The winter season is often a time for travel, holidays, family gatherings, and sometimes battling the germs that can accompany these festivities. During this season of cozy blankets, hot cocoa, and fireside chats, I try my best to keep my family healthy and happy, but it’s not always easy. I live and die by my Grandmother’s “golden rule”: always wash your hands with soap as often as possible. This single action is proven to help prevent the spread of germs and is an effective way to remove pesky bacteria from your hands. All it takes is 20 seconds of hand washing with soap and clean water. I especially like foaming hand soap because it’s easier to use and more fun for the kiddos. You can find a foaming bottle at most stores, or you can repurpose foaming soap bottles that you’ve purchased in the past.

Essential oil diffusers are a cornerstone in the world of aromatherapy. When I first learned about diffusers, I incorrectly associated them with products simply meant to deodorize a space, like a scented hanging air freshener for your car, for example. The truth is however, that these little devices can transform living spaces and influence overall states of being through the power of aromatherapy.

With the holidays just around the corner, the question on everyone’s mind is, “What can I gift my friends and family with this year?” Fortunately, we have compiled a handy gift guide sure to fit the versatile range of important people in our lives. Hopefully these ideas might also add to the joy of this season with the gift of herbalism as its focal point.

The last days of summer are retreating, and I always find great relief during the changing seasons. The cool breezes return, as does the rain here in the Willamette Valley. The days grow shorter, and leaves put their vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds on display. Autumn is fleeting, and finding beauty and respite in this ephemeral time of year can help us transition smoothly into cooler weather.

As much as I love the gray, infamously wet skies of an Oregon fall and winter, I do find myself needing the occasional burst of brightness. One of my favorite ways to do this is through aromatherapy. I long for the scents that I see as “yellow” when I smell them.  These yellow scents are so rare in the winter holiday weeks, which can be so dominated by the deep verdant scents of evergreen and the brown and red notes of cinnamon, chocolate, and pumpkin spice.

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.

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!

The older I get, the more I realize that what my Dad really wants for Father’s Day is for me to show my love in ways that prove how much I know him as an individual and how much I want him to be happy and whole. The gifts that he most appreciates are also usually homemade, practical, and showcase the skills and knowledge I have acquired through the years.

Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we understand that the modern commercialization of Mother’s Day sometimes makes it easy to forget that this holiday is rooted in age-old celebrations from around the world. One of the most ancient “mother holidays” was a festival held by the Greeks in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods. At dawn, people made offerings of cakes, drinks, and flowers in her honor. Other celebrations, like the sixteenth century “Mothering Sunday,” evolved over the centuries to become a day in which grown children visited home and little ones picked flowers for their mothers. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Palo santo is an amazing essential oil, but blending with it can be a bit tricky. It has a tenacious scent that is resinous, sweet, and woody all at the same time, with hints of citrus notes that weave in and out of the complex aroma. Palo santo oil is almost a blend in of itself, which makes it a beautiful addition to personal perfumes, energy or space work, and body care products.

For as long as I can remember, I have had an affinity for anything relating to aromatherapy, be it the lovely scent of a new lotion, the pleasant fragrance warmly wafting from a candle, or the memories evoked by a classic perfume. As a child, I would spend hours carefully selecting flowers and herbs from the garden that, when combined, would produce “the best” aroma I could imagine in the moment.