Bath or Shower Ball - Bath Blend of the Month

This quick blend is a nice combination of sweet scents for relaxation as well as soothing herbs for skin.  Use it in a tea ball or muslin bag and enjoy as a soak in the bath or as a rub in the shower.

Bath Tea Ball

1/3 cup rosemary

1/3 cup rose petals

1/3 cup lavender buds

Combine dry herbs into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Scoop 1 to 2 Tablespoons in a tea ball for the bath or in a cotton muslin bag for the shower.

TO USE: Add 1 to 2 Tbls to a tea ball and hang under the tap while filling the bathtub.  Or add 1 to 2 Tbls to a muslin bag and hang from the shower head while letting water warm.  Then use the bag to scrub skin while showering to enrich skin with the herbal benefits.

Foaming Tea Soap - Bath Blend of the Month

The dry indoor weather of Illinois in winter and washing hands can be a harsh combination, so this month we thought we would recommend a foaming soap made with herb tea.  This allows you to choose herbs that will help or soothe the skin and combine them with a gentle castile soap yet still get the cleaning and germ fighting you need.

You can use all sorts of different herbal teas for this recipe, and I encourage you to experiment until you find something that you love. You can use fresh herbs from the garden, loose tea, or teabags.

I recommend loose herbal or green tea to make this recipe in winter, but switch to fresh cut herbs to make the tea during the growing season. Any kind of loose tea will work well in this recipe, but I personally love teas with lavender, rose or green tea.  They are good for skin, relaxing and you can drink as well as make soap with them. 

For this batch I decided to use my Summer Iced Tea blend.  it is a great combo of flowers and lemongrass so I get the germ fighting of lemongrass as well as the soothing properties of the flowers.

Now that you’ve chosen your tea, you’re ready to make your hand soap.

Ingredients

• 60% brewed herbal tea 
• 20% liquid castile soap
• 20% air

Directions

First, choose a foaming soap dispenser (look for a foaming dispenser as this soap is too liquid for a regular pump). You can buy a nice reusable one, do as I do and reuse one that once contained store-bought foaming soap or make your own pump with a mason jar and plastic pump top.

Fill your chosen container 60% of the way with brewed herbal tea. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature before combining in the jar. Top that with 20% liquid castile soap. Choose a soap that is natural and gentle on skin. Leave the top 20% of the container empty and screw on the top. Give it a good shake and you’re done!

To use: pump onto your hands and lather up.

Splendor Bath Blend - Bath Blend of the Month

March is a time to rejuvinate.  Spring is coming. Daylight savings time is around the corner. And we emerge from the coccoon of a northern hemisphere winter. This year more than ever I am all about emerging, changing, growing, and being aecited about change.  So this is a perfect time to boost the body, cleanse the skin and help the rest of me get ready for change.

Splendor Bath Blend 

• 1/2 cup thyme
• 1/2 cup sage
• 1/2 cup lavender
• 1/2 cup mint
• 1/2 cup bay leaves
• 1/2 cup rosemary
• 1 1/2 cup powdered milk
• 1/2 cup Epsom salt
• 1/8 cup baking soda
• 2 Tbls cornstarch

Basic Instructions:

Make drawstring pouches out of cheesecloth, organza or muslin, enough to hold anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the herbal. Tie them tightly shut so the loose ingredients won’t float out. After use the contents can be emptied, the pouches rinsed out then washed to be refilled and reused.  Or use a large drip coffee filter or bandana and tie with ribbon.

Preparation:

Two ways these can be enjoyed, either hang them on the tap while the hot water is running, making sure the water is running through them. Once the tub is filled, let them float around.

Infusion Method: Boil a quart of water, turn off heat, add pouch, cover, then steep (for at least 20 minutes for best results). Add the piping hot infusion (and the bag) to a full tub, being careful while pouring to avoid burning yourself.

Lemon Mint Bath Tub Tea - Monthly Bath Blend

Herbal bath teas are used to obtain the relaxing and therapeutic benefits of herbs in a simple format. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the many office tasks, household chores and family functions that require our attention.  Our bodies requirement rest and relaxation to rejuvenate. The use of herbal bath teas is it is an inexpensive method to have relaxation and to have the calming feeling of the herbs. Because of the relaxing as well as the calming feelings it provides, it is an ages old method to gather the healing and therapeutic benefits of herbs.

Herbal bath teas are great for our skin. And it is easy to make your own personal herbal bath tea.  Two great ingredients to include in an herbal tub tea are lemon and mint

Juice from the lemon can give a cleaning effect to the skin balancing the acid levels and removing dead skin cells, making younger and fresh-looking skin. Lemon herbs also have calming and soothing capabilities, like lemon balm which adds to happy thoughts and lemon verbena. Mint, especially peppermint, allows better oxygen circulation in your body which help the body to properly repair itself.

