Category: Skin & Wellness

It’s become a regular routine. I add a splash of Chai Elixer into a shot of milk and sip it slowly. It tastes like… if Baileys’ came out with a Chai flavored cocktail. Creamy. You can definitely taste the brandy, it’s deliciously smooth. But the dominating flavors comes from the Chai spices, which not only taste amazing – but is the most lovely, potent, feel-good medicine. In this article, I’ll show you the recipe for the Chai Elixer that I cannot stop making!

Benefits of Chai Elixer

Chai is the ultimate comfort food – it restores, replenishes , soothes and strengthens you. It’s what you crave in the Fall and Winter, because it keeps the warmth and fire in your belly, and your circulation moving.  My favorite thing about Chai is that coziness it fills me with – especially in times of stress. When you’re feeling dull, detached, uninspired and tired of feeling that way – I recommend that you bring Chai into your days.
The Chai that I learned how to make includes lots of turmeric, black pepper, and vanilla – which is a natural remedy for soothing inflammation in the body. 
The combination of warming + anti-inflammatory properties, creates flow and energy in the body, but also calm and soothing to your whole system. It’s a very healing combination – good for pain, for stress, and for inflammatory conditions that show up on the skin for example acne and eczema.
The day that I turned my powdered Chai recipe into a liquid Elixer – was a game changer! All you need is a a splash of this concentrated Chai in a cup of milk…. and you’re in HEAVEN.

What is an elixer?

An elixer is an herbal infusion made with alcohol + honey or maple syrup. It’s essentially a sweetened tincture.
A tincture is a preparation of herbs infused into alcohol for 6 weeks. During that time,  plant cell walls burst open, releasing the healing constituents, vitamins, nutrients, flavors and aroma into the alcohol.
Why alcohol? Alcohol is very good at extracting out the medicine of herbs. It also preserves the medicine, eliminating bacterial activity. The final product it very shelf stable and just like liquor, it lasts for years and years.
I’m a huge fan of tinctures and elixers, they’re incredibly potent and very easy to make. One dropper full, is the equivalent of drinking 3 cups of tea! I love the efficiency and simplicity of it.
But it has to be said: not all tinctures taste great. Some taste down right like medicine. It’s so concentrated in flavor (bitter, pungent, spicy…) and part of herbalism is the creativity of working with our herbs and flavours and making medicine that tastes good. Elixers, for me, are a simple way of improving the taste, adding that touch of sweetness that softens the flavours in your mouth.

What if I can’t use alcohol or honey?

You can make an elixer that is alcohol-free and vegan using apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup. In herbalism, we call this an Oxymel. 
It’s very similar medicine, BUT in terms of flavor,  it becomes something different. And with the vinegar, I wouldn’t necessarily pour it into milk and call a Chai.
I recommend that you try making a Chai Oxymel and take it by the spoonful, or add it to your cooking in creative ways!
But if you really want a good creamy Chai drink to sip on – with no alcohol – I think the original Chai recipe is for you.

Chai Elixer Recipe

These are stressful times, and emotions can show up in the body – and create physical imbalances. For many people, like myself, stress can trigger what I can only describe as a grumpy belly. Bloating and loud gurgling noises after eating, you might feel indigestion, heartburn, gas or cramping.

And often too, our skin tells us when our digestion is off balance. As an herbalist, I work with the skin to pick up on those cues: Acne, rosacea, psoriasis. Even dry, flaky skin and dullness… can be the skin expressing our body’s need for digestive support.

Bitters can be a helpful response, to guide you to optimal digestion – which may then help clear conditions that showed up on the skin. In this article I’ll show you how to make your own delicious bitters, with simple ingredients. It does take time to make, and you can purchase bitters online faster, but I think this is an opportunity to learn how to work with herbs and create your own wellness.

DIGESTIVE BITTERS

Bitters are an old herbal remedy. It’s made with herbs that have a strong bitter taste, that are infused in spirits. You take a few drops just before eating a meal, like an Apéritif.

 

The taste of bitterness on the tongue, is what kick starts the whole digestive process – stimulating stomach acids, bile and enzymes to break down food, and better absorb nutrients. It supports the liver functions, to clear waste and toxins from the body.

