The world of herbalism is intriguing, vast . . . and sometimes intimidating! Projects like creating tinctures using the percolation method, or making your own mead, can seem daunting for those new to the botanical arts. That's why when we're trying to help a friend get started in herbs without overwhelming them, we often recommend one of our favorite herbalism projects for beginners: making herb-infused oils.

Skincare routines are a lot like diets. We seek them out when we have a desire to change, we handpick them from a list of trends, and we tailor them to our lifestyle in hopes of a positive transformation. And much like diets, these programs are inspired by cultures and ingredients from all over the world. This is where Korean Beauty, or "K-Beauty," comes in.

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!

Summer sunshine heralds the heyday of fun outdoor play for little ones, but these warm days can also bring heat and humidity that can be hard on soft baby skin. Thankfully, making your own baby powder is affordable, easy, and allows total control over the ingredients to which you expose those sensitive little bottoms—and as a mom-to-be, all three of these factors are presently of keen interest to me. Since many conventional ready-made baby powders contain synthetic chemicals and artificial perfumes that I wouldn’t care to cart around on my own skin, I’m definitely interested in finding natural baby care alternatives for keeping my little sprout fresh and clean!

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.

As a born-and-raised Oregonian, I tend to crave the summer sun. Skin has its limits, however, and after venturing out on or around water on a sunny day, I find that my largest organ needs as much R&R as I do! Like many folks, I’m a big fan of aloe vera gel, but it can get messy and goopy to use on its own. Fortunately, by combining the generous cooling benefits of aloe vera with wonderful witch hazel extract and skin-loving calendula hydrosol (a mild plant water created during the essential oil distilling process), you can create a non-goopy recipe that is physically refreshing, easy to use, and makes for a comforting end to a long day in the outdoors.

So you decided to get a tattoo—now what? Back in the day, care for a fresh tattoo was minimal at best. Many tattooists recommended air drying (i.e., using nothing), or they gave their clients a petroleum-based product to rub on the new ink. Thankfully, the Stone Age times of tattooing have passed, and with tattoos now being socially accepted and even embraced in many cultures, people are looking for updated tips and organic aftercare products for body art care. These days, there’s much more knowledge being shared about how to properly look out for your ink—and its canvas!

With each new trip around the sun, I find myself paying more attention to skincare tips from experts and other folks around me. Applying oil to the skin has been a common theme throughout the Ayurvedic classes I’ve been able to experience. As the Ayurvedic doctors would say: If you can take the time to change the oil in your car or condition your leather possessions, why neglect your own body?

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.

Facial toners have come a long way since the 1990s, when the most common commercial varieties (often marketed to teenagers) used high concentrations of alcohol to help remove oil from the skin. Purported to reduce acne, they were purposely drying and too astringent for most skin types. Today’s facial toners with natural ingredients, on the other hand, provide benefits that can help to maintain the normal pH and hydration of our skin, both of which are essential to maintaining the moisture and elasticity that gives our complexions a smooth, healthy appearance. 

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?