essential oils

Ah, winter—the season of retreating indoors, finding every way to keep warm, and snuggling up with your favorite book or Netflix show for a slow descent into hibernation, solitude, and a fair amount of seasonal down time.

While the frigid cold winter weather outside can affect your energy levels and leave you with the sluggish winter blues, there are seasonal winter herbs that can also lift you out of your winter funk to revitalize your well-being and mood with some natural herbal supplements.

With uses as varied as anti-aging, easing anxiety, and treating fungal infections, essential oils are the ultimate multitaskers. Extracted from the roots, flowers, leaves, or bark of a plant, essential oils have been used medicinally and ceremonially for thousands of years, and they continue to rise in popularity—the U.S.

Would you like to clean up from the inside out or give your immune system a boost? Cranberries are packed full of detoxifying nutrients that can guard your body against disease. Today I’ll teach you how to harness their nutritional powers by creating a drink that will give you a huge dose of protective plant elements.

Chronic stuffy sinuses may be due to allergies, diet, infection, or structural issues in the airways. More than one of these may be at play for some folks.  When the mucus is clear, the issue may be related to allergies, diet, or chronic low-level infection. Acute infections are most often viral, which means that antibiotics won’t work.

Ringworm, a fungal infection, is being passed around in the jiu jitsu class I do. Though my first response is “eeeeeew,” the fact is that spread of skin infections is not so unusual in a full contact sport. Fungal infections on the skin and under the nails can be really annoying: Ringworm, athlete’s foot, jock itch, and such.

Basmati.com sits down with Dr. Marija Helt to talk about her work as a clinical herbalist,  the use of essential oils and her love of mushrooms and their healing benefits!

Does your dog lick his paws, scratch his ears, or sport visible dandruff? Skin conditions and itchiness can be caused by a wide variety of reasons, including allergies, hormonal imbalances, environmental toxins, and insect bites. If your pet is always itchy, take him or her to the vet to determine the root cause.

When I first studied aromatherapy and learned that perfumery was part of the course I thought “Well, that part’s going to be boring.”  Perfumery is now my favorite part of aromatherapy. Natural perfumes are fun to make and the more developed your nose gets from blending, the more nuanced your perfumes will be. 

If you’re looking to warm up with something delicious, or to nourish your skin after spending the summer outdoors, cozy up with a bowl of pumpkin soup this fall.

All photos by Shiraz Leyva