Many of you have requested these over the years, so we are excited to finally add Roll Top Glass Bottles to our container offerings!

These 1 oz clear glass bottles come with a roll top applicator which is perfect for applying herbal oils, liniments, aroma oil or perfume blends, and even homemade deodorants. These bottles will come to you in three pieces: a 1 oz clear glass bottle, roll top applicator which snaps on and off of the bottle, and a black screw cap lid which fits over the applicator.

Visit our website here to see all of the bottling options that we offer for your homemade goodies!

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We are so excited to partner with Guido Masé of Urban Moonshine to celebrate herbal remedies for the men in our lives! Just in time for Father’s Day, we’ll be hosting a chat on Twitter covering a range of topics like male tonic herbs, herbal body care and hair tips, andropause, nutrient considerations and herbal supplementation, prostate health, aphrodisiacs, athlete’s herbs, and much more, plus a general Q&A! All are invited and welcome to participate in this herbal info sharing chat.

Guido Masé is a clinical herbalist, herbal educator, and garden steward specializing in holistic Western herbalism, though his approach is eclectic and draws upon many influences. Guido works clinically and teaches at the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, holds the position of Clinical Herbalist on staff at Urban Moonshine, is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild, and is a part of United Plant Savers and the American Botanical Council.

Men’s Herbal Health Chat with Guido Masé

Wednesday, June 12^th 2013

5:30pm to 6:30pm PST

Twitter #mensherbs

If this is your first time participating in a chat on Twitter, here’s what you’ll need to do:

* Create an account on Twitter.

* Follow @MtnRoseHerbs and Guido @herbalist 

* Use the hashtag #mensherbs at the end of your message (called a Tweet) to join the talk. Hashtags are simply keywords preceded by a hash symbol (“#”) that makes them both searchable and linkable on Twitter. Clicking on and using these hashtags will help keep our chat organized and easy to follow.

* Hit reply to make a response and remember to add the hashtag.

Twitter Chat Prizes!

During the chat, Mountain Rose will select 3 winners at random to receive one of these special gifts:

Prize #1: The Male Herbal by James Green outlines the medicinal uses of numerous herbs for male-specific issues, while emphasizing prevention and health rather than illness. This trusted herbal handbook, specifically for men and boys, covers physical and emotional health and is organized alphabetically by herb for easy reference with recipes.

Prize #2 – Happy Man Tea is our all around tonic and balancer just for men! A tasty and healthy decoction created for Dad’s general health. Contains: organic Dandelion root, organic Eleuthero root, organic Burdock root, organic Marshmallow root, organic Hawthorn berry, organic Fennel seed, organic Nettle root, organic Oatstraw, organic Saw Palmetto, and organic Stevia. We will also include a Make Tea Not War mug and tea strainer!

Prize #3 – Who doesn’t enjoy a little pampering? Enjoy a warm and woodsy salt bath soak with our Woodland Bath Salts. A wonderful way to relax overworked muscles and refresh after a long hike, strenuous exercise, or a day spent working in the garden.

 * * *

Join us this Wednesday evening on Twitter with questions ready for Guido and herbal recommendations to share for a chance to win!

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Allergy season is in full swing here in the Willamette Valley – thank you grass! This is one reason why we’re thrilled to bring you this new Herbal Chest Rub from our friends at Wild Carrot Herbals. They fill each batch with botanical healing goodness that you just can’t find in conventional chest rubs.

Perfect for this time of year, I have been dabbing a little under my nose to make it through the day. This effective chest rub is crafted with herbally infused olive oil and essential oils known for opening the airways. Calming and soothing during times of congestion, this is an even stronger version of Wild Carrot’s ever popular Children’s Chest Rub and is easily applied to the chest for long lasting relief or just a bit under the nose to soothe when needed.

Contains: organic olive oil infused with organic yarrow, organic chickweed, organic roman chamomile, organic yerba mansa, organic Echinacea purpurea, organic oregon grape root, organic castor oil, beeswax, and essential oils of Eucalyptus radiata, niaouli, rosemary, lavender, tea tree, and organic sweet orange.

Find it here!

