Hair can get dry and brittle, especially in the summer months during time outside, swimming or at the beach. Use of harsh chemical products can also damage hair, but this conditioning treatment helps nourish hair and strengthen it.

Try this easy and inexpensive home treatment that will naturally improve your hair. I even use this on my four year old to make her hair more manageable and easier to brush (she is very tender-headed). This recipe is so simple, it is hard to call it a recipe, but it works really well so I thought I’d share it anyway. Please note that it will leave hair oily and need to be washed/rinsed well as to not leave residue.

If you’re looking for other natural hair care recipes, check out my homemade coconut shampoo, DIY Beach Waves Hairspray and Dry Shampoo for Dark or Light Hair.

Nourishing Hair Oil Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil (affiliate)
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon epsom salt or magnesium flakes (optional- for volume)

How to Make Hair Oil:

Combine all ingredients and whisk/blend well (I used an immersion blender). You may have to heat the coconut oil slightly to get it in liquid form. Epsom salt will still be somewhat gritty but will dissolve and work in to hair once applied.

Over a sink or shower, massage oil through the hair and scalp. Put a shower cap on (or old towel) and leave on for up to 30 minutes.

In the shower, rinse well, then shampoo. If still oily, massage a small amount of baking soda through the hair to remove or use dry shampoo after the shower.

Have you ever used oil on your hair? How did it work?

Nourishing Hair Oil Recipe is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.

Note: Links below are affiliate links to the best sources I have found for these herbs. Should you purchase anything through these links, your cost will be the same and you have my sincere thanks for supporting my blog!

What is Horsetail?

Horsetail (also called Shavegrass) is an herb that I always keep in the herb cabinet (which is what I have instead of a medicine cabinet).

According to Mountain Rose Herbs:

“The plant at that time was as tall as a modern palm tree. Horsetail, not to be confused with cat-tail, is possibly the most abundant source of silica in the plant kingdom, so much in fact that the herb can be used for polishing metal. It got the name “scouring rush” from this very application. It has had other uses during the ages including as an ingredient in shampoos, skincare products, and in dietary supplements. The German E commission describes its use for urinary tract problems and as a diuretic.”

This article elaborates:

“Horsetail is known for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, coagulant, demulcent, diuretic and astringent activity. Reportedly, it has been used in the treatment of a number of health conditions which include brittle bone, hair, teeth and nails, white spots on nails, gingivitis, tonsillitis, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth, rheumatic disorders, edema, osteoarthritis, diabetes, acne, wounds, itchiness, rashes, burns, frostbite, chilblains, athlete’s foot, cracked and tired feet, drawing out pus from boils and carbuncles, ulcers, fistulas, herpes simplex, dyspepsia (impaired digestion), gastrointestinal conditions, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, fever, malaria, bladder problems, urinary tract infection, bed wetting in children, kidney stones (nephrolithiasis), prostate problems, hemorrhoids, muscle cramps, tumors, broken bones, fractures, sprains, nose bleed and other heavy bleeding. Horsetail is also known to strengthen the body’s immune system.”

Horsetail Uses:

I often use Horsetail, especially in external preparations due to its skin/hair supportive high silica content. We use horsetail for:

• An herbal hair rinse that supports strong hair and hair growth. I brew a strong herbal tea (1/2 cup horsetail to 1 cup water), steep for an hour, strain and use as a hair rinse in the shower.
•  For boils and blisters- I grind horsetail with plantain and add enough water to create a paste and then pack on to boils or blisters and cover with gauze to speed healing.
• Sore Throat-For sore throat, I make a gargle with a strong horsetail infusion (steeping horsetail in boiling water and then cooling) with sea salt and lemon juice and then gargle with this mixture a few times a day while symptoms persist.
• Bedwetting/Bladder Problems- From this article “Studies have shown that Horsetail extract may be beneficial for patients suffering from nocturnal incontinence (bed-wetting), bladder and urinary tract infections and weakened bladder. It may also relieve the persistent urge to urinate with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Suggested remedy is to take one capsule of Horsetail extract two to three times daily. It is reported that taking a bath with Horsetail tea for at least 15 minutes two to three times a week may be helpful for UTI and Bladder weakness. For steam bath, steep 10 teaspoons of dried Horsetail into one quart of boiling water for 10-15 minutes and add the strained tea into the bath water.”

