We’re rebranding our signature Pure Arnica and Pure Calendula oils and salves with Organic Botanical labels, to emphasize our organic values. And we’re marking down the price on our existing stock with the Em’s Herbals labels: both oils, plus 2, 4, and 8 oz. jars of Arnica salve, offering them at a 20% discount just until we run out of these items.

Regardless of the name on the label, these are the best Calendula and Arnica products you’ll find, packed with healing herbal quality. Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to save on these fine products!

Last year, we decided to work toward placing some of our fine body care products in spa settings, where a different, more elegant-looking label might be appreciated. That led to the creation of the Talys brand and label design, which currently distinguishes our Mocha Suede and Creme Brulee lip balms.

We're planning to add the Talys line soon with a terrific new moisturizing product, Whipped Body Butter, available with a choice of Rose-Lavender or Orange-Wood-Spice scent profiles, which will go on sale for the 2019 holiday season.

This month we’re running a special moving sale: 25% off on our great selection of bulk herbs and original tea blends. Here are quick snapshots of three fantastic bulk herbs that you may not be so familiar with.

Thyme is prominent as a tasty herb for cooking. My mother, who rarely used herbs in the kitchen, used to make a wonderful lentil soup with lots of thyme, to bring in a thermos on trips to windy beaches. It’s much more than that, though. Thyme’s essential oil can contain up to 50% thymol. Thymol is renowned for its antimicrobial properties, fighting bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, and widely used in products such as mouthwashes and topical antiseptics.

In researching Thyme, I was surprised to learn that its benefits also include antispasmodic activity, helpful for coughs, bronchitis, allergies, and asthma; digestive upsets and gastritis; and menstrual cramps. Thyme's water-soluble constituents (meaning, apart from thymol) exert powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial effects.

Cooking with Thyme: good idea. Adding Thyme to teas targeting infections, cramps and spasms, inflammatory conditions—excellent! (Note, strong medicinal doses of this herb should be avoided during pregnancy and nursing.)

Wild Lettuce, as its name suggests, is an untamed relative of the familiar salad green. Our current stock is wild harvested in the Pacific Northwest. It has been used since ancient times as a mild sedative and a pain reliever, containing lactiucin and lactupricin, compounds with analgesic properties similar to ibuprofen. For occasional use in relieving problems such as insomnia, migraines, or anxiety, Wild Lettuce is a time-tested ally.

Yerba Mansa Root is a great herb to get acquainted with, especially as summer ends and the cold and flu season approaches! Here in the Pacific Northwest, Autumn in the air is unmistakeable, and already some people have come down with upper and middle respiratory infections.

This versatile herb (shown in the larger photo headlining this post) grows in damp conditions from northern Mexico to Oregon; our inventory was specially harvested for us in New Mexico. It has been used by Native Americans and herbal doctors to relieve inflammation and treat a variety of infections, especially catarrhal conditions affecting the lungs, GI, and urinary tracts, and some feel that it could take the place of Goldenseal Root (better-known, but overharvested) in many formulas. Its antimicrobial action extends to fungi and mycobacteria in addition to viral and bacterial conditions, and it has proven valuable as a topical application as well as in teas and tinctures.

These are just a few choice items among our line of over 150 certified organic or wildcrafted bulk herbs. Buy now for big savings, and help us lighten the load for our upcoming move!

Life is too bumpy to go without Arnica!

Arnica Flowers have been used for centuries to treat bruises, swelling, arthritis, and soft tissue pain due to injury or overexertion. Pure Arnica Salve and Pure Arnica Oil, formulated with all-organic ingredients, are two of our flagship products!

Arnica montana is known to many as a homeopathic first aid remedy for trauma. The extremely high dilution factor in preparing homeopathic medicines makes it safe to take orally in that form. The Eclectic physicians who practiced in the US during the 19th and early 20th century prescribed it, cautiously, as a powerful internal medicine for pain and debility. Dr. John Scudder wrote about Arnica as an external application for injuries in one of the classic texts of that time, American Eclectic Materia Medica Therapeutics, “Where the soft parts are bruised, Arnica has no superior.” In contemporary herbalism, it is generally reserved for external use on unbroken skin.

 

Clinical research shows that Arnica gel is a safe, effective topical treatment for osteoarthritis pain, and a literature review compiled evidence that it “may represent a valid alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs."