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These soothing lotions from Acure Organics will nourish your skin and leave you feeling smooth and hydrated all summer long. They are free of parabens and sulfates, cruelty-free, and contain no synthetic fragrances. Each of these lotions contains Acure’s Certified Organic Curoxidant Juice Blend as a base. It’s packed with organic Acai, organic Pomegranate, organic Blackberry, organic Rosehips, and organic Rooibos to create one of the most potent antioxidant blends available for your skin.

There are two lovely lotions to choose from:

The Firming Lotion has a slight lemongrass aroma and is made with firming organic argan oil. This lotion will leave your skin feeling nourished and stimulated.

The Ultra-Hydrating Lotion is made with organic cocoa butter. It is fragrance free and will leave your skin feeling smooth and satisfied.

Visit our Body Care page to see a full list of all the nourishing skincare goodies and accessories we have to offer!

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Have you heard of the “no ‘poo” movement? It’s definitely not my favorite term, but the philosophy behind it is worth exploring. It refers to the droves of people turning away from using expensive commercial shampoos and conditioners. These products often contain harsh synthetic fragrances, sodium laureth sulfate, propylene glycol, and other creepy ingredients that come from mystery labs around the world. We trust that these products will make our hair gorgeous and drench ourselves in weird chemicals without knowing how they affect our overall health. Plus, think of the millions of plastic bottles that end up in the recycling bin, or worse, from all of the hair products we use.

But…you HAVE to use shampoo, right?

Nope!

We’ve been told to “lather, rinse, and repeat” for decades now – and with dreams of healthy, shiny, flowy, bouncy perfection, we have complied. But what happens? The first day after a wash, your hair is kinda frizzy and dried out. On the second day it’s looking pretty good. By the third day it’s a crazy greasy mess again and time to shampoo. This cycle happens as your scalp desperately tries to maintain balance. Most shampoo strips your hair of sebum, which is the natural oil produced by sebaceous glands to help condition and protect each strand. When it’s completely washed away, your glands sound the alarm bells and produce even more sebum to compensate for the sudden loss of protection. Using gentle cleansers and washing less often allows your body to function the way it was meant to…

Going “no ‘poo” is a different experience for everyone, depending on your natural hair and scalp condition. I have very fine, curly hair with a normal to dry scalp, so the transition was super easy for me. I started using the Chamomile Rose rinse recipe below just once a week. My hair immediately looked so much healthier and had more body and shine. Suddenly, instead of one good hair day a week, my hair was consistently awesome with less frizz and no scalp irritation at all. I know other people with thicker or oily hair go through a not so fun ”balancing” phase where the sebaceous glands continue to produce more and more sebum in anticipation of that regular shampooing. If you can stick it out, the process will eventually find homeostasis and revert back to a normal sebum production rate. This usually only takes a few weeks and is well worth the wait. Just think of all those neglected hats waiting in your closet!

Ready to try it out? These herbal hair rinses are amazing. They are so easy to make and will leave your hair feeling soft and your scalp clean and revitalized, but not stripped or dried out. Use once a week to replace your shampoo for good and allow your natural oils to condition each strand from root to tip.

Chamomile Rose Rinse

1 ½ cups organic Chamomile tea, brewed strong

1 cup organic Rose Petal tea, brewed strong

1 tbsp baking soda

The deep golden yellow produced by the chamomile flowers makes this a wonderful choice for light colored hair or to enhance natural highlights in darker hair. My hair is dirty blond and I really notice a lightening effect like a sunny glow to my hair when I let it soak in for at least 5 minutes before rinsing out.

Rosemary Cacao Rinse

1 ½ cups organic Cacao nib tea, brewed strong

1 cup organic Rosemary leaf tea, brewed strong

3 drops organic Peppermint essential oil

1 tbsp baking soda

Rosemary is a classic herb for hair health. It brings circulation to the scalp and stimulates the follicles. It is also known to enhance the richness in dark colored hair. The naturally conditioning cocoa butter fats found in cacao nibs will leave your hair feeling soft, and the chocolate colored infusion is perfect for all shades of brown hair. Peppermint oil adds an invigoratingly clean scent, and is great for oily or sensitive scalps.