 

You can also include bitter tasting foods into your diet to support a healthier digestion, like kale, arugula and radishes.

How to use bitters

The simplest way is to take a 1/4 teaspoon before you eat. You can also add it to sparkling water and drink it that way. By the way, bitters in sparkling water is actually an old remedy for hangovers! 

Bitters are also used in cocktail recipes, you can add it to alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. I love adding bitters to my daily Herbal Tonics for that extra gut support. 

Here’s a simple recipe that turned out delicious. The secret is to use the whole lemon, the inner fruit and the outer rind. It gives such a bright and lemony flavor, but you still get that hit of bitterness that makes this a potent digestive blend.

Chamomile not only is a bitter herb, but also a good gut herb that helps to calm and soothe. The lemon peel is also a bitter element, and provides lots of Vitamin C too! I like to add just a touch of maple syrup for flavor, but you don’t want to add too much!

Lemon & Chamomile Bitters

Ingredients:

• 1 Lemon
• 2 tbsp Chamomile 
• 4oz Brandy 
• 1 tsp Maple Syrup

Method:

• Cut the lemon, the whole fruit and rind into small pieces.
• Fill a mason jar with the lemon.
• Add in the dried chamomile and maple syrup.
• Pour in the brandy until it fully covers the botanicals.
• Close the lid and let it sit for 6 weeks
• After 6 weeks, strain and store the bitters in a smaller bottle, or if you have one with a dropper top (like this)

I love herbal oils. They’re one of my favorite (most healing) forms of skincare to make. The process of making an herbal oil is uncomplicated, and it produces a product that will not only support the health and beauty of your skin – but being so nutrient-dense – it also supports and strengthens your overall health and wellbeing. 

In this article, I’m going to share with you a resourceful recipe – using pantry ingredients to make your own herb-infused oil – specifically for relieving stress in the body. 

Herbal Teas

In times of stress, overwhelm or anxiety –  you might find yourself reaching for an herbal tea, like Chamomile tea to help yourself relax, or a Sleepy Time blend to help yourself rest. You might notice that drinking Chai, makes you feel comforted.
And that’s because these herbs have properties that help to smooth frazzled nerves, relax tension in the body and calm inflammation. When you infuse the herbs into water to drink as a tea, the herbs help to calm your body, from the inside. 
And we can also infuse those same herbs into OIL, and help bring calm to your body, from the outside. 
I love the idea of using your herbal teas (or more accurately, tisane) – to make your skincare with, because its something that you already consume as food.  And that’s important for two reasons:

1. You know that your body responds well to this herb
2. You can easily find it in your supermarket or better yet, in your pantry.

Here’s a list of common herbal teas, that can be used topically and help to reduce the negative effects of stress in your body:

Single Tea:

• Chamomile
• Lemon Balm 
• Lavender 
• Rose
• Holy Basil 

Tea blends:

• Chamomile and Lavender Blend
• Cup of Calm
• Gai Sleep and Relax
• Tulsi Sleep
• Chai Tea 

Quality matters

Just like in cooking, the quality of your ingredients truly matter. If you’ve had that box of chamomile tea in the pantry for a couple of years now, or if its a “flavored” tea – it’s not going to give you the results you’re looking for.
The best option is to use herbs that you’ve gently dried yourself. You could purchase fresh herbs, or if you grow fresh herbs, simply dehydrate (link) them and that will produce an herbal oil that’s incredibly potent.
Your next best option is to purchase herbal tea, which is dried herbs, from a reputable brand. When you smell the tea, it should be fragrant, the color should be vibrant and this tell you that it’s still fresh and potent.

Making Herbal Oil with Herbal Tea

The process of infusing herbs into oil takes 4-6 weeks. You can speed that process up by applying controlled heat. For that, I use my sous-vide machine – which I LOVE.
But I want to share this recipe for a slow infusion – because it’s important to engage with slow things… to be in nature’s pace. Especially when we’re making these things precisely because we’re feeling stressed.
I love the anticipation and hope it gives me, having this jar of oil and herbs, becoming stronger and more potent with each day.

