This week, I wanted to open the doors to my winter medicine cabinet and share a simple, practical checklist of the herbal recipes I like to keep on hand this time of the year as well as how I like to use each one. If you’ve been wanting to start a natural medicine cabinet that ebbs and flows with the seasons, I hope this inspires you to get started.
Below you’ll find a list of winter medicine cabinet recipes, what they are used for, and how I use them in my family.
Get Well Honey
This mixture is an herb infused honey that not only supports the immune system but is packed with antimicrobial plants to discourage pathogens during cold and flu season.
Simply take a spoonful of honey every 2-3 hours when illness is in your home to speed up recovery!
Respiratory Rescue Tincture
This tincture is my go-to for respiratory infections that are common during winter. It not only helps thin mucous and relax respiratory passages so you can cough that mucous up more easily, but it is antimicrobial too.
Take 1-3 droppers (30-60 drops) up to 6 times a day until symptoms reside.
Fever Ease Tea Blend
Fevers are common with some infections that tend to go around during the colder months of the year, and this tea blend is what I use to help gently cool the body when a fever gets too high.
I make a cup or two of this tea, keeping it warm in a crockpot throughout the day, and sip ¼ cup every half hour or so when a fever is high.
Stress Away Aromatherapy Roller
This essential oil blend is perfect for times when you feel the overwhelming weight of stress. Not only does it help induce deep feelings of relaxation, but it eases muscle tension in the body too.
I like to apply a small amount of this to my wrists, collarbone, neck, or behind my ears anytime I feel sensations of stress coming on.
Spicy Salve
I have to have this salve on hand during the cold months of the year. There’s nothing like rubbing it into cold hands and feet, achy joints, or sore muscles to provide some soothing relief.
I rub a small amount into my skin ever so often to provide heat and comfort being sure to wash my hands well afterward. (You don’t want to get this in your eye!)
Breathe Easy Shower Steamers
Congestion and a stuffy nose is the worse, which is why I like to keep these shower steamers on hand to not only relax the mind and body while help me feel like I can breathe better too.
I like to use one of these while in the shower, placing it just outside of the water stream, so it can dissolve slowly and release its aromatic vapors while I inhale deeply.
Sweet Sleep Elixir
If I ever find myself having trouble sleeping, whether from excitement or stress, a small sip of this elixir made with relaxing nervine and sedative herbs does the trick to help me get some much needed sleep.
I like to sip a small amount about 30 minutes before bed, or when I wake up in the middle of the night.
Now, if you want to learn how to make all of these recipes for your winter medicine cabinet (and all my other seasonal favorites), you can find them in detail in my book — Nature’s Medicine Cabinet: Seasonal Remedies & Recipes for a Year of Botanical Wellness — available where all major books are sold.
Now it’s your turn —> What’s the one herbal remedy you always make sure to have on hand in winter? Comment below and tell me all about it… what it is, when you use it, and how it works for you!