herbal tea Archives - Soap Deli News

You’re About to Discover Your New Favorite Tea!

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August 13, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

Whether you’re new to drinking loose leaf teas, or you’re a self described tea connoisseur, you’re going to love the natural, organic loose leaf teas from Mountain Rose Herbs.

With a wide selection of every kind of organic loose leaf tea imaginable, it’s hard not to find a tea that you love. However, if you’re still on the hunt for that perfect tea that fits both your tastes AND your lifestyle, then you must take Mountain Rose Herbs new tea quiz to find your tea soulmate!

I’ve been shopping with Mountain Rose Herbs for over a decade and I’ve never once been disappointed by the quality of their products. I first became a customer in what I like to call my “market days.” I would shop from their selection of organic ingredients that included unrefined butters, clays and carrier oils for my soapmaking recipes and skin care products that I sold on my local city market.

Rarely, however, did I consider purchasing from their wide selection of organic loose leaf teas. What a mistake! After taking the new tea soulmate quiz from Mountain Rose Herbs, I found my new favorite tea!

Take the tea soulmate quiz!

Mountain Rose Herbs tea soulmate quiz asks questions based not just on your favorite flavors. It also asks where you enjoy drinking your tea most. How you like your teas? Who are you drinking that cup of tea with? And why do you reach for a cup of tea over another beverage?

So whether you enjoy your tea hot or iced, with or without friends, in a valley of wildflowers or in an urban sanctuary, you’re sure to find the perfect tea to fit your lifestyle. With 32 different teas featured in their quiz, you’re not only going to discover your new favorite tea – but possibly several new favorites! Simply take the tea quiz more than once and change up your answers to find the perfect tea to fit your mood.

My tea soulmate.

My tea soulmate was turmeric chai. This spicy, warming herbal chai tea is caffeine free, making it the perfect tea for chai enthusiasts who have cut caffeine from their diets. Especially delightful as we start transitioning into cooler nights this fall, the turmeric in this organic tea, gives this brew an exotic, piquant flavor. It also highlights the other earthy spices found in this chai tea blend.

I love the pinch of cayenne that gives this tea blend a spicy bite! And while this organic chai tea is delicious when brewed with water, it’s also delightful brewed with milk or your favorite milk substitute. Think of it as a flavorful twist on golden milk.

As I’m a bonafide turmeric junkie, this tea is a perfect fit for my healthy lifestyle. (You can find all of my favorite turmeric recipes here.)

What makes loose leaf teas special?

If you’re new to loose leaf teas, then you probably don’t realize what you’ve been missing. Compared to tea bags, which commonly contain what is referred to as “tea dust,” loose leaf teas are like the caviar of teas.

What really sets the teas from Mountain Rose Herbs apart, however, is their quality. Not only are their loose leaf teas made using organic tea leaves and herbs, you know you’re always receiving the freshest, pesticide free botanical tea blends. So you get all of the healthy benefits of drinking tea, without any of the things you DON’T want in your teas.

How to brew loose leaf teas.

So, just how do you blend that perfect cup of organic loose leaf tea? To brew Mountain Rose Herbs turmeric chai tea, heap one tablespoon into your preferred strainer. Then pour 8 ounces of boiling water over the tea. Steep for 3-5 minutes, or until desired strength. Then simply strain and enjoy.

Or discover three more ways to enjoy your turmeric chai tea here.

To learn how to brew your other favorite types of loose leaf teas, be sure to check out this guide to tea brewing.

So, the only question left is, which tea is about to become your new favorite? Find your tea soulmate now!

To discover more about tea, including recipes and tea infused products, be sure to follow my Everything Tea board.

You can also follow me on Pinterest, G+, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Alternately, you can subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Food Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, Shopping Tagged With: artisan tea, black tea, chai tea, food, green tea, health and wellness, herbal tea, honeybush tea, loose leaf tea, tea, tea recipes, white tea

Natural Ways to Fight Colds & Flu This Fall

September 28, 2017 By Rebecca D. Dillon

The kids are in school, the holidays are fast approaching and there’s so much planning and shopping still yet to be done. Who can afford to get sick? Whether you’re making soothing medicinal teas, immune boosting syrups or something else entirely, these natural ways to fight colds & flu will keep you in shape to do what needs to be done.

