A few years ago, natural remedies were anything but simple in my home. With three cupboards full of herbs, essential oils and tinctures, a large tote full of herbs in the garage and a drawer full of accessories, I decided it was time to simplify natural remedies.
And so I began the slow process of going through all my stuff, evaluating whether it was something I needed or not. While I’d love to say that after that initial purging, I was left with a small amount of essentials for my natural remedy cabinet, the truth is, it took me a few rounds of decluttering.
So here’s what’s left after all that simplifying:
Stocking a Natural Remedies Cabinet
Carrier oils
Coconut oil is antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial on its own. It makes a great addition to any ointment because of its healing properties. If using coconut oil, you may use a smaller amount of beeswax, omit it altogether or mix it with shea butter for a creamy consistency. (If you have a coconut allergy, try jojoba, almond or grape seed oil instead.)
Shea butter
- I add shea butter to ointments that need to be moisturizing.
Brewing Basket
Great for steeping loose leaf tea. I also pour my infused oils through my brewing basket after the initial straining to get tiny bits of herbs out. This basket is my favorite.
Small muslin bag with drawstring
- Very helpful for steeping bath herbs
Medicine dropper that holds 30 mL
Labels
Storage containers
I like a few different storage options for things like tinctures, balms and essential oil blends.
- Glass mason jars
- Amber bottles for tinctures
- Roller bottles for essential oil blends
- Sample vials for essential oils
- Metal tins for ointments and balms
Raw, local honey or Brown Rice Syrup (for babies)
- For making lozenges and syrups. Raw honey can also be used as a topical healer.
Empty capsules
Essential oils
I actually have a lot more essential oils than what’s listed here, but these are my must-haves that get used most often. I highly recommend a 100% pure essential oil brand so you can use your essential oils for more than just cleaning recipes.
- Eucalyptus
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Melaleuca
- Oregano
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Wild Orange
- Digestive blend
- Protective blend
- Soothing blend
Herbs
Since I’ve started using essential oils more, I don’t use herbs as much. However, I still like to keep at least 4 oz. of each of the following herbs on hand. If you don’t grow your own, I highly recommend Bulk Apothecary.
- Alfalfa
- Arnica
- Calendula
- Chamomile
- Comfrey
- Elder flower
- Elderberry
- Lady’s mantle
- Lemon balm
- Marshmallow root
- Nettle
- Plaintain
- Peppermint
- Red raspberry leaf
- Yarrow
DIY Natural Remedies
Have you ever set out to make your own DIY Natural Remedies, only to be hit with overwhelm?
I know I did when I got started. The natural remedy books I read called for long lists of herbs, essentials oils and accessories. Dutifully, I bought what they suggested (I’m grateful my dad’s an organic herb farmer – that helped with the investment costs!). And you know what?
I didn’t use much.
What I found was that I only needed a few of these ingredients for many of the recipes I made. If the recipe didn’t call for one of my top herbs, I knew which one(s) could be substituted. Knowing what properties I was looking for made this simple. And I was delighted to find I could create many DIY Natural Remedies without taking up much space.
And so I offer you DIY Natural Remedies. This ebook contains 25 simple recipes you can make with just a few ingredients. No need to fill your cabinets with herbs – just a handful will do (ok, maybe two handfuls). Same with essential oils, accessories and other ingredients.
You can learn more and buy the book here.
What’s in your natural remedies cabinet?
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