Along with flavonoids, coumarins, and carotenoids, one of the key compounds in Arnica, now believed to be a major source of its healing effects, is thymol. Thymol is a great anti-inflammatory agent that dilates the capillaries, helping to the body move blood and fluid efficiently in and out of injured tissues, and regulating the immune response.

We use high quality Canadian Arnica Flowers and pack them into Golden Jojoba and Sunflower Oils to create a highly concentrated product that will come in handy again and again for those hard knocks, tight muscles, and creaky joints! Our Pure Arnica Salve adds Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, and Beeswax to the Pure Arnica Oil, creating a creamy product that absorbs cleanly into the skin. Either one can be mixed into massage oil, or scented with essential oils, for additional benefits.

Falls, collisions, and boo-boos happen... just part of life. Luckily, there's Arnica to help!

 

 

 

 

 

2. Calendula has demonstrated effective action against bacterial and fungal infections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. A double-blind clinical study concluded that Calendula can serve as “safe and effective treatment for the treatment of diaper dermatitis in infants.”

4. Calendula fights the effects of aging on skin: A 2015 review article notes: “This plant is rich in active compounds including terpenoids, carotenoids, flavonoids, and volatile oils …extract of Calendula officinalis exhibited aptitude of stimulating skin tightness and improved skin elasticity leading to delayed aging process …enhances the skin hydration level… prevents early aging …reduction in skin melanin contents and the decrease in skin sebum level were also observed.”

5. We use only the highest quality, Pacific Northwest grown, certified organic Calendula Flowers... safer for you and your family, better for the planet, smaller carbon footprint.

6. Our salve is formulated with organic Shea Butter and Coconut, Sunflower, and Jojoba Oils: relatively stable, with shelf lives estimated at between one and five years. So it stays fresh much longer than products blended with Olive Oil, an ingredient which may typically maintain optimal freshness for as little as 30-60 days after opening.

7. Em’s Pure Calendula Salve, with its rich, creamy base, absorbs readily into your skin—no greasy feel, no clothing stains!

As the season peaks, we're packing so many of these lovely flowers into oil—this product is quite amazing to work with, as the buds exude their red essence in a matter of days, deepening as the weeks go by!

David Winston writes:

Firmly entrenched in the public’s mind as the “depression herb,” Hypericum has a multitude of other uses. Hypericum has long been known as a trophorestorative to the nerves and nerve tissue. It is effective for treating nerve pain; peripheral neuropathies, Reynaud’s disease, phantom limb pain, head trauma, and minor spinal injuries...

Little Known Uses of Common Medicinal Plants:
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

 

We are now receiving deliveries of fresh, certified organic Blue Cornflowers from nearby Skagit County, right down the road from our location in Bellingham, Washington!

We are delighted to offer Fresh St. John’s Wort Oil, a classic preparation of this plant! The beautiful deep red oil can be especially helpful as a topical application for:

• nerve and spinal injuries
• bruises and swellings
• puncture wounds
• neuralgia and sciatica
• muscle pain
• shingles
• reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome
• varicose veins
• burns and sunburns
• hemorrhoid or hernia pain

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perfoliatum) is said to promote “sunny days during rainy times in your life”! It has been valued as a healing herb since ancient times, both for its pain-relieving and mood-elevating effects on the nervous system, and its antimicrobial, antiviral, and wound-healing properties.

St. John’s Wort is named after St. John the Baptist, whose feast day is celebrated on June 24—close to the summer solstice, and the herb’s peak flowering time. Traditionally St. John’s Wort would be hung on the doors of homes and stalls at this time to ward off evil spirits, sickness, and harm. Associated Midsummer Day celebrations have included bonfires, processions, street parties, dances, and fireworks.

St. John is known as the forerunner of Jesus’ ministry and the last of the Old Testament prophets. Marking his birthday around the summer solstice is the counterpart to celebrating Jesus’ birth around the winter solstice, and the Easter resurrection around the spring equinox. In this way, the Christian calendar incorporated key holidays from the pagan solar cycle, retaining many of their original features while adding new meanings to the turning points of the seasons.

If you don't already need Fresh St. John's Wort Oil today... chances are good that you or a family member will find it essential next week!

More new and returning products
Bulk Herbs: Cottonwood Buds, Lemon Verbena, Orris Root, Helichrysum Flowers
Body Care: Soothing Eyewash                              Ingredients: Castor Oil

Coming soon:  Creme Brulée Lip Balm!

 

Spring is here! The flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing, and the pollen is flying! In addition to all this wonderful life bursting forth after the winter’s slumber, allergies are making an appearance as well, to many people’s dismay. We have a couple of suggestions to help combat these pesky and distracting allergy ailments.