Lemon Mint Bath Tea

½ cup dry lemon balm

¼ cup dry lemon verbena

¼ cup dry peppermint leaves

1 lemon, sliced

Directions:

Combine the dry ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Shake to combine.  Measure ¼ to ½ cup dry ingredients into a coffee filter and tie closed to use. 

TO USE:  place herbs in coffee filter in a saucepan of 1 cup of water and bring to boil.  Remove from heat and allow to steep 10 minutes or more.  Draw a warm bath and place lemon slices in warm drawn bath and then pour the steeped tea into the bath water.  Slip in an enjoy the relaxing and soothing benefits.

Milk and Oatmeal Bath Tea - Bath blend of the month

It is that time of year where wind, dry heat and other aspects of the season change begin to effect the skin.  So I thought a quick and easy bath tub tea might be the way to go.  This tea uses milk to sooth and soften skin along with  oatmeal to soothe dryness and itchiness. With this recipe you fill cloth bags or coffee filters  and then allow the bag to steep in the bath water before you slide in to enjoy your bath.

If you want some extra herb properties in this bath tea, choose to add 1 Tablespoon of any of these herbs to each bag.


Lavender – is balancing will calm or rejuvenate depending on your need 
Lemon Balm – an infusion strained into the bath make for happy thoughts

Roman Chamomile – is calming and relaxing

Bergamot - stimulates

Rosemary – lightly astringent; stimulates rejuvenates and promotes elimination of waste

Sage – purifying, restores skin tone

Rose – deeply healing

Geranium – deeply healing

Milk & Oatmeal Bath Tea 

1 ½ cups regular oats, not quick

1 cup powdered milk

Blend the ingredients together in a plastic bowl, then fill the muslin bags.  Add 1 Tablespoon of herbs (if desired) to each bag shaking to combine.  This recipe will make up to 8 bags.

To Use: Place filled bag under the tap while bath is filling, then slide into the water.  Use the bag as a scrubby to get even more herbal energy!

Serenity Bath Tub Tea - Bath Blend of the Month

This is a large recipe of bath blend that allows you to make enough to use for yourself and for gifts.  The herbs are chosen for their relaxing qualities.  

Lavender - in addition to being relaxing and soothing due to its scent. Lavender is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antiseptic which makes it perfect treatment for damaged skin.

Chamomile - soothes nerves and aids relaxation while reducing redness and irritation to the skin.

Comfrey - this cure-all herb with extreme anti-inflammatory properties aid the repair of skin.

St John's Wort - a mood regulator, great for help stemming depression and anxiety.

Jasmine - this is a relaxation herb through scent and skin absorption that will aid sleep.

Lemon verbena - has sedative properties which make it perfect for relaxation and it is also good for treating illness and stress.
 

Serenity Bath Tea

 1 cup lavender buds

½ cup St. Johns Wort

½ cup chamomile

½ cup comfrey

½ cup jasmine flowers

½ cup lemon verbena

8 drops lemon essential oil

8 drops lavender essential oil


Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Use 1/4 cup of mixture in a cotton muslin bag or coffee filter tied with string.  Makes about 12 bags

To Use: Steep one bag in 1 cup of warm water for then pour that liquid into the bath.  Soak and relax.

Victorian Bath Tea - Bath Blend of the Month

Coming up May 1, 2019 I will being doing a special demo program called Body Beautiful Bath Botanicals (at Schaumburg Library) which will focus on how easy it is to use herbs to enhance your skin, refresh you hair and make your bath experience more relaxingly aromatic.  

I will be showing how to make bath and spa items, everything from bath tea to bath salts to lotions, salves and other items.  Participants will be able to take home a little something for themselves as part of the program.  

I have been debating what recipes to have guests make and one of the must haves is a bath tea blend.  The blend I am using is different than the one below, but in my search I found this one that I once sold at the Wheaton History Center gift shop.  It is a blend of appropriate Victorian Herbs and flowers with a refreshing traditional scent.

Lavender is balancing and will calm or rejuvenate depending on your need and what you combine it with.  Including rose petals and the geranium essential oil creates a deeply healing blend with this Bath tea.

Victorian Bath Tea

1/2 cup rose petals and buds

1/2 cup lavender buds

1/2 cup comfrey

8 drop lavender essential oil

8 drops rose geranium essential oil

Directions:

Blend the herbs together in a plastic bowl, then add each essential oil separately and stir to combine.  Allow to meld overnight, scoop ¼ cup into each muslin bag and store in an airtight container.  This recipe will make up to 8 bags.

