Medicinal herbs

Today as I went out to feed animals and care for them I put my rain coat on. The temperature is still mild here, so I don't need my hat and gloves. Mr. Homesteader said to me this morning" Some people get depressed in the winter but you get sad when there is no winter." I am planning on being in the basement cleaning up and making soap. It has been awhile since I did this, but it won't be cold downstairs today. No working outside today as it is going to rain all day. That is okay with me, since shoveling the chicken yard this past week.
As we go into the winter season this is when I start making herbal medicines. A couple of years ago I found some recipes for lotions. I began making all different types of lotions for my family to try. I do have a favorite I even make today, Rose Geranium Lotion. This lotion has very good products in it such as aloe vera and rose water. The rose comes from the rose water and Geranium from the essential oil. This year I started thinking you should make your own rose water. I bought a book called The Herbal Medicine-Makers Handbook. It has showed me how to get started in making my own Rose Water or hydrosol.

Since, I began making soap so many years ago to relieve some skin problems. The learning did not stop at soap making it went on to other things. My interests were in essential oils and how they can help us in everyday life. This is when I stumbled on a book called Clean, Naturally recipes for body, home, and spirit by Sandy Maine. This book opened a whole new world. In this book she uses essential oils for thier different properties, for different products. I began making cleaning products and removing manufactured cleaning products one by one. Today, I only use products that are made in our home.