How Can You Resist This Hair?

       Well to be honest I couldn't, but I could do without the cradle cap that my little man occasionally gets.  Thankfully, there is an easy herbal fix for this problem!  In just a few steps his head is free of all those yucky flakes.  I use three ingredients that are all antifungal and antibacterial.  They also are moisturizing. 
This will make several treatments, but you can use it on other areas that you would use a fungal cream.  Also, other members of the family may also benefit from a deep scalp treatment if they have dandruff. 



 



  Ingredients:
  1/4 cup Virgin Coconut Oil
  2-4 drops Tea Tree essential oil (Melaleuca for my Doterra friends)
  2-4 drops Rosemary essential oil

Mix all of the ingredients together and rub it on the problem area of the scalp.  I mean saturate the area!  Let the oil soak for awhile, and then with a stiff bristle brush, a comb, or I prefer my finger nails you begin to scrub.  The flakes will peel off and they can be combed away.  Once the area is free of the flakes, you can give the child a bath, which includes many hair washings.  I usually have to give an additional bath just to get the remaining oil out, but it is worth it.  Now his head is flake free and he is still irresistible.


Jill, The Herbal Hutch

Syrup for Bronchitis

With a few ingredients, you probably already have in your kitchen, you can make a wonderful cough syrup.  The garlic flavor can be strong to some children, but I have mixed it successfully with an elderberry syrup dose and had great success.  This is another simple syrup that will do wonders for a cough.

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 large cloves of garlic minced
Dash of cayenne pepper

You mix everything together in a jar and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.  The next day you can strain off the garlic and ginger. 

Garlic Cough Syrup

Dosing: We take anywhere from a tablespoon to teaspoon dose according to age.


If you would like to watch a video on how to do this step by step follow this link.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKDVj865d9A


                 Jill, The Herbal Hutch

The First Herbal Remedy I Make Each Fall

 

      

Elderberry Syrup

This is a staple in my home when the fall and winter months come around.  I have made some changes to my first recipe from LearningHerbs.com, but this video by Mountain Rose Herbs is a great place to start.  After making my first few batches of elderberry syrup, I started making a thyme syrup for cough.  I did make these separately for awhile, and then it struck me to combine the recipes.  This is how my Elderberry Thyme Cough Syrup came about.  If you would like to follow the video above it's recipe will be a great asset to your home, but if your winter sickness seems to always come with a deep cough give this syrup a try.

Elderberry Thyme Syrup

3 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup dried elderberries

1/4 cup dried thyme

1Tbsp of grated ginger

1 cinnimon stick

5 cloves

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup  raw honey(more to taste)

First add everything but the lemon juice and honey to a boiler . 

Cover and bring to a boil. 

Once it is boiling turn the temperature down to simmer and let it reduce by half.  This should take 20-30 minutes. 

After it has reduced turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. 

Strain liquid into a bowl, and let it cool for a few minutes before you add the raw honey.(to protect the healing qualities in the honey)

Store in the refrigerator in a closed glass jar. for a few weeks.

Dosing:

In my house 12 and older take up to 2 Tbsp. every four hours.

4-11 yrs 1 Tbsp

2-3 yrs 1 tsp

For younger than 2 yrs you can make it with maple syrup instead of honey, or with no sweetner at all.

 

What is your favorite winter remedy?

Jill, The Herbal Hutch