Herbs for the Common Cold
The herbalist founders of a new organic skincare line offer remedies for what ails you.
Earth Tu Face lotions, serums and scrubs are good enough to eat — literally. Created by two Bay area herbalists, Sarah Buscho and Marina Storm, the philosophy behind the all-natural beauty line is ‘never put on your skin what you wouldn’t put in your mouth.’ Buscho and Storm stand firmly behind that statement, developing the products with plants they grew in their garden in San Rafael, California. All of the ingredients are FDA-approved ‘food grade organic,’ so they are completely safe to slather all over your skin (and technically safe to consume, too.) Even the chic packaging is 100% compostable.
After studying holistic health and whipping up their own salves for years, the botanical-obsessed pair knows what really works. “We use herbs to heal in every aspect of our lives, whether it’s skincare, cooking, aromatherapy or straight medicine,” says Busco. And now that they've launched Earth Tu Face, we can all benefit as well. At least from the outside in. Should you need to be healed from the inside out, we tapped into Buscho and Storm's expertise to get their herbal prescriptions for common maladies.
To fend off colds and flus:
“Grate a few spoonfuls of fresh ginger and chop up a whole lemon to make a hot tea. Ginger is super high in antioxidants and helps your body sweat out a fever, increasing your circulation to help your body fight off illness. Lemon is alkalizing and high in vitamin C.”
– Sarah
To calm an upset stomach:
“Peppermint works its way through your whole digestive system, soothing your intestines and colon. It’s one of the best herbs for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, too. Use two to three teaspoons of dried peppermint or a handful of fresh to make tea.” –Sarah
To alleviate sore muscles:
“Cayenne pepper is a warming circulatory stimulant and potent anti-inflammatory. Its main active constituent, capsaicin, has been shown to inhibit pain transmitters. Combine a few dashes with fresh grated ginger, which lubricates your muscle tissues and relaxes cramping. To make tea, bring to a low boil, let everything simmer for 10-15 minutes, then strain.” –Marina
To minimize stress:
"California poppy is a premiere local remedy — use it as a tincture. It’s very calming to the body’s nerves and will help you de-stress. If you have trouble finding it, make a tea with lavender, chamomile and wild oats. It will nourish and relax you all day long.” –Marina
To rev your energy:
"Nettles are abundant plants that are super nourishing. When you take them on a daily basis, you’re adding a lot of minerals that will make your body stronger. Drinking them in a tea with wild oats will circulate more blood to the brain so it really wakes you up.” – Marina
To decrease inflammation:
“Turmeric is the best anti-inflammation plant that I have found. It’s gentle on the stomach and the liver and [has] anti-cancer [properties]. Cook with the powder by adding it into your soups and stews, or take the capsules.”
–Sarah