Tag: Month August Week 1

Herbal Guide to Echinacea: Benefits, Uses, & Harvesting – Garden Therapy

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The common cold doesn’t stand a chance against echinacea. This powerful plant has been used for centuries to combat viruses and bacteria, and remains one of the most influential herbal plants today. Learn all about echinacea benefits and uses, and how you can use echinacea to boost your immunity, straight from the source.

Echinacea would win an herbal popularity contest in a landslide. It’s quickly made its way into the mainstream, becoming a pill or tincture you can buy at the same time you grab your milk and bread from the grocery store.

But I wonder how many people know that echinacea is actually a powerful plant with a deep history. Or one that seed-eating birds and pollinating insects love to snack on and visit. Echinacea will grow on poor land, survive droughts, and still produce long-blooming flowers.

As you can tell, I’m a big echinacea fan.

Today, I’m going to dive into why we know echinacea as an immune system powerhouse, and how you can utilize it to its fullest strength this cold and flu season.

This guide will focus on the medicinal species, but there are nine different echinacea species.

Meet the Echinacea Flower

Also known as the coneflower, echinacea is part of the Asteraceae family (the daisy family). It’s Native to North America, including Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana, where it grows in prairies and amongst woodlands.

Echinacea are distinct from other daisy-like flowers thanks to their large, cone-like center. They have a bristly center and hairy leaves, giving them a notable texture. They grow as perennials with a long tap root.

There are nine echinacea species, but only three are used medicinally. The Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) and Echinacea angustifolia (narrow-leaved coneflower) are the most popular medicinal species, while the Echinacea pallida (pale purple coneflower) is used by some.

While there are some beautiful hybrid varieties, like ‘Sunset’ or ‘Sunrise’, I wouldn’t consider them to be medicinal. They might have different constituents in them and have been bred for different qualities.

To learn more about how to grow and care for these wonderful plants, both medicinally and as ornamentals, be sure to check out my echinacea growing guide.

Echinacea flowers typically bloom for several weeks.

History of Echinacea

The word echinacea comes from the Greek word for echinos, which can translate to sea urchin or hedgehog…two very different creatures! In this case, it refers to the prickly and spikey cone head.

Echinacea has been traditionally used by the North American Plains People for over 400 years, and we have them to thank for the incredible popularity of this herb. They called the plant elk root after they observed sick and injured elk eating it.

The indigenous people used echinacea for many reasons, but most notably used it to treat cold symptoms (unlike today, where we more often use it to prevent cold symptoms). Other notable uses include helping to dispel mucus, relieve insect and snake bites, alleviate burns, and assist with dental cavities.

By the late 1800s, echinacea was the most common herb used in the US. It was slowly introduced to Europe and European-American physicians, where it continues to be used today.

Native to North America, echinacea is an important herb for indigenous people.

Echinacea Benefits

Echinacea is marketed as THE cold and flu herb, and for good reason. It’s known first and foremost as a detoxicant for the circulatory, lymphatic and respiratory systems. AKA it’s an immunity superhero.

Echinacea is antimicrobial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory, working best as an anti-viral. When echinacea makes direct contact with a virus, it helps to strengthen the mucus and prevent the virus from going deeper into the issue. It has a notable tingling sensation.

Echinacea works best at addressing a virus ahead of time. People can use it when they first feel the slightest symptoms or have been around someone who was sick to prevent a virus from getting worse. However, it’s less helpful at treating colds once established.

Many more studies need to be done on echinacea and its use. Some studies show how well it works, while others are inconclusive. But there are so many factors to consider, including what species they use, what part of the plant, what dosage, etc. I trust in the knowledge passed down from generations and the firsthand experience of its effectiveness!

Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Inhibitor

Echinacea is known as an anti-inflammatory, being used to reduce swelling and help with chronic pain. It’s also high in antioxidants, most notably in the flowers and leaves. It’s also been suggested that these antioxidants can help to improve blood sugar.

One lesser-known use can be dated back to the indigenous people and their use of echinacea to treat snake bites. Echinacea can inhibit hyaluronidase enzymes, which are known to break down hyaluronic acid in our connective tissues and skin. Echinacea can prevent this from happening, helping to hold onto that hyaluronic acid in our tissues and prevent the spread of the enzymes.

