With the holidays behind us, we’re in the long stretch of winter. January is a great time to hunker down and learn a little about some more winter herbs. See how pine, cinnamon, and rosemary can complement your fresh start in 2024.
Pine
In December, many people fill their homes with pine. We bring entire trees into our homes in order to adorn them, hang garlands, decorate with pine cones, create Yule logs from pine wood, and even use scented candles to create the ambience of pine when it isn’t actually there. But as soon as January rolls around, our love of pine seems to dissipate. This year, we want to celebrate an evergreen plant with much to offer all year long.
There are many parts to the pine, and they can be used several ways. You can use the needles, bark, sap, and cones to create items that help you inside and out.
Pine’s properties include being antibacterial, nutritious, antioxidant, mood enhancing, and cleansing. You can find pine in oils, tinctures, extracts, teas, and more. In January, we love using this herb aromahtherapeutically. Not only does it help to make our space feel clean, but it’s an energizing boost.
Have some of these towering trees in your yard? They offer an infinite supply of aesthetic options as well. We love collecting the cones around the 1881 gardens for crafts like these to do with family.
Rosemary
Rosemary may be a mainstay in most kitchens, but it shouldn’t be underestimated. This hearty herb isn’t just good for seasoning. It also contains a wide range of health benefits.
Like pine, rosemary is known for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. This herb shares another major benefit with pine—the ability to invigorate your mind. We recommend diffusing oil blends with rosemary when you’re working on a tough project.
Topically, some people use rosemary to help relieve pain and even combat hair loss. While we fully encourage rosemary exploration, we do have one essential tip about essential oils: Dilute, dilute, dilute! With these things, less is more, and when it comes to ingesting rosemary, stick with the spice. Ingesting concentrated oils is inadvisable.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is another amazing herb you likely already have in your cabinet. You know it’s delicious, but did you know about its health benefits? It’s almost easier to list the areas of health cinnamon doesn’t help. If one of your resolutions is getting healthier this January, cinnamon is one herb you should definitely keep in your corner.
Heart disease and diabetes are two of the biggest health issues facing Americans today. Cinnamon packs a punch that can help with both. It supports cardiovascular health in several ways, like lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Cinnamon has several more health-boosting tools in its toolkit. It’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune boosting, and more. On top of incorporating it into your diet, you can ingest it in pill form or find it in extracts, oils, and tinctures.
Again, we have to caution against overuse. Even with natural products, there can be too much of a good thing. To learn more about best practices for incorporating herbs into your world in 2024, stop in the apothecary for a chat!
Leave a Reply