After all, we can’t always afford to take time off from work or home life. But it is important that we take time out for self care. This way we can still perform at our best even when we feel bad. And who knows, you may find that you enjoy some of these natural ways to fight colds & flu even when you aren’t sick!

Natural Ways to Fight Colds & Flu

Medicinal Tea for Colds & Flu

You need look no further than tea brands like Yogi and Traditional Medicinals to know that tea can help with a variety of ailments from insomnia and constipation to weight loss and energy. But if name brand teas don’t quite cut it, you can create your own custom tea blends to help ease a cold or flu.

Within the article, How to Make Custom Herbal Tea Blends by Jes of Good 4 You Herbals, you are provided with introductory information on herbal ingredients and tips for mixing these ingredients to create custom herbal teas. For example, peppermint leaf helps to not only cool down the body, but it also soothes irritated lungs and eases colds. Hibiscus flowers, which are naturally rich in Vitamin C, help to “dry” out excess mucus in your lungs. While marshmallow root adds a coat of mucilage that can sooth a dry cough and sore throat.

Cayenne, and this one is often used in cold & flu tea blends, heats up the body and acts as an expectorant if you have a stuffy nose due to a cold or flu. In addition it also has amazing antibacterial properties that help to promote wellness.

You can find Jes’ article on how to customize your own herbal teas here. (Jes also uses her herbal knowledge when developing her own natural plant based makeup. You can purchase her products via her Etsy store here.) Or try this simple and easy cold & flu herbal tea recipe with echinacea, ginger and cayenne to get you started.

If you’re not quite up to the task of customizing and preparing your own medicinal herbal tea remedy, you can purchase pre-blended cold & flu herbal teas from these artisanal sellers based on your symptoms. Or simply gleam ideas for the types of ingredients you’d like to use when making your own teas.

I am particularly partial to this Cold & Flu Loose Herbal Tea from Arogya Tea & Holistic Healing. It contains an immune-boosting and antiseptic blend of herbs to help strengthen and defend your reserves. Ingredients include Elder Flowers, Licorice Root, Fennel and Cinnamon to battle congestion, Calendula to ease fever, Lime Blossoms to calm the stomach and Echinacea to boost immunity. Get it here. Or try Folke Magick’s Cold & Flu Herbal Tea as an alternate version.

Immune Boosting Home Remedies

Apple Cider Vinegar to Fight Colds & Flu

Speaking of boosting your immunity, drinking raw apple cider vinegar everyday is a great way to keep your immunity up. Not only can it help to prevent you from getting sick, but it also gives your body a boost to fight a cold or the flu if you do get sick. I have a great recipe for a turmeric ginger apple cider vinegar tonic here. If you already have a cold, adding a dash of cayenne pepper to suit can give this tonic an extra kick to help clear out stuffy nasal passages.

Black Elderberry Syrup to Fight Colds & Flu

Elderberry syrup is another immunity boosting remedy! Black elderberries have been used for hundreds of years for their medicinal value in treating colds, the flu, allergies and to boost overall respiratory health. Found along rivers, forests and even roadsides, this common botanical yields ripe berries that are rich in antioxidants, potassium, beta carotene, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C.

Elderberry syrup is a simple and tasty way to ingest the nutrients offered by elderberries. It’s believed that taken daily, it can help to prevent flu and colds as well as aid in the recovery of an existing illness such as the flu, colds, excessive mucus and even a sore throat. You can learn how to make your own homemade elderberry syrup here. Alternately you can also buy a DIY elderberry kit or premade elderberry syrup. (This stuff is delicious! I highly recommend trying it on pancakes.)

In addition to apple cider vinegar and elderberry syrup, you can also purchase immunity boosting herbal teas. Moose Head Homestead sells an ImmuniTEA-herbal tea blend that combines elderflowers with organic ginger root, calendula, yarrow and peppermint leaf that you take at the first sign of discomfort. Earth Witch Herbals also sells an Immuni-TEA tea blend with a slightly different formula.