Oatmeal Floral Deluxe Milk Bath - Monthly Bath Blend

October is a month where your skin starts to dry out.  The heat may be on in the hime, the sun screen is not liberally applied anymore, and because it is no longer hot you are drinking less water and your skin begins to dry out.

Bath sachets (also known as bath tea) make a lovely, luxurious soak that can be beneficial to skin, ease stress and help soothe aches and pains. These steep in the tub, making a luxurious soak. If some tender therapy is needed to ease sore feet, you can try these as a foot soak instead.

Obtain a drawstring pouch or make a bag out of cheesecloth, organza, terry cloth or muslin, large enough to hold anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of this herbal mix. Tie them tightly shut so the loose ingredients won’t float out. After use the contents can be emptied, the pouches rinsed out then washed to be refilled and reused.

These amounts will make a batch at a time to be stored in an airtight container until needed.

Oatmeal Floral Deluxe Milk Bath 
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup Epsom salt
1/8 cup baking soda
2 Tbls cornstarch
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup lavender

Preparation:
Fill the bag with a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the Sachet Blend. Two ways these can be enjoyed, either hang them on the tap while the hot water is running, making sure the water is running through them. Once the tub is filled, let them float around.  Or the Infusion Method: Boil a quart of water, turn off heat, add pouch, cover, then steep (for at least 20 minutes for best results). Add the piping hot infusion (and the bag) to a full tub, being careful while pouring to avoid burning yourself.
Note: Do not steep in an aluminum pot.

Calendula Bath - Bath Blend of the Month

Calendula Bath 

This is a great way to get rid of itchy, irritated or dry skin. Calendula is a perfect herb for skin, taken as a tea internally or used in the bath externally it will bring back a softness and glow to skin.  The gentleness of this simple bath tea allows you to sue it over and over.

1/4 to 1/2 cup Calendula Petals 

2 cup boiling water

Stir the Calendula petals into boiling water.  Steep until the water is room temperature, then strain into the bath water and soak.

Muscle Saver Bath - Bath Blend of the Month

Much garden work is being done at my house as I put in gardens where none were before.  The shoveling, the raking, the building of raised beds, it is all good for me, but my muscles sometimes scream in protest.  This aromatic bath is good for relaxing muscles and relieving stress.  It is also valuable to those with arthritis.  I find this is very helpful when my hands start aching. Juniper berry’s essential oil breaks down the surface tension of the epidermis helping the skin absorb the beneficial aspects of the remaining herbs.

Muscle-Saver Bath 

1 tsp. juniper berries

2 Tbls. dried peppermint

2 Tbls. dried spearmint

2 Tbls lavender flowers and leaves

Place all the ingredients in a square of muslin or a handkerchief, tie up with string.  Or place in an unbleached muslin bag or coffee filter.  Place the bag in the tub while it fills with water.  The bag acts like a giant tea bag, turning your bath into a therapeutic herbal tea.  Use the soaked bag to scrub your skin.  If you prefer a shower, soak the bag of herbs in the shower and then use it like a washcloth.

Monthly Bath Blend - Tub Teas

Bath teas are fun! Big teabags filled with scented herbs and other special ingredients that you just toss in your tub and soak.

The best way to use a tub tea is to brew it. Place the bag in 1 cup of water in a saucepan and boil for 10 to 15 minutes.  Place the resulting liquid in the bath water of a filled tub.  You can also just place the tea bag in tub while you fill it, or if you don't take baths, you can use them as a foot soak or shower scrub (simply wet the teabag then gently use it as a herbal washcloth for your skin).

We are including a free bath tea with every order in the month of April. You will receive our choice of bath tea – we now have five different blends available.  We will choose one that suits the herbs in your order.

NEW - Lavender Mint Tub Tea is excellent for refreshing and cleansing, perfect for oily skin.

NEW - Soothing Chamomile and Comfrey is fabulous for sunburn, rashes, irritated skin, or chicken pox!

Original Bath Tub Tea is a combination of many herbs and flowers of a soothing bath.

Green Tea Tub Tea is a combination of green tea and herbs like calendula that  are especially soothing to the skin.

Secret Garden Tub Tea is a blend of flowers that will take you to a floral heaven while it relaxes and soothes.

If you want to try your hand at your own Tub Tea, try this one:

Total Relaxation Tub Tea

1 tsp. dried lavender flowers

1 tsp. marjoram leaves

1 tsp. chamomile

Combine into a tea bag or coffee filter and use as described above.

Once a Month Bath Recipe - Hard Days End Bath Blend

January is a hard month.  The recovery from the holidays as well as the cold and harsh winter weather in the north combine to make this month difficult for the skin and the mind.  A soothing bath will help to soothe these ills. Here is a perfect blend to create.

