves. You can also take elderberries in the form of a cordial or
syrup.
Joints & Circulation
Julie Bruton Seal’s Mustard Foot Bath
2-4 Tbsp. Mustard Powder
Hot Water
Method: Find a basin large enough to put your feet in comfortably – a plastic
washing-up basin works well for most people. Put enough hot water in the basin to
cover your feet. The water should be quite hot, but comfortable enough for your
feet. It is a good idea to keep a kettle within reach to top up the water as it cools
down. Mix 2 to 4 tablespoons of mustard powder into the water. Put your feet in
and soak them for about 20 minutes while you relax.
Julie Bruton-Seal BSc MAMH MGNI
The winter is a time when many of us suffer from problems that derive from poor
circulation, our extremities feel the cold at this time when temperatures plummet,
but if you suffer from poor circulation the effects can be much worse for the legs,
feet, toes, hands and fingers, these recipes will help to warm you up and get the
blood pumping again.
About the Herbalist - Julie Bruton-Seal and her husband Matthew Seal are the
authors of 4 books on herbal medicine, their 5th book ‘Wayside Medicine: The
Forgotten Plants’ will be available to purchase in 2017, it is a follow on to the
enormously successful book Hedgerow Medicine. Julie's interest in health led her to
train in herbal medicine, iridology, craniosacral therapy and energy medicine, she
runs a natural health practice in Norfolk, England. Julie and Matthew also teach
workshops on herbal medicine making, and lead herb walks. For information on
other workshops and courses that Julie and Matthew are running, visit their
website: - http://www.hedgerowmedicine.com
Muscle Relaxing Liniment
The idea for my liniment came several years ago when I reviewed James Wong's
"Grow Your Own Drugs" book, I'd been trying some of the remedies out of the
book, as I always do when I review a book of recipes. I made the Rosemary & Clove
Liniment from the book and tried it out after a particularly gruelling winter
gardening session digging over several herb beds and it worked. The rosemary
helped to boost the circulation and the cloves had their much needed pain relief
effect.
Being me I couldn't help but experiment and I made my own liniment using equal
parts St John's Wort Infused Oil for its ability to provide local pain relief, White
Willow (Salix alba) Infused Oil which is both pain relieving and anti-inflammatory
and Ginger Tincture to help warm the muscles. N.B. If you can’t find White Willow
infused oil, you can always make your own.
100ml St John's Wort Infused Oil
100ml White Willow Infused Oil
50ml Ginger Tincture
50ml Cramp Bark Tincture
5 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
5 Drops Juniper Berry Essential Oil
10 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
Good Pinch Borax Powder (the borax is important as it acts as an emulsifier to help
the oil and tincture mix together to give a very thin cream like lotion).
Method: If you already have the infused oils the method is easy, get a 300ml
sterilised dark glass bottle with lid, but the infused oils, tinctures, essential oils and
the borax into the bottle and shake vigorously to combine. Store in the fridge and
massage into the achy areas when needed. The liniment will keep for up to 12
months.
All three of the essential oils in the liniment have rubefacient properties,
rubefacient means to irritate the skin by acting as an external stimulant, in the case
of the liniment it makes the skin warm up; the warming action helps to ease the
aches and pains. The cramp bark tincture helps to relax the muscle and the ginger
tincture helps to increase the circulation and warm the area.
Rosemary, Ginger & Cinnamon Tea
I gave a workshop on tea blending recently for JustBotanics and one of the most
popular blends was this spicy and stimulating brew which helps to get the blood
pumping and warms the extremities. Granted it’s not the first combination that
comes to mind when making tea to give the circulation a boost, but it’s tasty,
warming and helps to get the blood moving which helps warm cold joints and
eases mild aches. If you combine oils of the same herbs and spices it makes a
beneficial massage oil for tense, aching muscles.
130g Dried Rosemary
50g Dried Ginger Root Pieces
20g Cinnamon, Broken in to small pieces.
Method: This recipe makes enough to fill in a standard 227g (8oz) jam jar. Place
all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to thoroughly combine then place in your jar,
label, and you’re ready to make your brew.
To make a mug of this tea, place 2 teaspoons of the blend into a tea infuser, if you
want to make 2 cups use tea pot or cafetière and put 4 teaspoons of the blend into
your teapot, pour over boiling water and leave the tea steeping for 10-15 minutes.
After the steeping time, pour the tea through a testrainer into your mug, sweeten
with honey to taste if desired and sip slowly. This blend is also good for drinking if
you’re suffering from a runny nose or congestion as a result of colds and flu.
Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
When the wintry weather hits and you’re feeling cold and chilly what’s a better
cure for that than a nice bowl of soup to help warm and nourish you? Add an extra
boost to the soup by using warming and circulation boosting spices and you’re on
your way to making some tasty medicine!
Ingredients: Serves 2
1 Tsp Butter
2 Medium Sweet Potatoes
1 Stick Celery
2 Small Carrots
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
½ Tsp Ground Coriander
¼ Tsp Garlic Powder
½ Tsp Chilli Powder
1 inch Fresh Ginger Root, peeled and grated
1 Pint (565ml) Vegetable Stock (or Chicken Stock)
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to season
Pop the soup back in the pan, add a little stock or water if you think it’s too thick
and adjust the seasoning, once the soup is warmed through pour into bowls and
serve as is, or add a swirl of plain yogurt to the top and some toasted cumin seeds
or garlic and herb croutons. The addition of some chopped smoky bacon, or diced
chicken also tastes wonderful for the non-veggies out there.
Winter Warming Unguent
An unguent sounds terribly old fashioned, it was in fact the name that was given to
preparations that we call salves today. I wanted to give this recipe a sense of the
past, imagining that my great, great grand-mother would have applied something
like this to warm her cold and aching muscles. Externally when an unguent is
applied that is full of oils with rubefacient properties it has a warming, and
stimulating effect on the skin, this can also help to alleviate pain in the extremities.
Method: Peel the sweet potatoes and carrots and chop into small chunks, peel the
onions and chop them along with the celery. Melt the butter in a heavy based pan
and add the garlic and cumin seeds and gently fry for 2 minutes. Add the celery,
carrot, ginger and onions and stir for a further 5 minutes until the onions are
softened and translucent, add the sweet potatoes, chilli, coriander and stock and
bring to the boil.
10 Drops Juniper Essential Oil
10 Drops Clove Bud Essential Oil
10 Drops Ginger Essential Oil
10 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
10 Drops Black Pepper Essential Oil
15 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
15 Drops Capsicum Tincture
30 Drops Gingko Biloba Tincture
30 Drops Cinnamon Tincture
120ml Sweet Almond Oil
15g Beeswax
Once boiling, turn down the heat and allow the soup to simmer, when the
vegetables are tender and the soup is cooked to your liking remove from the heat,
add salt and pepper to season then carefully pour the soup into a blender and blitz
until smooth and creamy.
Method: First put all the essential oils and the tinctures into a small glass
container so you can quickly poor them in when required. Next heat the sweet
almond oil and the beeswax in a double- boiler (or a glass bowl sitting over a pan
of water) over low heat. Stir until the beeswax has melted.
Remove from heat and quickly stir in the essential oils and tinctures, making sure
everything is evenly combined and then pour the unguent into a clean amber glass
jar and allow to cool. Label, date and store in the fridge. Rub a little of the unguent
on to the hands, feet, knees that have been chilled and need to be warmed up.
N.B. If you or anyone using this unguent is allergic to nuts, omit the sweet
almond oil and use virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil instead.
Skin Health
Ali English’s Plantain Salve
Even in the winter we can suffer from cuts and bruises, this salve of Ali’s makes
use of the wonderful healing properties of Plantain (Plantago major), to sooth and
heal winter bumps and scraps. N.B. you can also use Ribwort Plantain (Plantago
lanceolata) for this salve.
50g Plantain Leaf
Organic Vegetable Oil – Rapeseed is easy to get hold of, Sweet Almond is lovely. I
find Olive Oil a bit too heavy.
Beeswax Granules
Lavender Essential Oil
Looking after your skin is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer,
some may say more so! The cold harsh winds, use of central heating which causes
a decline in humidity levels in the home and office can all cause the skin to become
chapped and dry, dry skin and chilblains are two of the most common skin
complaints associated with the winter. Winter ailments can also suppress our
immune systems and we can develop cold sores when we’re run down. Whether
your skin is suffering due to the lack of the natural oils it needs to stay healthy,
there are a variety of herbal products that can help to put that moisture back, keep
the skin healthy and help to heal sores from viruses, or even from bumps and
bruises from winter falls.
Method: You will need either a double boiler/bain-marie or a bowl on top of a
saucepan of simmering water. Pop the delightfully green dried plantain leaf into
the top of the double boiler (having a good sniff before you do – the scent sings of
footpaths and hedgerows on shady days.) Pour over enough of the oil you have
chosen to just cover the dried herbs. Keep an eye on the pan to make sure the
water basin does not boil dry, and allow your herbs and oil to steep for at least an
hour, a delightfully alchemical process takes place as the oil slowly turns green.
