Hi, all,

Thought it'd be proper to introduce myself before I jump into conversation.  

My husband and I started making soap last year and then started our business, Reef Botanicals.  We make all-natural handmade soap, bar shampoo, and sugar scrubs so far.  We're also planning on salt scrubs, bath bombs, and other products in the future.  We don't use any synthetic colorants or fragrances in our body products, which unfortunately limits our options... which is why a group like this could be great, in that you all might know of natural sources for things we can't find locally or easily.

Hopefully, I'll be able to reciprocate and give you all info on what we find on our travels.

Nice to meet you!

(and yes, I go by "njfacepainter" here, because I'm also a body artist.  :D)

Hi all. I am wondering if anyone women here or partners had trouble conceiving children and if so, what steps they took and or therapies and herbs? My doctor who is a specialist is great, but she wants to get me on Clomid and i'd rather exhaust other possibilities first of course. Thank you all.

Does anyone have any reliable references they can point me toward that discuss the safe use of ma huang as a bronchioldilator/decongestant, its stimulant effects, and under what circumstances it should be considered a health hazard?

What I'm finding via internet search engine is a lot of information about the US FDA decision to ban ephedra as a dietary supplement, and debate over whether it should be considered as a health hazard at any dose or only at specific doses. Since I'm more interested in using it as a whole herb (that is, the stem, which is the medicinally active part as far as I can tell, but in dried herb form rather than as an extract) I'm not sure how to translate mg amounts of extract to herb use.

I don't have any history of cardio-vascular issues, and have moderate-low blood pressure which is very stable, so I'm not, as far as I can tell, part of a high-risk population. And I would really, really like to find something other than my inhalers to help control my asthma. (I know there are other herbs as well. This is the one I have questions about.)

Anyone know of any good reading I can do on the subject?

I have recently discovered I have both IBS and GERD. I'm trying to get into a doctor's this upcoming week so that the extent of the damage can be assessed, but I absolutely do not want to put any medication they may want to give me into my body. Taking chemicals from doctors is what got me into this mess, and I don't want any more. /mini rant.

I'm trying to gather info on the best ways to treat these conditions with herbs and other natural resources. So far I've got written down:
-slippery elm
-chamomile
-ACV/ apples
-fennel
-anise
-cinnamon
-honey
-black strap molasses
-papaya
-activated charcoal
-coconut oil
-aloe vera juice
-kombucha
-cod liver oil

Any further suggestions? I already have a good idea of foods and things to avoid, so for simplicity's sake, please only respond with things that are good for me to be ingesting/doing.
Thanks!

Happy new year everyone!
I'm hoping someone has advice on how to treat conjunctivitis. I found an earlier post (http://community.livejournal.com/apothecarium/tag/conjunctivitis) but since I dont have a ready supply of breast milk I am looking for other remedies. I woke up with a bit of yellow-ish green discharge in the corner of my eye, and my eye feels sore. Most likely I rubbed my eye (I have a cold) and voila, pink-eye. Also hoping to prevent its spread to the other eye if possible. Thanks!

* Start with fresh ginger root.
* Peel and cut about two square inches of the root and add it to a pot with about two liters of water.
* Bring to a boil
* Mix in 1/2 cup of sugar until it's completely dissolved, and then remove the mixture from the heat.
* When the mixture is cool enough that you can touch it without getting burnt -- but still very warm -- add in 1 * Tablespoon of yeast. (You can use the same yeast you have in your house for making bread, though it's also fun to experiment with different brewers' yeasts.)
* Mix well, and then let sit for about 15 minutes before you
pour the whole thing into a clean and empty two liter soda bottle.

You should now have less than 2 liters total, since some of the water will have boiled off in the decoction phase. Make sure that there is at least two inches of empty space at the top of the bottle.

*Put a balloon on top.

The balloon is a poor-man's "air lock". It let's carbon dioxide out of the bottle without letting oxygen in. You will need to let the air out of the balloon several times a day, however, in order to make sure that it doesn't pop off your bottle.

* After three days, add the juice of one lemon, put the top on your bottle and put the whole thing in the fridge.

Drink it up as soon as it gets cold!

Be aware that more than three days of room temperature brewing and this beverage will start to have significant alcohol content. By two weeks, it will be ale good and true, not soda pop at all.

My 9yr old is home sick with vommitting. Poor kid was literally up all night until he was just retching what looked like mucos. (I know, TMI, sorry) Any good kid safe recepes out there? I'm doing little things but I've only gotten through my basic herb course so this is just on the edge of out of my league.

Alright, I give up. I brought in my plants for the winter and now I'm being overtaken by aloes. In an effort to reclaim my nap-in-the-sun spot, I'm looking for new homes for 8 adult aloes. These guys are 3 years old, 12-18" tall and about as big from leaf tip to leaf tip (ie they take up as much space as a milk crate). They are fat and healthy, although some have fang marks in them, as the cats are displeased they've lost their sun bathing spot too.