How to Use Echinacea

Echinacea is known first and foremost as an immune booster and is readily available in Western medicine. You can get it in drops, tinctures, syrups, and pills, all available at your local grocery store or herbal store.

I went to this amazing talk on the medicinal properties of plants, and during the discussion, they noted that these commercial products aren’t as effective as utilizing the actual plant.

Why? There is so much that we still don’t know about how these plants work together. It may not be just the medicinal property that we need, but a constituent in the plant that helps to activate the medicinal effect on people. And they haven’t figured out that puzzle piece yet.

So while you can take echinacea as an herbal supplement and suck on the lozenges when you have a cold, it won’t have the same effect as growing the medicinal plant and making a tincture yourself.

There are many opinions on which type of echinacea is better to use, and whether the roots or the fresh juice of the flowers and leaves is better. Most people use either the juice of the aerial parts of E. purpurea or the root of E. angustifolia.

I prefer to use the root of E. purpurea. For me, it is the strongest and grows best in my garden, but determine what is best for yourself and what’s the most readily available in your area.

If you’re buying echinacea commercially, be sure to purchase from reputable brands. Multiple studies (like this one or this one) have shown that some brands contain very little or even no echinacea. It should make a tingling sensation on the tongue. If it doesn’t, it’s not potent enough to be of use.

Some people prefer to use the aerial parts of the plant, while others prefer the root.

Harvesting Echinacea Sustainably

Since echinacea prefers prairies and open grassland, it is considered at-risk due to habitat loss from agricultural use. It’s best to grow your own rather than forage for it.

If harvesting roots, they’re best harvested in the fall after the first frost. You can then dry the root for use.

To make juice from the leaves and flowers, they’re best harvested during the summer when they are in full bloom. If using the flowers and leaves, they’re best used fresh as they lose potency when dried.

Only harvest organically grown echinacea if you plan to use it for medicinal purposes.

Medicinal Uses

The roots are commonly used to make a tincture, just in time for cold and flu season. I explain exactly how to make your own tincture in this post.

Use tinctures to help boost your immunity. Make direct contact with the back of your throat, making sure you feel that tingling sensation to know that it’s working.

You can also use the plant topically by grinding the herb and mixing it with water before placing it on the affected area.

Of course, echinacea is also a very popular herbal tea. I explain how to make it in a tea in this post.

Note that echinacea has shown signs of potential efficacy when overused. Take echinacea for 10-14 days and then take a short break.

Echinacea should cause a tingling sensation when ingested orally.

Other Non-Medicinal Uses

I also wanted to shout out some of the other ways that I use echinacea besides its medicinal properties and as an ornamental garden plant. I love to dry the flower petals and use them in soap. They retain their purple colour beautifully and are always easy to dry.

I also use the flower heads in dried arrangements. The petals will curl and look nice on their own, but you can also pull them off and embrace the spike cone in the center.

Dried echinacea petals are used to decorate the top of this swirl soap.

I’ve covered a lot here on echinacea, so I’ll leave it at that! Be sure to check out my growing guide or tincture guide for more information. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

More Helpful Tips for Echinacea

A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.

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Stephanie Rose

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August 13, 2025
Design a Dry River Bed and Solve Your Drainage Problem – Garden Therapy

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At my new house, my front lawn was all mud and pools of uneven, soggy ground. Rather than put all that water into the city drains, I redirected it to filter through the soil and water the surrounding plants. Design your own dry river bed, and you just might make your own drainage problems disappear…poof!

In my front yard, I planted a beautiful, meadow-like wildflower lawn. So far, it’s been the star of the block, as everyone stops and admires it.

For the wildflower lawn, I used the West Coast Seed Alternative Lawn Mix Wildflowers. I didn’t realize just how many wildflowers it would produce!

Because it has turf grasses, I thought there would be only a few flowers among the grass. I thought I would be able to mow it and use it like any other lawn.

But that hasn’t been the case at all. My expectations of the wildflower lawn were just blown out of the water.

While beautiful, and I wouldn’t change a thing, it meant that walking through our garden wasn’t going to be possible. To get to the backyard, we would go down the sidewalk, through a gate, down the street, and through another gate.

Complicated right?

I knew I needed a solution, and rather than build a simple pathway, I decided to solve another problem with my garden: the drainage.

Here’s how I made my dry river and what to know before you build your own.