You can filter out the herbs if you want to at this point, and either use the oil as it
is, or repeat the process with a fresh batch of herbs and the same oil. I use a double
layer of muslin to filter herbs out of oil, which works well. The muslin can be
boiled up afterwards to get the oil out and make it suitable for use again.
To make the oil into a salve, measure out 100mls of the finished oil and add 12g of
beeswax to it, putting the whole lot back into the top of the double boiler and
simmering until the beeswax has melted. Stir, add 6 drops of lavender essential
oil, stir again briefly - stopping for a moment to enjoy the scent of herb and
lavender drifting from the pot – and then pour into small amber glass jars. Leave
this fragrant potion to cool, then screw on the lids and label. This balm is
wonderful for all minor scrapes, bruises, day to day damage and wear and tear and
also insect bites and sunburn. It has even been used to soothe chickenpox!
Salves will keep for anything from 6 months to 2 years if you keep them out of
direct heat and sunlight, and this recipe in particular is suitable for pretty much all
ages.
Make it – use it – enjoy it!
Ali English BSc (hons) Herb Med
About the Herbalist - Ali English works as a Medical Herbalist at Eldrum Herbs in
Lincolnshire. She graduated from the University of Lincoln in 2009 with a degree
in Medical Herbalism, and has been practicing ever since, continuing to pursue a
lifelong fascination with the world of plants. Ali offers herbal consultations, herb
walks, workshops and seminars, as well as running a small online business selling
tea blends and other items. You can contact Ali via her website the Eldrum Tree
http://eldrum.co.uk/ and find out about her latest courses and workshops.
Lemon Balm Cold Sore Salve
Lemon Balm has brilliant anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities and is well known
for being a useful herb for treating the Herpes Simplex (Cold Sore) virus. The
honey is wonderfully moisturising and anti-bacterial to boot, the tea tree oil has
anti-viral properties and it's incredibly healing.
21g Dried Lemon Balm
3 Tbsp. Wheatgerm Oil
65ml St John's Wort Infused Oil
50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Manuka Honey
1 Tbsp. Beeswax
3 Drops Melissa Essential Oil
3 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
2 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
Method: First split the dried lemon balm in to 3 x 7g portions, then using a double
boiler add 7g of the Lemon Balm along with the Wheatgerm and St John’s Wort
oils to the top pan and let it heat gently for 10 minutes, or until it starts to bubble.
Once it does, take it off the heat and allow to cool.
Strain the Lemon Balm infused oil through a muslin-lined sieve or colander into a
bowl, make sure you squeeze all the infused oil out. Discard the spent Lemon Balm.
Repeat this process two more times using the remaining 2 x 7g portions of Lemon
Balm in the oil you've already infused.
Once you've infused all the Lemon Balm in the oil put the pan back on top of your
double boiler and heat it up gently, whilst still warm add the Manuka honey,
beeswax and the essential oils and stir together well.
Pour your Lemon Balm Salve into small sterilised jars; it will set in around 10-15
minutes depending on the room temperature.
Use the salve at the first sign of a cold sore when you start to get that 'tingly'
feeling and during the period that the cold sore lasts for. The Salve will keep for up
to 1 year.
N.B. Use pure Vitamin E or Olive oil if you have an allergy to Wheat.
Lavender & Cinnamon Body Balm
This rich, soothing creamy body balm is full of wholesome ingredients that can
help the skin replenish and retain moisture, the skin can become dehydrated by
cold harsh winds. The balm also contains oats which are naturally moisturising
and nourishing for the skin and honey, another natural moisturiser that has
wonderful healing and antibacterial properties. Jojoba oil is not only a great
moisturiser for all skin types, it has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial
properties. Lavender and cinnamon oils give the balm a mild analgesic and
rubefacient effect, which helps to warm muscles and soothe aches. Everything
combined makes for a wonderfully healing, nourishing and warming balm for
winter skin.
300ml Water
2 Tbsp. Jumbo Oats
2 Tsp Beeswax
6 Tsp Emulsifying Wax
40ml Jojoba Oil
2 Tsp Lavender Honey
2 Tsp Vitamin C Powder
6 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
3 Drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
Method: In a pan, heat the water until boiling and then add the oats and leave the
oat water to simmer for 10 minutes. After this time use a sieve to separate the oats
from the liquid, retaining the oat water. Once strained, measure out 200ml and put
the liquid back in the pan and keep it hot.
Using a bowl over a pan of hot water (or a bain-marie if you have one) put the
beeswax, emulsifying wax and jojoba oil into the bowl and stir until all the waxes
have melting and all ingredients are combined.
