Many aromatherapists and natural wellness folks are familiar with a certain notorious essential oil blend of ne're-do-wells past, a mysterious potion based on a recipe that originated in the 15th century. According to legend, the concoction was created by a group of four thieves and grave robbers to protect themselves from contracting the plague while robbing the bodies of the ill and deceased. When apprehended, the thieves admitted to using the formula and disclosed the recipe in order to receive a less severe punishment for their crimes.

The holidays are here, and that includes the beloved National Cookie Day (December 4th, for future reference)! Enjoy these sweet treats in celebration of this special day!

If you’ve ever dried herbs in your home, or arranged aromatic resins in an incense dish, or placed a jar of lavender stems on a shelf, you know that herbs and spices—as well as adding compelling flavors to food and providing healthful benefits to our bodies—bring a natural beauty and delicious fragrance to our homes. And when you put those natural ingredients into the hands of a master crafter, you can end up with unique herbal decorations that are simple to do even for those of us who aren’t so “crafty.”

Thanks to pop culture references from blockbusters like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, mead is experiencing a renaissance. For years, this delicious golden nectar has been saddled with a reputation of being overly sweet, or only to be enjoyed while at a medieval festival or dinner. But no longer! Mead has retaken a seat at the craft beverage table with many metheglins (spiced meads) and fruited meads leading the way. I’ve enjoyed meads with traditional culinary herbs including saffron, cacao nibs, vanilla, ginger, chilies, and cinnamon, as well as more traditional brewing herbs such as mugwort, yarrow, juniper berries, and hops.    

I fell in love with Pfeffernusse cookies at my first real job at a German Deli in Atlanta while in my freshman year of high school. We sold them only during the holiday season, but I would crave them year-round. I loved the warmth from the spices and the firm, chewy texture. I tried a few recipes that I found over the years and was never quite satisfied with the outcome, so I made some adjustments and tweaks in my little kitchen “workshop” and finally came up with a recipe that has all the right notes. I was also happy to find out that by adding a little extra ginger and chilling overnight, this dough is perfect for creating cut-out gingerbread cookies to decorate! 

I recently attended the New England Women’s Herbal Conference and was struck by the sense of welcome and togetherness that was present throughout the entire event. There was much focus on inclusion and creating space for one another, and I felt compelled to share that spirit beyond the bounds of the conference. I was inspired to help bring more awareness to the strength of the herbal community and how people can be more involved in putting it to good use. Herbalists come in all genders, shapes, sizes, ethnicities, education levels, and from all geographic locations and backgrounds, and we all have something to share with each other.

The holidays are almost upon us, so we’ve curated some of our favorite culinary and natural body care recipes to inspire your homemade gift giving this year. From homemade decor, to natural body care formulas, to kitchen staples, most of these DIY projects can be done in a day, and none takes more than a week. Even if you’ve put off your holiday crafting a little longer than you intended, there’s still time to whip up some botanical bounty to surprise and delight everyone on your list!

Ever since I joined the Mountain Rose Herbs team, I’ve been dabbling in making my own body care products (and loving it!). DIY goodies are easier to make than you might think, and they’re completely customizable to your unique needs and aroma preferences. With the abundance of beautiful and healthful botanicals available in my workplace, it didn’t take long for little jars of homemade body butter to start appearing on my desk, office shelves, and nearby countertops. I find body butter to be a wonderful everyday moisturizer for my (often dry) Mediterranean skin.

Verdant fields of our certified organic passionflower flourish on our Italian farm partner's land. Gianfranco's family has passed down its agricultural wisdom through the generations while inspiring other farmers to embrace organic growing practices.

Gianfranco's kind eyes gaze lovingly at the single passionflower blossom he clutches in his hands. He buries his nose deep in its vibrant purple petals and inhales. “I could have made more money growing other crops,” Gianfranco says through a translator, “But I have a big love—I am in love—with passionflower.”

When the evenings grow chilly and all your friends seem to have the sniffles, a warming mustard bath is just the herbal experience you need! It might seem strange to replace bubble bath mix with mustard seed powder, but mustard bath salts have been used since ancient times to stimulate skin circulation and rejuvenate tired muscles. I also find them very relaxing and helpful during those “under-the-weather” days. With a wonderful, invigorating aroma, this recipe includes many time-tested bathing favorites, like Epsom salt, sea salt, baking soda, and essential oils.