My gorgeous wildflower front lawn before the dry river installation.

What is a Dry River?

Dry rivers are an ornamental solution to drainage problems in the garden. They create a water catchment space where water from your home can filter back into the soil. The surrounding plants can then reach down with their deeper roots and hydrate. It’s a win-win!

Dry river beds are made with river stones and mimic the look of a wild river. The result is a very natural-looking rock element in your garden. It can blend in or become a feature in itself, being both aesthetic and functional.

Dry rivers can feature many different kinds of rock, but I went with the classic rounded river rock.

Picking a Location for Your Dry River Bed

When I first moved into my house, it was evident that the front yard had a drainage problem. It was muddy and puddly and neglected.

I was initially inspired to put in a dry river because of the way the eavestroughs were designed. The gutters that collect off the roof were a little broken and poorly maintained and drained directly into the soil or went into underground pipes that took the water away from the house.

The yard, as a result has a very high water table. This means that in the summer drought months, the plants do quite well because they get enough supplemental water. I haven’t had to provide ANY supplemental water for my wildflower lawn so far.

But it also holds lots of water when things are cooler, and anything that doesn’t like wet feet won’t do well. The grass didn’t do well at all prior to the wildflower lawn, as it was just too damp in the winter months.

My front yard before its extreme makeover.

The early stages of my wildflower lawn, when it was still treadable.

Some of the water is redirected into the city runoff and then piped out to the ocean. This isn’t ideal, either. It doesn’t allow any of the rain that would naturally fall there to return to the soil. We should use the existing water on the land to support the plants.

This left me in a tricky spot, as I didn’t want to put any kind of drainage too close to the house—this can be problematic and cause rot on the house’s frame.

So I redirected the water back into the land, where it could be properly and efficiently drained. I moved the water to go into about the middle of the lawn where it would be away from the house but still feed the surrounding plants.

First, I needed to get the water flowing away from the house and into the soil with longer downspouts.

How to Make a Dry River Bed for Drainage

The first thing I did was redirect the eavestroughs to the middle of the wildflower lawn. This did mean I had to do some digging up, so more on that later!

Yes, digging up all these flowers did hurt my soul a bit.

I chose a general shape for my dry river, giving it curves and a naturalistic shape to weave through my lawn as a pathway, digging the flowers out as I went.

Since I wanted mine to be a pathway as well, I had it go all the way to the gate.

I then put a layer of landscape fabric over top of the curve I created. Depending on how much water and drainage you need, you can dig deeper and add a base layer of gravel to help hold onto excess rainwater. See an example of that kind of dry river bed in this post.

Make sure to use landscape fabric, not plastic. It needs to allow water to filter through.

For me, I just topped off my landscape fabric with river stones in two different sizes. I have smaller ones that are about 1-2 inches, and then larger stones that are 2-4 inches. So far, it’s been all I need!

I had it all mixed together to make laying it down easier.

I then had Kiddo reorganize the rocks. He wanted to organize them so that the larger ones were on the outside and the smaller ones were on the inside. We didn’t use any kind of edging.

Kiddo feels a lot of pride doing work in the garden, and he talks about the dry river all the time. I love seeing him become attached to the garden.

Before Kiddo organized it all!

Maintaining Your Dry River

So far, the only maintenance I’ve done to my front yard is to take grass shears and cut back the flowers along the edge of the dry river bed.

While I wanted a walking path, it is a little bit unstable to walk on. For someone like me with a disability, having a riverstone walkway can be a bit of a challenge. Twisted ankles are definitely a concern.

But for my family, it’s not supposed to be a major walking path. There will be no wheelbarrows or people walking it daily. It’s just for the animals and our family to use when they need to traverse across the wildflowers.

I may adjust it in the future, but for now, I’m content. What you can also do is add natural paver stones to the center to make it look more like a walkway.

Your dry river shouldn’t need much maintenance, but make any necessary adjustments as you go. It won’t be immediately evident how the drainage will work until it rains!

The wildflowers do flop onto the dry river bed, but grass shears are easy to use to clean it up.

Landscaping Your Dry River Bed

When I removed the wildflowers, I tried to keep them and transplant them. While the sweet alyssum transplanted well, most of the other flowers didn’t.

