With the onset of our cold and windy autumnal weather, I started my annual search for a decent lipsyl which would protect my lips through the winter months. But to no avail. Every year I try and find something new and every year I end up with sore cracked lips that split when I smile! It’s not much fun and as a flautist it’s about the worst thing that could happen!

So this year I decided to make my own healing lip balm. And it worked!

For the first year in memory I am at the end of December with soft lips without a single crack or fissure and I can can smile as much as I like! Even outside!

It all comes down to a lot of research and a few hours experimenting in the kitchen, then sending out little testers to all my friends to try out!

I have always been interested in the healing properties of plants and it’s a subject I feel passionately about – I do not claim to be an expert by any means, but I do feel there is a lot of knowledge wrapped up in the memories of our ancestors that we are at risk if losing if we don’t keep it alive and active. So I started looking into plant properties when I decided to make my own lip treatments. That took me down the path of “natural versus synthetic” and the decision to steer away from petrochemicals and synthetic substances and to use purely natural, often organic, ingredients to make my remedies with.

As you can imagine, my interest has blossomed and I am now proud to be able to say I’ve made a range of natural remedies which myself, my family, friends and colleagues all use. I’ve been inspired by my reading, encouraged by the results I’ve had, and would like to share what I’ve learnt about plants and natural remedies with you. As I said before I do not claim to be an expert and obviously you should seek the help of a doctor if you have any illnesses or complaints that you are worried about. There are many books and resources about natural remedies which you can refer to for more information and if you are interested in the subject I would encourage you to do so.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could teach our children to reach for the tea tree oil instead of a tube of petrochemical- based antiseptic cream, or to make a rosemary infusion for extra glossy hair instead of buying an expensive bottle of conditioner? Let’s keep our natural remedies knowledge alive and growing!