Notes:

I avoid horsetail when pregnant or nursing (so my whole married life) but use it externally for hair or skin if needed. From MRH: “When taking horsetail powder for its diuretic effect, be sure to drink extra water for maximum benefit. Avoid if there are kidney stones. Don’t take horsetail herb if you take an ACE inhibitor for high blood pressure and you have congestive heart failure, as the combination of the herb and the drug can cause accumulation of excessive potassium. Not recommended while pregnant. Toxicity similar to nicotine poisoning has been seen in children who ingest large amounts.”

Have you ever used horsetail? How did you use it?

Herb Profile: Horsetail is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.

This recipe uses all natural moisturizing ingredients and makes skin soft and silky. It is great for kids too and doesn’t have the tingling that regular magnesium oil has when you first start using it.

Magnesium Body Butter doesn’t have any preservatives, so I make in smaller batches and keep for up to two months without a problem. It can also be stored in the fridge for a thicker and cooling lotion that is great to use after sun exposure to help the body absorb Vitamin D.

Coconut oil and shea butter are both naturally SPF of 4-5 and magnesium is needed for absorption of Vitamin D, so this lotion is great for mild sun exposure. I use this or regular magnesium oil on my kids feet each night to help them sleep and boost magnesium levels. It is also great on sore muscles.  You can add essential oils for scent, but be careful about essential oil use during pregnancy, and don’t use citrus oils if you’ll be using this in the sun as they increase sun sensitivity.

Magnesium Body Butter

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

A simple body butter made with simple ingredients for a soothing magnesium boost that leaves skin silky and healthy.

Author: Wellness Mama

Recipe type: Body – Lotion/Body Butter

Ingredients

• ½ cup Magnesium Flakes + 3 Tablespoons boiling water (Or ½ cup of pre-made magnesium oil, though this won’t yield as much magnesium in the final product)
• ¼ cup unrefined coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons Beeswax Pastilles
• 3 Tablespoons Shea Butter

Instructions

1. Pour 3 tablespoons of boiling water in to the magnesium flakes in a small container and stir until it dissolves. This will create a thick liquid. Set aside to cool.
2. In a quart size mason jar inside a small pan with 1 inch of water, combine the coconut oil, beeswax and shea butter and turn on medium heat.
3. When melted, remove the jar from the pan and let the mixture cool unti room temp and slightly opaque. At this point, put in to a medium bowl or into a blender.
4. If in a bowl, use a hand blender or immersion blender on medium speed and start blending the oil mixture.
5. Slowly (starting with a drop at a time) add the dissolved magnesium mixture to the oil mixture while continuing blending until all of the magnesium mix is added and it is well-mixed.
6. Put in the fridge for 15 minutes and re-blend to bet body butter consistency.
7. Store in fridge for a cooling lotion (best consistency) or at room temp for up to two months.

3.2.1753

Magnesium Body Butter is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.

I love this time of year when gardens are starting to produce and farmers markets have fresh greens for salads. Big salads are my go-to lunch and often my go-to dinner with a mug of warm bone broth on the side.

This is my current favorite salad and I’m eating some variation of it at least once a day. Of course, there are hundreds of ways to mix it up, but this is my favorite. I’ve written the instructions to serve four, but it can be adjusted up or down easily.

Spring Salad with Honey Mustard

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

A flavorful and fresh salad with almond crusted chicken, goat cheese, strawberries, pecans, and dried cranberries on a bed of lettuce.

Author: Wellness Mama

Recipe type: Salad

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 batch of homemade chicken fingers with almond flour
• 8 handfulls of lettuce or greens of choice
• 4-6 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
• 1 cup of toasted pecans
• ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 batch of honey mustard dressing (or homemade dressing of choice)

Instructions

1. Cook the chicken fingers according to instructions (recipe here) and set aside.
2. Prepare honey mustard (recipe on same post) and set aside.
3. To serve: Put two big handfuls of lettuce/greens on a plate. Chop chicken and top each salad with equal amounts of goat cheese, pecans, cranberries, strawberries and dressing.
4. Enjoy!

