Natural Living

Herbal Remedies, Salves, & Tinctures

Natural living can encompass many different things. The use of herbal remedies, salves, and tinctures makes me feel closer to the earth and nature.

Herbal medicine can feel overwhelming. There is so much to know, so many plant varieties, and endless uses of plants. My advice is to pick one and learn it well before going onto another one. You don’t have to know hundreds of plants to have an affective natural medicine cabinet. You can often get by with less than ten plants.

As always, be careful where you harvest and conscious of how much you harvest. Be absolutely certain that you know what a plant is before using it. Apps such as Picture This Plant Identifier can be useful tools, however, it is highly recommended that you utilize a local field guide. Apps are not always 100% accurate, so pick up a local field guide and be absolutely sure what you are harvesting to avoid making a costly and sometimes lethal mistake.

There are many benefits to harvesting your own herbs and medicinal plants. Natural remedies seem to be increasingly more popular each year. Many people have turned to essential oils which can be beneficial when used correctly. However, they are extremely potent. Most of the time we do not need the level of potency even one drop of essential oil has. The medicinal qualities in teas, tinctures, and salves are often just as effective and easy for your body to absorb, along with being significantly cheaper.

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