Herbal Skin Toner

Yesterday, I posted about the creation of some natural skin remedies.  In response, Suzanne reminded me of witch hazel's wonderful astringent properties. 

So, I thought I'd share my Herbal Skin Toner recipe for sensitive skin:

Witch's Herbal Skin Toner *Sensitive Skin*

Most homemade facial care products have a refrigerated shelf-life of 1-2 weeks.  Take advantage of the Moon's cycles to create this on at the New Moon & Full Moon, then take it outside under the moonbeams to charge it with healing intent. 

2 cups water
1 tsp Chamomile
1 tsp Lavender
1 tsp Jasmine
1 tsp Green Tea

1/2 cup Witch Hazel Tincture (commercially purchased)

Bring water to a boil.  Pour over herbs in a glass container like Pyrex measuring cup.  Cover & allow to steep for 30 minutes.  Strain & discard herbs - don't forget to squeeze all the liquid from them!
Mix herbal tissane (tea) with the witch hazel & pour into a glass bottle with a cap.  Use as a toner to tighten pores & soothe irritated skin.  After 2 weeks, use the remaining portion as a faery offering outside.


Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Homemade Acne Treatments

As a teen, I had perfect skin.  Now that I'm in my 40's I struggle with breakouts.  Grrrr!  I've had luck with prescription medications for a while, but hate the cost & working on getting all synthetic medications out of my routines & coming back to the earth ways of health.


The recipes below are part of an acne treatment & prevention regimen I adapted from The Acne Cure, a book I highly recommend for anyone who experiences breakouts.  I really liked the program & concepts, but wanted a natural version, rather than synthetic chemicals on my face. I remember one beauty expert saying, "I don't put anything on my skin that I wouldn't put in my mouth."  That stuck with me.  The treatments below aren't all edible, but they do follow my values.

Oatmeal Soap - Beta Hydroxy Acid Treatment
Willow extract is a natural source of salicylic acid, the active ingredient in BHA treatments.  Be careful when you order it.  Make sure you know the strength & solubility of the extract.

2 cups grated glycerin soap base
1 cup oatmeal powder (just grind quick oats in a blender)
1 tsp honey
5 tsp Willow Extract

Cook soap glycerin & honey until melted.  Mix in the ground oatmeal & willow extract.  Pour into molds & refrigerate for 24 hours.  Remove soap from molds & wrap.  You can keep the unused bars in the refrigerator to extend the life of the ingredients.  Wash with this soap twice daily, allowing it to stay on your face for about 2 minutes (while you're brushing your teeth or something), then rinse.

Fresh Glycolic Acid Mask - Alpha Hydroxy Acid Treatment
Glycolic acid is the naturally occurring acid in cane sugar and many fruits.  It is extracted or synthesized commercially to create the AHA treatments.

1/4 cup or less of Pineapple or Strawberries (or mixture of both) mashed well. 

Apply in the morning & leave on for a few minutes before rinsing with warm water.  Use daily for 6-7 weeks. (I usually just mash up a frozen strawberry with a fork & slather it on).

Tea Tree Gel - Natural Alternative to Benzoyl Peroxide
Benzoyle Peroxide is oxidative & antibacterial.  It has been banned from cosmetics in Europe due to side effects & concerns about safety.  There really is no natural substitute that I can find, but Tea Tree Oil has wonderful antibacterial properties & has long been used safely in natural acne treatments.  Aloe is a good base & is also moisturizing.  Use this on blemished areas of skin.

1 tsp Tea Tree Oil
10 tsp Aloe Gel
10 tsp Distilled Water

Store in refrigerator.  Use each evening after washing your face.  Prior to use, rub an ice cube over the area requiring treatment until the area is wet & cold to the touch - do not freeze your skin!.  Apply gel & place a cold pack on the area & relax for 10 minutes.  Do this each evening.

Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer

Even if your skin is oily & blemish-prone, moisturizing is important.  I've avoided this for years, but after reading The Acne Cure, feel like it's worth doing the entire program & breaking out the moisturizer.  This version meets all the requirements of their daily moisturizer except that it has some coconut oil.  I added the coconut oil for 2 reasons: it is wonderful for skin & is a natural source of tocotrienols, a specific form of vitamin E that isn't in the regular Vit E oil (which is added as a preservative here).

