during these cold, windy winter months, i've been creating some herbal products and building my home apothecary. i haven't been painting or sewing, but creating with herbs is just as satisfying to me. i love the pots of this or that bubbling on the stove, and i especially love when i take a leap of faith, create something new, and the end result actually works! i get off on getting huge deliveries of herbs on my front doorstep. ;)
so far, i've made::
* a rosemary tincture (we use it in a spray bottle and spray the back of our throats when they get sore----immediate relief!) this was the first thing i made---over six months ago, so it's ready to go now for cold/flu season.
* citrus/lavender hairspray (wanted to transition away from the crap product i was using...)
* peppermint lip balm (as much as i LOVE burt's bees, i wanted to try to recreate my own at home...and after a disastrous first attempt ---think hard-as-a-rock beeswax balm----, i finally had SUCCESS this morning! five gloss tubes and two big tins later, i think i might be set for life! plus, joey's lips are cracked and bleeding, so i can load up his backpack with tubes and hopefully he'll be good to go!)
* lavender/kaolin clay facial mask (i have a really rigid routine when it comes to what i do with my face, and i find that when i stray from it, i break out! so i usually shy away from masks. yesterday i created this mask, used it, and my skin was seriously the softest it's ever been. it's organic and all natural, and didn't cause any breakouts! i think i will be adding this mask to my weekly self-care regimen).
* vanilla honey/mint sugar scrub (SO good. i'm also not a big 'scrub' person----but after using this yesterday, i am a convert! it was the first time i've actually split and scraped a vanilla bean, too, and it's incredible. i'm obsessed. it's good enough to eat.)
* red raspberry leaf tincture (just made this the other day , with LOTS of 100 proof vodka, which got a little eyebrow raise out of johnny when he came home. as in 'where the heck is half that huge bottle of vodka you bought YESTERDAY?!?!'. it will be ready in 5-6 months. which will be perfect timing for all the womb goodness that will be going on right around that time!)
on tap are a couple of different salves---the herbs are soaking the in the oil right now on my windowsill. creosote balm, and then a heal-all balm with comfrey and yarrow. i'm going to make an all natural neosporin. some aromatherapy sprays (i spend entirely too much money buying the pre-made ones...one of my weaknesses!). a lotion or two. eventually i'd like to try my hand at soapmaking but i'm afraid of the lye. excited to have an apothecary day here with a dear friend, mixing up potions and goodness for our families, like good witches do.
what are you creating? do tell. xoxo