 

A popular remedy for helping to reduce allergies is to consume local honey, harvested in your area around the time of year that your allergy symptoms flare. The bees naturally collect the pollen and incorporate it into their honey, and by eating this sweet treat, you are, in essence, telling your immune system that this substance is okay. In allergies, the immune system interprets airborne pollen that reaches your mucous membranes as “foreign,” or “other,” and send out the attack cells to neutralize the threat by releasing histamine. By eating honey ahead of time, the pollen is introduced into our systems gradually. Luckily, we are offering local Whatcom County honey, gathered and harvested in May and August, 2018. This is the perfect time for people living in the northwest corner of the country to purchase and start consuming honey, in order to help curb those spring seasonal allergies.

 

Another helpful natural tool is our Aller-Geez herbal tea. Tried and true, this tea is formulated from certified organic herbs: Eyebright, Nettles, Sage, Chickweed, and Licorice Root.

 

Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) relieves the itchy, watery eyes, sneezy, drippy nose, and general upper respiratory irritation that comes with springtime allergies. Nettles (Urtica dioica) has long been heralded as an herb that helps quiet the histamine response. Nettle leaves are high in essential mineral content, and adds a nice body and flavor to the tea. Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a great herb to help reduce the excessive fluid and boggy membranes that accompany allergic reactions to springtime pollen. Sage works really well with Eyebright to help “dry up” all those bothersome extra secretions!

 

Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is an amazing, versatile herb, with so many uses! In this tea it is used as an anti-inflammatory, potentiating your body’s anti-inflammatory hormone, cortisol. It helps prevent the breakdown of cortisol, which is produced during stress, so your adrenal glands don’t have to work so hard. It modulates the stress response, which can aggravate the inflammatory response, which then increases the histamine response to allergies. Reducing the inflammatory response, and reducing the symptoms that follow the allergic response, are the goals. In addition, Licorice adds a natural, sugar-free sweetness that makes the tea pleasant to drink without sweetener. Although in this case, you might want to add some of our local honey to give it an extra boost!

 

Happy Herbing!

 

 

They say that the path of true love never runs smoothly! Many issues that affect the mind and body can create obstacles to the happiness we seek. Some of the first ways people used herbs probably involved attempts to spark that elusive “love magic.”

How common is the "common" cold? On average, adults come down with two or three cold or flu infections per year, and children may have six to eight. Naturally, anything that can make those familiar symptoms—runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, achiness, often coughs, and sometimes fevers—less frequent, less intense, and shorter, will be welcome for most of us!

Mostly they annoy us, interrupt our activities for a few to several days, or just slow us down. Now and then a flu infection may turn into a dangerous or even deadly pneumonia.

We can count on being exposed to cold and flu viruses! We can also prepare for the season, and help our immune systems cope with what’s going around.

Our language for coping with the challenge of infections often involves fighting.  Yet cold and flu symptoms actually have much more to do with our ramped up immune responses to infections—messy fights!—than the direct effects of a virus.

Dealing effectively with the microbes that thrive all around us, so we can avoid the discomforts of “fighting an infection,” is the key to getting through the season unhindered. Rather than thinking in terms of combat, imagine immunity in terms of *intelligent communication within a complex system*.

So, what helps keep our bodies working *intelligently* during the cold season?
• Sleep
• Regular, moderate exercise
• Avoiding chills
• Hydration (drinking enough liquids, and maintaining adequate indoor humidity)
• Good nutrition
• Vitamins C and D, and zinc supplements
• Emotional balance

And of course, herbs can help! The oldest approach to maintaining and restoring health meets the most common type of human illness. There are so many plants that people use to stay well and to recover from colds and flus.

The summary below only highlights some of the best-known uses of these healing plants. Herbs used for prevention and treatment overlap quite a bit, and many offer multiple benefits: activating immunity, killing viruses directly, relieving symptoms.

Tea is a perfect way to take herbs for colds and flus, since drinking more fluids is always recommended! Don't forget Em's Winter Defense Tea, an excellent and tasty blend that can help to both prevent colds and flus, and treat them after they show up!