Alternately, if sipping on tea isn’t really your thing, Gaia Herbs Turmeric Supreme Immune A.S.A.P Supplement is a wonderful alternative in pill form. (FYI Thrive Market has great prices on the entire Gaia Herb line. I shop with them regularly. It’s kind of like a Costco but for the world’s best healthy food and natural products at wholesale prices.)

Turmeric Golden Milk to Naturally Fight Colds & Flu

Speaking of turmeric, golden milk is another great option for not only boosting your immunity, but it’s also a pretty powerful antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Golden milk, also sometimes called turmeric tea, can help stop a bacterial infection in its tracks as well as soothe a sore throat. It can also help with digestion issues such as with gas, bloating, and digestive comfort as well as ease muscle and joint pain.

This turmeric golden milk recipe from Wit & Delight is a great option. You can swap out the non-dairy milk for dairy if you prefer or swap the honey with light agave syrup to make it vegan. (Wit & Delight is one of my long time favorite lifestyle blogs covering topics that include beauty, fashion, interior design, health & wellness, parenting and more.)

You can also find a simpler golden milk recipe at It’s a Healthy Lifestyle blog which focuses on nutrition, veganism, health and lifestyle. There’s even a golden milk frozen dog treat recipe for your pup at Dalmatian DIY because, after all, pets are family too.

Or, if there’s a bit too much work involved in the process of making turmeric tea for your hectic schedule, Laird’s Superfood Turmeric Creamer makes a great nutrient rich, vegan alternative for adding turmeric to your diet along with your morning cup of jo. (I also purchased this product from Thrive Market recently.)

Essential Oils to Naturally Fight Colds & Flu

If your preference lies more in the realm of essential oils and aromatherapy then you might want to consider giving Twig + Petals Immunity Boost Organic Essential Oil Blend a try. The natural blend of Pine, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Myrrh, Tea Tree, Thyme essential oils can be applied to feet or added to warm bathwater to help support your body’s natural immunity.

Alternately, if you enjoy making your own homemade products, Humblebee & Me has a great recipe for making your own Essential Oil Cold & Flu Aromatherapy Roll On. It contains eucalyptus, peppermint, clove bud, wintergreen, lime, cajeput and tea tree essential oils as well as menthol. If you are allergic or sensitive to eucalyptus and/or clove bud essential oils, cedarwood and cinnamon essential oils make a wonderful substitute.

Now that you’re better armed to take on cold & flu season – and really, basically be Wonder Woman for the entire holiday season – be sure to let me know in the comments what some of your favorite natural ways to fight colds & flu are! And don’t forget to check out my Natural Home Remedies & Herbal Health Care board on Pinterest for more great ideas for taking charge of your health.

For even more great ideas and homemade skin care recipes you can find and follow me on all of your favorite social media platforms including Pinterest, G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram. Alternately, you can also sign up to receive new posts from Soap Deli News blog to your email via FeedBurner so you never miss a post.

This article is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment or medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only. Information on products mentioned are based on my own personal experience and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult a physician prior to making any changes that may impact your health.

Filed Under: Food Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: aromatherapy, colds, diy, elderberry syrup, essential oil blend, essential oils, flu, health, health and wellness, herbal tea, home remedies, home remedy, medicinal tea, natural, self care, turmeric

Homemade Salve Recipe for Eczema with Honeybush Tea Infused Pumpkin Seed Oil

September 8, 2017 By Rebecca D. Dillon

This homemade salve recipe for eczema is made using all natural ingredients including honeybush tea infused pumpkin seed oil. Prized in skin care for its ability to soothe skin irritation, honeybush tea is a wonderful pantry staple for whole body health both inside and out!

As someone who suffered from eczema throughout childhood and at times into adulthood, I know how challenging it can be to find something that calms itching and soothes irritation. Because of this, I formulated this homemade salve recipe so that it works to calm irritated skin and helps to restore and lock in moisture. Both pumpkin seed oil and honeybush tea are key ingredients that help make this happen.

