The Herban Homesteader

10/28/2023

10/24/2023

I openly talk about my love of topical and herbal skin care products. I make and sell some things myself. I also represent products from one of the best natural companies I’ve ever found. I even have a few random products from a fellow home herbalist and other small businesses.

Every brand encourager and entrepreneur strives to show you perfect products and pretty pictures. They want you to love the image they are projecting, ideally choosing to buy what they’re selling. I’m here to show you my used products. These items are no longer perfect. They’ve been dug out of, dropped, and degraded. This is what it looks like when someone actually uses the products they promote. This is what it looks like to truly live a natural herbal lifestyle, not just say that you do. And these are just my topicals 😘🤗

Every product here I have advertised or recommended on social media, many of them with the intent to sell on a commission or for profit. I only promote what I use personally for myself and my family. The products I make are specifically formulated for me and my family’s needs, needs that your family may have as well. I always love a good healing or pain relieving balm.

As you can see, there is no lack of variety! Pain relief, beauty treatments, healing and skin care, this picture has it all. I stand by my word when I make a recommendation or representation. I take pride in my collection of used products. If you are ready to invest in your own items, I have links and descriptions in the comments 👇

10/08/2023

As everything else falls away, my pineapple sage plant is now in bloom. I absolutely love this plant! Pineapple sage leaves can be used to make tea or tincture that may ease symptoms of generalized anxiety. I harvest the flowers bloom by bloom and make the most beautiful facial sugar scrub you could imagine! I’ve watched this plant all season just waiting for this very moment.

Ladies and gentleman, we have arrived!

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09/14/2023

I get asked often about plants for A*HD (trying not to get 🚩here). I urge you to research out Sideritis.

I have attached a study here: 🔽

https://gigaplus.makeshop.jp/estia/pdf/sideritis/Sideritis-in-mood-disorders-and-ADHD.pdf

If you don’t have time to read the 6 page study the conclusion is attached as a picture.

You can find ours here: 🔽

https://www.kingdomcomehome.shop/product-page/sideritis?ref=KaylaDuncan

✨ We always air on the side of caution for dosing ages but you should do your own research. It’s also known as Shepherds Purse or Mountain Tea. We import ours from a small organic farm in Greece. Greek grandmothers have been serving this tea forever.

Shepherd purse is also good for women’s menstrual health and preventing hemmorhage after birth.

God gave us everything we need.


🌿 Psalm 1:3
He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

09/11/2023

09/10/2023

I have been letting my violets take over! Looks like a have a powerful cough remedy on my hands 😉

Learn how to make a simple violet leaf and honey syrup that's useful for mild coughs & respiratory afflictions.

09/05/2023

This month!

08/31/2023

This is a great guide for how to choose the right salve base and what percentage of oil to blend with it! What is your butter of choice? My next salve will be cocoa butter based so that it is extra great for scars.

Learn how to formulate your own body butter the way you like with the top cosmetic butters on the market, Shea Butter, Cocoa & Mango Butter

08/28/2023

I’m learning a lot about blackberry right now! Thankfully I have some massive plants that won’t mind a late season harvest.

Blackberry leaf doesn't often get much attention as a medicinal herb, but it has a range of benefits and nutrients that deserve recognition. Add to this a lovely berry-like flavor and you have an herb that is both tasty and powerful. Here's more on the story behind blackberry leaves and why you may....

08/26/2023

My Supernatural Scar Salve is well underway! The herbal duality represented here does not go unnoticed to me.

On the left is a jar of whole calendula flowers infusing in EVOO. To the right is a masticated herbal blend of dandelion root, yellow rose petals, self heal flowers, and broadleaf plantain also in EVOO.

I will be adding a few additional ingredients to the final blend but these herbal infusions are the bread and butter of this salve.

To be continued.

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08/26/2023

Bug pics! 😍🐛🐜💛

08/22/2023

It is important to know when is the right time to harvest seeds....

08/11/2023

My creative process is often a lengthy one. It starts with growing the plants. Then the patient repetitive harvests of produce. I am air drying my herbs this year which requires more time than usual. Then it’s on to infusing the herbal goodness into oil which must be strained and combined once again before attaining it’s finally form. There is so much experience and intention in creating herbal medicine. There is magic in every moment.

Coming soon, a luxurious herbal scar salve with an extensive profile of healing properties.

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08/03/2023

I picked the most fragrant yellow rose petals yesterday from a community garden here in town. The rush bushes are about as tall as I am and chock full of buds and blooms. I harvested a pocket full of flowers and w**ded a bit of the garden as an exchange. I’ll be back again to collect rosehips later in the season 😁 These petals are destined to be a future salve ingredient. Watching plants transform into medicine is an honor and a privilege. IT NEVER GETS OLD!!

