Herbs

Herbs and Essential Oils for Love

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Happy Valentine’s weekend! If you are snowed in and worried about not having a gift yet, my post about making your gifts might come in handy. Love is a full time preoccupation though so this information is hopefully for the long-term, not just on special occasions. This won’t be a NSFW post btw, it’s more of a look at how health affects our love life, especially our mental/emotional health, and what we can do to help ourselves be healthier. I was thinking along these lines for two reasons, the first being that I wanted to recommend an herb to someone who is still a teenager and I knew that particular herb was also recommended for adult men for sexual health, so I had to do a bit of research to see if it would be a problem. (I’ll give more info about that herb in a moment.) The second reason is because I’m starting to do some marketing around my book about essential oil perfumes and the topic of which essential oils are aphrodisiacs often comes up, especially this time of year. (More on that below as well.)

When it comes to herbs, although there are some recommended for aiding sexual pleasure, such as damiana (more specific to women but either gender can get benefits) and Horny Goat Weed, subtle name, I know, this one is more specific to men but again, both genders can benefit from it. The herbs that are going to provide more long-term sexual health are the ones that are going to work deeply on our stress response, anxiety, and hormones. Which herbs do that? The class of herbs that are adaptogens are the ones that will have the most long-lasting health giving affects in terms of sexual health and I’d argue, even love. Adaptogens, such as ashwagandha, eulthero, and rhodiola work on our endocrine system which houses our organs which make and transport hormones. Hormones are involved with our entire body and are responsible for our stress responses. Most people have heard of cortisol, which is the fight or flight stress hormone that is activated more than ever in our modern world, and most have heard of ‘adrenal fatigue’ from too much stress responders firing at all times. Stress plays a huge role in not only our health, but also our relationships. Any bartender can attest to the aphrodisiac affects of lowering stress through having a drink or two, and this is often the go-to way to socialize and date. Taking adaptogenic herbs can help the body have more moderate and healthy stress responses and also recover from stress more quickly, and by stress I mean all kinds, such as physical, mental, emotional, financial, environmental, relationship, and on and on. It’s no wonder we could use some extra herbal support and rely on alcohol as much as we do! I’m not knocking alcohol by the way, but the more we can do for ourselves on a daily basis that has multiple bonus benefits, then we won’t need alcohol quite so much which has multiple negative side effects.

The herb I was talking about above that I questioned if a teen should take is ashwagandha, and the conclusion I came to was yes, teens can take it. (Though if you have a teen with a high libido already, choose a different adaptogen.) This is an herb traditionally used to balance emotions and moods, improve well-being, reduce stress, improve focus and dispel brain fog. It is often also used in men’s ED herbal products and can increase libido. Ashwagandha should be avoided by those with hyperthryoidism. To learn more about adaptogens, I have a free mini-class about them that you can access through the classes tab on the top of the page.

This is getting to be a rather long read so I might make a video as a companion, but in the meantime I’ll just bullet point other herbs to consider:

For women~ Raspberry leaf is overall reproductive health tonic, as is shatavari which roughly translates to “having many husbands”. Damiana was mentioned above, and having the tea of it with cinnamon can be a great way to try it out.

For men~ Saw Palmetto (remember this was the hot herb for prostate cancer for a while) is an overall sexual health tonic. Gingko Biloba can help with ED. Horny Goat Weed has already been mentioned but bears repeating. Pine has traditionally been used to help with low testosterone.

For everyone~ Eleuthero can strengthen the reproductive system and is another adaptogen. Ginseng is only recommended for adults and in Asian countries it often only given to adults over 60. (I’ve also read over the age of 40 so it depends, I assume, on what country we are talking about.) It is known as a libido and energy enhancer but is not to be taken long term nor by those with high blood pressure. Two months on, one month off, is a traditional way to take it, but listen to your body. Cacao is a relaxing mood booster which is often included in aphrodisiac concoctions.