Hard Days End

• 1/2 Cup Lavender
• 1/2 Cup Uncooked Oatmeal
• 1/4 Cup Dry Orange Peel
• 1/2 Cup Chamomile
• 1/4 Cup Rosemary
• 12 Bay Leaves, Crushed

Mix any of the following blends as dry ingredients. Stir well and stuff a metal tea ball or muslin bag with the blend (lace or cotton fabric will also work). As you run your bath, place the tea ball or bag in the tub, under the running water. Then, relax and enjoy!

** Each month around the fourth, we post a bath salt, scrub, or other blend or recipe that you can make at home for your bath!

If you love Bath and Sap items, check them out on our website.

Bath Blend of the Month - Bath Sachet Blend

This is the fourth month of sharing Bath Recipes from the Vault. Each month I sift through my files of saved recipes, I am sharing those that are seasonally perfect for your bath. This month I wanted to be in a flower mood since the flowers did not peek out nearly as early as I wanted I really had to force myself.

But I have several recipes for bath sachets that use a preponderance of flowers.  One similar to this I once shared in the Chicago Tribune a number of years ago.  I found the original recipe in Phyllis Schaudy's The Pleasure of Herbs. You can place the herbs in a draw string bag, bundle them into squares of cotton cloth or seal them into a tea bag.  I market similar blend as Bath Tub Tea!

Bath Sachet Blend

5 cups chamomile

5 cups lavender

5 cups red rose petals

4 cups spearmint

3 cups rosemary

1 cup blue juniper berries

Blend the herbs and flowers together in a jar and shake to mix.  If you want, you can add 5 to 10 drops of rose geranium or lavender essential oil to the mixture once shaken.  Allow to meld for 1 to 2 weeks, then add 2 Tbls. to a cloth bag or tea bag. 

To use: Steep the bag in 1/2 cup boiled water for 15 minutes then pour the liquid into the filled bath.  Or hand the bag from the tap while filling the tub, allowing the water to pass through the herbs.

Holiday De-stress treatment

Okay it is two days before Christmas.  Time to stop for a moment, give thanks for your blessings and take a few minutes to rejuvinate yourself.

This aromatic bath is good for relaxing muscles and relieving stress.  It is also valuable to those with arthritis.  Juniper berries essential (volatile) oil breaks down the surface tension of the skin helping it to absorb the beneficial aspects of the remaining herbs.

Muscle-Saver Relaxation Bath Bag

1 tsp. juniper berries

2 Tbls. dried peppermint

2 Tbls. dried spearmint

2 Tbls lavender flowers and leaves

Place all the ingredients in a square of muslin or a handkerchief, tie up with string.  Or place in an unbleached muslin bag.  Place the bag in the tub while it fills with water.  The bag acts like a giant tea bag, turning your bath into a therapeutic herbal tea.  Use the soaked bag to scrub your skin.  If you prefer a shower, soak the bag of herbs with the shower head, then use it like a washcloth.

Herb Bath Combinations

Protect your mood and your skin from seasonal changes with an herbal bath.  I noticed the other day that my ankles are chapped.  I ride my bike a lot and this time of year the wind can be a bit biting and drying.  I find the best treatment for chapped skin as well as my overall mood as the days get shorter is a good soak in the tub with some herbs.

Smoothing, soothing and hydrating to the skin, herbal baths are so easy to make, you owe it to yourself to take the time out for yourself to give one a try!

Basic bath recipe:  Place 1/2 cup of any combination of herbs in a non-metallic pot and add water to cover. 

Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 10-20 minutes to extract the wonderful benefits of the herbs. Strain.  Pour the fragrant herbal decoction into your bath water or use the brew as a last rinse in the shower. 

If you are bathing, soak for around 20 minutes.   Do not have the bath water too hot or it will make you sweat, and not allow your skin to take in the herbal nutrients as efficiently. Remember, allergic reactions can occur with any herbal product, so always test your herbal infusion on a small area of the skin before adding to your bath.   

Here is a list of the best bath properties of some popular herbs to get you started in choosing herbs for your blends.  At the bottom are some of my favorite combinations.

Herb Properties for the Bath:

• Lavender- rejuvenating, fragrant
• Peppermint- stimulating, cooling
• Sage- astringent, helps sore joints
• Calendula- promotes healing of dry, chapped skin
• Chamomile-reduces swelling
• Horsetail- anti-fungal
• Lemon Balm- relaxing
• Parsley- Soothes insect bites
• Rosemary-astringent
• Thyme-muscle relaxant
• Roses-skin hydrator
• Chervil-revitalizing
• Savory-stimulating
• Hops-revitalizing
• Spearmint-calming
• Catnip- relaxing
• Strawberry leaves-cleansing
• Basil-relaxing
• Marjoram-stimulating

Try these combinations:
1. Skin restoring – Rose petals, sage and calendula
2. Hard work rescue – lemon thyme, chamomile, sage and lavender
3. Relaxation recipe –  Spearmint, lemon balm, and lemon basil


By the way,  these make great gifts!  Try a blend and place it in a muslin bag or a heat seal teabag. And combine into a gift bag for your closest friends.  Check out the Bath Sachet’s of the Backyard Patch for more gift ideas.

