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The best defense is a good offense! Make sure you have Certified Organic Winter Defense Tea on hand before illness strikes. Emily’s formidable skills and experience as an herbalist are best highlighted in Em’s Herbals original certified organic tea blends. Right now, most of North America is facing the double whammy of longer nights, plus wintry weather moving in. Here we do a deep dive into Certified Organic Winter Defense Tea—one of our most popular medicinal teas—and what makes it so great!

It’s a potent combination of certified organic herbs that can help you stay well when “the crud is going around”… and speed your recovery if you’ve already got it. It even tastes good!

So—what’s in it?

Certified Organic Echinacea Root, native to North America, traditionally used by native tribes to treat colds, flus, and other infections; extensively researched for its immune-stimulating, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory actions.

Certified Organic Black Elderberries, long treasured on both sides of the Atlantic as a cold preventive and remedy; tasty and nutritious as well as immune boosting, and also the subject of considerable positive research.

Certified Organic Licorice Root, a Eurasian species that has played a considerable role in classical Far Eastern, South Asian, Egyptian, and Greek healing systems; an herb offering many benefits—tonifying, expectorant, antimicrobial, so very soothing for sore throats and coughs, and imparting a powerful sweetness that really helps the flavor of many herbal blends.

Certified Organic Marshmallow Root, another classic Eurasian healing and food plant (shown in image above); well known since antiquity for its mucilaginous nature, coating and comforting inflamed membranes including the nasal passages, throat, and lungs, and adding further antimicrobial action.

Certified Organic Wild Cherry Bark, from a Western Hemisphere tree cultivated and used medicinally by native peoples; its actions include a remarkable effect of sedating the cough reflex, making it a standby in many formulas for respiratory infections and congestive lung conditions.

Challenges to the immune system can arise at any time of the year, of course, but the colder months really put us to the test. Certified Organic Winter Defense Tea belongs in your herbal toolbox throughout the year—don’t be caught without it when the cold season comes on!

It’s so easy to brew herbal teas! Use a tablespoon of tea per cup of water. Pour boiling water over the herbal blend, let it steep for at least 20 minutes, strain, and enjoy the tea, hot or cold. (A teapot or mug with a strainer comes in real handy for this simple operation, and we sell those, too!)

Don't forget to leave us a review!  If you've had the opportunity to experience our products, please help us get the good word out about Em's! Get a code for 10% off your next order when you leave us a review on Google.

Two of our flagship products, made by hand, right here at Em's Herbals. We call these our "good for everything" products! The gentle yet powerful Calendula flower is the key ingredient in our certified organic Pure Calendula Oil and Pure Calendula Salve.

We begin the creation process of our Calendula products by starting with the earth. We contract with local organic growers to get the most potent, vibrant, and fresh flowers available. Then we dehydrate the flowers right in our warehouse—fresh out of the field. Next, we put those freshly harvested and dried Calendula flowers into organic oils and infuse them to extract all the amazing goodness to put into products, all for you! The oil is made by simply infusing the vibrant flowers into organic sunflower and jojoba oils for a month or longer. To create the salve, we combine that oil with shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax, producing a rich, buttery application that absorbs into the skin readily and leaves no stains on clothing. If you haven't seen our amazing Calendula flowers, you really should! 

Gentle enough for even baby's skin! As well as easing dryness and chapping, Calendula can help cuts, wounds, and scrapes heal cleanly with its disinfecting properties; relieve sunburn, and the burns associated with radiation treatment; aid in treating cradle cap, acne, chapped nipples, aging skin, venous leg ulcers and bedsores, fungal infections, insect stings, shingles, and many other conditions. 

Here in beautiful Whatcom County, Washington, the autumn sun is pouring through the window, as colder temperatures begin to prevail outdoors. With the onset of the cooler fall weather comes the trade-off of drier air. And that dryness can be hard on sensitive skin, and even more so when combined with inflammatory conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, or diaper rash. All of our products are all natural and made with clean, simple ingredients—without fragrances or preservatives. Our focus is on helping folks who may also have sensitive skin or fragrance intolerance.

