Standard Herbal Remedies

by Katherine Aaron, NMD

Utilizing my training as a naturopathic doc I've concocted many highly effective herbal remedies but it's so easy that anyone can make effective and safe herbal remedies with just a little instruction and some fundamental knowledge. When I started using herbs back in the 70's, they were only available at health food stores and there just weren't that many health food stores around back then. The active chemicals found in the volatile oils of herbs oxidize quickly, drastically affecting the potency so the way that the herbs had been handled and stored was always a major concern and problem. Growing and storing your own herbs assures that you’ll always have the best herbs to work with. And since you’ll have an abundance of herbs to work with, here are a few classic herbal remedies that have been around for centuries. Although there are many effective herbs from other cultures they tend to be difficult to find so these are traditional European and early North American remedies that contain herbs that are easy to find and in most cases easy to grow, too.

Although these are considered safe I don't recommend you use these or any herbs or supplements if you're pregnant or are on any medication as there is always possibility of a drug interaction occurring. The FDA doesn't test herbs as they do drugs so they haven't approved these remedies and so here's the obligatory: The FDA has not approved these statements and they are not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

Stimulating Tea
2 parts Peppermint or Ginger root
1 part Oswego
Dash of Cayenne pepper, (fresh crushed or chopped or you can use the dried) to taste
Honey or maple syrup to taste

Sleepy Night Time Tea
3 parts Lemon Balm
1 part Passion flowers
1 part German Chamomile
If you can’t sleep due to pain then add white willow bark and valerian.

Immune System Booster & Lymphatic Cleanser
2 parts echinacea
1 part golden seal or Oregon grape root
1 part cleavers
1 part rosemary

Cough Calmer
1 part thyme
1 part White Horehound
1 part mullein flowers
¼ part poppy flowers
Honey

Relax and De-stress
2 parts Lavender
2 parts Lemon Grass
1 part Valerian

Cold & Flu
1 part echinacea
¼ part oregano
¼ part thyme
1 part Elder Flowers
½ part mint

General Anti-Inflammatory
1 part Ginger
1 parts German Chamomile
2 parts Borage

Memory Booster
1 part Rosemary
1 part Periwinkle (only use the Vinca Major variety of periwinkle) or 1 part Ginko Biloba
1 part Sage

Minor Burns & Sunburns
(Topical ointment)
Scrape the pulp out of a fresh aloe vera spike and mush it up. Use it by itself or add equal parts of St *John’s Wort Oil
Store this in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. Use this three times a day and whenever the burned area begins to hurt.

*St. John’s Wort Oil: Liniment for Burns and Pain
Chop or crush 8 ounces of St. John’s Wort flowers (the just-opened new flowers are the most potent)
In a glass jar add in 2 pints of organic olive oil (if this smell is too strong for you, use 100% pure jojoba oil)

Shake the herb and oil until it’s well mixed. Then open the jar and place it on a sunny windowsill or another warm place for about 5 weeks or until the oil turns bright red. At least once everyday during that time you’ll have to put the lid back on and give it a really good shaking. Don’t forget to take the lid back off to let it breathe after you’ve shaken it. Once the oil has turned bright red strain and squeeze out the herb just like you did for your other tinctures, discarding the used herbs.
Put the strained liquid into a clean jar to let the oil separate out from the watery part. This generally takes 24 hours. Carefully pour the oil into a colored glass jar and discard the watery part. Keep the jar tightly sealed and store it in a cool dark place.

St John’s Wort Oil is an old liniment remedy used for burns, scars and pain from nerves (like sciatica) and muscles. You can add calendula to this formula to aid in healing skin and reducing muscle pain. If you’re careful not to use it on open skin sores or around your face, you can add cayenne pepper to this formula to increase its ability to stop pain. Adding black willow will reduce inflammation and increase the oil’s ability to stop pain. To use, just rub it in the painful area. Can be reapplied throughout the day.

Click here for instructions on how to make herbal remedies