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.

The summer grilling season is here! Although there are many of us to who love to grill year-round, there is nothing like cooking outside on a beautiful, warm summer evening surrounded by loved ones. Try out this spicy barbecue sauce recipe we’ve created with all sorts of good-for-you herbs and spices. As always, feel free to customize to suit your tastes!

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?

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. 

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. 

Salads are the perfect spring and summer fare—light, crisp, seasonal, and nutritious! But let's face it, we've all grown bored with salads at one point or another. Like many things in life, it's important to have variation, and when it comes to cuisine, sauces and dressings are a great way to quickly mix things up a bit. 

Lavender is one of my favorite herbs for a busy, worry-prone brain. This fragrant member of the mint family helps to calm the mind and make space for a nervous person to sort through their thoughts and set aside unproductive ones—an important first step toward making a lasting mindset change.

While any time of the year is an excellent time to enjoy matcha, I do find that the resurgence of spring tends to particularly inspire my interest in this vibrant green tea. It’s only fitting—matcha perfectly embodies the spirit of the season, both in its appearance and its origins.

When a bit of wellness support is in order, many folks reach for a bottle of their favorite Mountain Rose Herbs syrup or elixir. There’s a lot of plant goodness, history, and love packed into each bottle of the botanical-infused syrups and elixirs that are handcrafted by our team in Eugene, Oregon, and we’d like to offer you a peek behind the scenes of how we mix up each magical bottle!

My family loves fruity vinegars. We use them multiple times a week in vinaigrettes, marinades, barbecue sauces, sipping vinegars, and shrub cocktails.

Both my husband and I love to cook, and we delight in sharing our gastronomic adventures with those we love. However, I’ve always hated using plastic wrap each time we take one of our culinary creations out the door. So I set out to find a plastic wrap alternative. When I mentioned it to a like-minded friend, she suggested I get a set of silicone stretch lids. It seemed like a great idea, but I struggled to get them on my favorite handmade bowls. Then I found beeswax wraps.