What is Honeybush Tea?

Honeybush tea, a red tea that is similar in nature to Rooibos tea, offers tea drinkers a sweeter, smoother tea than Rooibos. Perfect for making caffeine free sweet tea, honeybush tea is packed with immune boosting antioxidants, including major phenolic compounds believed to boost the body’s natural defenses against infections and reduce inflammation. (Source.) In addition, there are studies that show that drinking honeybush tea could be beneficial in helping to prevent certain cancers.

Honeybush tea is also naturally rich in minerals including iron, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium and manganese. When used in topical skin care applications, it helps to soothe and alleviate skin irritations such as eczema and rashes. (You can buy honeybush tea in over eight different varieties and flavors at Adagio Teas.)

For this homemade salve recipe, I infused honeybush tea in pumpkin seed oil. A highly nutritional carrier oil, pumpkin seed oil is sometimes referred to as “green gold” and is cold pressed from raw pumpkin seeds to preserve its benefits. Rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and sterols, this natural carrier oil contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins A and C, and zinc. It’s a naturally moisturizing yet non-greasy oil when utilized in skin care applications and has been historically used all over the world for healing purposes.

Honeybush Tea & Pumpkin Seed Homemade Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

1 oz. refined kokum butter
1 oz. refined shea butter
1.15 oz. white cosmetic beeswax
.5 oz. honeybush tea infused cold pressed pumpkin seed oil
.25 oz. pharmaceutical grade lanolin
12 drops manuka essential oil
12 drops carrot seed essential oil
18 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops vitamin E oil

Instructions:

Prior to making my homemade salve recipe for eczema, you’ll need to infuse honeybush tea in pumpkin seed oil. Mountain Rose Herbs has a great tutorial on how to make herbal infused oils along with a wonderful list of other herbs you can infuse along with their properties when used in skin care applications. Once your honeybush tea infused pumpkin seed oil is ready, you’re all set to create this wonderful homemade salve recipe.

Begin by using a digital scale to weigh out the kokum butter, shea butter and beeswax into a small glass Pyrex measuring cup or a scientific glass scientific beaker. Then gently melt these ingredients either in a microwave at 40% power or in a double boiler. Once melted, remove from heat.

Now weigh out the lanolin and stir it into the melted butters and wax until it has fully melted.

Follow with the honeybush tea infused pumpkin seed oil, weighing out the correct amount before adding it to the homemade salve mixture. Then mix well to fully incorporate all the ingredients.

Finally, using a dropper or graduated plastic transfer pipettes, add the essential oils and vitamin E. Stir to combine then pour into two 2 oz. straight sided amber glass jars with black phenolic lined caps. (I used glass amber jars from SKS Bottle & Packaging.) You should be able to fill each jar with 2 oz. each (by weight) of my honeybush tea & pumpkin seed salve.

Allow your jars of homemade salve to cool and solidify, then screw on the caps and label as desired for personal use or gifting. To use your homemade salve, simply remove desired amount and massage onto skin as needed to soothe eczema, rashes and dry or chapped skin or lips.

The beeswax and the lanolin work together in this homemade salve recipe to lock in moisture as well as to protect skin. While the honeybush tea, pumpkin seed oil, butters and essential oils add their own unique skin care benefits making this a great staple cold weather product.

If you’d like to recreate my honeybush tea & pumpkin seed homemade salve recipe to sell, you’ll need to follow good manufacturing practices (GMP) when making your product. You’ll find that the book, Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters by Marie Gale, is a valuable resource if you’re just getting started making your own homemade soap and cosmetics.

In addition to GMP, you’ll also need to follow FDA guidelines for labeling your products. If you’re unsure about the rules and regulations regarding labeling cosmetics, the book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain English by Marie Gale, spells out everything you need to know to avoid getting a visit from the FDA.

For more great skin care recipes and homemade salve recipes like this one, be sure to follow my boards on Pinterest. You can also find more of my own homemade salve recipes on Soap Deli News blog here.

