Herbal Medicines in Your Spice Rack

What if I told you that you don't need pills for that headache? You don't need an expensive, smelly lotion for aching muscles? Suffering from psoriasis? There is a way to help relieve it without expensive lotions! Did you know that your lovely blonde locks can be kept beautiful thanks to a flower in your garden? You can treat your cat's ear mites without poisons or dangerous chemicals. Would you want to know more? What if I told you that you have the means to do these things in your pantry and flowerbed? Would you want to learn how?

If you like to cook, and like to use herbs and spices in your cooking, you have a pharmacy in your pantry. In my spice rack I have treatments for migraine headaches, muscle aches, psoriasis, ear mites, acne, wrinkles and arthritis pain. All without drugs, dangerous interactions and side effects. I make muscle rubs instead of buying them. Capsaicin crème too expensive? Don't worry, that's in your pantry too. Worry about the safety of that ear mite spray that is in the pet store? That's right next to the muscle rub and capsaicin crème in your spice rack and pantry.

What madness is this? Not madness, herbal treatments that have worked for thousands of years. They aren't expensive, hard to find, or hard to make. The remedies I use, I have tested on myself, or someone (usually open-minded family members) willing to try them before I consider giving them to anyone else, or giving out the recipes. They also have a centuries-long track record behind them.

Bay Leaves (Laurus nobilis) are used for headaches, muscle aches, arthritis pain, and as a vermifuge (insect killer) as well as adding flavour to your soups and stews. Crumble 10-20 bay leaves into a hot, wet paper towel; place that across your forehead under a hot compress and lie down for ½ to 1 full hour. This will stop a miserable migraine in its tracks. I have been using this for over 10 years, when I started using this instead of OTC pain pills I was felled by migraines at least twice a month. Without using any prescriptions I have gone from that to being migraine-free for almost four years now.

Do you get sore muscles after a workout, or a labour-intensive chore? The same bay leaves can treat that too. This needs to be prepared ahead, and the recipe is deceptively simple. Take 20 ounces of extra-virgin olive oil; add 20-25 medium size bay leaves. Recap the bottle and place in a sunny windowsill. In 4 to 6 weeks you will have bay leaf oil. Smooth it over tense or knotted muscles for relief within the hour. It has the added benefit of conditioning the skin, it is non-staining, completely safe around small children or pets, non-polluting, and usually will not interact with any prescriptions you are taking.

I'm sure every cat or dog owner has had to deal with their pet's ear-mites, struggling to get the smelly, gooey stuff in a squirming struggling animal's ear canal is a duty we all dread. The same bay leaf oil you made for your muscles can be put into a 2 ounce spray bottle and sprayed in the pet's ear can be less difficult than the 'other stuff'. There is the added benefit of knowing that when the pet cleans their ears and swallows the oil, they are in no danger; on the contrary, it will help a cat pass hairballs easily.

That capsaicin crème that can cost upwards of 10.00$ in the pharmacy, you have all the makings for an oil that will work just as well for less than ½ the price. It is made much like the bay leaf oil, when you are making this oil; you add 10-15 dried hot peppers to the oil and bay leaves. Capsaicin is found in the pepper family, usually the hotter the peppers, the higher the capsaicin level. I prefer to use the Chilies Japonas from the Mexican seasonings rack at the local grocery. By using the same type of chilies every time you have a greater consistency of the finished product. An added benefit to this oil is that it can be used as a natural, edible 'intimate lotion'. Enough said about that side of the Bay-Chili oil.

Anyone who has suffered with any form of psoriasis has gone through a costly, time-consuming search for something to stop the itching, soften the skin, and end the embarrassing flakiness. Sage (Salvia officinalis), the same sage used on poultry and pork is excellent for psoriasis. You can make a tea of sage and boiling water (remember: NO METAL should be used in preparing herbals), and then put it in a spray bottle. Spritz it on the active psoriatic patches after bathing. As a moisturizing treatment, make sage oil, the same as bay leaf oil. Use 1-2 heaping tablespoons of leaf sage in 20 ounces of extra-virgin olive oil. Have a large bottle at home and a small bottle to carry with you when the psoriasis starts to itch. There is an almost immediate itch relief, moisturizing, and soothing with a few drops of the oil.

If you have natural or blondined hair you can make a hair rinse from yellow marigolds (Calendula officinalis) and boiling water to enhance the golden sheen in your hair. Steep 15-20 yellow marigold blossoms (fresh) in 4 cups of boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain and pour into a bottle. Cool completely before using. You use it immediately after washing your hair by combining ¼ cup of the marigold water with 16 ounces of warm water from the tap. Pour this over your hair and leave it in.

This same marigold water can be put in a spray bottle and used on your pets as an insect repellent. Again, using this as opposed to a chemical-based repellent is that lack of danger to the animal. You also are able to enjoy the profuse blooms of marigold around your house to cut down on the number of insects in your house. All this from the sunshiny marigold blossom!

Do you bruise easily? An oil made of chamomile (Matricarus chamomila or Anthemis nobilis) and borage (Borrago officinalis), the only odd ingredient thus far, is used for clearing bruises quickly, as well as reducing hard swellings. If you have oily skin and are prone to breakouts, take a 16-ounce bottle of witch hazel, and add 2 heaping tablespoons of chamomile flowers and let it sit for a week. Strain it and put the liquid in a decorative bottle on your bathroom counter or a shelf nearby. After washing your face with a mild soap (Ivory or Castile) using your hands not a washcloth, rinse thoroughly and then splash your face with the chamomile splash. After 4-6 weeks you should notice a reduction in the oil your skin produces and the number and severity of blemishes. Borage can be found at natural food stores or perhaps talk to someone at your local farmers' market about it. Borage can also reduce the size, pallor, and visibility of keloidal scars. I have seen this happen on my own skin, both on my face and arm. That same chamomile/borage oil can help treat stretch marks, reduces the redness and size of them slowly and permanently.

Amazing what you can find in your pantry to take the place of costly, chemical-laden OTC meds, lotions, crèmes, oils, and pet care products. At the outset of my learning herbals I had only myself to experiment on, after the better part of 20 years spent studying herbals I now have people that await my next experiment impatiently, so I can branch out. I will soon be adding facials, scrubs, and assorted herbal soaps, both solid and crème, to my herbal pharmacopoeia.

Bibliography:
Jeanne Rose's Herbal (Herbs & Things), Jeanne Rose- ISBN# 0-399-50944-5 © 1972 Jeanne Rose,

Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft, Raymond Buckland-ISBN 0-87542-050-8 ©1986 Raymond Buckland, sixth printing 1988

The Herbal Healer, Editors of Prevention Magazine- ISBN 1-57954-089-9 © Rodale Press

Mother Nature's Miracle Cures, © 2002 Boardroom Inc.