Quantum Botaniques

This is a wonderful salve of olive oil and beeswax infused with the leaves and flowers of Meadowsweet, St. John’s wort and Rosemary (with Marjoram and/or Thyme if available and vital).

Meadowsweet is the main component, bringing gentle stimulation, anti-inflammatory, and mild analgesic effects. St. John’s wort is a worthy partner, bringing its own detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, and tissue healing benefits (it does so much more than fight depression). I often find St. John’s wort and marjoram growing together as companion plants in the wild, so think they like working together as friends in a salve like this. St. John’s wort also works very well with arnica (oil or gel) – another wonderful remedy for alleviating inflammation.

This was the very first salve that I made at home. I had no idea prior to my training that simple herbs like Calendula, Plantain and Yarrow, could have such profound effects on wounds and damaged skin. This is now a firm staple in my herbal first aid kit and we use it for every cut, scrape, and sting.

I will sometimes add other wound herbs like Elder leaf, Burdock, or Rose, depending on what feels right at the time of infusing the oil. I love this salve and think I’ll still be making it when I’m old and grey.

Another beloved veteran in my apothecary. This has evolved from a simple elderberry syrup with elderberries alone, to a glycerite – various herbs macerated in vegetable glycerine and brandy for 6-8 weeks before straining. So many anthocyanins and phytochemicals in this dark purple elixir. The Elderberries pair well with anti-microbial herbs like Lemon balm, Calendula, Plantain, Echinacea and St. John’s wort. Sometimes I add rosehips, hawthorn berries, and self heal for additional support.

Through the uncertain months of 2020 we foraged and picked what Mother Nature offered, and the brew we now call ‘red tea’ was born – the base is always the elderberry glycerite, with a berry tea bag, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a dollop of good quality honey, spiced with cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. A lovely warming concoction, like a hug in a cup, and good for those tickles in the throat or head colds that have you reaching for your bed or the sofa.

Hayfever is one of those things which is particularly challenging to manage. Once the symptoms of itchy eyes and runny noses start to emerge it’s incredibly difficult to find relief. We have found this mix of anti-inflammatory herbs to be helpful, but find it most effective when combined with things like raw local honey, spikenard, and homeopathic oral sprays.

The main components of the mix are Cleavers, Calendula and Self-heal, which reduce inflammation and gently stimulate lymphatic flow. Golden rod is a mild astringent that is not commonly used, but that seems to have an affinity for irritated mucous membranes. The mix also contains Astragalus and Echinacea root for further immune support.

As an aside, any attempts to relieve seasonal allergies should really be started in January or February to tone up the immune system long before it’s challenged by seeds and pollens in spring and summer. Other helpful practices are to eliminate foods that are known to cause congestion in the mucous membranes, such as processed foods, white flour products, eggs, dairy, and meat. Alkalising the system by adding in chlorophyll-rich foods, and fruits/vegetables high in anthocyanins can also be helpful.

I have to give credit to Rosemary Gladstar and The School of Aromatic Studies for the inspiration for these creams. I have always suffered with dry and reactive skin from a young age and have tried so many different moisturisers, lotions and cleansers to try to resolve it. Instead I precipitated a reflex oiliness and sensitivity that was difficult to get under control. Again in desperation I set out to make my own.

Now I have variations that I use for body, face, and hair/scalp, and I use nothing else on my skin other than a simple mix of jojoba, argan and sea buckthorn oils as a serum base, or a salve if I need it. The versions that I offer for sale are enough for used all over the body, and are designed to combine the softening and emollient effects of mango butter and sweet almond oil amongst other things. I’ve tried different essential oil combinations, but after discovering the soothing action of iris oil through the work of Matthew Wood (another American herbalist), I now include it in the almond body creams, and use a blend of frankincense and bitter orange in the shea cream. The much milder face cream remains unscented.

This is the newest addition to the family. I have always used a combination of St. John’s wort, Wood betony and Lime flower for headaches. A few drops of the combined tincture in water is enough to lighten the tension. Here, I have combined these with Hawthorn, Oats, and a touch of Lemon balm to bring clarity to the mind.

I quite often suffer from bouts of intrusive thoughts, loops of worry, imagined failings, and judgements that bring me down. Headspace came to me because I needed just that – space in the head to allow me to think, to breathe, to find a way forward out of the fog, and to reconnect to my inner world; the joyful intuitive part of me that could see the path ahead.

It’s another one of those combinations where a little goes a long way. I tend to use drop dosing in my practice, and for this just the same: 5-10 drops twice a day seems to be all I need.

This is a flower essence combination that I recently put together whilst trying to nourish my flagging jing – a form of our inherent life force. A combination of the usual stressors – work, emotional trauma, and extreme physical exertion – left my body feeling depleted, and just, well, sad..

It’s been about 8 years now, and I am just starting to find my way out of the slump. Vitality was what I felt I needed – that tiny little spark of life returning within, bringing warmth and enegy to the cells and tissues so that I had the movtivation to get up and try again. If like me you have felt weary and tired of living, I’m here to remind you that there is always hope, just don’t give up. The blend is quite stimulating, so again a few drops is all you need.

Wow, soap. The ultimate act of alchemy in which a strong alkali (lye in this case), fats/oils are combined, and react to produce glycerol and solid soap. Traditionally tallow or lard and wood ash were mixed by hand, but now there are endless combinations of oils, butters, plant materials and natural dyes that can be combined to make all kinds of soap.

I have wanted to make soap for a long time, but hadn’t found the right recipes to try, until I stumbled across Jan Berry (aka the Nerdy Farmwife) and her advice on how to get started. Currently I am working with a few variations of cold-press soap, which uses no external sources of heat, only what is produced by the chemical reaction itself. They have to be left for several weeks to ensure that saponification is complete and you are left with a moisturising, lathery bar of soapy goodness.

Most soaps are left to cure for 4-8 weeks, but I find that leaving them for up to 5 months produces a very stable, softening, and long-lasting bar.