Tea tree oil refers to the essential oil distilled from Melaleuca alternifolia, an Australian tree. This powerful botanic oil has an abundance of beneficial properties; it is antiseptic, antifungal, antibiotic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. Found in many natural skin- and body-care products, tea tree oil treats a variety of skin conditions from acne to athlete’s foot. It […]

Make Homemade Cleaners with Essential Oils From tea tree and lavender to lemon and peppermint, essential oils have been praised for their ability to clean and protect surfaces.Essential Oils for a Clean and Healthy Home (F+W Media, 2015) by Kasey Schwartz, teaches readers how to use the all-natural oils around their homes, from cleaning kitchen appliances to […]

Whipped Belly Butter  Here’s what you’ll need: • 6 ounces cocoa butter • 3 ounces calendula-infused jojoba oil • 1 1/2 ounces unrefined hemp • 14 ounces shea butter • 0.3 ounce equal parts: German chamomile, carrot seed, frankincense (optional) and helichrysum (optional) 1. Weigh out all of your ingredients (volume doesn’t provide the same). […]

Guide to Making Essential Oils This guide to making essential oils shares how plants create the oils humans want to harvest. When people visit an herb garden, they touch and sniff the plants. It’s almost an involuntary reaction. People associate herbs—and spices, too—with fragrance, and the roots of this association go deep. Even the earliest […]

This luxurious moisturizer helps soothe skin, reduce blemishes and minimize the appearance of wrinkles. Unlike most of the anti-aging creams on the market, this one does not contain petrochemical-based products or chemical preservatives, making it a real treat for your skin. Keep in mind that because it is free of preservatives, it doesn’t last as […]

Create Fragrant Essential Oil Blends Plants have been incorporated into human rituals since time immemorial. Before methods of extracting their essential oils were ­devised, the plants themselves were employed as both physical and spiritual healing agents. Plants connect us to nature, remind us we are part of something greater and can serve as a catalyst for […]

Thank you Desiree Bell from Mother Earth Living for this post. Desiree Bell is inspired by botanicals and natural materials. She is a vegetarian who has a certificate in herbal studies and a certificate from Australasian College of Health Sciences in Aromatherapy. When she isn’t in her suburban garden, hiking or crafting, she is teaching […]

Homemade Organic Skin Toner Video by MOTHER EARTH NEWS Facial toner perks up your skin tone and your complexion — and an inexpensive DIY all-natural toner is quick to whip up. Senior Editor K.C. Compton creates her recipe from a witch hazel base, green tea and essential oils. Follow her directions here for a bright start […]

An inhaler can become your personal little go-to garden and health remedy. Wouldn’t you love to be able to take the wonderful aroma of walking through a flower garden, or the whiff of lilacs in bloom with you?  And doesn’t the smell make you feel good and refreshed? By using aromatherapy inhalers, you can have […]

Use powerful natural remedies to heal ear infections. Tests have proven that cryptolepis is a stronger antibacterial than pharmaceutical varieties.   Ingredients • 1 ounce berberine plant • 1 ounce cryptolepis (or sida or alchornea) • 1 ounce echinacea • 1 ounce juniper (or other pine needles) • 1 ounce usnea lichen • 2.5 ounces […]