Essential oils:

The focus should be on what relaxes you and makes you feel good. There are some that are traditional aphrodisiacs, but, just as above where the focus is on stress relief, essential oils can aid in relaxation and help fight anxiety which, let’s face it, is often involved in dating and relationships. The more you can take anxiety out of the equation, the more open you are to your intuition, to the other person, and to the reality of what is taking place. If you are operating in a state of stress and anxiety, you are not going to be your authentic self and will instead be either performing in hopes of being chosen, or so focused on being chosen that you hide your true self and ignore red flags. Being relaxed and in a state of authenticity is how to best connect without losing yourself. Essential oils can help you do that by diffusing them or wearing them as perfume, and I mean all the essential oils. Whatever resonates for you will be supportive to you, and will help you show up ready for the connection in front of you and not creating a false storyline due to stress and anxiety. Notice I said supportive, not a cure-all. If you have chronic anxiety or other mental/emotional issues, please seek the advice of a therapist and/or doctor.

Traditional Aphrodisiac essential oils:

Vanilla, although not a true essential oil, has been rated the number one aphrodisiac scent and is also known as a relaxing scent. I use it by making the base of my perfumes either vanilla extract or vanilla oil, and add vanilla absolute to the oil based perfumes. Rose essential oil is known for supporting all kinds of love and heart chakra health. Jasmine is a scent associated with romance, and the spicy essential oils like cinnamon and nutmeg can indeed add spice to your love life.

Thank you for reading and Happy Lunar New Year too!🐂🎆🎇

Chai for Bloating

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There are many reasons to drink chai, the spiced up tea from India. It’s delicious, warming, and if you don’t like one cup, you can change up the spices next time around. Often chai bought in cafes is a highly sweetened concentrate with nothing medicinal about it, though it can still be a tasty treat. When it’s made correctly though, it acts as a carminative, which is another way of saying it eases bloating and gas. The traditional spices are also prebiotics and immune modulators/boosters (depending on which ones used), and you can add herbs that are specific to what you want to address. You don’t have to add the black tea if you want a caffeine free version, but tea itself has anti-oxidants and l-theanine in it which is an anti-anxiety amino acid.

Chai is usually served with half water and half milk, but again, those proportions are completely up to individual preference. To make sure it is truly a medicinal beverage, the milk needs to be one that is not agitating in any way, so if you can drink dairy without issues, go for it, but everyone else (and there’s a lot of us!) go ahead and experiment with oat milk (my favorite!), coconut milk, or whatever is your go to milk alternative. I like to add just a bit of vanilla nutpod creamer to my chai and if you can tolerate things made with nuts, I highly recommend you give it a try.

I have not put my own chai blend together (yet) because I’ve found one that I absolutely love. Before I introduce it and a few others though, I want to warn you to read the ingredients of any packaged chai you buy. It’s common to get it in concentrate form which indeed is easier (and not as messy) to use, but many if not most are highly sweetened. Even if you want sweetened chai which is indeed the traditional way to drink it, it’s best to sweeten it yourself, to your taste, and to use whatever sweetener works best for you. Of course, if you love a chai concentrate that is sweetened, it’s better to drink that and get the herbal benefits than to not drink those spices at all!

My favorite lately has been Morning Glory’s Spiced Home Brew Kit. I love it for several reasons. First of all, the ingredients are amazing. It has 16 ingredients, all herbs(!), as long as you count black tea as an herb that is, and those herbs are phenomenal ones. There are the traditional ones such as cardamom, ginger, black pepper, etc, and there are added herbs such as gotu kola and gingko biloba which are excellent herbs for the brain, and fo-ti which is known as the longevity herb. It tastes amazing too, nice and spicy, though if you can’t handle too much spice you can use less of the blend in water as you simmer the spices, and simmer for a shorter amount of time. Or this might not be the blend for you if you really don’t like spiciness, but I will say that my son loves this chai too and he can’t handle much spice. For the two of us, I like to put at least two heaping tablespoons into a little over 2 cups of water and simmer for 15-25 minutes. (It’s a great way to make the house smell delicious too!) Which takes me to the next thing I love about this particular product is that they package the black tea separately so you can add it after simmering the herbs for a longer time. I have tried to use blends with the herbs and tea already together, but they are never quite right because you have to simmer the spices for best results but simmering black tea is not a good thing to do because it causes bitterness. Being able to simmer the herbs and then add the tea once the burner is turned down is perfect. I usually turn the burner down when the water has reduced about half an inch and the chai smell is fragrant throughout the house, add 1T tea and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then I add the (oat) milk with a bit of vanilla nut pod and let it all sit together for another five minutes while either turning the burner off or leaving it on low. Then I pour the pot through a mesh strainer straight into our two waiting mugs.