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Spring Salad with Honey Mustard is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.

I often hear people say that they couldn’t ever give up grains (or dairy, sugar, processed food, etc) because of the social aspect of food and entertaining…. the book Gather: The Art of Paleo Entertaining (aff) blows that notion completely out of the water.

Bill Staley and Hayley Mason who blog at Primal Palate and who wrote Make It Paleo (aff) created this beautifully photographed book that has recipes sorted by occasion: Chinese Take Out Taste-alikes, Tea Party, Picnic, Thanksgiving, Birthday, etc.

The book itself is beautiful and could easily be a coffee table book, and the recipes don’t disappoint either. We tried the “Night in Tuscany” menu of Antipasti Salad, Pan Fried Asparagus, Salmon, and Pizza made with almond flour crust. It was all delicious and the pizza was definitely a kid favorite.

Gather includes:

“- 16 elegant menu spreads, including detailed shopping lists
- 100 delicious dishes perfect for any party
- Over 300 beautiful color photos
- Tips and tricks to make entertaining fun and effortless
- Thoughtful ideas on how to prepare dishes while enjoying the party you’re hosting
- Shortcuts and sequencing suggestions to time everything just right”

If you’ve been looking for delicious recipes to convert family members to a healthier way of eating, Gather is a great place to start…

Book Review: Gather is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.

I’ve written before about how many of the plants we consider weeds are edible and beneficial, but a book I recently had a chance to review, Dandelion Hunter (aff), takes it to a new level!

Rebecca Lerner, who blogs at First Ways, has a funny yet edgy writing style that really draws you in to the book. In Dandelion Hunter, Lerner realizes that she wouldn’t last very long if the comfortable amenities of modern life suddenly disappears and embarks on a journey to survive by foraging in the “modern wilderness” for a week.

After a series of disappointing attempts at finding food, she has to abandon her week of foraging but re-tries with additional research and knowledge.

I won’t spoil the end, but through her attempts at foraging, readers learn about the many available edible weeds (though there are not any pictures, so it isn’t a field guide) and gain an interest in the beneficial plants that are all around us.

From reading Dandelion Hunter (aff), I realized that despite the tremendous amounts of coconut oil we have in our house and my ability to find/filter clean water and harvest some basic plants, my skills would need a lot of work before I’d survive in any type of situation that required me to forage to stay alive.

If you’re looking for a fun and interesting read that is interspersed with helpful foraging tips (and recipes), Dandelion Hunter (aff)  is a great read and I’d recommend it.

Book Review: Dandelion Hunter is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.

A reader emailed and said:

“Katie, I have loved your blog for months now! In a lot of your posts, you mention that you always keep something-or-other in your purse. Your purse is starting to remind me of Mary Poppins… And I would love to see a post: “what is in Katie’s purse?”

Thanks ”

Which gave me a great excuse to go through my purse (clean it *ahem*) and make a list of everything in there. As I was doing this, I realized that it really is starting to resemble Mary Poppins’ famous bag and I probably have everything but a lamp in there…

On the positive, it weighs so much that I get a workout from carrying it!

My purse doubles (er.. triples) as a diaper bag and on-the-go survival kit so it has a very random assortment of items at any given time. I’ve included the basics in this list, though there are often other items as well. I was aiming for a post that looked like one of those “What’s in her bag?” profiles in a magazine, but I’m definitely not a throw-a-lipgloss-in-a-clutch-purse kind of girl… If you didn’t already think I was a little strage with the whole making my own deodorant and toothpaste thing, you might now…

(Note: Many of the links below are affiliate links to things I obviously buy and believe in… if you decide to purchase anything through these links you have my sincere thanks for supporting my blog.This public service announcement brought to you by the new FCC guidelines.)

The Purse:

1. My purse, a Saddleback Leather Tote,  is by far the most expensive accessory I’ve ever bought. I saved for it for years but consider it an investment because it comes with a 100 year (yep… you read that right) warranty that can be transferred. It is literally the last purse I’ll ever have to buy and I wrote it in to my will…

It is extremely well made, comes in three colors, has a removable liner that makes it easy to clean and a handy inside pouch that is perfect if you ever need to conceal anything It can be carried cross-body or over the shoulder and has an inside pouch that is perfect for wallet/checkbook and a metal hook that I attach my keys to so I don’t lose them.

