Most households keep a drawer of pharmacy basics. An herbal medicine cabinet works the same way: a handful of well-chosen extracts and topicals for the everyday things that come up in any home. Here's what we'd put in ours.
For digestion
1. Ginger
If you only keep one herb at home, make it ginger. It's a classic digestive aid, traditionally used to ease occasional nausea, like queasiness on car rides and boats, and to support healthy circulation on cold days.* A dropper in warm water makes a quick ginger tea.
2. Digestive bitters
Heavy meal, holiday dinner, or just a sluggish stomach? Digestif is our bitters blend of dandelion, burdock, gentian, orange peel, fennel and ginger. Take 45 drops before or after a meal to support digestion.*
3. Peppermint
Peppermint has been used after meals for centuries to soothe the digestive tract and support the intestines.* It's also refreshing in water on a hot day.
For the cold and flu season
4. Elderberry
Elderberry is the best-known seasonal immune herb, traditionally used to support the immune system and upper respiratory health during the cold months.* Keep it in the cabinet from October through March.
5. A throat spray
Our ClearThroat spray combines olive leaf, propolis and nanocolloidal silver, and goes straight to the back of the throat. It's especially useful during seasonal changes.* For a stronger option, FluFighter features a 4x concentration of licorice.
For rest
6. A calming formula
For the nights when your mind won't switch off, Just Relax combines kava, ashwagandha, passionflower, California poppy and lemon balm to support deep relaxation and restful sleep.* If you prefer a single herb, Passionflower is a gentle place to start. See our guide to herbs for sleep.
For skin, bites and the outdoors
7. Calendula
Calendula, the bright orange pot marigold, has a long history of use in skin care. It's traditionally used to support the body's natural healing of the skin.*
8. Bite and sting relief
Aspic is designed for fast relief from bug bites and stings, whether from mosquitoes, no-see-ums, greenhead flies, bees or wasps. It's a small bottle that belongs in every beach bag and glovebox.
9. Poison ivy support
In New England, poison ivy is unavoidable. Jewel Spray combines jewelweed, a plant that often grows near poison ivy, with plantain, burdock, mullein, witch hazel and aloe. Use it before a walk in the woods, and again after contact with poison ivy or sumac.*
For bumps and bruises
10. Immortelle
Our Immortelle Recovery Roller pairs organic immortelle (helichrysum) essential oil from France with organic emu oil. It's what our own family reaches for after the bumps, bruises and minor sprains that come with an active life.*
Keeping your cabinet in good shape
- Store extracts somewhere cool and dark. Not on a sunny windowsill, and not above the stove.
- Alcohol-based extracts last a very long time. They're self-preserving and don't need refrigeration. Check labels on topicals and oils.
- Label what each one is for. A strip of tape with "nausea" or "bites" helps whoever reaches for it next.
- Keep everything out of reach of children.
Herbal remedies are for everyday, minor complaints. For anything severe, persistent or worrying, see a healthcare provider. And if you're pregnant, nursing, taking medication or giving herbs to a child, check with a professional first.
Shop this guide: Ginger · Digestif · Elderberry · Just Relax · Aspic · Jewel Spray · Topicals
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Photo: Ginger root by Mark Turnauckas, licensed under CC BY 3.0.