You can use that home brew kit to make your own concentrate which would be easier and less messy (the messy part is pouring it out into mugs) but I like to make our fresh each time and as I mentioned before, it always makes the house smell amazing so that’s a big bonus. They also sell a liquid concentrate of this blend themselves but the second ingredient is honey so it’s not unsweetened like the home brew kit.

I bought Bhakti, a liquid concentrate version, that is not sweetened for quick emergency chai making, but I haven’t tried it yet. I don’t like that it doesn’t detail which spices are used, but I’m willing to give it a try. Let me know if you have had this one.

Another option is chai powders. This one is a golden chai which means it has turmeric in it as well, a fantastic anti-inflammatory herb with adaptogenic qualities. This is an easy option because you just add it straight to your warm water/milk and stir, but it’s not as spicy as I like. This might be a better choice for those that can’t handle spiciness or are specifically working on inflammatory issues.

I’ve noticed when I just replace one cup of coffee with chai per day, it makes a real difference in my digestive system. I have coffee when I wake up, but then chai in the late morning or early afternoon, and it is a nice balance. As Hippocrates famously said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” I think drinks can be included in that sentiment!

Thank you for reading and please share with anyone who complains about bloating!

Botanical Artist Opportunity🌿

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Calling All Artists and Designers — The Herb Society of America Blog

The Herb Society of America is Seeking Design Art! Organizers for the Virtual Educational Conference and Annual Meeting of Members (EdCon) to be held June 10th – 12th, 2021, invite artists and designers of all ages and abilities to submit artwork for consideration for the 2021 EdCon logo. The theme is, of course, HERBS! To […]

Calling All Artists and Designers — The Herb Society of America Blog

Herbs, Roots, Connection

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This new year has started off with a bang here in the U.S. and it has me thinking about my passion for herbs, herbal crafting, and sharing with others. My training has been focused on clinical herbalism but that is never what I wanted to do for various reasons, but mostly because what I treasure about herbalism is the self-knowledge, self-application, and self-enjoyment of having a relationship with the herbs. I aim to connect people to the earth, their roots, and each other through herbs because herbs and humans have been living entwined lives since the beginning of time. When we engage in cooking, crafting, medicine making, or simply brushing by herbs and smelling their scents, we are engaging in the same activities all of our ancestors did since the very beginning of humanity itself, and we are engaging in activities that bind us to each other all over the world and to the earth herself. For that reason, working and playing with herbs is immensely satisfying, joyful, and scratches an itch like nothing else.

The connection people form when making herbal concoctions together is something truly special to behold. If you have never taken an in-person herbal crafting class, I highly recommend it because it is as high-vibe as it gets. That connection is what I want to see more of in the world, and what I want to be part of creating. Connection to earth, to our roots, and to each other is a driving force of this website, classes I’ve made for online and IRL, and for the books I write and contribute to. Connecting to all kinds of people has always been extremely important to me and is one of the reasons I got an MA in TESOL. I love teaching English as a Second Language because I get to meet people from all over the world and that is truly the best thing ever. When I was in college my roommate once remarked that I must know every exchange student on campus, and she was probably right but I hadn’t even thought about it. Of course I want to connect with those with different lives, different habits, opinions, preconceptions, etc. It is fascinating! Isn’t that why we read books too? It is why I personally love novels…the lives that I haven’t lived are so fabulously ‘other’ and full of insights and experiences that I could never get through my own little corner of the world.

