Herbs in our Wild'erb Skincare Herb Blend

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) 

Endowed with barbed thorns that are hard to remove, Barberry is the Cactus of the East. Yet the root of this aggressive plant contains berberine, a powerful liver stimulant that can kick-start the immune system and aid in digestion and detoxification. Make your tinctures by cutting the smaller roots into pieces, thinly slicing larger roots, then drying them before infusing them in alcohol. For a compromised immune system, use Barberry as a bitter before and after meals to correct digestive imbalances and deficiencies first, then usually everything else will clear up by itself. Barberry stimulates enzyme production, has anti-microbial effects and is wonderful addition to any liver tonic.

Burdock (Arctium lappa)

Burdock is such a useful plant in so many ways. Its leaves are soft and large, making it useful as a gentle natural “cloth” when nature calls. Its roots are edible and used as a vegetable in Asia. Burdock’s root and young growth can be made into a blood-cleansing tea or tincture. As an ingredient in skin-care products, it has superior properties and is high in minerals and polyphenols. Add a small leaf or piece of root to your next smoothie. 

Cleavers (Gallium aparine)

Cleavers is an herb that takes over by spreading itself throughout tall grass and other weeds, forming a web of hairy tentacles. By growing all over other plants it keeps itself off the ground and is able to better disperse its seeds. The invasive stems are covered with small hairs that can catch onto your clothing or skin and further spread the herb, helping it grow over, under, around and even through other plants. The spherical Velcro-like seed pods latch on to almost any surface, thus enabling it to travel long distances.

Where Poke is the strong lymphatic cleanser, Cleavers are used to gently stimulate the lymph and cleanse the kidneys. It’s important in cleansing and detoxifying formulas. And it makes a great addition to any seasoning, tea, salad or smoothie blend. 

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)

Coltsfoot flowers appear, dandelion-like, in the spring, even before their leaves pop out of the ground. The young leaves and flowers are a great addition to tea, tinctures or salve. The downy leaves can also be used to clean or wipe, and as coverings for wounds when in the woods. The Latin name is Tussilago, from which we get the word “antitussive”, since Coltsfoot has anti-inflammatory compounds that soothe the lungs. Coltsfoot boosts the immune system through detoxification. Use it in your tea and tincture blends for coughs, sore throats. 

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

I love Comfrey for its many healing qualities. It contains Alantoin, a superior wound-healing compound. It also has mucilaginous, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activity. Use externally in creams, oils, ointments and salves. The root of this plant is where the greatest concentration of compounds exists. The tops can also be used but are not as effective.   

Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

This plant is a bi-annual that comes up every other year. The seeds of Evening Primrose are high in Omega 3 fatty acids which control inflammation and nourish the brain. Strip the pods in late summer, dry them and use them in tea blends, herbal body oil or in a tincture blend. 

Goldenrod (Solidago)

We have about 20 varieties of Goldenrod in our area in NE Ohio. They can all be used the same way: flowers and leaves for tea. Solidago, the Latin name, means to solidify. Made into an oil or salve, Goldenrod helps heal wounds. Used as a tea it is a gentle herb for cleansing the kidneys. It has a delicious, light, “golden” flavor that brightens any tea blend. Walking through a field of goldenrod transports you to another world.

Ground Ivy (Glechoma heteracea)

Another seemingly noxious weed, Ground Ivy is the bane of gardeners and infiltrates almost every lawn. The pungent odor of the leaves reminds us of its powerful medicinal properties: it is anti-inflammatory and vulnerary. It can be added to tea blends, tinctured or mixed into herbs for salves. It’s also a cleansing diuretic. 

Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale)

There are several kinds of horsetail, some with and some without fronds. During the Pleistocene era Horsetail was a large, segmented tree with no branches or leaves. Over many millennia it has downsized, but it has retained its unusual structure. It’s the exact miniature of some of the oldest known plant species.

High in Silica and Calcium, Horsetail can be a great kidney cleanser when harvested young. As the plant gets older, increased Silica content can irritate the kidneys. Re-mineralize your body with a tea or tincture containing Horsetail. It can strengthen and rebuild bone.

Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

First introduced for erosion control. It has taken up permanent residency, is invading many areas and is almost impossible to get rid of. However, the properties and benefits on a medicinal level far outweigh its unruly and aggressive behavior.

Japanese Knotweed has the highest percentage of anti-oxidants of any plant on the planet! Multi-level marketing companies are being built around its unique compounds. Yet Knotweed is still available for free in waste places, by stream beds and along the side of the road in great abundance.

The young plant can be harvested like asparagus in the early spring and steamed lightly before serving. However, Knotweed contains oxalic acid, like spinach and rhubarb, which can rob the body of Vitamin B and minerals. Heat destroys the oxalic acid so steam or sauté the very young shoots before ingesting or tincturing. Only use young shoots when eating. Young shoots along with their roots can be cleaned, dried and infused in oil that has great healing potential.

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

Jewelweed makes its presence known everywhere. It is very forgiving, growing in sun and in shade. It grows tall and juicy around water. Its mucilaginous properties make it especially useful out in the field, when you need a quick anti-itch healing ointment. Mash the plant or chew it up and spread the juice and pulp over a wound or sting. Its anti-inflammatory mucilage is wonderfully healing, especially in smoothies for esophageal tissue enflamed from acid reflux. I have used it in teas, tinctures, oils and salves.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

This delicious lemony herb can be used in tea and cooking, but it is especially useful for healing skin conditions. It contains our strongest anti-herpes compound and works extremely well on cold sores and fever blisters. It is in the mint family and makes a soothing cup of tea. It is an important herb to add to cold and flu blends. It has nervine, anti-spasmodic and anti-microbial activity. It can be harvested several times during the growing season.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

This unmistakable, unforgettable herb grows to 6 or more feet in height. Its favorite place to grow is on the side of a hill in the sun, where its taproot can dig into the ground and has plenty of drainage. Mullein likes it hot and dry. Its fuzzy leaves and flowers are used in oil, salve and tea for their antibacterial properties. It is a powerful respiratory herb; a great addition to any cold and flu formula.

