As a practitioner of herbal home remedies for over 10 years, Witch Hazel knows first hand that it’s not always convenient or possible to get to an herbal specialty store and when ill, you just can’t wait for that mail order shipment to come in. This column will cut out all of the exotic, hard to find remedies commonly found in most herbal books, and is geared towards the busy urbanite/suburbanite. (So we won’t be explaining how to find the herbs in the wild, so don’t worry about accidentally drinking poison ivy tea!) After all, home remedies are meant to be more convenient and cost efficient than commercial medicine, not to mention much kinder to your body!

Feel free to direct any and all of your questions to witchhazel@morbidoutlook.com.

This month’s feature herb is peppermint. Peppermint is beautiful, tasty herb with a myriad of uses. Internally, it can be taken to relieve several ailments, it’s wonderful in beauty preparations, as well as boasting a few magickal properties. This perrenial plant grows wild throughout Eastern US and Europe, but even more convenient is the fact that it can be found in bulk at almost any health food store, and in tea bag form at your local supermarket. Peppermint seeds can be purchased at any farm and garden store to make an indespensible addition to you home herb garden.

Medicinally, peppermint is wonderful for the digestive system as it helps to prevent the build up of gas, therefore relieving stomach pains. It makes a great substitute for coffee or caffenated teas in the morning. A mug of peppermint tea can provide relief for headaches if taken at the onset, and inhaling the vapors helps as well. The menthol essence of peppermint tea may clear up your nasal passages a bit during the cold and flu season. Peppermint is a stimulant, however, so it is great in the mornings, but not recommended too close to bedtime.

As an addition to your skin care regimen, peppemint works well as an astringent, when boiled into an infusion or used as a facial steam. For dry, itchy skin, add some dried leaves or essential oil to the bathtub. (NEVER take essential oils internally!) Some believe this herb even works as an aphrodiziac when taken in large doses! Magickally mints are useful in purification rituals and may be added to prosperity potions.

Here are a few of my favorite peppermint remedies:

Put about 1 Tablespoon of peppermint leaves in a large bowl. Add boiling water. Drape a towel over your head while leaning over the bowl to form a tent. Stay covered for about 15 minutes.

Boil one teaspoon of peppermint in 1 cup of water until the water is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Strain and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Use cold by applying to face with a cotton ball after cleansing. This will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

Add 1 teaspoon peppermint, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and 1 teaspoon lavender to 1 cup of boiling water. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain the herbs and use when needed as a mouth rinse. This will keep fresh in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

Keep peppermint tea bags handy and drink 1 cup after meals to aid digestion. This tea will also help ease headaches and cold and flu symptoms. In place of tea bags, use 1 teaspoon of the loose herb for 1 cup of tea.