3 surprising ways to use herbal tea

What's the most shocking thing you've done with a cup of tea?

Maybe it's a silly question, but think about it for a sec. How many ways have you used tea?

Water is the most versatile herbal solvent. Water is great at extracting a wide variety of phytochemicals and delivering them to our bodies in a useful, safe way. And while other solvents like alcohol have obvious benefits, water's great for a few reasons:

1. No one's allergic to it or on a no-water diet.

2. It's readily available. (At the least, you're already working to access water regardless of your herbal pursuits. And if it's not available then you're probably not focused on herbal pursuits).

3. It's safe, gentle, and mild.

How do you prepare water extractions for other uses? Just make a cup of tea!

Yes, there can be nuance and you can make it more complicated. But you don't have to -- you can just prepare a cup of herbal tea the same way you would for drinking, and that one cup of tea is extremely versatile.

Here's a simple recipe that would make a lovely cup of tea:

2 parts Chamomile

1 part Rose

1/4 part Lavender

This tea would be lovely after dinner or before bed. Maybe you could even make some tonight. But, in addition to the lovely calming properties of these herbs, here are some other facts about them:

• Chamomile is soothing to red, inflamed skin

• Rose is a gentle, cooling astringent

• Lavender is antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and cooling

Here are 3 other ways you could use that cup of tea:

1. A First Aid Rinse

If you let this cup of tea cool (or add ice cubes to speed the process) it would make an excellent rinse for mild burns or wounds that are dirty. Sometimes a wound isn't ready for an herbal salve (if it's still hot or it's dirty) and a water extract is most appropriate. Just be sure to strain it well first. This tea would also be a good rinse for a rash that is red and oozing (gross, I know).

2. A Hair Rinse

Let this tea cool to just-warm-enough and bring it into the shower with you. After washing your hair, pour it over and don't rinse it out. You'll smell amazing for the rest of the day and you'll feel like an herbal goddess.

3. A Magical Sprinkle

Have you ever used water to anoint yourself? Or been anointed by a priest? Anointing can be a lovely part of a ritual, but why just use water? You're an herbalist! Make a magical tea and use that instead ;) Make a cup of tea, infuse it with the desired qualities (simple way: hold it to your heart and imagine the qualities flowing from you and into the tea) and then anoint whatever part of your body feels most appropriate. (Again, let the tea cool first.)

So there you have it. Let your creativity run wild -- what else could you do with a cup of tea?

Feel free to comment with your ideas ;)

yours in upgraded anointing liquids,

Amanda

P.S. Want to know more amazing things you can do with water extractions? Check out my new course 13: the herbalism + plant magic mini course for people who don't have time to study. It's filled with bite-sized, nutrient-dense lessons that fit easily into your busy life.