I also love that this purse holds its shape, doesn’t fall over and has enough room to actually organize things in smaller bags inside. Why would one need bags inside of bags? Read on….

The Basics:

2. Two things I always keep with my are my phone (in an Otterbox case since I have kids) and a Moleskine notebook which I use all the time for making lists (because I’m mildly OCD and feel more productive when I do) and for outlining random blog posts as they come to me.

The Bottles:

3. Long hours as a doula are the reason I carry these items. I always keep magnesium oil, rescue remedy, and herbal hand sanitizer and herbal breath spray from Tropical Traditions. I’m not one to use hand sanitizer all the time but it does come in handy when the kids decide to feed ducks at the park or we have to use a port-a-potty. (Note to self: should probably start carrying TP too…)

The Survival Gear:

4. I married a man with many brothers and they all love anything outdoorsy. If I’ve learned anything from them, it is that you can never be too prepared. I have a small bag (see #9) inside my bag with the following items:

• A fire steel for starting fires- works great for campfires, not so effective on candles.
• A para cord bracelet- you know, in case I ever need to repel or tie a Christmas Tree to the roof of the car or whatever… I also carry regular hot pink paracord so I don’t actually have to mess up the bracelet if I ever need paracord (logical, I know).
• A knife- I have a Smith and Wesson Tanto Blade Knife which has been excellent for cutting fruit or cheese at picnics and taking those little plastic tag-holders off of new shoes. I’m guessing it would also be useful in a defense situation… I also carry a Swiss Army Knife which I’ve used much more than I ever expected to, especially the phillips head screwdriver.
• Pepper Spray (not pictured)- because you just never know.
• A whistle/compass (not pictured)
• A LED Flashlight (not pictured)

The Essentials:

5. With kids, someone is always hungry or thirsty. I keep a klean kanteen full of water and a leak-proof Lunchbot with snacks (like nuts, coconut, dried fruit, etc) in my purse at all times because a hungry two year old in a crowded store is not something to mess with!

The Herbs and Oils:

6. I keep another small bag with first aid and health essentials. I have a glass jar full of coconut oil and some little bottles of essential oils and tinctures with me at all times. I get the amber glass bottles from Mountain Rose Herbs and fill them with what I need. I usually carry:

• 1/24th ounce glass bottles with essential oils of peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, oregano and lemon.
• 1 ounce tincture bottles with chamomile tincture (calming), digestive tincture, plantain tincture and sleepytime tincture. All of these have come in handy, especially on road trips.
• 4 ounce jar of coconut oil for everything - bug bites, natural sunscreen, lotion, lip chap, diaper cream, and we could eat it if we were hungry…

The Diapers:

7. I’ve always thought cloth diapering was easier, but especially with two in diapers, it saves time and space. I can keep a couple one-size diapers in a wetbag in my purse and they can be adjusted to whichever child needs them at the time. Then, I just throw in the wash and grab a couple more when I get home.

The Just-In-Case:

8. Mainly in case of emergencies or food poisoning, I keep a pill container with capsules of cayenne, activated charcoal, and probiotics in my purse at all times too.

The Bag in a Bag:

9. Why does one need a bag-in-a-bag? For organization… My hubby found these Eagle Creek Quarter Cube Pack It Bags and they fit perfectly in the Saddleback purse. I could probably fit up to four of them in the purse if I needed to, but they hold a lot and most of the loose items above fit well in one of these.

The Miscellaneous:

The random items in my purse vary daily, but often I carry:

• Superglue (again, you never know)
• A tape measure (you’d be surprised how much this gets used)
• A toothbrush, or five…
• Business cards
• A ring sling for baby
• extra Baby blanket – I love these that a friend just told me about and they double as a burp cloth or swaddler
• safety pins and a sewing kit
• lip chap
• extra rubber bands for hair
• travel scissors
• Vitamin C
• a lighter or matches
• bandaids
• extra cash
• kleenex or handkerchief
• pens and pencil
• books

So, that’s a look inside my (40 lb) purse… what do you carry? What is the most unusual item you have in your purse right now?

