Herbal Wellness and Skincare

Full Circle is not your typical herbalism book. Instead of recipes for plant medicine you will read about the history of how health, herbs, religion and magic have been intertwined for thousands of years. The author, Laura Veazey, paints a well thought out picture of how different cultures around the world viewed a person’s overall health in such a similar way. Laura includes an abundance of research, from multiple sources, to share this wealth of information in one book.  I particularly liked this book because I have always been intrigued by history and how our ancestors lived their day to...

Acid reflux and GERD are one of the most common digestive discomforts that people deal with on a daily basis. A 2014 systemic review showed that, “The range of GERD prevalence estimates was 18.1%-27.8% in North America, 8.8%-25.9% in Europe, 2.5%-7.8% in East Asia, 8.7%-33.1% in the Middle East,11.6% in Australia and 23.0% in South America.“ 1 Unfortunately, the common solution offered by most allopathic doctors is to prescribe proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or H2 (stomach acid) receptor blocking medications which is like slapping a bandaid on the problem instead of healing the cause of the diagnosis.  What is acid...

I’m always looking for more natural ways to take care of my skin and this has been a winner since day one. I find it easier to make skincare products at home instead of purchasing at the store because when making it yourself you know exactly what goes into it. The lemon face scrub smells delicious and leaves my skin feeling soft and clean. There are only 4 ingredients needed and it takes about 10 minutes to whip together.  This scrub works great when used once or twice a week at night, just before taking a shower. I simply scrub it onto my face and neck and wash it away. If a pimple pops up use this...

Botany is the scientific study of plants, a subject I know very little about. I have been studying medicinal plants and their uses for over a decade, but I never really learned how to recognize specific plants or the parts of plants. Considering my love for herbal medicine I have always wanted to learn the wildcrafting and botany side of it. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to recognize all the plants and flowers around you AND know how to use them medicinally? Being a beginner, plant identification has always been intimidating for me. There are so many different...

Over the Christmas holiday I finished reading another book on my required reading list for my Master Clinical Herbalist Course. Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, Written By: Rosemary Gladstar. I found this book to be an easy read because of the story that unfolds on each page. Rosemary is a very well respected herbalist who has spent her entire life on a journey to understanding the medicinal properties plants have to offer. In this beautiful book she shares pieces of her adventures and what she learned from them. Included are herbal formulas that she has created as well as recipes...