Roses in the Bath

 

Rose petals add an element of softness to the skin when used in bath mixtures.  Either in Bath Bags or in salves, vinegar and other mediums, the softening as well as mildly astringent qualitiesalso reducing puffiness, edema and has a slight tightening effect (which means it reduced wrinkles!) The oil is most effective for moisturizing and hydrating the skin while having a general stimulant and antiseptic action which is good for all skin types, but especially so for dry, mature and irritated skin. It is used to repair broken capillaries, inflammation, as well as skin redness.

Today I thought it would be fun to share a few recipes using roses that are just for the bath.  But if you do not want to make your own and like roses in your bath items, the Backyard Patch makes two popular rose products.  My fun and simple Bath Tub Tea that is a combation of many herbs including rose petals and my rose petal infused Rose Hair Rinse which uses rose petals in vinegar and water to soften hair and help remove product build up from shampoo, conditioners and treatments.

 Here are recipes to try on your own:

Bath Bag

2 t. each

lemon verbena

 peppermint

 dried roses

 hibiscus

nettle

rosehips (for color)

Place the herbs in a cotton draw string bag or wrap up in a cotton wash cloth.  To use steep the bag in 2 cups water warm water for 15 minutes are pour into bath water.

Rose Vinegar Bath

A toner and fresher that brings skin back to normal pH after cleaning; this product is very good for your skin, especially if it is oily.  Apply after washing with a cotton ball or soft cloth.

1 cup apple cider vinegar

5 T. rose petals

4 T. sage leaves

3 T. raspberry leaves

2 T. rosemary

¾ cup rosewater (reserved)

Heat the vinegar and pour over the herbs.  Place the mixture in a quart jar and cap it.  (Do not use a metal lid).  Shake daily for 10 days.  Strain.  Add rosewater to vinegar.  Store, covered, in jars with nonmetallic lids.

(This recipe was by Linda Gannon, the Magick Garden  McFarland, WI – excerpted from Herbal Treasures by Phyllis Shaudys, 1990)

Basic Baby Powder

8 oz. arrowroot or cornstarch or a blend of both

4 oz. baking soda

1 Tbls. Ground Cloves

1 Tbls. slippery elm

1 Tbls. rose petals

1 Tbls. Lavender

Blend ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl.  Store in a large glass jar, covered, for two weeks, allowing scents to blend.  Shake jar well every other day.  You can boost the scent with 10 to 15 drops of rose absolute or rose geranium essntial oil.

Dust on body as a perfume or a way to stay dry in warm summer months.

Rose Bath Oil

Rose Petals (about 1/2 to 1 cup)
2 oz grapeseed oil
5 drops jasmine oil
5 drops ylang-ylang oil

Place rose petals in a glass jar and cover with the oils. Shake and allow to infuse overnight. I liked it best when it infused about 3 days. 

Add 1/4 oz. of the oil to your bath or sprkile over the tips of your fingers and work into your skin when wet fromt he shower.

Cleavers - Herb of the Week

)updated May 2017)

March 28 is National Weed Day (it might be weeding day, but it is March so I am not weeding anything yet!), so I decided to make the herb of the week a plant you would not grow but may harvest and use as it grows wild and is considered by many to be a weed.

I remember having a lot of fun with cleavers or “velcro weed” as a child.  This wonderful sticky, annual plant often grows wild and prolifically against fences, in hedgerows, crop fields and beneath trees.  we used to play in the farm field next door grabbing it and throwing it at each other.  My sister would make messages on my back.  Usually "Bite me!"  Back then I was not into the medical properties of anything, let along a playful weed, but recently I came across information on Urban Herbology  that details its use as a as a cleansing herb.

Cleavers (Galium aparine) - Herb of the Week

Cleavers (Galium aprine)

The pinnate-shape leaves of Galium aparine grow in whorls of 4 to 8 around its stem, which can get up to 6 feet long.  The plant’s sticky nature comes from tiny hooked hairs growing out from the leaves and ridges of the stems.  The clever cleaver uses the  sticky hairs to grow upward as it can cling to other plants, as well as fences and trees.  The seeds set in small sticky hairy burrs that will also cling to your clothing, aiding in seed dispersal. These seeds can lay dormant for up to 7 years, meaning the plant is generally unaffected by drought or other unsavory conditions.

