I first encountered jojoba oil about 10 years ago, and I have loved it ever since. Used alone or blended with my favorite cosmetic butters and oils, jojoba is a body care dynamo! The qualities of this oil are very similar to the sebum produced by our skin to help it stay moisturized, making a noncomedogenic (non-pore-clogging) option with a wide range of natural self care applications.

Who doesn’t love a good massage? Whether it’s performed by the hands of a skilled professional or the one you love (both, if you’re lucky!), a little added massage oil can help work out the tension. Another bonus is that a natural, nourishing massage oil can also act as a skin-supporting moisturizer for your back—an area which we sometimes neglect due to the flexibility required to reach it on our own!

From the experienced herbalist to the casual home cook, most folks have some experience with the common ginger root. While this spicy yellow rhizome has its origins in Southeast Asia, it has been cultivated for millennia and is now widely available across the world. Ginger is an indispensable ingredient in culinary pursuits and folk medicine, traditionally used to support concentration, ease nausea, and soothe occasional stress, fatigue, and anxiety. Here, I am going to focus on the aroma-therapeutic aspects of this alluring plant.

My beauty regimen is extremely simple, and over the years I have stuck almost exclusively with single oils and butters for face and body care. Lotions were never really my thing. However, after trying our Mountain Rose Herbs organic skin creams, I was willing to make an exception! These skin creams are instantly softening and long-lasting, and they have just the right touch of lingering scent from essential oils.

Perfumes can make a statement, evoke fond memories, or add a finishing touch to our special occasion preparations. Our collection of natural aroma oils offers an ideal way to enjoy your favorite botanical scents, without the harsh, synthetic chemicals found in many conventional fragrances. Conveniently packaged in 10 mL roll-on bottles, they are easy to apply wherever a little uplifting energy is desired—whether as part of your home body care rituals, or when you need some essential oil goodness on-the-go!

For skin that requires a little extra nourishment and moisture, green tea skin care formulations can offer gentle, yet stimulating, hydration support. This skin serum recipe infuses the benefits of green tea leaves into organic olive oil and brings in the goodness of select essential oils for a pampering and beautifully scented blend.

Reusable tea infusers help to reduce the need for single use tea bags, and they are also quite versatile. There are many options to choose from, so how do you know which tool is right for you? The answer will depend on your preferences and project, so the key is to understand the strengths of each type of tea infuser.

Spring is here, and we can feel the summer sun hot on its heels! What better way to toast the arrival of these warmer months than with cool and delicious iced teas? (June is the month for National Iced Tea Day, after all!) I like to keep a pitcher or two in my refrigerator, both for flavor variety and so that I opt for caffeine or caffeine-free, depending on my needs. 

When choosing a tea, the endless variety can be a little daunting. Formosa oolong? Green sencha? Perhaps genmaicha? How about pu’erh, or Darjeeling? What gives each of these teas its unique flavor? Many people don’t realize that these varieties' wide range of distinctive styles and tastes all begin with the same humble leaf: Camellia sinensis.

I like to keep my routine simple when it comes to skin care, and single body oils have always been my personal favorite for moisturizing in the morning or at night. Because we all have slightly different skin types and reactions, a little trial and error is necessary to determine which oils are best for each individual. By becoming familiar with the different properties of particular oils, you can save yourself a lot of time (and avoid having to experiment endlessly!). While argan oil or jojoba oil will always rank among my favorites, camellia seed oil is quickly surpassing them as my go-to moisturizer. 

Books are wonderful resources to begin exploring herbalism and can also enrich an already healthy practice or study regimen. As you might guess, here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we have some favorite titles. Not only do these top herbalism books provide many insightful and educated viewpoints, but they also offer recipes, stories, and massive compilations of the many ways to use healthful plants. While many books will share some similar themes, each author brings their own unique viewpoints and experiences to enlighten and inspire. Personally, I can never have enough reference books around!