Heres the deal: I'll send you one (or two or three, if you want to spread the wealth to friends) free. The catch? I'm cheap, I'm sending them bare root to cut costs, so you provide pot and soil on your end.

Thats it. Free plant, some assembly required.

First come, first serve.

*Edit* If everyone who's requested follows through with getting me their address, they are all taken!

As it stands:
luxinthemachine & proudlyfallen, yours will be boxed and sent Thursday.

bratislavas, danceuponstars, & revelation- Pending mailing adresses. I will hold your plant(s) for 10 days, then it goes to the next in line.

Edit #2: I (just today) mailed plants to everyone who got me their address, and HOLY BOVINES BATMAN, aloes are heavy, and thus expensive, to ship! I still have a couple, but the totally free shipping is over! If you want a plant, I'm asking $5 to cover *some of* the shipping costs.

I can't seem to find any information about the specific origins of how it came to be known or believed that a specific herb had x, y, and z magical properties. All I ever find is referring to the proverbial "they", or "it has often been believed", etc. Well, often believed by whom? Surely there are cultural and historical origins to all these herbal magical uses, and yet any and every source I find simply lists the magical property and no explanation on from where and at what point such an herb got said assignment.

The medicinal effects of herbs often do have a "backstory", and even if it doesn't, the effects of the herbs on the body are far more measurable than magical uses.

The common response I get to such inquiries is "because they work" or "it is all in your perception", but this is not the answer I am looking for. I am looking for its history and how the common acceptance of these herbs as magical came to be. It just seems to just simply be accepted by everyone that x herb has y magical property. I need more definitive answers than these provide.

Any recommendations on a text that may explain this?

Thank you.

ETA: Thanks so much to everyone for their responses!! I think I will find some helpful info with what you all gave me.

I've come seeking knowledge. I discovered a site (http://blog.worldvillage.com/health/herbal_remedy_for_bacterial_vaginosis.html) or two that list a certain herb as being useful for clearing bacterial overgrowth. The problem is, I've never heard of it and the web is dead on the subject. I was just wondering if anyone knew any other names or had further information on the herb:

Trachealthis

Any help would be most appreciated.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/mercola13.1.html

Another quick read w/ full justification.

Anyone have any recommendations for herbs for clearing/detoxing the skin and/or getting rid of dark circles?

I've looked through the tags, but unless I've missed something, I can't find anything :X Thank you in advance!

So, i'm interested in using sweet gale in a couple things i'm cooking up, but for the life of me I can't find a good source online. Has anyone here seen it for sale whole herb? Or are there any residents of great britain who'd be willing to poke around for me? Bayberry and wax myrtle are in the same family, but i'm interested specifically in myrica gale, otherwise known as english bog myrtle or sweet gale.

There's a simple way to know when we're getting close to decent health care reform (in the US). The more insurance hates it, the better it is. Insurance companies are getting desperate. They are worried that their stop is coming up, they will have to get off the gravy train. For a while they were bargaining to stay on the train, but now they are cornered. They are focused on our pocket books, which they've been robbing for decades. The recent insurance-commissioned "study" that says health care costs will soar is the desperate threat of a gigantic moneymaker feeling the possibility of its own demise.
( Thoughts )

Hello,
Could anyone recommend some easy preparations of usnea lichen (preferably that don't involve alcohol)? How do you use it (when dried or fresh)?
I read that usnic acid isn't water soluble; does that mean I can't use dried lichen in tea?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Hi everyone,
I purchased some Vitex (chasteberry, Agnus-castus) yesterday and have started taking 1200 mg a day. I have a VERY irregular menstrual cycle, horrid pms, and heavy bleeding. The doctors don't know what is the deal other than stress that's causing it, and my periods have always been kind of irregular.
Have any of you tried this and had success of any kind? All feedback welcome.

I've been having increasing difficulties getting to sleep at night.  I think it's either an effect of the peri-menopause or because of some nasty life stress that has come along and kicked my behind.  Seeing as I can't make either my age or the stress go away, I can't tell.  Once asleep, I usually have no problem, but if it took long enough to fall asleep, the alarm clock feels awfully early and the next day can be pretty well shot.

I started using melatonin to get to sleep, and it helped a bit.  But eventually, I had to double the recommended dose (3mgs up to 6 mgs) and now I'm taking it every night.  This doesn't strike me as a good pattern.

So, does melatonin have any unpleasant issues from long term use?  And, any other suggestions for how to get to sleep?

Not sure if anyone in this community can help, but thought it was worth a try!

I have been dyeing my hair black for about 3 years and am sick of it. It is shoulder length. I want to go red. some friends just used henna and it is gorgeous (they had brown hair). has anyone ever tried using red henna over black hair? I am wondering if I just start using henna over it, maybe it will eventually get redder as my reddish roots grow out...or will I have black hair with bright red roots? my real color is somewhat mousy light brown- probably with a bit of gray now (its been more than 10 years since I had my natural color).