Cleavers must spread seed as it is an annual, dying out entirely during winter, to spring anew each Spring  Native to the grassy savanna along river banks in Canada, the eastern half of the U.S., and along the Pacific Coast. It does produce a taproot, so can be hard to eradicate during the growing season.  The stem is slender, weak and square. Small, white or greenish-white flowers appear from May to September. The plant exudes a strong, honey-like odor, but actually has a bitter flavor.  

The herb is said to promotes lymphatic flow, to be cooling, soothing and cleansing. It is best harvested when young and prolific.  Depending on your weather this can be as easy as March, but it becomes most abundant after the first week of summer.  It can be added to salads, though the hairs give an interesting effect, or cooked in a little water as a leaf vegetable. If gathering it for making a medicinal tincture, you should strive to collect the plant in July, for a spring tonic gather as easily in the year as you can when shoots are still young.

Because it grows wild, Native Americans of the Eastern U.S and Midwest used it as a medicine for the treatment of gonorrhea.

Sweet Woodruff

PLEASE NOTE: As ever, when harvesting from the wild you should use a good field guide, be aware of look-a-like plants.  I think the most likely plant to be confused with Cleavers (Galium aparine)  is Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum).  In the same family they have a similar whorl of leaves and small white flowers that appear in May, but Sweet Woodruff has smooth slightly darker leaves that are a bit more pointed.  They also prefer a more shady area to grow in.  Sweet Woodruff is a helpful herb for insect and moth repellents, but unlike Cleavers it contains substances which can be poisonous in very large doses. Sweet Woodruff is also a perennial that will stay close to the same area year after year, while annual Cleavers get spread around because of the sticky stems and seeds.

Uses

Cleavers is often used by herbalists for cystitis, swollen glands, swollen breasts, PMS, mild lymphedema, prostatitis and as a diuretic for a general spring clean.  Susun Weed reports that it can also be helpful in reducing allergic reactions.  Due to it’s gentle diuretic cleansing action, Galium aparine often also helps to ease some skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema and gout.

Historically cleavers are seen as a wonderful cleansing remedy, clearing toxins from the system and reducing heat and inflammation. Cleavers has a diuretic action, aiding elimination of wastes, and also acts to enhance the lymphatic system, promoting lymphatic drainage of toxins and wastes so that they can be excreted via the urinary system. These actions combine to make cleavers  excellent for fluid retention, skin problems,. Including eczema, psoriasis, acne, boils, abscesses, urinary infections. urinary stones and gravel, arthritis and gout. Cleavers can be used for lymphatic problems, such as lymphatic congestion and swollen lymph glands, congestion of the breasts, and is said to have anti-tumor activity, particularly when in the skin or breasts, and the lymphatic system.

Cleavers makes an excellent facial wash as it tightens the skin. For those with the customary wrinkles and sags that come with age, making a wash with this herb might be something to consider (see below.)

Cleavers cools heat and inflammation in the body, seen in conditions such as cystitis, arthritis, inflammatory skin problems and digestive problems. Its bitter properties stimulate liver function and enhance digestion and absorption. A cooling drink made of cleavers was traditionally given every spring to "clear the blood".

The fresh leaves can be applied to cuts or wounds to check bleeding and speed healing. The juice or an infusion can be used to bathe varicose ulcers, or the fresh leaves can be made into a poultice. You can also blanch the fresh leaves and add to soups or as a substitute for spinach in quiche or similar recipes.

I thought about picking some to put on the sunburn I got out bike riding in Wisconsin this past weekend, where I took this picture.  But I decided to gather it at home instead.

Recipes

Cleavers tea (version 1)3 heaped tablespoons of dried or fresh herb

2 cups boiling water

Allow to stand for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool.  When cool take mouthful doses throughout the day.

Cleavers tea (version 2)

1 tsp cleavers

1 tsp. uva ursi

1 cup boiling water

Place herbs in water and allow to steep for thirty minutes then drain. Add honey to sweeten if the tea is too bitter.

Tincture of Cleavers2 cups 100 proof vodka or Everclear4 to 5 feet of Cleaver plant material

Harvest the top two thirds of plant when in flower or setting seed (July is a great time.) Crush some of the plant in mortar and pestle with a bit of vodka, then place in a glass jar and cover with more alcohol.  Allow to steep for 5 to 6 weeks, remembering to shake daily.

UPDATE: For details on making a tincture, see my post from March 2017

To use: According to Urban Herbology you can take a dose of 0.5ml – 1ml in a glass of water a few times daily when called for.

