DIY blossoms and oatmeal tub tea

I just watched The Story of Cosmetics (2010). ?áIt reminded me of why I went down this road called herbalism. ?áI kept seeing myself and others buying into the hype on labels, and this hype had little or nothing to do with the?ácontents. For example, we all know a successful company based on oatmeal (Avena sativa). ?áPeople buy into these products. ?áAnd it is really maddening if you read the ingredients on these products, you will see that they have little to do with oatmeal.

Herbalism is my attempt to keep it?áreal, to see things for what they are, and to try using authentic, original ingredients.

It is kind of outrageous to see myself buying into the marketing hype of cosmetics, when in practice I would never do the same thing, for example, in cooking. ?áIt is generally not my practice to make a meal that is ‘organic’, ‘herbal’ or ‘natural’, and then use ingredients that are none of those things! ?áIt is most certainly not my practice to try to convince others that this sort of a meal is ‘organic food’ when I know it is not. ?áActually, the sense of taste and smell are finely tuned instruments for detecting all sorts of things. ?áThough chemists can trick taste-buds and nasal passages, I doubt I could get away with it. ?áMoreover, that is simply not the point of feeding people. ?áIf it’s a meal, the goal is to nourish. ?áThe same sort of understanding could be applied to cosmetics. We should nourish our outsides – our skin! – with the same care as we do our insides!

So, I try to use the raw ingredients. I try to ensure that they are harvested and stored in a way that keeps them fresh and beneficial. ?áThis is important for me because a therapy can fail if the ingredients are not the best. ?áIf I am purchasing ingredients, then I try to buy the best on the market, within my budget, from likeminded folks who understand their?áingredients. ?áI personally look for partners who are concerned for the earth and it’s inhabitants. ?á I can’t say that this is the easiest way, and I can’t say I do this perfectly; but I can say that there are moments of clarity and there are solutions. This comes down to using herbs with knowledge and imagination.

Today I would like to focus on tub tea. ?áHerbalists have been recommending tub tea for a long time. ?áUsing a bath is a great way to nourish your largest organ, the skin. ?áAnd your skin is a great vehicle for getting good plant constituents (or toxic chemicals, if you wish) into the body.

Honestly, as I write this, I have to laugh. ?áIt has been difficult to convince people to make a tea and then bathe in raw botanical ingredients. ?áI have suggested oatmeal for itchy, dry skin conditions; a couple times, I have received a hugely glazed over look from someone. ?á It is the messiness of raw ingredients. It is the lack of hype found in the typical bulk ingredients. And, perhaps, it is the imagination we can enjoy in using them.

Well, as I was shopping a few months ago, I found a new product: tub tea. ?áThese are big tea bags filled with botanical ingredients used in a bath. ?áNow that we have a great name for it, I have a couple ideas for ingredients that you might want to try for making a DIY tub tea.

Let’s start with an oatmeal and blossoms blend.

Oatmeal (Avena sativa)?á- will help to calm itchy skin due to dryness.

Elder flowers (Sambucus nigra) – cooling anti-inflammatory. ?áExcellent for weeping eczema and infant eczema.

Chamomile flowers (Matricaria recutita) nervine, anti-inflammatory, excellent for irritable states of being and irritated skin. ?á*Be aware that some people are allergic to chamomile.

Calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis) vulnerary, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. ?áExcellent for inflammatory skin conditions, cuts and bruises, burns, insect bites, and athlete’s foot.

Rose (Rosa spp.) – cooling astringent. ?áFamous for imparting beauty.

Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) nervine, smells wonderful. ?áHelpful for burns and insect bites.

And what about the bag? ?áWhat can you use for a tea bag? ?áThe idea that makes up for a lack of glamour by being the most convenient is the long lone tube sock. ?áNylons can be used in a similar manner. ?áJust add the herbs and tie at the end. ?áAnother terribly basic idea is the tea towel carefully tied into a knot. ?áOr for those with a sewing machine can make a muslin bag with a draw-string. ?áAll of these “bags” can be washed and reused with new tea. ?áI also have some fancy tea bags that are sealed with heat from an iron. ?áThese heat-sealed tea bags could be composted along with the herbs.

To Make ?áA Tub Tea

Put a few handfuls of blossoms and one handful of oatmeal into a “bag”. ?á Place this bag in a pot or a 4 cup measuring cup. ?áPour boiling water over the bag and make sure that the boiling water is getting through the fabric and to the herbs. ?áAllow this to infuse while you prepare the bath. ?áAdd the tub tea and the bag to the bath. ?áNow it is the simple matter of soaking it in. ?áEnjoy!

Tammy Schmidt, Montreal