Herbal Folklore

If happiness starts at home so does herbalism. Gone are the days when in tight communities and with flourishing gardens simple ailments could be treated from the lands bounty. Wind the clock forward and when the word herb is mentioned it’s hard to think past basil or parsley. However herbal folklore has existed for millennia in various cultures and the knowledge is available for you today as well.

Herbal Baths

Herbal baths can be used for skin ailments such as eczema and psoriasis to providing comfort during the common cold. Simple to achieve as dry herbs are put in either an enclosed tea strainer, an old stocking or muslin cloth tied up and added to a warm bath, sit in this infusion for 15-20 minutes to experience optimum benefits. Herbs that fare well in the bath include lavender for relaxation and calendula for soothing tired bodies. Consider also adding Epsom salts to allow magnesium to be absorbed trans-dermally and oats if itchy skin conditions are present. Enjoy an herbal bath twice a week if time permits.

Taking herbs

Pills or Liquid herbs? There’s advantages and disadvantages to each form. Disadvantages of using pills or capsules as a dosage form include the use of excipients, which can aid in absorption and stability however they can be problematic with allergies and differ in quality. With pills being in a fixed formula, how often one or two herbs might be suitable for an individual’s needs but another herb might not be and other beneficial herbs are excluded. Take the example of insomnia combined with poor circulation, it may be more efficient to combine herbs in a liquid formula to avoid taking so many different tablet formulations, most individuals are not compliant in taking too many pills, most formulations also focus on one issue, body system such as digestion however it’s uncommon to see health issues lay in only one body system. Pills and capsules also tend to be of a lower dose resulting in a large volume needed to be taken to achieve a higher therapeutic dose.

The main disadvantage of liquid herbs is their taste but having a unique blend on individually prescribed herbs can be a blessing in any household nonetheless.