Any advice? Thank you!

hello everyone! i hope this isn't too silly a question,I'm fairly new to making my own remedies and whatnot.
I walked into an herb shop and totally got sucked in and bought all sorts of dried chamomile,rose petals,lavender,etc
I was hoping to make a facial moisturizer with a base of coconut oil or shea butter and add the herbs in,but alot of the recipes i find online don't say much about using herbs,but rather the essential oils.

can i just grind the herbs down to a powder and mix/cook them with the base?
does anyone have some recipes that don't call for just essential oils,or are they really necessary?
thanks so much.

Hello everyone,

I'm a uni student and I'm pretty new to all this. (I study pharmacy but 99% of what we study is about the chemicals, which I personally avoid taking unless strictly necessary. The irony).
Now, I have problems concentrating, and I was looking for something herbal. I googled but I have gotten a wide array of different plants and herbs, and I lack experience to know where to start. Ginseng and ginkgo I have heard often, but I don't know if those are good to start with, and under which form to take them.
Thanks!

Does anyone have any experiences with seltzer makers?  I'm in the process of cutting sodas out of my diet and thought that this might be a worthwhile.

I am starting a medicinal herbal garden. I'm looking at really basic, simple things to start with, both because I am still in the very beginner stages of my learning and because I am not exactly an ace gardener.

So far I've got lavender, chamomile, feverfew, mullein, sage, a few varieties of mint, rosemary, and thyme. I think those should cover the basics of upset stomachs, headaches, sore throats, wheezes, anxiety, insomnia, and other simple but pesty not-feel good things that might occur.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for herbs I might want to use? (Bonus if they have culinary use) Also, I think I've got a fairly good selection of reference materials, but if someone has a suggestion for a book or reference that they would really recommend, please share.

Thank you!

EDIT: I do have echinacea growing elsewhere, and have aloe vera, parsley and catnip indoors, but I just never even thought of any of them for this. Thank you for your input, everyone :)

I have what may be the beginnings of a bladder infection.  I'm rummaging through my books to find ideas, and will be getting some of the always popular cranberry juice later in the morning, too.

Just FYI, there are two new things the last few days.  One is that I've been using some Emergen C fizzy drink stuff the last couple of days.  There's a nasty stomach flu going around one part of my life and I am hoping to avoid that.  The other thing is a Metric Ton of Stress, as I've been waiting for some biopsy results to come back.  (those is supposed to come back today)

Any suggestions, please?

 I've started my own little business and some of my products contain dried herbs. I've never mailed herbs before. Are there regulations to it? Most are small items like sachets and such.. I live in Michigan and would be mailing within the U.S. I'd like to know but am unable to find much info.

Thanks.

As a result of a bad fall last weekend I banged up my shin pretty badly and discovered that I have low-iron; I've stopped eating meat when I got to college so I think that's partly it. Anyway, what can I put on the bruises to help them heal faster? I have them all the way down to my ankle and they suck since it's on the right side of my body, my dominate side. I've been avoiding banging it against anything else, so hopefully that will help.
Sorry if this has been answered before, I looked in the memories couldn't find anything.

sorry if i missed anything in the memories--

any tips on a nice natural air freshener just to keep a room smelling nice?? and that will last? im guessing lavender would be nice...or using some essential oils..i really dont know so anyone who has any tips or ideas would be most appreciated =) xxx

for queen anne's lace.

saw a query a couple days ago about natural birth control, so i thought i'd make a post reminding you about queen anne's lace. instead of writing out my personal experience and opinion, i'll direct you to a few informative links:

http://www.sisterzeus.com/qaluse.htm

she is also good for many other things:

http://www.altnature.com/gallery/Wild_Carrot.htm

more on QAL as birth control (this is a really good synopsis) :

http://robinrosebennett.com/wild_carrot%20article.htm

IT WORKS.

Has anyone ever tried Wild Yam as a birth control method?

Is it reliable?

I'm exploring different contraceptive options. My partner and I are monogamous, so there are no worries with disease or anything.

I've tried hormonal methods in the past and did not like the way they made me feel. Recently, I've been reading a lot on sisterzeus.com and really like what she has to say. But reading other first hand accounts from some other folks would make me feel better about making a decision.

Any other herbal contraceptives that the ladies here have found success with would also be very welcome. First hand testimonials are a super plus plus. :)

x-posted

LUSH cosmetics!! I'm a huge animal lover, and I also LOVE natural products, so this is awesome!!


Here, have a 15% off coupon!

http://www.wspa-usa.org/download/174_lush_coupon_0809.pdf

Also, 100% of the proceeds from their Charity Pot goes to WSPA this month and helping to fund an orangutan rehab center!

http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/body/hand-body-creams/charity-pot

Thanks for checking it out! :)

x-posted!