Also be sure to follow me on all of your favorite social media platforms including G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram. Or sign up to receive new posts to your email via FeedBurner so you never miss a post.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes Tagged With: crafts, diy, fall, herbal tea, honeybush tea, lanolin, manuka essential oil, natural, pumpkin, salve recipe, skin care, winter

How to Make Custom Herbal Tea Blends

October 11, 2013 By Rebecca D. Dillon

I have longed love purchasing handmade products from other artisans like myself. Plant Makeup (formally Good 4 You Herbals on Etsy) is one such company that is always a joy to buy from. Not only does Jes use herbs and plants she’s wild harvested from her home state of Massachusetts, but she’s also lent her inspiration through her own hand drawn labels and use of organic ingredients.

She even bikes her orders to her local post office. While I won’t be biking orders any time soon, I was able to get Jes to contribute a DIY for you all. I hope you enjoy her how to on making your own custom herbal tea blends and home remedies below.

BASIC TEA MAKING . secrets to my custom herbal tea blends .

by Jes of Plant Makeup

It’s easy to make tea, even simply from anything you can find in your kitchen spice cabinet.

Here are some herbs and how they can help you during the winter or when you or a friend are in need.

1. BASIC TEA BASE: (2 parts)

Peppermint– great for cooling the body, for irritated lungs or to ease colds, awesome stomach calmer.

Ginger– for recipes that require more heat in the body, “to remove the cold”

Yerba Mate– caffeinated, “the green tea of South America”, great for the mind, circulation, contains medicinal properties.

(use can also use green tea, black tea, white tea, roobios, spearmint, chamomile, jasmine flowers)

2. ADD MEDICINE: (1 part total- choose one or a combo)

Orange Peels or Lemon Peels– heating, rich in vitamin C.

Hibiscus Flowers– heating, rich in vitamin C, turns the tea purple, helps “dry” the lungs of too much mucus.

Marshmallow root– cooling, “wet”, adds a coat of mucilage if you have a dry cold, cough, throat.

Gingko Leaves– heating, “the great circulator”, helps to move blood flow in the body.

Eucalyptus– heating, soothing vapors!

Back yard Medicine:

The following herbs I have used for helping colds and sore throats that can easily grow in a summer garden. It’s amazing medicine containing antibacterials, antimicrobials, etc: thyme, lemon balm, mints, hyssop, feverfew (a great cold fighter, use very little amounts), dandelion leaves (great cleanser, lots of vitamins and minerals), sage and catnip.

Kitchen Cabinet Medicine:

Any spice used can greatly help a cold, move menstruation, and help digestion of course!

I used a blend of rosemary leaves, lemon balm, cayenne to help someone with cramps and it worked!

Cayenne– heating, great expectorant if you have a stuffy nose, also an amazing antibacterial so it can purify the body when you have a cold or sore throat.

Any of these spices if just a touch added can help move a cold out of the body: cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, fennel, etc.

3. ADD ROOTS: (½ to 1 part) roots are great for strength, help you cleanse, and or adjust to stress.

Eleuthero Root– (Siberian ginseng) great strength builder, helps adjust you to winter conditions and stress, was used in Japan after atomic bombings to help people recover.

Echinacea Root– great to help boost immunity right before you think you’re getting a cold.

Dandelion Root– a great overall cleanse for the kidneys and liver. I think for the entire body!

4. ADD SWEETNESS (optional): (a pinch)

Stevia Leaf– natural sweetener, 400 times sweeter than sugar, use only a half centimeter of leaf per cup, experiment and have fun, stevia is known to balance blood sugar levels and help diabetes.

Licorice Root– yummy sweetener, adds mucilage if you have dry conditions. Don’t use too much of this one either.

Or add Raw Honey!

BREWING: Boil fresh water, remove water from heat, pour into cup of herbs (I use a heaping teaspoon per serving), steep with cup covered for about 10 minutes, about 4 with the green tea family.

Quick Remedy if you don’t have an Apothecary:

Sore Throats or Colds- Chopped fresh ginger root simmered in a pot of water for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add a teaspoon of honey, half a lemon, and a pinch of cayenne per serving. You can also just use regular black or green tea instead of ginger.

love, Jes

If you’re as excited about Jes’ shop as I am then you’ll definitely want to follow her on facebook, twitter, instagram and tumblr!