Anatomy of a Natural Mama’s Purse is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.

We use lotion bars all the time at our house. The concept is great- a bar that looks like soap but that you use on dry skin like lotion. I’ve even customized them to make sunscreen lotion bars, bug off lotion bars, and pain relief lotion bars.

All of those recipes are natural and safe even for sensitive skin and babies (though I wouldn’t use the pain relief on on small children), but I’ve had several readers ask about what to do if they couldn’t use coconut oil due to an allergy. After some experimentation I figured out another lotion bar recipe that is our new favorite and that is excellent for any skin issues.

It uses a surprising ingredient… tallow!

Why Tallow?

I first thought about using tallow in skin care after seeing it on the Weston A. Price website and then seeing that Mommypotamus also uses tallow in her skin care.

From the WAPF:

“As we have already seen, our ancestors overwhelmingly used tallow for skin care. For example, a book of “recipes” for all facets of life, written by Dr. A.W. Chase, MD in 1866, lists ten formulations of salve, eight of which contain tallow, in addition to other natural ingredients.¹⁷ This same medical doctor quotes the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal of his day on using pure tallow for a “very common and very painful affliction,” an ingrown toenail. Even though this use is a very specific one, it is included here as being a strong testimonial on the healing power of tallow: “”

Modern science supports its use too:

“From biology, we know that the cell membrane is made up primarily of fatty acids, a double layer, to be exact. Saturated fats constitute at least 50 percent of the cell membrane. Since saturated fats tend to be more solid than unsaturated fats at a given temperature, they help give the cell membrane its necessary stiffness and integrity for proper function.²⁰ The monounsaturated fats, while not as “solid” as the saturated fats, are more so than the polyunsaturated fats which are also present in the cell membrane in their own proper proportion, although the modern diet leads to a disproportionate amount of the polyunsaturates. Healthy, “toned” skin cells with sufficient saturated and monounsaturated fats would undoubtedly make for healthy, toned skin. Interestingly, tallow fat is typically 50 to 55 percent saturated, just like our cell membranes, with almost all of the rest being monounsaturated,²¹ so it makes sense that it would be helpful for skin health and compatible with our cell biology.

…

In regard to this compatibility of tallow with the biology of our skin, we should note that we are animals rather than plants, so the modern taboo against animal products in skin care products would seem unfounded and even illogical. In addition to containing very little saturated fats, plant products do not have the same levels of other nutrients needed for healthy skin. Tallow contains the abundant natural fat-soluble activators, vitamins A, D, and K, as well as vitamin E, which are found only in animal fats and which are all necessary for general health and for skin health.

Tallow (especially tallow from grass-fed animals) also contains fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has anti-cancer²⁴ and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as palmitoleic acid, which has natural antimicrobial properties.²⁵ Dr. Mary Enig cites a 2006 study on fats showing that CLA, which is found in high concentrations in tallow, has significant anti-cancer effects, and that supplying tallow increased those effects due its palmitic acid, another fatty acid.^26″

What We Noticed:

I admit that I was a little apprehensive about using tallow on my skin at first, but after trying it, it is now a regular part of my skin care routine. It is amazing how silky it makes skin and it is really effective at soothing skin irritation.

I’ve also found (probably due to the natural SPF in the shea butter and the fat soluble vitamins in the tallow) that these lotion bars are an excellent mild skin protector for short term sun exposure and they seem to help the skin tan without any redness (this coming from an Irish girl).

Tallow lotion bars also seem to really help skin healing as they have worked wonders on my son’s eczema scars and a scratch on one child’s face (a gift from a sibling).

Tallow Lotion Bar Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup  beef tallow from a healthy source (I get mine here)
• 1/3 cup shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter
• 2 Tablespoons beeswax (can add an extra ounce or two if you want a thicker consistency, which leaves less lotion on the skin when used)
• 20+ drops of essential oils of choice (note: some, like citrus oils, will increase skin sensitivity)- these are optional.

How to Make Lotion Bars:

Combine all ingredients except essential oils in a quart size glass mason jar and carefully place this jar in a small saucepan of water on the stove.