Calendula’s active ingredients include flavonoids, carotenoids, terpenoids, and volatile oils. The same properties that make our oil and salve so useful in spring and summertime are equally helpful in fall and winter! As Emily says, “It’s a gentle, ubiquitous, friendly, happy plant because it looks like sunshine, and it grows so easily. It’s just kind of like a friend for so many different reasons.” You’ll surely want to have one or both of these fine artisanal products on hand.

We wish you and yours a healthy, happy and colorful fall season! 

Don't forget to leave us a review!  If you have had the opportunity to experience our products, please help us get the good word out about Em's! Get a code for 10% off your next order when you leave us a review on Google.

We're grateful for your patience this week, as we make the transition to our new inventory and fulfillment system. Orders may be a bit delayed beyond our normal processing and shipping times.

Summer’s coming to a close! As the nights get longer, it’s time to look for herbs for the colds and flus that often show up around this time. This is the single most common type of acute illness affecting humans, and there are many herbs that have been traditionally used to treat colds, coughs, and flus.

When carefree summer gives way to the old “back-to-school,” “get-serious” autumn vibe, it is easy to get sucked back into routines that leave out self-care. We won’t go wrong by staying with the basics: eating natural food when we’re hungry, drinking when we’re thirsty, sleeping when we’re tired, staying connected with the people and critters we love, doing good work when we can, and avoiding things that are obviously bad for us.

When we do get sick, very often our grandmothers’ plant wisdom can help us recover. Elderberry and Elder Flower (Sambucus nigra) and Echinacea (E. purpurea and E. angustifolia) are among the most thoroughly researched plant allies for addressing colds, coughs, and flus.

Em’s Herbals Winter Defense Tea is a potent blend that you’ll want to have on hand! This all-organic tea features Echinacea Root, Elderberries, Licorice Root, Marshmallow Root, and Wild Cherry Bark. A terrific combination for both prevention and symptom relief, and it even tastes good!

There are many other plant allies that can help you stay well and aid your recovery! These include: Ashwgandha, Astragalus, Boneset, Chaparral, Coltsfoot, Eleutherococcus, Eyebright, Ginger, Hawthorn, Lemon Balm, Licorice Root, Linden Flower, Lobelia, Marshmallow Root, Meadowsweet, Mugwort, Mullein Leaf, Ocotillo Bark, Peppermint, Reishi, Rhodiola, Rosehips, Rosemary, Sage, Shatavari Root, Slippery Elm Bark, Thyme, Yarrow, and Wild Cherry Bark.

Sometimes cold symptoms can disturb the sleep that’s so necessary for recovery. Adding mild sedative / nervine herbs to your nighttime tea blend (consider Catnip, Chamomile, California Poppy, Passionflower, Skullcap, Valerian, or Wild Lettuce) can help with insomnia.

Easy-to-Make Herbal Syrups for Cold Weather Wellness

Here are two recipes for delicious herbal syrups you can add to your toolkit to boost immune function. Herbal syrups are pleasant to take, and the sugar content also helps to preserve the compounds for a longer shelf life. (For infants under age one, use sugar, agave, or maple syrup in place of honey.) When preparing syrups for adults, alcohol, such as brandy or vodka, can also be added (or used in place of sweetening) to extend shelf life even further.

Rosehip Syrup

Rosehips are the fruit of the rose plant, typically sourced from the Dog Rose (Rosa canina). High in vitamin C, Rosehips have a wonderful tang, and they're also rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, D, and K, as well as flavonoids and other nutrients. This syrup can be taken as a supplement during the cold season, as a supportive measure when symptoms are present, or year-round.

Ingredients:

4 cups of water

1 pound of dried organic Rosehips

1 cup of honey, sugar, or maple syrup

Optional: 1/2 cup of brandy, vodka, or other spirits

Directions:

Bring water to a boil. Crush the Rosehips or grind them in a food processor, and stir them into the boiling water. Bring the water back up to boiling, then turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to steep for 45 minutes. Strain the tea through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or muslin bag, and discard Rosehip residue. Wash the pot and pour the tea back into it. Bring the tea back up to boiling, then turn the heat down to medium, and simmer until the volume of the liquid is reduced by about half.