On one side of the dry river towards the house, I ended up digging out any remaining wildflowers and turning that space into a drought tolerant herb garden. So far, I have lavender, sage, rosemary, and some yarrow.

These drought tolerant plants will not need supplemental water in the summer, but the dry river will also help keep moisture in the ground where the deep roots of the perennials can reach them.

And the plants look beautiful as well!

Dry rivers are very similar to rain gardens and have many of the same principles. You can find more landscaping and plant ideas for your dry river in this rain gardens post.

This rain garden features native and drought-tolerant perennials.

More Ways to Design a Drought-Friendly Garden

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Stephanie Rose

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August 12, 2024
Calendula Lotion Bars for Soothing Summer Skin – Garden Therapy
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Calendula is more than just a garden beauty; it also has a long-standing reputation as a natural anti-inflammatory skincare treatment. These calendula lotion bars are the perfect way to treat sensitive, sun-kissed, or dry skin that needs a little bit of extra summer loving.

Calendula is one of my favourite herbs to grow. It looks beautiful in the garden, works as natural pest control, and is one of THE best skincare herbs you can find. What is there not to love!?

Each summer, I begin my calendula harvest by making a batch of these calendula lotion bars. These lotion bars are made with grapeseed oil infused with calendula petals to give them a beautiful golden hue and all the delightful skin properties of calendula.

Easy to use, these summer lotion bars glide on your skin easily, are absorbed quickly, and don’t leave you with a greasy feeling.

Here’s how to make them!

For this recipe, you’ll want to use dried calendula.

Why Make a Summer Lotion Bar?

During the summer, we put our skin through a lot. We expose it to the sun’s rays. We spend days at the beach swimming in salt water, which is drying on the skin, and we generally spend a lot more time playing outdoors, which is wonderful but can lead to more scrapes, bruises, and minor cuts than usual.

Calendula-infused lotion bars heal and moisturize skin without the heaviness of my winter lotion bar recipe that I use during the colder months.

Calendula is a prolific bloomer, and just a couple of plants will get you plenty of dried flowers to use for your lotion bars.

Calendula for Skin Care

Throughout history, calendula has been used in ointments, salves, and poultices to treat burns, wounds, bruises, and inflammation of all kinds. Calendula speeds up the growth of tissue, which means that it does wonders for healing minor cuts and scrapes quickly.

It is also moisturizing and extremely gentle, so it is a good choice for children or those with sensitive skin. This lotion bar harnesses the healing and moisturizing powers of calendula and is perfect for summer skin.

Use calendula flower heads harvested just before they fully open.

Oils for Lotion Bars

There are a number of oils that can be used to make lotion bars. I like this combination for the texture, hydration, and quick absorption.

Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is a by-product of winemaking made by pressing the natural oils out of grape seeds. The oil doesn’t have much of an aroma and is very light, quick to absorb into the skin, and full of antioxidants. Grapeseed oil is good for facial products and those with oily skin since it is so light and will hydrate skin without feeling greasy.

Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil contains a high amount of fatty acids, has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, and smells like a tropical vacation. When combined with other ingredients, it is especially effective at moisturizing the skin. Coconut oil is good for hydrating sun-damaged skin and helps prevent the look of aging. Unrefined, virgin/extra virgin coconut oil is best for use in homemade skincare products.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter comes from (you guessed it!) cocoa beans. It is an edible fat and is the main, essential ingredient in chocolate, which is why it smells so delicious. It is wonderful for hydrating skin and it contains antioxidants which you can absorb through your skin.

It is a solid at room temperature, but heating it will transform it into a liquid so that it can be combined easily with other ingredients for a beauty recipe. Cocoa butter has a strong chocolate aroma that holds well in recipes. If you don’t care for the scent, it can be purchased in a processed form that has the scent removed. I use organic, raw cocoa butter that adds a mouth-watering aroma to the end products.

We’ll be infusing the calendula in the oils to harness its healing properties.

Calendula Lotion Bars VIDEO

If you aren’t sure if you can make these lotion bars this gorgeous at home, have a look at this video by Erin from the Impatient Gardener website and YouTube Channel.

Erin made the recipe on camera, and it’s fun and hilarious to watch. Erin is self-proclaimed to be not crafty at all, so she is a bit out of her element, and you just have to watch the video to the end to see her reaction!

