Nor'Eastern Herb Company

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You can now find our blog on our website, NorEasternHerb.com!

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Product Spotlight: Smudging Incense

Nor'Eastern Herb Company's Smudging Incense is a cleansing blend of herbs and flowers to release negativity and welcome love and light.  Ideal for your sacred space, yoga practice, divination work, meditation session, and throughout your home.  This loose blend of herbs and flowers is handmade in small batches and is often made to order.

Common Questions:

How do I use loose incense?

Loose incense are typically burned on charcoal disks but can also be used as potpourri, added to candles, steeped in baths, placed in sachets, and sprinkled in camp fires.  When burning indoors, always use a heat safe vessel.  More incense creates more smoke so be sure to have ventilation options available.

What makes our Smudging Incense special:

Rosemary - Known to have been burned in temples by the ancient Greeks as an offering to the goddesses and gods, Rosemary has so much to offer energetically.  Protective, purifying, and love-promoting, Rosemary emanates a calm energy that can also promote healthy sleep, ward off nightmares, and rejuvenate the mind.

White Sage - Used for thousands of years by the Greeks, Romans, and Native people of North America, White Sage is widely accepted as being exceptional at clearing negativity, evening out unbalanced energy, purifying any space and cleansing personal auras.  Recent studies have shown that burning White Sage emits negative ions and can kill airborne bacteria the same way an antiseptic would.

French Lavender - Highly aromatic and brightly colored, French Lavender is a wonderful addition to smudging and cleansing.  Widely used to calm, relieve stress, and induce sleep, French Lavender is also ideal for energetic purification and protection in addition to positively influencing love, health, and happiness in rituals.

Rose Petals - Always symbolic of love and passion, Rose Petals hold compassionate, loving, accepting energy.  In addition to their encouraging healing energy, Rose Petals also promote good fortune and luck.  Rose Petals help to fill in the space left when we release negativity so that negativity does not have space to return. 

Palo Santo - Known as the Holy Tree of South America, Palo Santo has been used for thousands of years dating back to the Inca population.  Palo Santo is traditionally used in ceremonies and healing rituals by Shamans and Healers to remove negative energy and ensure protection of personal energy.

Oregano - Oregano just may be our strongest plant ally when it comes to shielding our homes from negative energy.  Oregano’s protective energies create a strong barrier to repel and deflect negativity while also encouraging harmony and peace.  Oregano supports growth, love, and happiness making it ideal for our homes and sacred spaces.

Basil - Protective and banishing, Basil gently moves energy so that happiness and love can flourish.  Basil is a guardian of families, promoting empathy and ensuring relationships are healthy and friction between people is resolved with respect.  Known to be used in luck and wealth rituals, Basil is also highly regarded as opening us to luck and prosperity.

All together this blend of flowers and herbs dispels negative energy, promotes healing, welcomes love, and creates a barrier to prevent negativity from returning.  Burn when your space needs cleansing or use everyday to maintain positive, light energy all around you.

Smudging Incense is available for purchase in our shop.

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Common Questions: How can I dry dandelion flowers without them going to seed?

This is a great question!  Let’s first clarify what it means for dandelions to “go to seed”.  You probably recognize dandelions as the bright yellow flower that appears in lawns and along the road every Spring.  You’re probably also familiar with the “wish flowers” that come a bit later.  These “wish flowers” are the puff balls that when you blow on them, all their puffy pieces take off into the air and float away.  These are both the same plant!  Yup, the puffy “wish flowers” are dandelions that have lost their petals and replaced them with dandelion seeds.  The seeds are spread when we blow them or when a breeze kicks up and carries them away.  This is how dandelions spread and perpetuate themselves.

Dandelions have great medicinal properties in their roots, leaves, and flowers.  They can be used to treat and relieve a variety of ailments and issues.  Dandelion flowers specifically can be used internally, such as in a tea, or externally.  Because the flowers will turn into seeds, it can be difficult to harvest and dry them.

Thankfully, we were able to harvest and dry about 114 dandelion flowers this season!  While we can’t say exactly why or how our approach to drying them worked, here is the process we followed:

We dug whole dandelion plants (roots, leaves, and flowers) from our own private property in Southern New Hampshire and washed them in one piece to remove dirt, dead leaves, and any critters that might have come along for the ride.  (Note: It is important to know the conditions and possible fertilizer/pesticide exposure of what you forage, especially if you are going to be using it internally.)

Once everything was clean (this took quite a while), we took on the task of deciding what would happen to the plants.  Some of the dandelion leaves would be eaten fresh in a salad while others would be bunched and dried.  The roots were all left connected and would dry with the leaves they were attached to.  The flowers, which were in different stages of blooming, would either be left intact with the leaves and roots to dry or snipped off to dry separately.

The flowers that were mostly or entirely opened were removed with about 3/4 of an inch of stem remaining. They were carefully arranged and inverted on an old window screen and left for about a week or so.

The remaining attached flowers, leaves, and roots were bunched and hung to dry indoors with limited sun exposure.

The flowers that were removed and inverted all dried beautifully; none went to seed!  Of the flowers that were left bunched with the leaves and roots, all went to seed (and made a mess in our kitchen).

We can’t say exactly how or why this worked, but for us this year, it did.  We’ll try this same process again next year and hopefully we will have the same results!

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Hey friends, we’re having a Summer Solstice giveaway over on Instagtam. 🌞 Check it out and make sure you enter by June 20! 💕

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Product Spotlight: Antheia Facial Oil

As the Greek goddess of flowers, Antheia is the perfect namesake for our floral facial oil. Ideal for all skin types, our gentle oil moisturizes, softens, and soothes skin. Delicate and light for everyday use yet hearty enough to protect against dry, winter weather, Nor'Eastern Herb Company's Antheia Facial Oil is a perfect part of your beauty routine in all seasons.