Turn the burner on and bring water to a low simmer. Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in the essential oils.

To use:

Store in a cool or dry place for up to six months (I’ve even had some last as long as a year).

To apply to skin: hold bar in hand and carefully rub on dry skin. The heat of the skin will transfer some of the lotion bar to the skin. I store my lotion bars on a small plate on my dresser and bathroom counter.

Carefully pour into molds or whatever you will be allowing the lotion bars to harden in. I used these silicon loaf molds, though any mold would work.

Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before attempting to pop out of molds. These could be made in different shaped molds or made in a square baking pan and then cut into actual bars.

Perfect Silk Lotion Bar Recipe is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.

This is similar to my regular bath fizzies except that it uses finely ground after-birth herbs for an extra boost. They are easy to make and similar to the bath bombs sold at places like Lush and Bed, Bath and Beyond (but without the artificial fragrances and colors).

If you are expecting or have any friends who are, these are a great thing to have on hand before the birth. The soothing salts and healing herbs combine for a wonderful post-delivery bath!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Baking Soda (I get mine from Mountain Rose Herbs)
• 1/2 cup Citric Acid
• 1/2 cup Sea Salt or Epsom Salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons witch hazel (or slightly more) – Can also use water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or water)
• 1/2 cup finely ground after birth herbs (recipe here) or other herbs of choice- grind in a food processor or blender

How to Make Bath Fizzies

Combine baking soda, salt and citric acid and mix well until combined.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, witch hazel and vanilla extract and stir well. Add essential oils if using.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and very quickly mix well with hands (wear gloves if you have sensitive skin). Add powdered dried herbs.

Mixture should hold together when squeezed without crumbling. You may need to add slightly more witch hazel if it hasn’t achieved this consistency yet.

Quickly push mixture into silicon molds, greased muffin tins or any other greased container. Press in firmly and leave at least 24 hours (48 is better) or until hardened. It will expand some and this is normal. You can push it down into the mold several times while it is drying to keep it from expanding to much.

When dry, remove and store in air tight container. Use within 2 weeks.

Ever made your own bath fizzies? What scents and herbs would you use?

After-Birth Bath Fizzies is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.

I’ve always thought that after labor, women should be able to look forward to a nice quiet vacation and recovery time. Since of course this doesn’t happen and instead we get a precious and wonderful (though not always wonderfully sleeping) baby, and the lack of sleep that often accompanies, this recipe is at least a little (healing) pampering to look forward to after birth.

Herbs can be wonderful after birth and can help speed recovery times. I’ve used my healing salve on both a c-section scar and a small tear (after the second day) to speed healing and they worked great. This recipe is for a herbal infusion that is added to a relaxing bath to help ease any soreness and speed recovery. It can also be brewed and added to a Peri Bottle or cooled pad for extra comfort.

If you don’t have all of the herbs, even some of them will help… This makes a wonderful addition to a new-mommy gift basket along with some homemade natural baby care items and lotion bars for mom.

All ingredients are available at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Herbal Bath Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Comfrey Leaf
• 1/2 cup Lavender Flowers
• 1/4 cup Plantain Leaf
• 1/2 cup Red Raspberry Leaf
• 1/4 cup Yarrow Flower
• 1/4 cup Calendula Flowers
• 1/4 cup Shepherd’s Purse
• 1/4 cup Uva Ursi Leaf
• 1/4 cup Sea Salt or Epsom Salt

What to Do:

Mix herbs in a glass container or plastic bag. I used a half gallon mason jar. The proportions don’t have to be exact.

How to Use:

• For bath use: add 1 cup of herbs to 2 quarts of boiling water. Remove water from heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain and add to a bath and soak for 20 minutes. Both mom and baby can soak to speed cord and perineum healing.
• Brew with the above ratios and add to a Peri Bottle for use after going to the bathroom.
• Pour some pre-brewed herbal mix on to pads and freeze for a pain relieving ice pack.
• Use a diluted mix around baby’s cord for healing.

Have you ever used herbs post birth? Did they help you?

After-Birth Sitz Bath Herbs is a blog post written by Katie at Wellness Mama.com. Keep up with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, & Google+.