Krista's Herbarium
a collection of herbal remedies, recipes, and reveries
Month: March 2018
Cold First Aid Herbal Extract
During cold and flu season, it’s important to be prepared. This season, my whole family got the flu. It has been years since we have had the flu, and all of us at the same time, that has never happened. Thanks to preparedness and…
Saying Hello to Old Friends
I’m not my best self in winter. The gray days here last from October through March. The garden is covered in snow and ice, is brown and gray and mushy. Blech. No one lives in our neighbourhood in winter. Ok, they live in their…
Antibiotic Syrup
Just days before my eldest daughter was due to fly to Japan to work and create at an artists’ colony, she developed a painful toe infection. This very same day, my husband’s flu took a turn for the worse and he was complaining of…
Thyme Salve
Thyme is used quite often in our household. We use Thyme Cough Syrup to help with coughing, Clear Chest Salve as a chest poultice for a painful, hacking cough or if bronchitis is present, and as an antibacterial ointment for any infection. I drank…
Herbal Energetics: Hot
If we can agree that a cucumber is moist and cooling while a chili pepper is hot and drying then we can see that we each have a unique combination of Hot, Dry, Cold and Damp, plants and humans alike. This last week in…
Basic Face Wash
I have been using the oil cleansing method on my face for months now. It has really worked well for me so far. I use hemp seed oil most often as it is really nutritive and non-comedogenic. My daughters and some of my clients have…
Elderberry Syrup
After the joy of picking the lacy elder flowers in late spring, comes the anticipation of juicy purple berries, hung heavy on delicate red stems. Elderberries, combined with spices and honey, make an incredible tonic for fall. Warding away the dryness and cold of…
Acne Eraser Face Cream
Many of my best recipes have been inspired by family, friends and clients. This one was asked for by my friend. She wanted something that would hydrate and moisturise (see here for the difference between hydration and moisturisation) and that would relieve her acne…
Menstrual Woes: Part 1
Flooding. A.K.A. Menorrhagia It has happened to all of us. We wake up with blood-soaked underwear and our bed looks like a scene from The Godfather. Or, we stand up and then realise we have to change our pants. All women have at least…
Herbal Energetics
One of the things that drew me to herbalism is the concept of connection. We are all connected, we are connected to our Creator, to each other and to the creation around us. When I go to the doctor, I don’t feel connected. I…
