5 Herbal Remedies to Give as Gifts |

Christmas is a wonderful time to give more, spend less, worship fully, and love all. In our family, we do that through intentional giving.

Intentional gifts bless the recipient (without giving you the stress of going into debt). Intentional gifts tend to be hand made — perfect for the planet and our budget.

This plays in so well with natural health because many of the remedies I make on a regular basis can be made in larger batches, making them perfect gifts for family and friends.

Since I began doing this, my family members have been so happy to get their gifts from me. “Is there more lip balm in there?” “That hand salve worked so well!” Not only am I introducing them to the wonderful world of natural remedies, but I’m saving myself time and money as well. Everyone wins.

Why not ease the stress a little this season and make extras of your natural remedies to give as gifts?

Here are a few tried and true recipes that make excellent gifts for your loved ones:

Sleep EZ Tea

A lovely sleep aid for babes and adults alike. This soothing tea works like a charm in our house, especially when sweetened with a little bit of honey.

Ingredients needed:

Elder flower
Lemon Balm
Chamomile

Directions:

The ratio that I use for the tea is 2 parts lemon balm and chamomile and 1 part elder flower. Also, it might make you sneeze. A lot. I have no problems with drinking it, but chamomile just does that to me.

Mix together ¼ cup elder flower, ½ cup lemon balm and ½ cup chamomile. You can increase or decrease the amount; I just thought you might like some numbers.

Put your tea basket in your cup and add about 1 tsp tea. Add hot water and let steep for a few minutes. Add a bit of honey if desired or brown rice syrup for little ones under one. This tea is safe for infants but should be diluted with a few ounces of water.

Herbal Lip Balm

This healing lip balm was a huge hit last year. Calendula and marshmallow root are very soothing, especially for chapped lips. The marshmallow root makes it a little slippery, so you can omit it if you don’t like that.

Ingredients needed:

2 tbsp Calendula
2 tbsp Marshmallow root
3 tbsp grated or roughly chopped beeswax
½ cup coconut oil
¾ tsp. peppermint essential oil

Directions:

Heat your oven to 200 degrees and turn it off. Melt the coconut oil on low heat then add herbs. Let them sit for five minutes on the low heat for five minutes then transfer them to your oven. Let the herbs steep there for four hours or longer.

Strain the herbs from the oil (if it solidifies in the oven, just warm it on the stove until it melts again) and put them back in a pan on the stove top on low heat. Add the wax and let it melt. Pour it into clean, dry containers.

Healing Hand Salve

Know someone who has dry hands that need a little TLC? This salve is a big hit with all of our family members who work in healthcare, as well as my dad the herb farmer. It’s super versatile! If you want to add fragrance, any essential oil blend will work, or you can leave it unscented.

Ingredients needed:

1 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp Calendula
2 tbsp Marshmallow root
2 tbsp Comfrey
2 tbsp Plaintain
¼ cup wax
5 drops orange essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil (add more essential oil if you like)

Directions:

Soothing Bath Tea

I made this recipe when I was pregnant and suffering from dry, itchy skin. The soothing herbs make a great addition to a nice hot bath.

Ingredients needed:

Use equal parts of the following ingredients (make a little and do 1tbsp of each or do a lot with 1 c of each):

Calendula
Chamomile
Chickweed
Lavender
Oatmeal
Plaintain

Mix them all together and put 2-3 tbsp in a muslin bag or tie it up in a coffee filter. Allow to steep in 4-6 cups hot water for 15 min. Add cool water until it’s the temperature you’re comfortable with. Add to your bath and enjoy.

Soothing After Shave Oil

This shave oil serves many purposes. Yarrow helps to stop bleeding from any nicks. Calendula soothes irritated skin. All while helping you (or your husband) get a nice, smooth shave.

Ingredients needed:

½ oz calendula petals, chopped up finely
½ oz yarrow flowers, chopped up finely
10 oz. grapeseed oil (you can use olive or avocado or even coconut oil if you don’t mind melting it in your hands before using.)

Directions:

Warm your oven to 200 degrees and shut it off. Pour the oil and herbs into a small, oven-safe dish. Mix until herbs are covered and put in the oven for 4 hours. After they’ve steeped, pull them out and strain them into a jar.

Keep the jar in a cool place to extend its shelf-life. It should last for months as long as you keep it cool and used dried herbs. You can even store it in the freezer!

You can package these remedies in glass jars in your house. Dress them up with ribbon and print off some nice looking labels. And don’t forget to make some for yourself!