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

What an ally Nettle is to mankind! It is used for tea, seasoning and cooked like spinach as a pot herb. It’s great in oils and salves where it is added for its healing and anti-inflammatory properties. The stems are used for cordage. The roots and seed have anti-histamine properties. It is abundant where other things don’t want to grow and shows us where there is an abundance of minerals and water under the ground. It likes good drainage and is often found on the sides of hills.

The acid hairs on the Nettle stem and leaves command your immediate attention and respect when you encounter it in the woods. It is a plant that cannot be ignored. With so many uses, it has empowered mankind for centuries. Nettle grows in all corners of the planet; it is consumed and used medicinally all around the globe in almost every nation. Its compounds help every system of the body: digestion, the liver and kidneys, the upper respiratory system, the immune system and inflammation, as well as the hair, skin and nails. Drink it, eat it and put it on your skin. The acid hairs disintegrate when the herb is cooked or dried. 

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

The fruit of the Pawpaw sustained Native Americans for centuries. And the leaf shoots appearing in the spring offer strong medicine. The Pawpaw leaves have compounds that prevent cancer cells from growing blood vessels and finding roots in the body. There are over forty anti-cancer and anti-tumor compounds in Pawpaw, specifically for skin cancer. Harvest the leaf buds in May and June when the compounds are most concentrated. Make tinctures, tea and oil. 

Plantain (Plantago major)

This humble plant seems to love abuse, favoring places like driveways and walkways to grow. Plantain seems to flourish where it gets tread upon, a testament to its resilience. It is not a very pretty plant, no showy flower or heady aroma. However it brings to the table the best substance for boosting fiber: its seed husks. Dried and ground the seeds are a wonderful addition to a gluten-free flour blend or smoothie. Young leaves can be used like spinach; older leaves get too fibrous. Plantain has antiseptic properties and is used internally for blood infections and open wounds. Chew its leaves and apply as a quick bandaid when out in the woods. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well, great for tea, tonic, oil and salve.

Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris)

Self Heal is often considered a pesky herb. It’s a small, innocuous purple flower, and can take over the lawn and other cultivated areas. It also likes moisture and will grow knee-high in wet areas. It has a panacea of healing properties. Make a tea or tincture with the herb and you have a great tool to boost the immune system. It is reputed to be one of the best wound-healing herbs. It has been used to staunch bleeding, treat heart disease, sore throats, internal bleeding, as an anti-inflammatory, and it has anti-histamine activity. Externally it has been used to treat minor injuries, sores, burns and bruises. It is an excellent mouthwash having both antiseptic and toning properties. It also has antiviral properties. In Chinese medicine it is used to stimulate the liver and gall bladder, and to treat cancer.

Thuja (Thuja occidentalis)

Thuja is the American Arbor Vita, a common evergreen that grows into a thick, dense hedge. The tips of the “leaves” or “needles” are used for their strong anti-viral properties. It contains a compound called “thujone” and is used mainly in topical preparations.

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)

This wonderful mushroom grows all over the eastern US mostly on hardwoods. It colors range from brown to purplish to green. It is a stemless mushroom that is used mainly for its medicinal properties, as it is dry and tasteless. It can help the digestive system. It can be used in conjunction with various cancer treatments. It has anti-tumor properties, as well as anti-viral properties. Turkey Tail extract is used in cold and flu formulas, and also in treatments for HIV. It can also combat the human papilloma virus, making it effective against warts. To extract all of its beneficial properties both a water extract and an alcohol extract should be made and mixed together for maximum results.

Usnea (Usnea barbata)

We used to pick Usnea in Alaska where it hung in long, feathery bands on the trees. Now we go down to North Carolina where it grows at the higher elevations in the mountains. Usnic acid is the compound that has superior anti-microbial properties. Usnea can be made into a tincture or used in a tea blend. 

Varnish Shelf (Ganoderma tsugae)

This mushroom is the American Reishi and has similar compounds and multiple uses. Many disorders respond to treatment with extracts of this mushroom including lung and liver issues, HIV, allergies and heart problems. It may help reverse some of the signs of aging, especially from sun exposure. The compounds in the Varnish Shelf have had positive effects on lowering blood pressure, stimulating the immune system and controlling the growth of tumors. It also seems effective as an antihistamine for allergies. 

Wormwood (Artemesia vulgaris)

Wormwood is a bitter; it stimulates the production of digestive enzyme and bile. It’s wonderful in a combination with other digestive, cold and flu herbs in a tonic blend. Just the smell of Wormwood tells you it means business. The plant can be harvested from very young shoots in spring to the dried flower heads in fall. I like to use a little bit in tea and tonic for digestion and its anti-inflammatory properties, but I really love using in an herbal oil or salve. Artemis was the goddess of the Moon, the keeper of sleep. The scent of Wormwood dried and placed in pillows is reputed to stimulate vivid dreaming.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

With over a hundred compounds, Yarrow has a lot to offer us. It is a digestive aid, good for upper respiratory ailments, has anti-inflammatory properties, promotes sweating and is also used to stop bleeding and heal wounds. It has a pungent aroma so it is best mixed with other herbs in a tea. It’s also an important addition to any healing oil or salve. You can also pick and dry a few of the very young, lime-green leaves to add to seasoning or your smoothie. Use the dried flowers and leaves when making teas and tinctures.