3 Tbsp Aloe Gel
1/2 Tbsp Glycerin
1 tsp Vitamin E oil
1 tsp Coconut Oil (natural tocotrienol)
1/2 tsp L-Acsorbic Acid (vitamin C)

Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.  Apply a very small amount twice daily after cleansing routine.

If the above is too oily for your skin, try this one:


Moisturizer for Oily Skin

2 tsp Oatmeal
1 tsp Sandalwood Powder
2 tsp Vinegar
2 cups Water

Store in refrigerator & apply after cleansing.  I haven't tried this one yet, but will as soon as I get some sandalwood powder!  It sounds wonderful!

Of course, I had to try all these treatments on myself.  I was very, very pleased! 

The only thing missing from this routine is sunscreen, which we are supposed to use daily.  Unfortunately, I haven't found a natural sunscreen that works with my skin yet.  The next one I'll try is Sun Putty, but I'm afraid it will be too greasy.

In addition to this regime, I have added to my diet 1 tsp of Burdock Tincture & 1 tsp of Dandelion Tincture as liver support for detoxification purposes.

Ok, now it's time to vacuum the house!

Wild & Bright Blessings!!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Elderberry Echinacea Syrup

It's cold & flu season.  Are you prepared?

In getting prepared for winter, one of my projects was to make Elderberry & Echinacea syrup.  Here's how:

1/2 cup dried Elderberries
3 Tbsp Echinacea
5 cups distilled water
2 1/2 cups local honey

Bring elderberries & water to a boil.  Cover & simmer for 1 hour.  Add Echinacea.  Steep for another 30 minutes.  Strain through cheesecloth & SQUEEZE to get all the goodness out.

Add honey.

Allow to cool & bottle.

Could anything be easier???

I added a 1/4 cup of brandy to the brew as a preservative.  It will keep for a few months in the refrigerator, and longer in the freezer.  This recipe made 3 bottles, so 2 now live in the freezer. 

The very moment my instincts tell me that I have a risk of catching a cold or the flu, I take 2-3 tsp syrup at least 3 times a day.  If the cold actually catches me, I increase the dose to every 2-3 hours for a couple of days.  In addition to this lovely syrup, I drink garlic, ginger & cayenne tea when at risk of a cold.  

~*Rhi*~

    )O( 

Remember my witchy friends:   *****YOU are responsible for your own health!  If you're taking prescription medications or have chronic illnesses, you MUST consult your doctor, pharmacist or trained herbalist before using herbal remedies!  The herbal info in this blog is about how I & my family use these health-promoting plant allies & is not a substitute for medical care.*****

A Remedy for the Sniffles

So, today my wonderful man has the sniffles...

Of course, his witchy wife has the remedy!

Sniffle Be-Gone Tisane (tea)

1 inch of fresh Ginger Root
4 Garlic cloves (equal amounts of ginger & garlic)
2 Tbsp dried Passion Flower leaves
1 tsp Crushed Red Chilies
2 quarts Water
Agave or Honey to taste

Bring water to a small boil & remove from heat.  Add everything except sweetener.  Cover & let steep for 20 minutes.  Sweeten to taste.  Drink by the cupful every 2 hours.  For extra punch, add 1ml of Echinacea Tincture to each cup (not during the steeping process, just before serving).

Everything in the tisane is to boost the body's ability to fight infection & to clear the nose.  I could have added onion too, but didn't want to push it (the drink is already pretty strong tasting & needs a sweetener!).

Of course, you will stir this mixture in a deosil fashion, while performing a healing spell of your own design.

Clear-My-Nose Simmer

Water
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Lavender Essential Oil
Fresh Camphor Leaves (or EO if you don't have 20 camphor trees like I do)
Crockpot or stove-top pot on a very low simmer 

*******Not for internal use!!!********
Add 5-10 drops of each EO & the camphor leaves into about 4 quarts of water.  Simmer, uncovered, near the poor dear with the sniffles.

REST! 


There are many more remedies, but this was what I could create from my cupboard today.  So far, so good!  He just asked me to make some more tea for tonight & tomorrow.

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

(disclaimer: these remedies are based on my own studies & experience with herbs & not a substitute for medical care. If you need a doctor, go see a doctor!  Home remedies are time-tested, wise-woman ways of improving health & well being.)