Herbal Tea Body Oil Recipe

Start with a single tea, a blend of teas – or make your own blend. All of the herbs that I listed above have similar actions in the body – so the final product is going to have a “coherent” story – in that it will promote rest, relaxation, and help you to restore.
Use what you have and let yourself be creative – smell the herbs and combine what feels right to you. You can use fresh herbs, but you must dry them first, in a dehydrator or air-dried in a ventilated and sunny spot.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of dried loose leaf herbs (if its in a sachet, tear it open and pour out the herbs)
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup Olive Olive oil

Method:

• Pour the herbs into a clean glass jar. Repurpose a jam jar, or use a mason jar.
• The volume of herbs should only fill the jar up to 3/4 of the way because the herbs can expand in the oil.
• Pour in the olive oil, until the herbs are fully saturated and covered by the oil, with a little extra on top (about 1 inch) to give room for the herbs to move and expand.
• LABEL your jar: The name of your infusion, and the date.
• Every day, visit your jar and give it a shake to encourage the infusion process. Notice the color of the oil, notice the herbs. There’s medicine in those moments too.
• 6 Weeks Later: Strain out the oil and store the herbal oil in a labeled jar.
• This herbal oil can be used directly on the skin or used to make a balm.

Tips for using a body oil

• Store the oil in a bottle that is easy to pour out for easy application. You can use a spray or pump bottle too.
• Massage herbal oil onto your body DAILY.
• Herbal oil can be used on the face as an oil cleanser to remove makeup.
• Herbal oil can be used on the face as a moisturizer – but only use a few drops to moisturize.
• If you have acne: olive oil may be too rich for daily use, instead, you can use grapeseed oil, which is also found in supermarkets. Or Jojoba oil is a good choice.

---

Please share what blend you’ll be making! #littlegreendot

“Help, my hands are dry from so much sanitizer use! ”

Last week, I would have told you to go buy some shea butter, mango butter and cocoa butter and make a whipped body butter…
But this week, it’s not that simple. The coronavirus disrupted normal life. Online orders are delayed. Going out for cocoa butter is not an essential. Finances are strained. Yet your hands are dry and hurting – and you need relief. 
So I’m dedicating this article – and the next several recipes – to resourceful remedies: using the most accessible, basic kitchen ingredients to support your skin health and overall wellness.

Resourceful kitchen pantry remedies for over-washed, dry hands:

OLIVE OIL: it’s abundant, inexpensive and specifically supports DRY skin. Many herbal remedies, especially the more traditional recipes, use olive oil because its accessible, shelf-stable and highly nourishing for the skin. Olive oil can be used directly on the skin head-to-toe, it can be infused with herbs and poured into a bath. It’s also a top choice for making soap.
Olive oil is very high in oleic acid, about 75%. Our own sebum naturally contains oleic acid, so it’s very compatible. Oils high in oleic acid are good choices for dry skin because these oils coat the skin to protect from damage and moisture loss. Olive oil is also high in phytosterols, which attracts moisture to the skin. *Other options: Avocado oil or Ghee.

How to Use Olive Oil for Dry Hands
When over-washing and sanitizing is drying out your hands, you want to make sure that your moisturizing more often.
Keep a bottle of oil by your sink. After every time you wash your hands, apply a few drops of oil and massage it in. You also want to do this before every shower, again massaging the oil onto your hands.
This supplements your skin and creates a protective shield so that your skin doesn’t become dry.

---

HERBS: anti-inflammatory herbs can help to soothe the skin, while mucilage rich herbs can help to hydrate the skin. And you might just have some herbal tea in your pantry that you can use to make your own hand mask treatment. 

• If your hands are inflamed: Chamomile
• If your hands are hot and burning: Lavender
• If your hands are dehydrated: Marshmallow Root, Mullein and Slippery Elm. Wait, I don’t have that in my pantry? Well, if you happen to have an Herbal tea blend for Sore Throats & Coughs (like this), often they contain mucilage rich herbs, look at the ingredients. You can also use Flaxseed.

How to Use Herbs for Dry Hands
In the blender, blitz your herbs with an equal amount of rolled oats to make a fine herbal powder. Oats are soothing but also gives a creaminess to this treatment.