08/02/2023

My sempervivum is still blooming. These flowers are about the diameter of a quarter 😳🤗🌸

07/27/2023

Flower art on display at The James building of the Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

07/19/2023

Self heal and pineapple w**d flower harvest!

07/13/2023

I found a baby praying mantis in my garden the other day 😍🥰🤗

07/13/2023

I usually only make celery salt but I think it’s time for me to broaden my horizons! 🤩

07/01/2023

I need to try this!

Herbal Ice for your July 4th holiday parties: add a little water to the bottom of your cube tray and freeze. Go to the garden and gather flowers/ petals of borage, rose, bee balm, lavender, mint, chamomile, anise, dianthus, fennel, viola or rosemary and place them artfully on the newly formed ice. Add more water, freeze, and repeat to insure that the flowers are fully encased in ice. Enjoy in your Summer drinks....from the garden to your lips -herbal ice, ice, baby!🥤
Happy Independence Day weekend, from The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti

06/26/2023

My most beautiful purple sage leaf. I love unique leaf variegations.

06/26/2023

Cats can degrade garden and recreational spaces with their waste. I’ve been too lax about keeping boundaries between me and the neighborhood kitties. Today I planted some forks in their most frequent outdoor litter box. Hopefully they decide it’s not worth the risk and find another spot to utilize. I also added some cinnamon to our sand area as a scent deterrent for both cats and insects. I use cinnamon in the sand box every year. The stuff really works!

06/23/2023

Water drops on day lily leaves.

06/23/2023

The weather here is calling for a few days of rain. I made sure all of my water containers were cleared out and set up!! I usually water my gardens with collected rainwater.

06/23/2023

Not only can pollinators enjoy your garden's beautiful flowers, but you can also use these flowers to make delicious meals! 🦋😍

06/22/2023

These berries are huge! I could almost literally put one on of them over my thumb.

06/22/2023

Cubed potatoes and butterflied chicken breasts cooked in an iron skillet with olive oil, butter, pink salt, and garlic scapes 😋

06/21/2023

06/21/2023

Lemon balm tincture 🍋💚

06/20/2023

Freshly poured skin salve!

A gentle meld of 8 skin soothing ingredients, this all purpose salve is suitable for any skin eruption or irritation. Apply topically to bites, bumps, burns, blemishes, blisters, or boils for herbal healing support.

All Purpose Skin Salve.
All organic ingredients.

Purple dead nettle infused EVOO, herbal blend infused EVOO (rose petal, yarrow leaf, lamb’s ear leaf, bay leaf), broad leaf plantain infused EVOO, Shea butter.

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06/20/2023

I think I’ll be harvesting my strawberry leaves this year! Astringent herbs are my absolute favorite.

Everyone is familiar with the delicious strawberry fruit, Fragaria × ananassa, as a refreshing healthy snack. The delectable berries are a favorite fruit that first ripens in late spring to herald in the delights of summer. But what about strawberry leaves benefits and uses? After our strawberry .....

06/16/2023

Chamomile, wild chamomile, and double chamomile. , ,

06/16/2023

To my intense delight, I’ve discovered mugwort growing in my garden! Mugwort plants have a silvery color on the underside of their leaves. I’ve probably w**ded a ton of mugwort out of my garden over the years. I’m thankful for all that I’ve learned about herbs. Every season brings something new and interesting to me.

06/14/2023

I love narrow leaf plantain.

This is plantain, two different species of plantain.
Narrow-leafed plantain is on the left next to broad-leafed plantain on the right.
Both leaves are edible. Narrow-leafed is more bitter whereas as broad-leafed is more palatable because narrow-leafed contains more medicinal constituents (making it more bitter). Overall, the leaves taste best in Spring.
Notice the parallel veins of the leaf and the tall stalk with little flowers. Those are identifying markers.
Have you ever heard of psyllium husk? It comes from the seeds of a type of plantain. Psyllium husk is a binding agent used in fiber products and gluten-free baking.
If you go camping and need to know any plant, this might be it. Chew up those leaves and put them right on bee stings and bug bites. 🐝 They will cool them down, stop itching, and draw out the venom.
I've been learning about plantain and how it can help the body if damaged by the use of NSAIDs.
Don't use or eat something if you don't know what it is!

06/13/2023

Pink balloon flowers!!! My nana had blue balloon flowers in her garden. I found these pink ones and had to get two!!! 🎈🌸

06/13/2023

Bee balm!! 🐝

06/11/2023

Pineapple w**d, one of my all time favorite herbs 🍍