I absolutely love working with the plants to make all sorts of goodies, some just for delight and some with marvelous health benefits. Listed below are some of my favorite creations that I would like to share with you. If you are interested in any of the items in my apothecary feel free to contact me.
I keep records in my apothecary, including an intake log which lists what herbs I got from where and when, and a batch log where ingredients, preparation method, harvesting method, and dates are stored. This way, I can keep track of what works best and what doesn't, in a continual process of refinement. And it lets my nerdy side shine right along with my more whimsical side in this creative process. :)
My tinctures are usually made via the simplers method, using vodka or vegetable glycerine. I'm looking forward to doing more with honey soon; I'll keep you posted!
Tulsi Tincture:
Eleuthero Tincture:
Vitex Tincture:
Liver Tincture:
Warming/Cooling Salve:
This fun salve is just what it sounds like - a rub that is both warming and cooling, and soothes pain. I have a friend with fibromyalgia, and she uses this from time to time to help with symptoms. She even passed it along to another friend with neuralgia, who was so happy to finally get a full night's sleep after using this. I feel so blessed and happy to have been able to make something for these wonderful women to enjoy!
I put some good thought into the creation of this salve because I wanted to have everything that goes into it serve a meaningful purpose and make it multi-functional.
First up is Cayenne, which brings blood to the area to flush waste and feed the tissue. It also blocks substance P from binding the neurokinin-1 receptor, so there's no nociceptive stimulus. Next up is ginger which inhibits cyclooxygenase 2, balances COX1, and inhibits 5-Lipoxygenase. No arachidonic cascade means no pain and inflammation. NSAIDs work by inhibiting COX1 and COX2, but COX1 is actually useful in other body processes (thus some of the side effects of the drugs), but the ginger works in a much more body-process-friendly way. Yay for the wisdom of the plants! :) Anyway, up next is a peppermint/spearmint blend. The menthol is an analgesic and antispasmodic, plus the cooling energetic of the mint helps to balance out the heat from the cayenne and ginger, so the salve can be used for most constitutions. All the herbs are extracted in olive oil which is an antiinflammatory, with oleocanthal also acting as a COX inhibitor. I go for a nice long extraction in the oil, then use beeswax to make the salve.
In case you're wondering, my goodies fall under the umbrella of Cottage Law: "Made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to government food safety inspection."
That is to say: they're made in my home apothecary/kitchen, by just little ol' me!