Filed Under: DIY Craft Project, Food Recipes Tagged With: artisan tea, crafts, diy, giveaway, herbal tea, herbs, home remedies, homemade, natural, organic, sweepstakes, tea

The Joy of Loose Leaf Teas

June 5, 2011 By Rebecca D. Dillon

I love tea. For me tea is the most wildly wonderful creation for sipping – other than chocolate martinis, of course! It’s perfect breakfast or an afternoon delight and is always soothing when I’ve had a rough day. I prefer hand blended loose leaf teas above and beyond all others, though sadly my first and fondest tea artist is no longer in the business. I now shop from Tea for All Reasons when in need of a restock, as she’s also from Virginia, and produces a lovely variety of loose leaf black tea blends, my favorite of which is Cream Earl Grey. I’m always on the lookout for new tea artists, however, and I love to try new products and creators.

I have also found that T-Sac Filters make the most wonderful, eco-friendly tea bags for my loose leaf teas and highly recommend them. You can buy them from Mountain Rose Herbs along with organic herbs perfect for making your own teas. Mountain Rose Herbs also carries a surprisingly flavorful and interesting rice tea called Genmaicha Tea, which was introduced to me by one of my fellow tea lovers. Genmaicha is a Japanese classic which includes a stunning combination of whole, fresh Green Sencha leaves combined with sweet, roasted organic brown rice. If you’ve never tried Genmaicha, I highly recommend it as well.

<pstyle=”text-align: justify;”>In celebration of my love of tea, I’ve put together a collection of posts related to tea – everything from tub tea for the bath to crafting your own cup of tea. I hope they bring you as almost as much enjoyment as your own, favorite cup of tea.

Quotable Tea Bags. Check out this free downloadable template from Shrimp Salad Circus for making your own tea bag tags with quotes. These would be perfect for gifting teas to a friend.

Bath Tub Tea. When you’re stressed, bath teas can really make a difference. It’s a reason to spend time alone and the aromatherapy properties of the herbs used can help ease your stress away. Learn how to create your own soothing bath tea mixture in decorative “heart” sealed tea bags from In Words and Pictures. Also try these recipes found on Soap Deli News for a Tropical Tea Soak and Cold Comfort Bath. There’s also a diy from Martha Stewart for creating tub teas for gifts as well as a tutorial for making bath teas as party or wedding favors from Inspired Taste.

Make Your Own Tea. With a little knowledge and research, you can easily start on the path towards making your own herbal teas. Playing Learning and Going Home to Roost both have simple instructions for getting you started on making your own teas.

And, if you’ll be making your own teas, you may want to make your own tea bags as well. If you’re good at sewing, Lillyella Blog has a photo tutorial for stitching your own re-usable, eco-friendly tea bags on a sewing machine using untreated fabric. For those of you who prefer to hand stitch or don’t have access to a sewing machine, Design*Sponge has craft tutorial for making heart shaped tea bags with the tea inside. And finally, Merriment Design offers a diy for crafting handsewn fabric teabags for loose tea favors. There’s even a free tea bag template and printable matching tea tents for display.

Looking for unique ways to store your loose leaf teas? Wit & Whistle has a diy for Tea Storage Jars made from mason jars and lids painted with chalkboard paint. With each new blend, you can re-label the jar quickly and easily. While Style Me Pretty has a tutorial for labeling tins filled with tea for wedding favors.

Want more tea inspired ideas? Then check out this idea for DIY Tea Painted Cards with Free Printable from Creature Comforts. Thanks for sharing my tea “collection” with me. If you know of other fun uses for tea, please feel free to share them in the comments! In the meantime, if you’d like to keep up with more of my “fun” tea finds, the follow my Everything Tea Board on Pinterest.

Filed Under: DIY Craft Project, Shopping Tagged With: bath tea, crafts, diy, eco-friendly, favors, gift, gift ideas craft project, handmade, herbal tea, loose leaf tea, printables, sewing, tea, tea bags, weddings