Distilled from the twigs and bark of the witch hazel tree, high quality, organic witch hazel extract is a lovely, time-tested ingredient in DIY and natural deodorant sprays. Witch hazel lowers the skin’s pH, so odor-causing bacteria cannot thrive. It is gentle enough to be used alone, or can be combined with herbs and essential oils. It also does double-duty as a toner, which is why you see it show up so often in the finest facial toner recipes. These Mountain Rose Herbs deodorant spray recipes bring together the superpowers of witch hazel with balanced blends of aromatic essential oils—it’s no wonder they have been favorite go-to recipes for more than a decade! And, once you have the hang of these easy homemade sprays, you can customize the recipe to create a perfectly blended scent for yourself or your loved ones.

Whether you have acreage for a big herb garden or, like me, you’re trying to get as many herbs as you can in your small space—using patio pots, and windowsills, and waging war on every spot of lawn grass that you can eradicate—preserving our mid-summer herbal harvest is a deeply satisfying way to carry the magic of life-giving summer into the cold winter months. Drying our own herbs is remarkably simple and doesn’t require expensive special equipment—just some rubber bands and a piece of screen or a drying basket. If you’re ready to harvest your own herbs, here are a few pointers on drying and storing your bounty.

My family always has grand goals of getting out to the mountains once a month for a couple nights of tent camping from May through October. Camping in the shoulder months often means chilly temperatures and rain, which we’ve gotten good at dealing with. Mosquito season, however, can be a little more daunting. A few summers ago, we were camping at a Southern Oregon lake with friends who had school-age children. The mosquitos were SO vicious, particularly for the kiddos, and I spent the whole time kicking myself for not having made a batch of herbal mosquito repellent beforehand. Our friends had some over-the-counter natural spray, but it was passing-useless and none of us wanted to douse the children in a toxic DEET-based repellent. I vowed never to be caught by surprise again. Now this natural spray is a must-have for camping and any other activity that puts us close to water and mosquitos.

Our skin is literally our first line of defense, not only against the outdoor elements, but also things we don’t often think about like the detergents we use in our laundry, the chemicals in swimming pools and hot tubs, and the daily ravages of air pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the air in our homes and other buildings “can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.” Air pollutants hurt the skin in a variety of ways; they can activate cell metabolism and inflammatory processes, they can induce oxidative stress that causes free-radical damage and breaks down healthy collagen, etc., all of which ultimately throws off the balance of the skin’s natural microbiome. When that microbiome gets out of whack, some people experience sensitive acne, rashes, hives, and redness. Others struggle with dry, itchy skin and an uneven complexion. All day every day, our skin acts as a shield between us and the world. That’s why it’s important to give it all the support we can.

Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we want to minimize our carbon footprint both as a company and as a collective community of individuals. One way we do this is through our Alternative Commute Program. For years, we have been encouraging our team members to stay healthy and reduce carbon emissions by not traveling to work in single-occupancy vehicles. This year, to further incentivize and increase participation, we improved the payout structure of the program.

When we make body care formulations, we choose specific oils and butters based on our final goals: consistency, absorption rate, skin type, etc. The same is true for cooking. Fats, like those in culinary oils, are integral to our dishes, not just to keep food from sticking to a pan, but also to affect the final flavor, consistency, texture, and more. Every cooking oil has a unique chemical composition that makes it better at some things than others. This is why one oil might be amazing in a salad dressing or for a lightly sautéed protein, but is a poor choice for grilling or deep-frying. To achieve your cooking goals, it’s important to understand culinary oils and fats. And an important element of that understanding is the smoke point.

I love to live fully within the seasons. I take in all the nuances of the seasonal elements, ebbing and flowing with the twists and turns of the weather and the expansion and contraction of daylight. This mindfulness practice allows me to connect with the “now” and fully appreciate all that the Earth shares with us through her wondrous cycles. 

I am a four-season sandal wearer. I love allowing my feet to breathe and the feeling of being unconfined. During rain, shine, and sometimes light snow, my feet are ready to be bare at a moment’s notice. If an impromptu forest bathing opportunity or grounding session calls my name, I don’t have to worry about laces, ties, or the other constricting elements of standard shoes. My feet are free!

I love small rituals. Having lived out of a backpack for most of my twenties and still traveling a lot in my thirties, small yet potent packages of transportable sweetness help me create a sense of belonging no matter where I land. On most adventures, I commune with the landscape of my inner and outer terrain with my traveling trifecta of tea, journal, and incense.

JUMP TO RECIPE!

Many of us who are cast iron cooks have read reams of advice about the proper way to season our cast iron pots and pans. To use soap or not when washing, which oils to choose, using a burner vs. the oven, whether or not to add salt—this is one of those topics that people have strong feelings about. I get it, because two of my cast iron skillets were handed down to me from my grandmother, who received them as a wedding gift in 1917. She spent decades perfecting their seasoning. Those skillets came to me in mint condition and they arrived with the stipulation that I maintain their perfection for all the years of my life and teach the next generation how to continue on in the same vein. No pressure or anything!