So back to this new year and this same old story of divisiveness. The events of this past week of the insurrection on the nation’s capitol were shocking enough, but the lack of police action was even more shocking after this summer’s displays of brute force and tear gas against peaceful BLM protestors. The disingenuous discourse I have witnessed from those that are uncomfortable with seeing in action what their rhetoric has incited, or even their silence, is just as upsetting. I don’t want to be silent on this and I never thought I’d have to say this, but as much as I treasure connection and I want all people to be seen and heard, this is not a space open to white supremacists, racists, or misogynists. Some have responded to that mob by stating, “This is not who we (as a nation) are,” and others have said, “Yes, this is actually who we are right now and we have to accept that and move towards better,” but I disagree with both those statements. That is not who I am, and I refuse to be part of any community that comes remotely close to what was so arrogantly displayed to the watching world. That is all I have control of and although I hope we as a nation are moving towards ‘better’ and I do believe we will and must, I cannot say that small group is who we are or who we aren’t because they aren’t going to define me, my communities, nor my country. They are they, and they are not we and they are not welcome here. That is all I wanted to say.

Happy New Year!

Natural Skin Products for Acne and Eczema DIY

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I woke up with one goal in mind today, to make a perfumed body oil because I’ve been out for about a week and my skin is already feeling parched. (Winter weather problems). Instead of just stopping with the oil though, I decided to make my teenage son an acne-fighting toner and also an eczema oil for some dry patches he has on his neck.

He uses Alba Acnedote products on his teenage skin, and they work pretty well, but he still has issues at times as probably all 16 year old boys do. One problem is that when he goes to his Dad’s he has different products there and also his diet isn’t as strict as it is here pertaining to his food intolerances. Skin issues are very often related to dietary intolerances, which is likely why there is the common misconception that dairy causes acne. It’s not the dairy, but being intolerant to dairy and consuming it anyway, that causes the acne. So many people are dairy intolerant that it makes sense that many, many people would get relief from their skin issues by avoiding dairy. Gluten is another food that can cause skin problems if you are intolerant to it and I know it made me break out every single time I ate even just a scrap of it. (Now I eat spelt and einkorn without problems but that is after a lot of digestive healing measures and years without any gluten at all.) Other foods to consider avoiding if you have chronic skin issues are soy, eggs, and nuts.

Toner is used after cleaning and before serums or moisturizers. This is an easy toner with just 2oz of witch hazel, 3 drops of tea tree essential oil, and 3 drops of lavender essential oil. I instructed him to keep his eyes firmly shut when he sprays this on his face because no one wants essential oils in their eyes. If your skin is sensitive, start with one drop of tea tree and one drop lavender in the two ounces of witch hazel.

The eczema oil is very simple as well. I used .5oz of jojoba oil which is noncomedogenic (doesn’t clog pores) with 2 drops lavender essential oil and 2 drops rose absolute. I chose rose over tea tree for this one because tea tree is slightly drying while rose is specific to dry and/or mature skin. Lavender e.o. is great for any type of skin issue. By the way, eczema is just as often related to food intolerances as acne is, and in fact almost all skin issues (such as rosacea) and have a strong correlation with the digestive system. Hippocrates famously noted, “All disease begins in the gut.”

This is the perfumed body oil in the making. These body oils not only keep my stomach, arms, and legs soft and moisturized throughout the year, the act of putting it on day and night also keeps my hands moisturized and healthy. I used to have chilblains during the fall and winter, but ever since I started being consistent with perfumed body oils, the flair ups are far less common. I change up the base oils and essential oils each time, but as long as quality of the ingredients is good, the body oils are therapeutic and beautifying. If you would like the recipe for this one that I did this morning, let me know and I’ll add it, but I want to encourage you to create your own concoctions with the ingredients you have on hand.

Thank you for reading and if you haven’t already checked out my book coming out in March but available now for preorder, take a look and let me know if you have any questions 👀:

Thank you for reading and let me know if you make any of these, and if so what your recipe turned out to be.

Happy crafting ✨🌿!