Once the wax and oil mixture is melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the oat
water a little at a time mixing well in between additions, until all 200mls of liquid
have been added to the wax mixture. You can use an electric mixer if you prefer
rather than whisking it all in by hand.
Next stir in the lavender honey, vitamin C powder and the lavender and cinnamon
essential oils, stirring well to combine all ingredients. Then pour the cream into
sterilised glass jars and seal at once. Label, and store in a cool dry place. Use after
bathing or when the skin is feeling the effects of winter weather.
Nourishing Jasmine Hand Cream
This wonderfully fragrant hand lotion will leave your skin feeling nourished and
silky, its perfect for use on dry chapped hands, the jasmine oil will help restore the
natural glow of the skin and repair the damage that the winter cold and wind can
do to your hands. The recipe makes 2 x 60ml jars or 4 x 30ml jars.
42g Grated Beeswax
55ml Sweet Almond Oil
55ml Coconut Oil
85ml Vegetable Glycerine
6 Drops Jasmine Essential Oil
Method: Using a double boiler (or a glass bowl sitting over a pan of water) heat
the beeswax, coconut and sweet almonds oils together gently until the beeswax has
melted, once melted, remove from the heat and using a hand whisk or an electric
mixer with beaters attached slowly add the vegetable glycerine.
Add the jasmine essential oil and continue whisking until all the oil has been
whipped into the wax and oil mixture and the mixture has taken on a thick glossy
texture. Put the cream into a sterilized amber glass jar, label and store in the fridge.
The cream will keep for around 3 months.
Sweet Orange & Cinnamon Lip Balm
Makes 6 x 15ml Pots.
40g Shea Butter
40g Grapeseed Oil
20g Beeswax, grated
15 Drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil
5 Drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
Coarsely chop or grate the beeswax and then place beeswax, butter, and oils in a
small pot or glass Pyrex measuring cup and gently heat in the top of a double boiler
until the beeswax and butters have melted. Once melted, remove from the stovetop
and add essential oils. Immediately pour the mixture into lip balm containers. You
can purchase lip balm tubes and jars, or you can reuse glass or plastic containers.
Allow to cool completely before placing caps onto the lip balm containers. Your lip
balm is finished! You can now add labels, ribbons, twine, or any other decorative
elements.
N.B. You can use sweet almond oil, but when giving as a gift its best to use an
oil that is allergy free, especially if you’re not sure whether the gift recipient
suffers from a nut allergy or not.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to source the most up to date and
accurate information, we cannot guarantee that remedies in our articles are
effective, when in doubt, consult your GP or a qualified Medicinal Herbalist.
Remember also that herbal remedies can be dangerous under certain circumstances
therefore you should always seek medical advice before self-treating with a
homemade remedy, especially if you are pregnant, breast feeding or suffer from any
known illness which could be adversely affected by self-treatment.
Further Information
There are lots of interesting articles on the JustBotanics blog covering a wide range
of herbs and uses http://www.justbotanics.co.uk/blog. We also recommend that
you make use of the resources below to find out more about herbs and their uses,
where your local herbalist is, or who is running courses and workshops check out
the information below.
Books - Recommended Reading
web.
The British Herbal Medicine Association http://bhma.info/index.php/aboutthe-bhma/
The Herb Society http://www.herbsociety.org.uk
Traditional Herbal Registration Discover which ‘Over the Counter’ (OTC) herbal
medicines have licences. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/herbalmedicines-granted-a-traditional-herbal-registration-thr/herbal-medicinesgranted-a-traditional-herbal-registration
The Complete Herbal Tutor by Anne McIntyre ISBN-13: 978-1856753180
Hedgerow Medicine by Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew Seal ISBN-13: 9781873674994
The Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier ISBN-13: 9780789467836
Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal
Remedies by David Hoffman ISBN-13: 978-1852308476
The Illustrated Elements of Herbalism by Non Shaw ISBN-13: 978-0007136025
Practical Herbs Books 1 & 2 By Henriette Kress PH1 ISBN-13: 978-9526757582
and PH2 ISBN-13: 978-9526802503
Regulatory Bodies
National Institute of Medicinal Herbalists (NIMH) www.nimh.org.uk
Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners (URHP) http://www.urhp.com/
Irish Institute of Medical Herbalists (IIMH) http://www.iimh.org/
Association of Master Herbalists (AMH)
http://www.associationofmasterherbalists.co.uk/
Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine http://www.rchm.co.uk/
Ayurvedic Practitioners Association (APA) http://www.apa.uk.com/
General Herbal Information
Henriette Kress Herbal Information Site http://www.henriettes-herb.com/ One of the oldest, largest and well respected sources of herbal information on the