Nettle Lavender Rinse

2 1/2 cups organic Nettle leaf tea, brewed strong

5 drops organic Lavender essential oil

1 tbsp baking soda

Nettle is a wonderfully strengthening tonic herb for hair. Its high mineral and vitamin content nourishes all hair types. Lavender essential oil is calming and helps normalize both dry and oily scalp conditions, and its anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory nature makes it a nice choice for irritated or sensitive scalps too. This formula is perfect for all hair colors and types.

Rinse Directions

- Using a covered pot, decoct your herbs for 10-15 minutes. I generally use 1/4 cup of herbs per cup of water.

- Strain out the herbs and combine your herbal infusion, essential oils, and baking soda together in a glass jar. You want the baking soda to be completely dissolved and well mixed.

- Allow to cool to body temperature.

- Pour over dry hair or soak hair in the mixture for at least 5 minutes. Massage the scalp gently using a circular motion.

- Rinse out with clean running water.

- You can follow the herbal rinse with an apple cider vinegar rinse if you’d like, which is a really popular method, but I usually skip it.

Feel free to experiment with other herb and essential oil combinations. For more information and guidance about what herbs are good for hair care, check out Naturally Healthy Hair by Mary Beth Janssen.

Enjoy your natural tresses!

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This recipe is such a convenient preparation which either can be used alone or incorporated into cosmetic and medicinal recipes.  And, it couldn’t be simpler to make!

Witch Hazel extract is produced from the leaves and bark of the North American shrub Witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana. It has astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, and anesthetic properties, making it an invaluable ingredient for many different medicinal and cosmetic preparations.

I especially love using herbal infused witch hazel as a facial toner, often incorporate it into facial wash recipes, and a small dab works great on blemishes.  Beneficial for all skin types from oily to dry and mature skin, Witch Hazel is often used as an aftershave, to cleanse oils from the skin, remove make-up, decrease bags under eyes and skin puffiness, reduce pore size, and to minimize varicose veins.  Medicinally, Witch Hazel extract is often applied as a compress or added to bath water to assist with minor injuries, skin irritations, insect bites, hemorrhoids, rashes from poison ivy or oak, localized inflammations, and other conditions.  Athletes sometimes rub Witch Hazel extract onto their arms or legs prior to workouts to help prevent muscle strain, or after a workout to help relieve soreness.

What you’ll need:

•    Witch Hazel extract
It’s best to use a high quality organic Witch Hazel extract.  Commercial Witch Hazel extracts usually contain more alcohol than actual Witch Hazel, and have only been distilled once. However, true Witch Hazel extracts (like the one offered by Mountain Rose Herbs) has been double distilled, and contains 86% Witch Hazel extract and only 14% alcohol. This makes it more soothing than the versions found in stores, and it lacks the alcohol sting and scent.

•    Herb(s) of choice
Here some favorites, but feel free to be creative!  You can make infuse just one or can make a blend: Basil, Calendula, Chamomile, Elder flowers, Green Sencha Leaf tea, Lavender flowers, Lemon Balm, Lemon peel, Lemon Verbena, Lemongrass,  Nettle leaf, Orange Peel, Peppermint, Rose petals, Rosemary, Sage, Red Clover flowers, Vanilla beans.

Directions:

1.    Place the dried herbs in a glass mason jar, and cover completely with the Witch Hazel extract. Make sure that the Witch Hazel extract covers the herbs by at least 1-2” to account for swelling once that the herbs become hydrated.   If the herbs swell and rise above the Witch Hazel extract, simply add more Witch Hazel extract until they are fully submerged.

2.    Cap tightly and place in a cool, dark place like a cabinet or closet.

3.    Allow to infuse for at least 2 weeks, shaking the jar daily or as often as you remember.  You will notice that the Witch Hazel will quickly take on the scent and color of the herbs.

4.    Once finished, strain the herbs out using cheesecloth or a fine cloth.  Pour into a clean bottle, label, and enjoy!

