Moistening Herbs for When the Cold Winds Blow
As I sit at home in the Columbia River Gorge, with a bit of a dry cough, unusual for me, the winter weather feels of another climate. Dry. Here in this northern rainforest, I have grown used to the wet of winter and though I have my qualms about it, I am now noticing the extra effort required to keep moist when these cold dry winds come through. Our bodies, after all, are not separate from the environment around us, not a metaphor for the wild rhythms of nature, but another branch stemming out of her. And it is not always comfortable.
Part of what I believe a folk herbalist’s role is surrounds creating ease and comfort where possible by balancing out the system. Nature is constantly engaging in this practice and, as we have just decided, we are yet another branch stemming from Nature Herself.
Many thinks to the plant, animal, and mineral kingdom, we actually have an abundance of tools to balance the dryness brought in by this sunny chill of a not-so-charectaristic PNW winter.
Remedies for Respiratory Dryness
The Basics
When dealing with respiratory colds that are dry in nature, I reach for tea. I’ll still take my Acute Immune tincture, which helps shorten the days I am sick dramatically, but it is important to hydrate and I find delivering the medicine through tea to be incredibly effective.
Honey soothes the throat immensely, as do syrups. Our Sweet Melissa Honey would be the best of our three honey offerings for colds and flus, as lemon balm can be supportive during these times. If you’re a medicine maker yourself, try infusing freshly wilted herb in honey in the summer time for all your winter woes. I love Saint Johns Wort honey and Lemon Balm Honey in the depths of the dark times.
Fats are also very lubricating. I add heavy cream to my teas as a way to add nourishment to my medicines. Countless old time recipes from around the world call for herbs infused in milk or bread dipped in warm milk when ill. If your body can tolerate it, I highly recommend it. If you can not, try ghee tea!
My friend Laura from Backyard Harvest Herbals recently introduced me to ghee tea. Simply add ghee, the most essential part of cream, to your tea and blending with an immersion blender for 3-5 minutes. It is well worth it folks. The outcome is a creamy, nourishing, and soothing tea that you will crave from that point on, if you’re anything like me.
Herbs
When looking for herbs to work on the respiratory system we are looking for demulcent, expectorant and pectoral or pulmonary herbs. Demulcent herbs have a high content of vegetable gum, making them soothing and lubricating to the tissues. Expectorants help to loosen phlegm that has built up in the lungs, sinuses, and bronchial passages. Once loosened, it is easy to cough up the phlegm which is natural and important. Pectoral or Pulmonary herbs have a particular affinity for the chest and lungs, especially in the case of infections and chest colds.
I also find the sour taste to be hydrating. It secrets saliva in the mouth and stimulates digestion. Many sour herbs are also quite high in vitamin C and other anti-oxidants. They make delicious additions to tea blends.
Demulcent Herbs:
Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis)
Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
Rose Hips (Rosa canina)
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Nettle (Urtica diocia)
Expectorant and/or Pulmonary Herbs:
Elecampane (Inula helenium)
Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Angelica (Angelica archangelic)
Elderflower (Sambucus nigra & S. caerulea)
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra & S. caerulea)
Ginger* (Zingiber officinale)
Sour Herbs:
Rose Hip (Rosa canina)
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra & S. caerulea)
Lemon (Citrus limon)
Orange Peel (Citrus × sinensis)
Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
*quite hot and drying. combine with moistening herbs for dry colds.
Combining these herbs into tea blends and syrups will aid in your body finding balance and during big changes in the environment such as this cold/dry spell. I am doing the following as I am posted up here at home, getting balanced and getting well:
Marshmallow Root Infusion
Steep 2 spoonfuls of marshallow root in 32oz jar of room-temp water overnight. Strain in the morning and drink all at once or through out the day
Dry Times Tea Blend
2p Elecampane
1p Mullein
1 p Rose HIp
1p Licorice
1p Ginger
2p Elderflower
Steep for a good long while. 30 minuets or so. Add honey & heavy cream or ghee.
Respiratory Syrup
Try making a strong tea out of any one or combination of the herbs listed above. Strain your tea and add sugar at a 1:1 ratio. Keep on the heat until the sugar dissolves. Consume 1tsp 2-3x/day as needed and use within the month!
Remedies for Skin Dryness
Again, hydration and adequate nutrition are key here, and any skincare products will only work as well as your body can receive their offerings. My very favorite fat for hydrating from the outside in (and the inside out, I could also say!) is animal fat or tallow.
Abhyanga
One of my favorite practices, which I picked up during my time studying Ayurveda, is to oil my body before showering or spending time in the sauna. (Before sauna is my personal ayurvedic application to this northern practice.) As the pores open up from the heat, the skin drinks up the fat. Why, just this morning I lathered up with our FLORA Whipped Tallow Body Butter, a whipped tallow body butter infused with Hawthorn Leaf & Flower, Rose Petal, and Rock Rose Resin or Labdanum. The musky floral scent of the Labdanum feels so grounding to me. It is antibacterial, stimulating to cell regeneration, supportive to sun-exposed skin, increases lymph flow, and just feels wild and luxurious all at once.
Oil Cleansing
One gift you can give your skin right this very moment is to stop using soap cleansers on your face. That’s right folks. You do not need soap on your face. In my opinion, a gentle and natural soap should be used sparingly, and not on your precious face, stripping it of all the lipids it needs daily, even two times/day. It is frightening!
Our Wild Thorn oil cleanser can be your replacement. Simply apply the salve to your skin and massage it in. Use this time to really get the lymph moving in your face. Massage outward and in circles and gently around your eyes. Massage the oil cleanser into your neck and down to your collarbone region where you have major lymphatic drainage sites. Allow it to soak in for 1-3 minutes then, using a washcloth wet with warm water, wipe the excess oil away. This also allows any dead skin cells and dirt build up to be removed.
Follow with the Willow Mist Toner, the Briar Fruit Serum, and the Yarrow Fair Night Balm for our most hydrating regimen.
Face Masks
Some face masks are cleansing while others are hydrating. Now is the time to orient to the hydrating ones. Our Witch Butter Face mask is a combination of raw local honey and tremella mushroom. Honey helps the skin retain moisture while also being anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. Tremella brightens the skin, supports collagen production, and helps the skin hydrate. Add just a bit of water to activate this thick and hydrating face mask and apply a generous layer to the face. Let sit for 15-30 mins and rinse with warm water. A washcloth can be helpful here!
This can also be a wonderful time to try some of the infused honeys you made in the summer time on your skin! Think Elderflower Honey, Willow Bark Honey, Rose Honey, or Lavender Honey and lather it on your skin.
The seasons will continue to change as the wheel continues to turn, offering us plenty of opportunities to try new remedies as we inevitably find ourselves out of balance. Do ensure that you are taking enough time to care for all of your cells as it is often the case that sickness comes when we have neglected them for too long.
In warmth,
Madrone
Sources
+ The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl
+ Labdanum Resin from Cistus ladanifer L.: A Natural and Sustainable Ingredient for Skin Care Cosmetics with Relevant Cosmeceutical Bioactivities
David F Frazão 1,2, Carlos Martins-Gomes 1, Jan L Steck 3, Judith Keller 3, Fernanda Delgado 2,4, José C Gonçalves2,4, Mirko Bunzel 3, Cristina M B S Pintado 2,4, Teresa Sosa Díaz 5, Amélia M Silva 1,6,*
This article was written without the use of AI.