I *told* you guys--herbs have their uses

[snowgrouse]

Just wanted to point out that if you're scared of swine flu and such, make sure you've got some star anise handy (100% essential oils would be the best). I've been telling people for *years* about the fact that it works on flu and now I've discovered it actually is the thing Tamiflu is made of:P. So, yeah, don't knock 'em essential oils--some of

Comments

[vilakins]

Thanks! I already have lavender--it's also good on the pillow to help sleep--but I didn't know about star anise. I'll have to go into the health shop and look; they have lots of good essential oils.

[snowgrouse]

Lavender's awesome. It's good for everything, really. I know someone who got a big cut on her face from an accident, something that required *five stitches*, but since she treated it several times each day with lavender, you can't see the scar anymore if you don't know it's there. It's really amazing how fast it can heal your skin--my skin starts peeling and flaking if I put it on a cut or a burn because it accelerates the healing so much. And I generally use it as an all-round antiseptic and insect repellent. But, yeah, anise is great, too. Just more difficult to find in Finland at least, so I may have to order it from abroad. And if you ever get muscle cramps (like that stabbing pain in your chest when you've coughed a lot, or crampy calves), rosemary is good for those. I always keep a bottle of it beside my bed and in my backpack in case I get a stitch or wake up with a bad back or as a first aid for menstrual cramps before the painkillers have had a chance to kick in. It's a pretty effective muscle relaxant

[vilakins]

Do you just rub the rosemary on the crampy bit? I get cramps in my legs and feet at night sometimes, but holding my hands on the muscle and the reciprocal part of the opposite arm helps a lot. :-P

[snowgrouse]

Yeah, rubbing is good. It's usually recommended to mix that stuff with a carrier oil, but I've usually been fine when rubbing it neat into my calves. If I get chest pains or stomach cramps, I just open the bottle and inhale it deep a few times.

[cavefelem]

I knew that about star anise from the previous pandemic flu panic, but never got around to buying some. I will now. Thanks for the reminder. (Just wish I could find the essential oil somewhere, but the herb itself is better than nothing. And hey, any excuse to make chai...)

[snowgrouse]

Googling seems to have brought up at least one Finnish shop that sells it, some candymaking supplier or something. And eBay seems to have one Welsh seller who's got rather cheap essential oils in general (it always astounds me how much they cost in Finland, when even quality oils are much more affordable in the UK). And there's some recipe for drinking a tea made of the seeds against flu (even swine flu), but I have lost the link now. *hugs* Thought posting about this would help you flail less. *yet more hugs*

[cavefelem]

My google-fu isn't bringing up any. The closest I get is Yves Rocher star anise shower gel!

[snowgrouse]

This is what I found. I only searched for "anisöljy". And this is the Welsh shop that looks pretty promising.

[lonemagpie]

I'm doing my bit to fight swine flu by having bacon for breakfast, and pork chops on the barbie. Them's some pigs that'll never sneeze on *me*!

Luckily I also happen to use star anise as a cooking spice anyway...

[lonemagpie]

Oh, and I find that a cup of hot orange juice with a teaspoon of ground ginger, a tablespoon of honey, and a dose of Southern Comfort stirred in, cures pretty much anything.

[rob_t_firefly]

Anise and lavender FTW! They are two of my favorite scents and oils.

[snowgrouse]

Heh, I actually hate the scent of lavender, but it is v. handy, yes. But then the nummy scents like rose and jasmine are always insanely expensive...

[rob_t_firefly]

I don't really fancy rose (fnur fnur!) My favorites tend to be lavender, anise, liquorice, and especially mints.