Cleavers Facial Wash 

This wash will help to tighten up loose skin folds. Gradual results should become evident within 2 weeks. You should begin to see a brightening and smoothing of skin making it look less tired.

1 Quart water

3 1/2 Tbls. Dried cleavers

Bring quart of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add dried cleavers. Cover and steep for 40 min. 

To Use: Soak a wash cloth or small terrycloth hand in the chilled tea, then wash face and neck or apply as a compress over face for up to 10 minutes several times a day.

UPDATE: Sources sited in this article include:

https://urban-herbology.org/

https://www.gaiaherbs.com/blogs/herbs

https://www.eclecticschoolofherbalmedicine.com/cleavers-monograph/

  

Herb of the Week - Chamomile

Again this week I am presenting an herb that you should think about having in your garden.  Chamomile is one of the most common medicinal and tea herbs that you can grow easily in your garden. With its many uses, especially as a medicinal herb, it definitely is a valuable addition to your home herb garden.

So this week’s herb of the week is Roman Chamomile Chamaemelum nobile (also Anthemis nobilis)

History

Most of us first heard about Chamomile as the tea given to Peter Rabbit after his run in with Mr. McGregor.  It is very soothing drink for nervous excitement and stomach ailments.  The ancient Egyptians use chamomile as a cure for ague.  They dedicated it to the sun and worshipped it above all other herbs for its healing properties.  Greek physicians prescribed it for fevers and female disorders.  Chamomile even inspired a proverb on energy in adversity: like a chamomile bed, the more it is trodden the more it will spread.  Through out the Middle Ages it was used all over Europe, its most popular planting was as a lawn where the resilient springy herb was a soft cushion to sit on with a pleasing scent.  Both John Gerard and Nicholas Culpepper mention in their herbal publications.  It was especially popular in Victorian times as a skin whitener. The relaxing aroma was even inhaled a snuff or smoked to relieve asthma and cure insomnia.  At beauty salons chamomile tea is often served to relax facial muscles. 

To Grow

Roman Chamomile, grown often for its apple-scented daisy like flowers, prefers full sun outdoors. It grows up to 10 to 12 inches tall and is best planted in the ground rather than in containers. Being a creeper makes it ideal for mass planting, like creating a chamomile lawn, as well as landscaping. 

Hardy in zones 3 to 8, the plant has shallow fibrous roots and a green hairy branching stem.  The leaves are finely cut and feathery and the flowers which bloom in the summer are creamy white with comical yellow centers.  The flowers show from May to July.

When used in the garden provide each plant with 6 inches of space. Soil has to be well drained with adequate nutrients (fertile) and like most sun-loving herbs, water only when the topsoil is dry to the touch.   Chamomile will continue to grow even in poorer soils.

Chamomile is a perennial and can be propagated through division of the runners.  Propagation by seed is also possible. However, starting chamomile from seed can be very tricky and challenging. For many it is better to start from a young seedling in a container then transplant in the garden once the plant has hardened. However if you plant seed indoors in individual peat pots or paper pots you can weed out those that do not germinate and sprout correctly.  When putting seeds or plants outdoors scratch in ½ inch of compost into the top few inches of soil before planting chamomile and repeat this as a top dressing for established plants.  An established chamomile plant is very hardy and can tolerate almost any growing conditions. 

Chamomile in all its varieties is pest and disease free which makes it a great plant for edges of gardens were pests attack first.

Medicinal Properties

The key element in a chamomile plant is its flowers. Chamomile flowers are used as medicinal herb, cosmetic agent, herbal tea, aromatherapy ingredient and can even be tossed in salads and beverages.

Its flowers have anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, nervine or nerve-soothing properties. As anti-inflammatory, it can be used to treat skin irritations, gingivitis, rheumatism, arthritis, and other painful swellings. As antispasmodic, it can be used to relieve stomachache and gas pain, menstrual cramps, indigestion, diarrhea and ulcer. It is also a very good laxative. As nervine, it is slightly sedative and can be used to induce sleep and dull pain. It also helps to alleviate anxiety and depression.

The tea can be used as a general tonic and sedative.  Because it is so gentle it is perfect for restless children and nightmares.  The flowers are often used in sleep pillows.

As a cosmetic agent, chamomile can lend anti-allergenic and soothing properties to beauty products. It is sometimes added to soaps and lotions because it can soften the skin. It is also great for aromatherapy applications because it has a calming effect and relieves mental and physical stress. It is also used in shampoos for its sweet-smelling scent.  Chamomile is also a plant that as a compress can reduce inflammation, especially around the eyes, and eliminate fatigue.  In the bath water it can also relieve sun or wind burned skin.

