Healing Herbs for Summer

The sun seems to finally be out for good here in Indiana. We experienced a large amount of rainfall up until this point and while our gardens are thriving…so are the weeds and bugs! It’s time that we start thinking about sunscreens, bug sprays, and first aid as we go on our adventures.

Just like anything these days, it’s important to be a conscious consumer and evaluate the products we use in and on our bodies. The bath & beauty industry is not regulated to keep you safe from toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, lead, and parabens. With products so chemically laden, we ought to look for natural alternatives that are not just safe but effective.

I’ll dive into my top herbal home remedies for common summertime needs.

CALENDULA

Bright and sunny calendula flowers are easy to grow and obtain. They are fabulous for healing all sorts of itchy, red, swollen, infected, and irritated tissue. Think of calendula as the all-purpose-skin-healer. Many products now contain calendula as a soothing healer for wounds and burns or eczema and psoriasis. If you have the dried flowers, they can easily be extracted in some olive oil to use topically. Lightly pulse grind the flowers and fill a small jar 1/2 full, then fill with olive oil and set in a cabinet to be shaken daily and pressed out a few weeks later.

YARROW

This is another incredible wound healer we use topically from irritated skin to oozing and bleeding wounds. Yarrows claim to fame comes from it’s ability to stop even the heaviest bleeds (yes, even menstrual if taken internally). It is often seen growing wild and in a pinch makes the perfect ally. You can chew up the fresh leaves and place it right on a wound or gash and watch the magic unfold immediately.

GREEN TEA

Green tea is highly regarded for it’s powerful antioxidant abilities internally, but did you know you can use it externally as well? Green tea will reverse the oxidative damage done by the sun and thus makes a great tea for a medicated bath or liniment in a pinch. This is important as skin cancer is the most common form. To make a liniment, brew a strong tea (several tea bags or 1/4 cup loose leaf) in 16 oz water. Then dip a flannel or thin cloth, wring out the excess liquid, and place over affected area. Repeat every 5-10 minutes.

PLANTAIN

No, not the fruit we eat, but the inconspicuous weed in your grass! You may have never noticed these until now. Plantain leaves are a cooling and soothing demulcent. The juicy leaves will not only heal wounds, soothe burns, but remove bee stings and other matter from the body! It has a drawing action to pull out the toxins from bug bites or stings in addition to the inflammation-modulating gel. Another plant you can create a spit poultice out of in a moments notice.

I hope you enjoyed this informative piece about common herbal remedies for summer. If you need help sourcing clean products, write me an e-mail: taylorsherbals@gmail.com. I am passionate about using clean products. They are not just toxic for the earth- they are toxic to you!

I also make and sell products like my Healing Salve that features some of these herbs and more. Soon I will open an online shop for you to peruse these items. For now, reach out and see what I am offering.

Have a great, adventure-filled summer.