Making Perfume Samples

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This was a fun project! I made some sample perfumes to accompany the marketing team when they introduce the book I wrote to book buyers. It was a little intimidating to try to create a scent for 25 strangers that was going to be gender neutral and hopefully widely appealing, but I really liked how the scent turned out! It reminds me of fresh air like no other perfume I’ve ever put together and now I’m working with the publisher on making it a bonus recipe for those that preorder the book.

In the parlance of Instagram…How it started:

How it’s going…

Speaking of Instagram, check out these eagles I saw on my run this morning! They were so quiet that I don’t know why I even looked up. It must have been their intense regal-ness that caught my attention:

Here’s a link to the book where you can preorder through your book seller of choice, including independents. Thank you so much for your support!

💜🌿🌸

HSA Webinar: Hamlet’s Poison: The Mystery of Hebanon & Shakespeare’s Other Deadly Plants — The Herb Society of America Blog

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By Jen Munson, HSA Education Chair ‘There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember: and there is pansies. that’s for thoughts.’ (Hamlet 4.5.248) William Shakespeare’s poetic plays are filled with dramatic imagery and references to plants, herbs, trees, vegetables, and other botanicals. Shakespeare’s awareness of the botanical world was near the level of herbalists of […]

HSA Webinar: Hamlet’s Poison: The Mystery of Hebanon & Shakespeare’s Other Deadly Plants — The Herb Society of America Blog

This👆 look like such a good webinar! It’s free for Herb Society of America members and $5 for nonmembers. I am thinking of taking it myself and would love to hear if you tune in too! The only issue I have with the announcement though is where it says that Shakespeare’s herbal knowledge was ‘near the level of herbalists’, because everyone back then had herbal knowledge and Shakespeare would not have used esoteric things in his plays since he wanted them to be widely understood. Maybe she meant his knowledge rivals modern day herbalists…? Even so, that wasn’t unique to him, despite the man being beyond brilliant and the greatest contributor to English in the entire history of the English language, his herbal knowledge was simply on par with the times. Wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone still had this knowledge? I can’t imagine how different that would make our modern world…it’d make it better, that’s for sure.

What are you doing for Halloween this year? Our neighborhood is filled with cute decorations but I don’t think there will be many costumed visitors.

Take care friends! 🎃

Adaptogens Reminder

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It’s been a while since I wrote about adaptogens but if any year could use some adaptogenic help, 2020 surely is it. Adaptogens have that word ‘adapt’ as a root for two reasons: 1. Adaptogens help the body adapt to stress. This includes all stress such as mental, emotional, physical, and environmental stress. (More info on that further down). 2. Adaptogens adapt to the person’s needs in the body. Many herbs have adaptogenic qualities, but to be labeled first and foremost an adaptogen, the herb must ’cause no harm’ meaning most people can take adaptogens and only ever experience benefits. (There are always exceptions due to individual allergies or other personal conditions so check with your health professionals if you have any concerns.) This means if you take an adaptogen such as Tulsi (also known as Holy Basil) for its mood balancing effects but you also have low blood pressure, it will not lower your blood pressure further even though another person with high blood pressure might take the same herb to help lower theirs. These herbs are balancing and are best taken over a long period of time, mixing up the herbs instead of just taking one for years on end. The best way to take adaptogens is take one or a blend for a couple of months, then switch to a different one or blend for the next couple of months, and so on.

Back to that first point of adaptogens helping the body adapt to stress. That can sound very non-specific but all herbs have affinities for certain bodily systems, and adaptogens work mostly on and through the endocrine system. The endocrine system involves the organs that create and transport hormones, such as cortisol known for instigating the fight or flight response. Adaptogens help create balance in the hormonal system, therefore adapting to stress in healthier ways. They replenish exhausted adrenals, lessen the peaks of stresses, and are known to nourish energy levels for the same reason. If your energy is not being sharply peaked and lowered as much as what happens each time cortisol is activated, then that energy is more balanced and can support stamina better. Adaptogens are in fact used by athletes to encourage stamina and lessen recovery time.

