Aromatic Toners
We are busy here getting some special products ready for the Holiday gift giving season. During the summer we distilled some wonderful herbs making aromatic waters. These distillates or hydrosols as they are sometimes called are great skin care products. They are

Herbs for Winter Health
This is a good time of year to go over 'must-have' herbs for winter health. Since I am feeling "under the weather" today it also makes it a good time to review. Herbs that I have found most useful to treat and prevent colds and flu include elderberry, echinacea, thyme, sage and garlic. Infection is a combination of exposur

Essential Oils and Aromatics, book review
Essential Oils and Aromatics: Step-by-Step Guide For Use in Massage and Aromatherapy By Marge Clark Silverleaf Press 2008 Marge Clark has recently been able to put some of her wisdom to paper in “Essential Oils and Aromatics: Step-by-Step Guide For Use in Massage and Aromatherapy”. This compact book is great for quick reference and filled with information. More than just a collection of essential oil monographs, this book starts with information on how to purchase essential oils and what to look for. It then continues to address the properties of carrier oils used for diluting the essential oils. Safety concerns are important t

Protein Synthesis and the Nobel Prize
Proteins are by far the most important part of all cells. Their many functions include working as/in:-enzymes that control all the chemical reactions that occur in the body-immune function as antibodies-cell membrane structure and carriers to regulate what goes in and out of a cell-structural components of skin and muscle (eg. keratin, collagen, actin)-cell communication in the form of hormones and other messengers.Proteins are polymers of amino acids and are made in the cell on structural units called ribosomes. This year the Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to Ada Yonath of Israel, Thomas Steitz of

Thyme Honey
With the herbs mostly harvested now its time to make sure our winter medicine cabinet has all it needs. Thyme honey is one of the important parts of our medicine cabinet. It is used for colds/flu and sore throats. Thyme has strong antiseptic properties including activity against viruses, insects, bacteria and fungus. Traditionally, thyme was used to treat bronchitis. I find it to be useful in our house for treating winter illnesses such as colds. One nice way to use thyme is as honey and its very easy to make. You can still pick thyme now, it should withstand a mild frost just fine. Cut stems short and put them in a glass jar. Cover the thyme with honey. Put the jar in a pan of water t