Read on to learn more about our Antheia Facial Oil and the ingredients that make it special.

Common Questions:

Why should I use a facial oil?

In addition to fighting signs of aging, facial oil is perfect to moisturize and nourish your skin without any added scary ingredients.  Facial oil absorbs quickly and is great for any type of skin.  Facial oil can be used year-round and is a great addition to your skin care routine.

Will facial oil make my skin oily?

Nope!  The stuff that makes your face look greasy is "sebum". Sebum is naturally secreted by your pores, especially on your face. Using a facial oil does not encourage your skin to produce and/or secrete sebum.  Learn more about sebum here.

What makes our Antheia Facial Oil special:

Grapeseed Oil - Yes, oil from the seeds of grapes!  Grapeseed oil is full of Vitamin E and loaded with the antioxidant linoleic acid, making it anti-inflammatory while never clogging pores.  Great for those with oily skin, grapeseed oil is toning and tightening, just like your favorite astringent.  Possibly the best quality of grapeseed oil is that it is hypoallergenic!  This means grapeseed oil is very gentile and highly unlikely to cause any adverse reactions.

French Lavender - Always calming and loaded with antioxidants, French Lavender can help to reduce acne and eczema while speeding up healing from burns, bites, or abrasions.  French Lavender also boosts circulation bringing more oxygen to your skin to aid in detoxification and cleansing.

Organic Rosehips - Loaded with Vitamin C, rosehips are the small bulbs below a rose left after the flower blooms.  Know for treating acne and scars, rosehips promote cell regeneration with their high Vitamin A content.  Vitamin A also keeps skin elastic and aids in the prevention of signs of ageing.

Rosehips Seed Oil - Known as the "Anti-Ageing Oil", rosehips seed oil is full of fatty acids, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C to keep your skin young, moisturized, and smooth.  Like French Lavender, rosehip seed oil has astringent qualities making it perfect for brightening your skin, tightening your pores, and evening your skin tone.  The fatty acids work to reduce the appearance of scars all while tightening your skin.

Antheia Facial Oil is available in a 1oz. dropper bottle or 10ml roller bottle in our shop.

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We're so happy to announce that our new website is officially up and running! 😁🎉 Head over to NorEasternHerb.com to check it out and let us know what you think. ❤️ #website #newwebsite #websitelaunch #wordpress #noreasternherb #noreasternherbco #noreasternherbcompany #herb #herbal #herbalism #herbalist #herbs #shopsmall #smallbusiness #womanowned #mindandbody #loveandlight

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Annual or Perennial?

With Spring in full swing, it’s time for us to get back out into our gardens!  Whether your garden is on your property, in a community garden space, in pots on your porch, or in containers on your windowsill, it’s important to know what your plant is going to do over the season.  One of the most important things to know about a plant is if it is an annual or perennial.

What’s the difference?

An annual plant has a life cycle of one season or year. 

A perennial has a life cycle of multiple season or years and will “come back” each spring after winter.

A trick to remember this difference is that annuals need to be purchased annually.Why is this important to know?

Once Fall has come and the first frost begins to wither our plants, it is important to know what plants will give us seeds for next year, what can be composted, and what should be winterized.  If you’re not sure if your plants are annuals or perennials, here are a few common herbs you may have in your garden:

Basil, Borage (most varieties), Calendula, Chervil, Cilantro, Dill, Fennell, German Chamomile, Parsley, Stevia, Terragon.

Catnip, Chives, Echinacea, Fennel, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Marjoram, Oregano, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Spearmint, Thyme, Roman Chamomile, Summer Savory, Lovage, Sorrel.

Happy gardening!

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Catnip

Is catnip just for cats? No way! Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a member of the mint family and may also be known as catmint or catswort. Catnip will give your feline friend its trademark eutrophic effect but it also does wonderful things for humans. Catnip is a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and antioxidants. Catnip has a calming effect on the nervous system making it a trusted sleep aid for adults and children that helps to relieve stress and doesn't leave you feeling groggy the next day. Catnip is also traditionally used to soothe digestive issues such as constipation and bloating, reduce menstrual cramping, relieve headaches, aid in recovery from colds and flu, and relieve stress and anxiety. Topically catnip can be a great spot treatment for bug bites and minor irritations. While generally considered as harmless, catnip is low-risk for allergic reactions. Catnip is not suitable for pregnant women (may induce labor) or people with kidney and liver disorders. If you're thinking of including catnip in your care routine, be sure to consult a physician or clinical herbalist first.

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Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is antibacterial, anti inflammatory and anti microbial making it a versatile plant. In lozenges or as an inhalant, eucalyptus is great at fighting colds and respiratory issues by acting as a decongestant and expectorant. In a gargle, eucalyptus can soothe a sore throat and relieve symptoms from sinusitis in addition to fighting tooth decay and oral bacteria. Topically eucalyptus can treat fungal infections and soothe sore muscles and joints from injury, overuse, or arthritis. The cool, refreshing scent of eucalyptus makes it ideal for aromatherapy to reduce stress and encourage mental clarity by increasing blood flow to the brain. Eucalyptus should never be taken orally (it is poisonous) or applied near the eyes. Eucalyptus can interact with medications so always check with your doctor or a clinical herbalist.

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We're blogging!

Hi there!  We're excited to announce that we started blogging.  This will be a fun way for us to share info, recipes, and all kinds of interesting herbal goodness with you.  If there is a topic you would like us to cover, let us know!  Check back soon for our next blog post.