Precautions:
The FDA has approved Witch Hazel distillate as safe for external use in skin care products. Avoid using Witch Hazel extract close to the mucus membranes or in the eyes, as it contains a small amount of alcohol. It is best to use on this product on unbroken skin.  External use of Witch Hazel extract could result in minor skin irritation for some people.  Do not use on serious burns, cuts, or other wounds.

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Our handcrafted Rose and Lemon Facial Washes are now Certified by Oregon Tilth, and have a gorgeous new look! These wonderfully gentle cleansers are certified as made with organic aloe vera and organic extracts, and the castille soap that we use is certified as made with organic oils.

These all natural botanical facial washes are mild enough for any skin type and lightly aromatic for a refreshingly clean experience. They make a wonderful body wash too! Our facial wash contains no synthetic ingredients, perfume oils, preservatives, or harmful chemicals, and we make them in small batches to ensure the highest quality for bathing bliss.

Visit our website for a complete list of ingredients!

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Looking for a last minute Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift?

How about a little pampering just for yourself?

Our luxurious and botanically rich Herbal Facial Kit is so easy to use and leaves your skin wonderfully soft and glowing. Handcrafted with organic herbs, pure essential oils, fine cosmetic clays, and pure rosewater, this kit is perfect for everyone.

Each kit comes packaged in a decorative reusable box made out of recycled board stock that’s covered in a tree-free wild grass paper, and then finished with a sweet little twig closure. Perfect for storing your facial kit ingredients or any other treasures you may have.

Complete with step-by-step instructions, each kit comes with enough supplies for 5 facials and includes some of our very favorite Mountain Rose Herbs facial care products – all made by us in small batches:

Herbal Steam – Open pores with skin nourishing plant oils.

Cleansing Grains – Gently exfoliate dead skin and clear pores.

Green Clay Mask – Absorb toxins, stimulate circulation, and deep clean pores.

Wild Rose Facial Oil – Moisturize, protect, and balance your skin.

Rosewater Toner – Invigorating astringent to tighten pores and seal in moisture.

You can find the Herbal Facial Kit here!

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Here are some more body care goodies from our friends at Fawn Lily Botanica! Handcrafted in the Pacific Northwest, these artisan lip balms and bar soaps are made with luxurious organic oils and butters in small batches.

Extremely rich, creamy, conditioning and smooth, these botanical lip balms are a treat for the lips! Choose from 5 luscious botanical combinations in a 0.15oz tube…

3mint + cocoa
hibiscus + ginger + rosehip
spiced chai + coconut
nourishing herbal
lavender + meadowsweet

These artisan cold processed soaps are cleansing, yet gentle, soothing, nourishing, and moisturizing. They have a smooth and creamy lather which leaves skin feeling silky smooth and clean without being stripped, dry, itchy, or irritated. Choose from 5 botanical combinations in a 5oz bar…

lemongrass + matcha green tea
chai spice
ginger honey
woodland
soothing herbal

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Sandalwood essential oil is truly exotic. This pale yellow oil has soft, woody notes that are extremely tenacious and somewhat balsamic. It has a long history in religious ceremonies and rituals, and is prized worldwide for an intoxicating aroma found in the heartwood of the tree.

There are many sandalwood oils on the market, so which one should you use?

Indian Sandalwood, Santalum album, is traditionally the most widely used sandalwood oil. The popularity of this striking scent has sadly caused over-harvesting of the trees which are now a threatened species. Each tree needs to mature for at least 10 years before they start producing oil and then the whole tree is harvested for production, making it a very resource intensive product.

Australian Sandalwood, Santalum spicatum, is widely used by aromatherapists and perfumers as an ecologically responsible alternative to traditional Indian Sandalwood. It is very similar to Indian Sandalwood in aroma and constituents, and makes a wonderful substitute for any recipe that specifies Indian Sandalwood.

The Australian Sandalwood essential oil offered by Mountain Rose Herbs is Certified Organic, and is produced with sustainability in mind. For every tree that is harvested for production, 12 seeds are planted, and for every tonne of deadwood that is collected, 400 seeds are planted. The oil is also created using renewable energy and water recycling!

