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Herbal self-care at home

HERB OF THE MONTH:

Amalaki - immune boosting, pitta reducing, great summer herb

These are some of Heather's favorite self-care and clean beauty products from trusted brands. Keep it simple! Treat headaches, women's health, digestive, respiratory, skin and hair concerns, and more - all at home.

Beauty Balm
Banyan Botanicals
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My friend tells me that my face smells like a yoga studio when I wear this, but my skin just loves the silky glow, especially in fall. It totally has ghee in it! So hydrating and luxurious!

Sunflower Seed Oil
365 by Whole Foods
 

No joke. This is one of the best ways to moisturize your skin, scalp and hair, or to do a self abhyanga (Ayurvedic topical oil treatment). I prefer applying it before a shower, but be careful and don't slip in the shower!

Lemon Ginger Tea
Yogi Tea

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This tea works wonders for those days when you are wondering where your hunger went, and it can help curate your digestive juices to more fully process what you eat.  Probably too strong for anyone with high pitta.

Yoni Steaming Box
Kitara Love​
 

If you've been wanting to create a v-steam setup for your house, well this seating platform is comfortable, environmentally friendly, and can probably be used as a plant holder if you ever want to hide it from your parents when they are visiting. Lol.

Manjistha Powder
Banyan Botanicals
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This herb is great for cleansing excess pitta and kapha, purifying the blood and lymph.

Neti Pot
Himalayan Chandra​
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If you don't have a neti pot in your house yet, then you are really missing out. Sometimes your sinuses just need a little rinse, and this is way better than those little plastic saline nasal spray bottles you find at the drugstore. Use clean water, please!

Chaste Tree Berries
Starwest Botanicals
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This herb has been found to improve PMS-related symptoms. This bag will provide you with you enough to give away to some of your friends too.

Ashwagandha Powder
Banyan Botanicals
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It may seem like this is the current "it" boy of Ayurvedic herbs, and that's because it's great for vata. And who doesn't have too much vata these days? But it's not a good idea take this one if you have a lot of toxicity in your gut, or if your pitta is high.

Shatavari Powder
Banyan Botanicals
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This Sanskrit word means "one hundred husbands". Enough said. Avoid if you have high kapha. You don't need to be friends with this herb. Often paired with ashwagandha to balance both estrogen and testosterone.

Aloe Vera Juice
Lily of the Desert
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From a pimply face to those times when you are wondering where the heck your period went, aloe can be incredibly helpful at the right time in your cycle.

Castor Oil
Heritage Store​
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I've been using this one for years for home panchakarmas, and other Ayurvedic cleanse stuff. I wish it didn't come in plastic, but I can't find any others that aren't in plastic either. Let me know if you find one!

Best Natural Fertility Book
Heather Grzych​
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Shameless promotion for my book, The Ayurvedic Guide to Fertility: A Natural Approach to Getting Pregnant. Handy guide for anyone TTC.

Nasya Oil (nasal oil)
Banyan Botanicals​
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Your sense of smell is very important to your ability to detect subtle cues in the environment around you. Do not limit your perception by ignoring allergies or other sinus issues. Much like your outside skin can get dry or inflamed, so can your inside skin. The nostrils and sinus cavity need some love sometimes.

Triphala Powder
Banyan Botanicals​
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Tried-and-true gentle balancing formula to support cleansing and immune strength. Many people take this one every day, but using it for short periods of time may actually be more optimal. Everything loses its potency after a while. So do things with intention!

Shardunika Powder
Banyan Botanicals​
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An herb that dulls one's ability to taste sugar. Very handy when one is trying to break a sugar addiction! (Who? Not me! Haha)

Nasya Oil (nasal oil)
Kerala Ayurveda​

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Supports uncongested breathing. Can be uncomfortable for some people, so discuss with your practitioner first. Based on anu thailam. Your sense of smell is very important to your ability to detect subtle cues in the environment around you. Do not limit your perception by ignoring allergies or other sinus issues.

Organic Magic Balm
Dr. Bronner's


This product is legit magic when used topically on skin for headaches and sore throats when pitta is up.

Dashamula Powder
Banyan Botanicals​
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Ten root herbs used for calming and bulking up the stool for someone experiencing deer-pellet poops. Can reestablish healthy excretion patterns and support the body's natural detoxification process. Can also be used for yoni steams for certain conditions.

Organic Turmeric Powder

Navitas Organics

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Every modern home should have turmeric in it. Turmeric is in the ginger family and is one of the most powerful herbs to support a normal inflammation response. Can be added to food, consumed in a latte, or cooked into your favorite witches brew.

Pippali Powder
Banyan Botanicals​
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Many people have heard about how black pepper can help you assimilate certain herbs like turmeric better, but black pepper can be a little harsh for some more sensitive vata bodies, and a little hard on the liver. When you want to improve assimilation with high vata, pippali (long pepper) is a little more appropriate.

Tellicherry Black Pepper

Amazon Brand​

 

Black pepper is an important digestive spice to have in your home, especially for weak agni and high kapha dosha issues. Despite its mild burn, black pepper's drying and heating effect is quite powerful, though it can be a little hard on the liver, so be careful with black pepper if you have pitta issues.

Amalaki
Banyan Botanicals​

 

This powder of the indian gooseberry packs a high concentration of vitamin C and can ease pitta and clear out toxins. This herb is also helpful to balance hormones when someone is experiencing heavy periods.

Kanchanar Guggulu
Banyan Botanicals​
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Research shows that this herbal formula can help shrink fibroids when taken as part of a larger Ayurvedic protocol.

Mahanarayan Oil
Banyan Botanicals​
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This is hands-down the best topical oil I've ever used for joint and muscle pain. Great for athletes! One of my clients was so surprised that it worked so well, even though it smelled like "horse piss". (His words, not mine. I quite like the smell.) Not as great for menstrual cramps or headaches, but reach out to me for other recommendations there!

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