• 1/4 cup herbs (one herb, or a mix)
• 1/4 cup rolled oats

If kept dry, you can store this blend in an air-tight container for 3 months.
To make a treatment, combine in a bowl, 1 TBSP of herbal powder with 1/4 TSP of olive oil and droplets of water until it forms a creamy consistency.
Apply this mixture onto hands and wear it as a hand mask. Remove with water, you hands will feel transformed.

---

These are simple, but good remedies. And they demonstrate just how effective herbal skincare is. This is a time for us to get hands on and be resourceful. But you know what – that’s a skill that will not only help you today – but will carry on to help you always.

This is a simple bath recipe – that has some pretty powerful benefits. I’m going to share my remedy for soothing away anxiety, with natural ingredients.

This time of year is so confusing – there seems to be two totally conflicting messages.

On one hand, the season is telling us that this is a time for rest. I feel like I want to take every opportunity to just curl up in bed and read a book (okay, binge on Netflix). I want to spend quiet time in the kitchen, making big, slow-cooked pots of soup – warming up the entire house…

But the commercial season is telling us that there’s no time for that. It’s a new year. 2018!! We need to tone up, loose the holiday belly, get to work and hustle! Looking back, I think normally during this time I would say we need to stimulate the body, perk it up – go, go, go!

But that doesn’t feel right. And I think fighting nature, only causes more frustration.

So a big part of my self care right now, is to balance out that restless holiday/new year energy – with restorative, grounding self care. Bathing in dim candlelight has been a big part of that. Not only for the warmth, but for the comfort it brings to my entire system, body and mind. Usually, I’ll bathe in the evening – just after the kids go down for bed. I’ll make myself a Bath Bowl with ingredients from my own kitchen… and I’ll just soak. And it’s been everything.

A Bath Bowl is something I started making for my girls, but I love them to. There’s a whole ceremony to it, that I really enjoy. With the bowl cupped in my hand – I’ll walk around my kitchen, go through all my herbal teas, scoop in salts, sliver in slices of cocoa butter … and cherry-pick ingredients that feel right.

Yesterday, I made a Rose and Vanilla Bath Bowl – and I never ever wanted to get out that bath. This blend is calming and nourishing. It features herbs known to ease anxiety and frustration, that activate self love and compassion. And make you feel so luxurious, skin like silk! 

Rose: In the winter, our body begins to feel dry and stiff. The temptation is to lather on rich oils and butters – but we mustn’t forget that what we need most, is hydration. Rose is a hydrating herb. It softens the body, it moistens the tissues and restores suppleness. It’s the herb of love. The aromatherapy benefits are empowering, it makes you feel wide open to give and receive.

Vanilla: An aphrodisiac, vanilla is elegant and intoxicating. It captures a distracted mind and brings it right into this present moment. Vanilla is a sweet herb, which is a class of herbs that are known to be hydrating. It moistens tissue, like rose.  There are a few ways to incorporate vanilla into a bath: You can use vanilla essential oil. Often you’ll find vanilla essential oil that comes in a jojoba base, like Aura Cacia – and that’s totally fine, it lowers the cost. Another idea is to save used vanilla pods for your bath. Those teeny tiny vanilla seeds can get everywhere, so do make sure to put the vanilla pod in a cloth bag. Another  lovey idea that I want to leave you with is to put used vanilla pods in a jar of rolled oats (the way you might do with brown sugar). It will scent the oats, which you can grind to go into an oat bath. It will be heaven! You can also add a splash of a very good vanilla extract into the milk.

Milk: Incredibly moisturising for skin, it’s also very cleansing and skin-brightening, the lactic acids eat away at the top skin layer, stimulating skin turnover. I always recommend a milk bath in the evening – after this lactic-acid treatment, you don’t want to go out in the sun – as the skin can be a little more sensitive to UV rays. You’ll wake up to beautifully moisturised, restored, glowing skin! If you prefer, you can use coconut milk for that rich, creamy moisture.  

I hope you find yourself making a bath bowl tonight! Because when you’re gearing up to do big and new things, nourishing yourself with so much self love – is what helps you get stuff done, with grace. 

Militza Xx