Wonderful World of Herbs

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Fresh is always best!

Fresh herbs from the garden are cheap, safe and completely natural plus contain valuable essential oils.

They are Nature’s own ‘chemical free product’.

Herbs feature strongly in all areas of The Self-Sufficiency Shoppe publications and workshops: skin-care, body care, hair care, household use, insect repellent, general deodorising,

They have innumerable uses – listed below are five of the most common herbs and some of their uses:

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-Rosemary-

  • Skin Care – clears the skin, rejuvenates and restores blood flow, tones muscles & nerves. Suites normal/oily/dry skin.
  • Hair Care – helps combat dandruff & baldness by stimulating circulation to the scalp and darkens/shines darker hair. As a hair dye it darkens and masks grey
  • Personal Deodorant - Suitable as a mild body deodorant

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-Thyme-

  • Skin Care – ideal as a cleanser – helps clear acne, restores blood flow to skin surface.  Suites norm and oily skin
  • Deodorant – the natural anti-bacterial (anti-odour) properties of thyme make it a most effective deodorant.

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-Sage-

  • Skin Care – purifies and cleanses the skin – ideal ‘skin tonic’ that helps heal and rejuvenate (it has been used for centuries and believed to be a powerful anti-aging herb).
  • Hair Care – very healing – good for dark hair.  As a hair dye sage is known to darken hair and help mask grey.
  • Oral Care: very effective agent for maintaining healthy gums and strong teeth.

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-Parsley-

  • Skin Care – good cleanser well suited to oily skin.
  • Hair Care – shines hair, tones and stimulates the scalp.
  • Oral Care – natural breath freshener – just chew fresh leaves!

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-Mint-

  • Skin Care – cleanser and very refreshing suites normal to oily skin.
  • Oral Care – another natural breath freshener – chew fresh leaves or gargle an infusion.

Recipe: Herbal Infusion:

Place approximately 3 teaspoons fresh herbs in an earthenware or glass container. Gently crush the herbs with the back of a spoon (to aid release of essential oils). Add 1 cup boiling water. Leave to steep for about 5 minutes or for a stronger infusion leave longer.  Strain and use as required.  Uses: hair rinse, facial astringent or pour into spray bottle and use as a mild deodorant or body spray.

Click here for more information about herbs in Natural Skin Care

Click here for information about Natural Hair and Body Care

Click here for more information about herbs in the kitchen

Click here for more information about herbs in the garden

For more recipes and information about the Wonderful World of Herbs:

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Publications:

Practical Plants e-booklet Set

Resourceful and practical ways to utilise common garden plants - such as various techniques for distilling essential oils from garden plants, making perfumes and fragrant blends, drying herbs, infusing, floral waters, herbal vinegars and oils and much more.

Contains 3 e-Booklets: No. 7 – Herbal Vinegar, No. 45 – Home Distillation of Flowers and Plants, No. 61 – Harnessing Herbs.  Price: $24.00  (Available for instant download)  ADD TO CART

Ways With’ e-booklet Set

Utilizing what’s in your garden to the absolute fullest!

You’ll be surprised at the many hidden uses for popular herbs, flowers & produce growing right near your back door!

Contains  10 e-Booklets covering aspects of personal care, cosmetic, health and healing, culinary, cultivation, in the garden, and other uses – lots of useful information and recipes!.   Ways with MINT, Ways with PARSLEY, Ways with ROSEMARY, Ways with SAGE, Ways with THYME, Ways with LAVENDER, Ways with NASTURTIUMS, Ways with TOMATOES, Ways with ZUCCHINI. Price: $96.00   All e-booklets available for instant download ADD TO CART

Other Relevant  e-Booklets containing information utilising herbs:

No. 7 – Making Herbal Vinegars    No. 61 – Harnessing Herbs     No. 45 – Home Distillation of Essential Oils    No. 2 – Homemade Deodorants    No. 20 – Homemade Insect Repellents & Deterrents    No. 30 – Natural Skin Care    No. 27 – Fantastic Feet!     No. 38 – Sweets Scents    No. 14 – Natural Hair Care   No. 71 – Natural Hair Dyes

Click here for information about The Shoppe Publications or  e-Booklet Sets

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3. Ess. Household Altern. (6)

Living in Harmony with the Planet Workshop

Ways With Herbs Workshop

Format: Growing and garden usage (insect repellent/companion planting);  Drying and other preserving techniques;   Herbs in: skin-care, deodorants, hair-care/hair dyes & rinses, cleaning, deodorising, personal care products, insect repellent and therapeutic;   Culinary – flavouring and other kitchen uses.    Take Home Samples: Herbal deodorant powder, herbal bath bag, personal insect repellent spray, herbal ‘relaxation’ pillow.

Available soon as a Workshop@Home  Click Here for information

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Pam (2)Pam’s Post

I could not imagine life without herbs!  Herbs are what ‘Mother Nature has provided for us with ‘love’. My garden is full of herbs – the more common varieties of mint (spear-mint), parsley, thyme (lemon), sage, lavender (French) and rosemary. Plus some less common types: apple mint, eau-de-cologne mint, peppermint, English lavender, feverfew, Vietnamese mint to name a few. Herbs in the garden serve not only as attractive ornamentals but as useful household plants. I use herbs more for skin care and personal use than in the kitchen.  I add herbs to my home-made face cream, oatmeal bag (for skin cleansing) and use a herbal infusion (rosemary and lavender) to make my homemade shampoo. I throw my cuttings of mint (which grows rampantly – so always plant in pots) in places where my pets’ sleep to deter fleas.  I add fresh herbs (such as lavender heads) to bicarbonate soda to make a quick and cheap floor-mat deodorising powder (which I then vacuum). I dry herbs by tying in bunches and wrapping in a ‘cone’ of newspaper or brown paper bag then hung in the garage (the newspaper keeps the herbs dust free). I will sometimes add fresh herbs and flowers to boiling water on the stove – the natural aroma deodorises the house without using chemicals.

Utilising natural herbs in your day-to-day living is a cheap and easy way to incorporate natural alternatives into what you do (and at the same time experience a little of the wonders of Mother Nature!)

- Pam Marshall