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| Photo & Article © Debs Cook |
In Christmases past my hubby and I made truffles and sweets to give as gifts to family and friends, but I have to admit that using fresh ingredients to make the sweet treats meant that a lot of the items had to be made very close to Xmas Eve, which meant dashing round to get everything done and then package and deliver the items before the big day. So a few years ago I decided we’d do things differently and put an herbal spin on the gift giving, my decision was prompted by the fact that when we went visiting everyone, they all seemed to have either a cold, a pulled muscle or were feeling a bit under the weather.
I thought why not use what I know and make some herbal gifts that can help banish winter ills? I rather liked the idea that I’m not just wishing my friends and family good health, but I’m actually giving them the means to have aid what ails them, plus I'm putting in to the gift my love and passion for herbs along with my knowledge, making it a very personal gift to give and receive!
What happened next involved spending time looking at old fashioned remedies, which I then put a modern spin on. The results of these herbal adventures went in to a little hamper which doubled as a storage basket, I included a little booklet that says what’s in each item, what it does and how to use it, along with some other DIY tips for keeping yourself healthy in the winter. The little goodies went down a storm, as did the homemade Chocolate Peppermint Lip Balm and the Lavender & Geranium Bath Melts that I will include on the blog next week! Here's the recipe for a couple of the items I made: -
Antiseptic Germ Busting Spray
Many herbs and essential oils have antiseptic properties, those that contain terpene compounds are generally anti-bacterial and anti-viral, plant alcohols can also help to fight off infection. Cinnamon for example had strong antiseptic, antiviral and antibacterial properties and contains polyphenols and sesquiterpene compounds that can check bacteria.
The combination of oils in the recipe are reputed to help kill 99% of airborne bacteria in a room, making it a perfect blend to use in rooms occupied by people suffering from colds and flu, sprayed in to a room, when people start to cough and sneeze it may help minimise the infection.
6 x 100ml Plastic Spray Bottles & Misting Tops
600ml Perfumers Alcohol – See note below.
30 Drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (5 Drops per bottle)
90 Drops Lemon Essential Oil (15 Drops per bottle)
60 Drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil (10 Drops per bottle)
30 Drops Clove Bud Essential Oil (5 Drops per bottle)
60 Drops Pine Needle Essential Oil (10 Drops per bottle)
Method: To make the spray, fill a clean, dry 100ml spray bottle with 95ml of pure distilled water or perfumer’s alcohol. Using a dropper, carefully put the selected blend of essential oils directly into the spray bottle, top up with alcohol to the neck of the bottle to make 100ml. Screw the atomiser spray top on to the bottle tightly and shake vigorously to combine. Be sure to shake it before each use if using water as the water and essential oils tend to separate.
N.B. You can substitute purified spring water, for the perfumer’s alcohol if you can’t find it, but your spray will last longer by using the alcohol, plus it will help preserve the oils. In alcohol most essential oils mix more thoroughly, in water they just tend to float on the surface, vodka is another substitute which will preserve the oils better than water.
60 drops of oil is around 3ml so a 10ml bottle of each oil will be more than enough to make 6 spray bottles.
Another version of this spray makes a great Festive Fragrance spray that will not only fragrance the room with the classic aromas of the festive season, but will also have an antiseptic and antibacterial action!
Per 100ml Bottle: -
12 Drops Pine Needle Essential Oil
12 Drops Mandarin Essential Oil
8 Drops Clove Essential Oil
6 Drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
Old Fashioned Cold & Flu Tea
If a cold or flu has a feverish element or the person suffering from the cold has chills, then this tea blend may just help them feel better. It’s one of the first remedies I make when I feel a cold starting to take root. It contains just three herbs, although you can add a little honey to sweeten the tea, as it can be a little bitter for some peoples tastes.
The yarrow helps increase perspiration, that process will help you ‘sweat’ the cold out, the elderflowers help reduce inflammation and soothe the irritation of the mucus membranes and the peppermint is antiseptic, decongestant and anti-spasmodic, all useful properties to have on hand when suffering from a cold. Combined, the three herbs in this tea blend may help to reduce a fever, ease congestion and soothe a sore throat.
For the gift hampers we used 6 x 500ml jars one for each home that is getting a hamper, to fill those 6 jars you’ll need: -
150g Dried Elderflowers
150g Dried Peppermint Leaf
150g Dried Yarrow
Method: Making the tea up is as easy as stirring all 3 herbs together in a large glass bowl until evenly mixed and then spoon the tea in to the jars, decorate with a ribbon and label the jar.
For 1 cup you would need 1 teaspoon (approx. 5g) of the tea blend, if you like a stronger blend then go for 7.5g or 1½ teaspoons.
If you plan on making just 1 jar then you’ll need just 25g of each herb.
TIP: As well as drinking this blend as a tea, it can also be sprinkled into a bowl of hot water and by covering the head with a towel, you can inhale the herbal goodness to help ease congestion, in a good old fashioned vapour steam bath!
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to source the most up to date and accurate information, we cannot guarantee that remedies in our articles are effective, when in doubt, consult your GP or a qualified Medicinal Herbalist. Remember also that herbal remedies can be dangerous under certain circumstances therefore you should always seek medical advice before self-treating with a homemade remedy, especially if you are pregnant, breast feeding or suffer from any known illness which could be adversely affected by self-treatment.