To learn more about adaptogens and how to take them, check out my post from a couple of years ago or watch my mini-class on them for free.

Take care of yourself this crazy year in any and every way you can.

💜🌿

All Natural Perfume Making

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I don’t think 2020 has been a banner year for anyone, and personally 2019 was not a great one for me either because that was the start of my divorce and it ended just in time for the pandemic lockdown. There have been other things as well, just as we all have our personal stories of loss and pain during this extraordinary time in history, but the one bright spot for me was I fulfilled a lifelong dream of writing a book about something I love, and I’m happy to announce it is now available for preorder. http://quartokno.ws/AllNaturalPerfumeMaking

This book tells you how to create natural perfumes from natural ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen, garden, or liquor cabinet, plus essential oils (though you don’t actually need them). There are recipes to play with and instructions on how to create your very own signature scent. Alcohol based, oil based, and solid perfume instructions are all there, and the mental and emotional benefits of the essential oils are discussed so you can create with your health in mind as well as your aesthetic sensibilities.

I can’t tell you how many dark days were transformed by focusing on this book and pulling out my essential oils and filling my hands with dried herbs. There is healing in these natural ingredients, healing in the beauty they create, and healing in the creation process, of that I am 100% sure. I can’t wait to share this particular kind of beauty and healing that is both deep and long lasting, good for you and good for the environment.

The pandemic pushed the publication date a few times but it now is set for March 2021. You can preorder now and as you probably know, preorders matter in the algorithm of how many books are bought by retailers which informs how many books are produced, so if you intend to order the book, please do so early. Here’s the link which gives options for US, Canada, UK, and Australia. If you are somewhere else in the world, contact me and I’ll talk to the publisher who seems able to do just about anything.

If you know anyone who likes to craft, is interested in herbs, essential oils, and/or green beauty, please share this book announcement with them. I would be forever grateful. 🙏

All the best to you and yours,

Kristen 💜🌿

Lung Herbs

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If you are on the west coast, you have likely just experienced the worst air quality of your life. I don’t know how Oregon and California are doing at this point, but we’ve had rain in Washington for the last 24 hours that has thankfully cleaned the air to its almost normal freshness. This past week introduced me to a website called airnow.gov where you can track your air quality in real time. I’m kind of obsessed with that site now! Check out your zip code if you are in the U.S. and see if you are surprised by what you find. This was our smoky sky:

I was going to put together a lung herbal blend of my own, but I stumbled upon a great tincture at Whole Foods today and I’m so grateful that it exists! I will use it daily until it is empty to try to reverse some of the toxic buildup that surely happened over the many days of smoke. This blend is from a Seattle company, The Herbalist, but you can order it online as well, or perhaps your local Whole Foods carries it like mine does…? I’m not sure about that though so online might be your best option so I’ve linked to it (no affiliation). If you just want to throw together your own herbal lung blend, this product’s ingredient list is pretty much all you need to look to for the best herbs for lungs. Here’s the list: Elecampane fresh root (Inula helenium), Grindelia fresh flower & leaf (Grindelia integrifolia), Yerba Santa fresh-dried leaf (Eridictyon californicum), Pleurisy fresh-dried root (Asclepias tuberosa), Marshmallow fresh root (Althea officinalis), Usnea fresh-dried tree lichen (Usnea barbata), Lobelia fresh-dried herb (Lobelia inflata), Yerba Mansa fresh root (Anemopsis spp.), Pure grain alcohol, Distilled water.

I hope you are healthy and safe wherever you are, breathing clean air and drinking clean water. It’s a strange year and I hope everyone is holding up as best as they can. I’m honestly of the (unfortunate) opinion that these issues are here to stay though, at least for a while. We are experiencing the effects of global climate change and that includes the pandemic because overpopulation and changing climates puts wildlife and humans into closer and closer contact. I hope we can collectively take steps towards climate awareness and support laws that prioritize our environment. I’d say, ‘it’s time’ but the truth is that it is way past time.

Breathe deep. Take your herbs. XOXO