Prevention                                  
• Astragalus
• Boneset
• Echinacea
• Elderberry & Elderflower
• Eleutherococcus
• Ginger
• Lemon Balm
• Licorice Root
• Rosehips

Cough
• Anise Seed
• Coltsfoot
• Elecampane
• Eucalyptus
• Marshmallow Root
• Slippery Elm
• Thyme
• Violet Leaf
• Wild Cherry Bark

Congestion

• Elderberry & Elderflower
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Eyebright
• Mullein Leaf
• Oregano essential oil capsules
• Rosemary

Sore throat
• Licorice Root
• Marshmallow Root

Soothing for night cough
• California Poppy
• Catnip
• Fennel
• Wild Lettuce

Fever
• Birch Bud
• Blessed Thistle
• Boneset
• Ginger
• Meadowsweet
• Yarrow

Essential oils can also support immunity to and recovery from winter illness. Oils such as Basil, Clove, Ginger, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Oregano, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sandalwood, Tea Tree, or Thyme can be added to baths, steam vaporizers or diffusers, mixed into massage oils, or applied to pillows, hot or cold compresses, or tissues.

No need to feel overwhelmed by *all these different herbs*… Get to know a few of them well, to begin with, and explore them further as your interest develops, or as your needs require. The makings of an effective toolbox for staying well and speeding recovery this winter are right at your fingertips, at EmsHerbals.com! 

 

As you seek to improve your health, or help others in need of care, you make decisions based on experience, available information, and values. Our aim here is to educate, offering brief summaries of traditional uses for the plants, and highlighting some of the possibilities that have emerged in the research. Neither the traditional information nor the research findings are complete or perfect. No guarantees are possible for any kind of diagnosis, prevention, or treatment.  

Ultimately we all depend on plants for food, and for maintaining the balance of the planet. The traditional view holds that the amazing diversity of plant foods and herbal allies that sustain and delight us are signs of the mysterious generosity of the universe.

Here are a few suggestions, as you explore healing with plants.

    ▪    Check in with your doctor or health care provider. They’ll have their own biases, but don’t keep them in the dark about what you’re taking, especially if you’re adding herbs to medications they have prescribed for you.  
    ▪    Be cautious! Start with small amounts. What’s harmless for others may not be for you. Allergies to common plant ingredients, or to entire plant families, are not so rare. Pay attention to your responses to what you ingest—keeping a journal may help.
    ▪    Be consistent enough with herbs intended for long term use to see if they help over time. Some herbs are best understood as special foods, safe dietary supplements.
    ▪    Avoid extended use of herbs intended for short term programs (for instance, strong detoxification, or dealing with an active infection).
    ▪    Do your homework. Your quest for information should not stop here! Use botanical names as you search, since different plants sometimes share identical or similar common names. Some of our favorite sources are listed below. Read everything critically! All peer-reviewed journal studies are not equal.
 
A Modern Herbal, Maude Grieve’s 1931 compendium

Culpeper’s Herbal,1653 English classic  

David Hoffman’s Herbal Materia Medica

David Winston’s Resources

Native American Ethnobotany

The Naturopathic Herbalist

PubMed, the National Institute of Health database

Emily Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Botanical Medicine, graduating in 2000 from the North American College of Botanical Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her course work for that degree covered Western allopathic medical diagnosis, pathophysiology, and physical examination;  traditional Western herbalism; Ayurveda medical practices, including pulse and tongue diagnosis; Chinese medicine, acupressure, and chi meridians; Bach Flower Essences, Homeopathy, and Aromatherapy. Her training involved several hands-on preceptorships and extensive clinical experience.

Emily’s continuing education activities have encompassed multiple classes and conferences, including the Medicines from the Earth herbal conference, the Plant Healer’s Conference, and the Breitenbush Herb Conference. She has earned certificates in Flower Essences, Aromatherapy, and Ayurveda, among other modalities, and completed a week-long intensive study and mentorship with Donald Yance and Chanchal Cabrera, as well as additional classes in Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, and Chemistry.

Areas of particular interest include natural pregnancy, home birth, postpartum care, and children’s health. With her personal experience with home birth, cesarean birth, and natural birth after cesarean, Emily advocates for women in all arenas of health care, supporting natural options whenever possible. She also has a special interest in complementary medicine within oncology, and has helped cancer patients survive their fight while including herbal and nutritional support.

In 2002 Emily started Living Earth Herbs, a retail herb and supplement store in Eugene, Oregon.  In 2006 she moved back to her home town of Bellingham, Washington, where she sold the store in 2008. In 2008 she went back to school to continue her studies in science and medicine. From 2008 to the present, she has been raising her family and using herbs to keep them healthy, while launching Em’s Herbals in 2015.