However, chamomile is not recommended as an alternative medicine for pregnant and breastfeeding women. It is also anti-coagulant (blood-thinning) and vasodilative (nerve-dilating) and must be avoided, at all cost, weeks before and after undergoing surgery. Use with medications having the same effect is also highly discouraged.  Those who have ragweed sensitivities should avoid chamomile.

To Use

What this plant lacks in culinary uses it makes up for in other ways.  A Tisane of the flowers is taken for dyspepsia, flatulence, and other stomach ailments. And is used as a mild antiseptic.  It is also a good appetite restorer which makes it popular with cancer patients and those undergoing chemotherapy.  Gather the leaves and flowers anytime during the summer and dry them for later use or use fresh. If you’re in for an organic gastronomical treat, you can eat chamomile flowers fresh by tossing some into your salad or your favorite lemonade. 

This is a good companion plant and is said to revive failing plants if planted near them.  An infusion made into a spray can be used on seedlings to prevent damping off and when the leaves are added to the compost bin they speed up decomposition.

This wonderful and common medicinal herb is often use in the form of herbal tea. Dried flowers are added into boiling water then covered and steeped for at least 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can also place them in a tea bag to eliminate the need for draining.  The tea is a mild sedative that is a gentle treatment for insomnia as well as all the stomach ailments discussed earlier.

Dried flowers can also be used in a bath soak as a relaxing beauty regimen. They can also be made into potpourri and burned for aromatherapy. Commercial chamomile essential and massage oils are also available in the market. Cosmetic preparations containing chamomile are also used to soften the skin and refresh the eyes.  An infusion of the flowers can be used to make lotions to soothe sore or irritated skin.  The dried flowers are sometimes added to potpourri as well.

The uses and benefits of growing medicinal herbs in your home is plenty and truly amazing. Having chamomile, along with other common medicinal herbs will make your herb gardening more worthwhile.

At the Backyard Patch, I have used Chamomile in a large variety of our Herbal Teas and as an eye soother, called Eyesaver, as well as including it in some of the newest Herbal Salves and Lotions.

Recipes

Perfect Chamomile Infusion

1 pint water

Handful of chamomile flowers and leaves

Bring water to a boil and pour over leaves and flowers in a bowl.  Cover and let stand for about half a day.  Strain.  Use the spray to keep seedlings from damping off.

Herbal Hair Rinse

This flower water and vinegar rinse removes soap residue and adds a sparkling healthy conditioner to your hair.

2 oz. Rose Water or other flower water
2 oz. Apple cider vinegar
2 oz. Chamomile herbal infusion (tea).

Combine Rosewater, vinegar and the cool herbal infusion.  Shake well before using as a hair rinse, then massage into washed hair.  Leave on for a few minutes. Rinse off as usual. Chamomile will provides subtle golden tones for blond, light brown and auburn hair.

Perfect Chamomile Tea

one heaped tsp. of fresh or dried chamomile flowers

1 tsp. honey

slice of lemon

hot water

Place the flowers in a mug and pour boiling water over.  Cover and leave to steep for 3 to 5 minutes.  Strain, and then add honey and lemon.  Can be drunk hot or cold.

Blossoms of Health Tea

Beautiful to look at, nectar to taste and good for you too. This is an uplifting and energizing blend.

1 part ginkgo leaves

1 part red clover tops

1 part nettle leaves

1 part meadowsweet leaves

1 part calendula

2 parts chamomile

2 parts lavender flowers

1 part gotu kola leaves

a pinch of stevia.

Place all herbs in a tea ball or bag, put in your nicest or most favorite cup or mug, and cover with boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes.

Pleasant Dreams Pillow Sachet

8 parts rosebuds & petals

3 parts chamomile

3 parts lemon grass

3 parts mugwort

1 part cellulose fiber

1 part lavender

1 part spearmint

Lavender Essential Oil (optional)

Sachets are attractive cotton, silk or linen bags filled with herbal scents and tied with ribbon.  Sachets are often small, traditionally about 3 to 5 inches (but you can make them any size.) Blend the ingredients together in a tightly lidded container and allow to cure a minimum of 4 weeks before filling sachets to maximize aroma.

Relaxing Bath Blend

5 parts chamomile

3 parts lemon grass

3 part rose petals pink

2 ½ parts passion flower

2 parts orange peel

2 parts jasmine flowers

ylang ylang Essential oil (optional)

Blend the herbs together and store in a tightly lidded container.  Fill a small muslin drawstring bag or large sealable tea bags with about 4 Tbls. of the mixture.  Add 4 cups of boiling water to bath sachet and steep for 15 minutes.  Pour into hot bath using sachet as sponge to massage skin.  Discard herbs after use.  Keep dry bath herbs blends in jars away from light and heat.