Pour the concentrated tea into a measuring cup and allow it to cool slightly. Add sweetener, stirring to dissolve it completely. If you choose to add alcohol, let the syrup cool to slightly warm, then stir in half a cup of brandy or other spirits. Decant the syrup into an airtight bottle or jar and refrigerate. The refrigerated syrup should be stable for at least six months, or longer if alcohol is added.

Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry syrup is helpful for preventing and treating winter respiratory illness. Studies on the benefits of Elderberry for these purposes are among the strongest research published in the literature of plant medicine. Tangy Elderberries contain many nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and K, and minerals, flavonoids, triterpenes, sambucin, anthocyanosides, and linoleic and linolenic acids.

Wear an apron, or old clothes, when preparing Elderberry concoctions—the dark-colored liquid will stain!

Ingredients

4 cups of water

2 cups of dried organic Elderberries

1 cup of honey, sugar, or maple syrup

Optional: 2-3 tsp. dried Ginger Root; 1 Cinnamon stick; 2 tsp. cut and sifted Echinacea Root; 1/2 cup of brandy, vodka, or other spirits

Directions:

Combine berries and water (along with one or more of the optional herbs, if you're adding them) in a pot, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, reducing the liquid by about half. Remove from heat and let steep for an hour. Mash the berries with a spoon or other implement, then strain them out, using doubled cheesecloth or a muslin bag, and discard them into compost. Once the liquid is mostly cooled, add sweetener (and optional alcohol).

Serving suggestions for either of these delightful syrups: 1-2 tbsp for adults, 1-2 tsp for children (depending on size), 2-3 times per day, with symptoms, or after likely exposure. Either of the sweetened syrups (minus Echinacea!) can be enjoyed as you would other tasty fruit condiments—on pancakes, with yogurt, in cocktails, etc., or added to your tea blend.

Take good care, and stay well this season!

During the summer, we are super busy with fresh herbs! These locally grown plants are delivered fresh, and dried in our facility. The quality, aroma, and vibrancy of these plants are amazing! Along with our freshly in-house-dried herbs, we also work with a wildcrafter in the Southwest who provides us with hand-harvested goodness. 

These are the plants we put in the category "Premium Harvest."

Currently, we’re pleased to offer the following Certified Organic Premium Harvest herbs:

Red Clover Blossoms: Grown in the Pacific Northwest

Blue Cornflowers: Grown locally in Whatcom County, Washington

Plus four potent herbs from our New Mexico-based collector:

Oshá Root

Ocotillo Bark

Yerba Mansa Root

Chapparal Leaf (in stock soon)

(For information about the many uses of these plant allies, click on the links for each.)

We are super excited to offer these high quality, fresh from the dirt to our shop, healing wellness plants!  Don't miss out, they will go fast.

Write us a review on Google and get 10% off your next order!

We take pride in our Pure Arnica products!

This image shows samples of organic Calendula flowers, available on our website here and here as a bulk herb, and featured in our Pure Calendula Infused Oil and Pure Calendula Salve.

Calendula officinalis flowers are best known as a remarkable vulnerary, gently disinfecting, reducing inflammation, and aiding the healing of cuts, scrapes, and wounds. Calendula's antibacterial, antifungal, and immune promoting properties are widely recognized. Perfect for so many summertime issues, including sunburns and bug bites, as well as boo-boos!

The flowers can also be taken as a tea, or added to tea blends, where their cooling properties may help with menstrual cramps, digestive upsets, and more; Culpepper describes them as "a comforter of the heart and spirits."

The Northwest-grown sample in the scoop on the left is a high quality item; the locally-grown, vibrant Premium Harvest flowers on the right are truly outstanding!

Limited quantities available, for both retail and wholesale buyers—order today!

