Botanical Basics

Botanical Benefits:

Of course, plants have been used for thousands of years as a fundamental ingredient for health, happiness, patience, and wisdom. Now, plants of all kinds are gaining attention in the West for the various health benefits they can provide, such as encouraging weight loss, lowering cholesterol, and reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. Our ancestors used many herbs for health and passed the wisdom down from generation to generation. Now, everyone can benefit from these natural miracles!

  • SKINCARE: When assembling Alywillow skin care products, we start with plants and minerals... and that's all we use! It's amazing how nature has provided a plant to meet all of our needs. 
  • HERBAL TEAS: Drinking tea is another great way to use dried herbs. Even if you aren't thinking of the nutritional benefits, just the act of taking a little bit of time out of your day to make a pot of tea can be a therapeutic, meditative practice that teaches the mind as much as it teaches the body that committing to one small practice daily can direct change over the course of a lifetime. 
  • COMPRESSES: One of the greatest healing tools of our ancestors is the use of poultices. This is where you mix your herbs into a paste and apply it to an area to reduce problems. For example, jewelweed reduces poison ivy or broadleaf plantain pulls out the venom of some snake bites (or other poisons). In a tribe, your shaman (or family) would apply a poultice to your body using leaves or cloth. Then, prayers, smudging, and other healing rituals are usually included to aid the body in healing. You can think of it as 'goodness' aiding the recovery. ;-)

Botanical Cautions:

Much information about herbs on our website is provided for historical background and educational purposes. According to our Native American ancestors, many of these plants have beneficial medicinal properties when used in certain ways. However, some of these plants might be harmful when used inappropriately. We provide these plants as a service to those of you who have a legitimate need for them. We know they can be really hard to find. While burning sage and sweetgrass for purification purposes can be done safely by just about anyone, making medicines to ingest or smoke is an entirely different matter. PLEASE use common sense and be responsible when using botanical herbs. We cannot be responsible for any ill effect caused by inappropriate use of these plants. When making your own combinations or using them outside of our recommendations, we strongly urge you to seek the assistance of knowledgeable people before using some of these plants.