Click here to learn more about our wonderful Australian Sandalwood oil.

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As much as I wish I could simply open a book or do an internet search and find all the answers to my Menopausal challenges, I’m learning that my version of what I’m calling my “ transition” is as unique as I am. I am not interested in masking or pretending that I am not getting older, but I wouldn’t mind finding a little relief and learning some new ways to cope with these inevitable changes. Fortunately, there are some wonderful resources available, and I’ve come up with a few of my own solutions for the realities of how mid-life is shaking out for me.

I have always been someone who could fall asleep anywhere and sleep fabulously!  Well, I used to be someone who could sleep anywhere – now with the menopausal journey, I find it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep and keep from overheating into a blazing and cranky beast!  It has inspired me to develop a few coping strategies…

With a little experimentation, I came up with this tea recipe for my pre-bedtime ritual.  While there are some wonderful soothing tea blends available, I wanted something tasty, a little sweet, and calming.  I mix up enough to make a pot of tea, but you could reduce the amounts or mix it up and use a few teaspoons if you’d like to make a cup (I use all dried herbs for this tea, boiling the water on the stove and putting the herb mix into a large infuser. Once I pour the water into the pot, I let it steep about 4-5 minutes):

Sleep and Dream Tea

Ingredients

2 Tbsp organic Spearmint

1 Tbsp organic Chamomile

1 Tbsp organic St. John’s Wort

1 Tbsp organic Nettle Leaf

1 Tbsp organic Rosebuds

1 Tbsp organic dried Orange or Lemon Peel

While I drink this without any additional sweetener, you could add a little local, organic honey.  My grandmother used to give us grandkids a spoonful of honey right before bed, telling us it would give us “sweet dreams.” I’ve since read there is some truth to that folk therapy, as the complex sugars in the honey may help regulate the blood sugar, allowing for a sound night’s sleep without waking with a rumbly tummy.

Lavender Salt Soak

I’ve found a warm (but not too hot, as it can bring on a hotflash or flushing for me) bath soak in salts and organic Lavender essential oil right before bed, further helps relax and prepare me for a decent night’s sleep.  Since I’m not very fussy, I literally toss a handful of Epsom or Dead Sea salt under the running water, along with about 4-5 drops of Lavender essential oil.  Sometimes, I’ll add a little drizzle of some of my homemade calendula infused oil (calendula and sunflower oil) for extra luxurious softness!

Lavender essential oil has become my secret sleep weapon: During my weekly bed linen swap, I sprinkle a few drops of undiluted lavender essential oil over the mattress pad and pillows before re-making with fresh cotton sheets (the flannel ones are temporarily retired as they are just too warm now!) The clean, calming scent of lavender drifts all around me as I drift off to sleep—crossing my fingers I’ll be able to stay that way!

Other great resources for menopausal challenges and relief: New Menopausal Years: The Wise Woman Way  by Susun S. Weed and Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar.

About Kori

This post comes to us from Kori, our Public and Media Relations Coordinator! A West Coast native, Kori is a seasoned nonprofit activist and community organizer.  Having launched six adult kids, she spends her free time in her burgeoning organic and very urban “farm”—taming Heritage chickens, building top-bar beehives from reclaimed materials, baking, brewing, and preserving.

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We are excited to debut our new hydrosol packaging!

We now offer 3oz and 8oz hydrosols in amber glass bottles with mister tops. Our 16oz and 1 gallon bulk sizes are still available in plastic bottles with this newly designed label. They make wonderful body mists or toners, and can be used in your homemade skincare and cleaning recipes.

Hydrosols are also known as hydroflorates or distillates, and are produced by steam distilling plant material. They contain similar properties to their essential oil counterparts, but are less concentrated. In fact, hydrosols have less than 5% essential oil content.

The aroma of a hydrosol is mild and subtle, with some smelling more like the whole plant verses the flower used in distillation. This happens because hydrosols also contain the water soluble constituents of the plant material that are not found in essential oils.

Visit our website to see our full line of Certified Organic Hydrosols crafted by devoted distillers in small batches, or Click Here to learn more about hydrosols.

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