A terrific seasonal product, regularly featured among our early summer offerings: Pure Mullein Flower Infused Oil. We infuse fresh local organic Mullein Flowers into organic golden Jojoba Oil for a minimum of one month. The resulting oil makes the flowers’ remarkable healing properties–pain relieving, muscle relaxing, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial–so easy to wield as a topical remedy, traditionally applied for symptoms of ear infection.

In the photo, our shop associate Jon is spreading newly arrived Mullein Flowers out for a brief dry-off. We’ll announce the limited release of this special product as soon as it’s ready!

In other news, we’ll soon be closing our Etsy shop. Our last day of business there will be Saturday, July 20. In the meantime, you can score a great 20% discount on our items there by using the code GOODBYE at checkout!

We are excited to announce that you can find some of your favorite Em's Herbals and Organic Botanicals products in more local stores! From Blaine to Skagit Valley, check out our offerings in these retail locations! Remember, if you don't see your favorite products, you can always request them from the retailer.

•  Bellingham Community Food Co-op, in both the Cordata and Downtown    Bellingham locations


•  Living Pantry Refillery, in both the Blaine and Bellingham locations


•. Skagit Valley Food Co-op in Mt Vernon, WA

Drop by the Living Pantry Bellingham location on Saturday, June 29, and get acquainted between 1 and 3 PM. We will be giving out product samples and doing a demo at this location. A great way to support local business!

Shawna and Seppi at LP are all about natural, sustainable, and locally created body care and home products—so much in tune with our values at Em's Herbals!

We recently received a batch of fresh organic Comfrey leaves from a nearby farm, and bathed them in organic Sunflower and Jojoba oils to create one of our favorite seasonal products, Pure Comfrey Leaf Infused Oil. We always sell out of this one!

Comfrey has earned a special reputation with herbalists for helping to speed the healing of bruises, abrasions, fractures, injured tendons, and burns, with its content of cell-proliferating allantoin, and other substances that reduce inflammation and pain.

This remarkable oil is back in stock, and ready for your order!

 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 

Sometimes our inventory gets a little bit ahead of us…
keeping things fresh requires us to keep ‘em moving!

We’ve marked 30% off our normal price on selected herbs, while supplies last!

Here’s what we’ve got on sale:
Black Cohosh Root, tea cut
Cardamom Seed, hulled
Chicory Root, roasted, or raw (both tea cut)
Cinnamon Bark, cut & sifted
Eleuthero Root, tea cut
Hibiscus Flower, tea cut
Lemongrass, cut & sifted
Licorice Root, tea cut
Milk Thistle Seed, whole
Raspberry Leaf, cut & sifted
Rosehip, tea cut
Thyme, cut & sifted

Please call us for special pricing on orders of ten or more pounds.

We need the space… you need the herbs!

 

(photo: Black Cohosh)

Up in our corner of the country, it comes in playfully: warm sunny spells—enticing us to buy tender plants, and dig them in early—alternate with clouds and rain, with an occasional treacherous late frost thrown in.

Nevertheless, the longer days bring out an enchanting sequence of blooming flowers and trees, a magic that never grows old. Lately I notice that, each year, a different plant seems to attract my attention in a special way as it responds to the season. Last year it was the Willow trees. This year, the flowers that are suddenly catching my eye are the bright yellow buds of the Oregon Grape bushes, growing both wild and cultivated, all over our region!

Oregon Grape Root may not be one of the first herbs that come to mind for spring detox regimens, but with its potent liver stimulating and immune modulating effects, it’s surely one to consider, along with classic liver herbs like Dandelion Root and Milk Thistle Seed.

Supporting the liver’s detox functions is a less direct path to addressing the seasonal allergies that typically flare in springtime, compared to dealing with symptoms in a more immediate way with herbs such as Nettle Leaf and Eyebright (both featured in Em’s Aller-Geez! tea formula)—but it’s one that reaches deeply into your system to help tune and balance responses to pollens and other immune challenges.

Happy Spring, wherever you are!