Read more about Make & Give Home Apothecary here.

Calendula Lotion Bars Recipe

Now that you have seen in the video, it’s surprisingly easy to make these lotion bars. Let’s walk through the step-by-step instructions with photos to help you out as well!

Using a flower silicone mould gives these calendula bars a beautiful finish.

Ingredients

Makes eight 57.5 gram bars

Materials

Make It!

Infuse the grapeseed oil with calendula petals as described in this post.

Weigh your ingredients and add them to the top pot of a double boiler.

I use a scale for the most precise measuring.

Stir the ingredients in the double boiler until they have all melted together.

Make sure your container has a spout for easy pouring later on.

If you’re adding calendula petals and lavender essential oil, stir them in at this time. Pour the ingredients into the silicone mould, dividing the contents equally.

Add the essential oils and calendula petals after you remove the melted oils/butter from heat.

Leave the lotion bars undisturbed until they are set. If you are making them in a warm room, move the silicone tray into the fridge to firm up.

Ensure the bars are completely cooled before removing them from the mould.

Remove from the mould and store them in the refrigerator when not in use.

Since these have a low melting point, keep them in the fridge so they hold their shape.

Gift It!

Package up one lotion bar in a metal tin on a bed of shredded paper and calendula petals. Create a 2.5” round craft paper canning lid label on a printer and use a 2.5” hole punch to cut out a perfectly round circle. Add the label on to the top of the tin and the lotion bar is ready to give.

Calendula Lotion Bar FAQ

What is the shelf life of calendula lotion bars?

The product will last as long as the soonest expiry date on the ingredients. For example, if the coconut oil has the soonest expiry date, that will be the expiry date for the entire finished product.

Learn more about the shelf life of homemade beauty products here.

Can I substitute the coconut oil for something else?

I would add olive oil or sweet almond oil as a replacement. However, you may want to add a bit of beeswax to firm up the bar when it’s at room temperature if you’re replacing the coconut oil.

Can I substitute shea butter for the cocoa butter?

Shea butter is not as hard as cocoa butter, and it doesn’t melt at the same temperature. You can try it, but I would add some beeswax.

More Ways to Use Calendula
Calendula Lotion Bars

These lotion bars are light yet moisturizing, ready to keep your sun-kissed skin feeling fresh and well cared for.

Infuse your grapeseed oil with calendula prior to starting the recipe.

Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale.

Stir together your ingredients in a double boiler over medium heat until melted.

Remove from heat. Mix in dried calendula petals and lavender essential oil (both optional).

Pour lotion bars into silicone mould, leaving undistrubed until set.

Once set, remove lotion bars from mould. Keep stored in the fridge,
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Stephanie Rose

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August 8, 2024
How to Muddle the Perfect Pitcher of Sangria – Garden Therapy
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Fresh fruit and wine belong together. Sangria mixes dry wine with the sweet taste of seasonal fruit and creates the perfect drink to share with a group of friends in the backyard. Learn how to make sangria that tastes like the summer sun with this simple recipe.

The search for the perfect summer drink is a never-ending journey. And one that I am happy to embark on! I’ve treated myself to homemade herbal cocktails all the way to homemade ginger ale. But this time around, I wanted to go with the Spanish classic: sangria.

Sangria is incredibly easy to make. So many cocktails these days require obscure liqueurs and ingredients you will only use once. Sangria, however, uses just wine and brandy and a myriad of delicious fruits to create a delight for the tastebuds. Plus, fruit makes it healthy…right?

At least that’s what I’ll tell myself while I’m sipping some sweet sangria!

Here’s what you need to know…

I like lots of fruit in my sangria!

What is Sangria?

Originally from Spain, it is the Spanish term for mixing fruit and wine. Popular in Europe for centuries, the drink has ties to the Middle Ages. Since water was unhealthy to drink, people drank fermented beverages as they had a lower risk of causing illness. People would mix wine with spices such as cinnamon. While their version of “sangria” would taste very different from the drink we know today, it sure has stood the test of time.

Red wine sangria made its way over into American popularity when the drink was served at the Spanish World area during the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. Now, you can purchase ready-made sangrias, but there’s nothing like making your own at home.

You can use red, white, rose, or sparkling wine as your base, but red is the most traditional way of enjoying sangria. Most choose a dry red wine as their base, as the fruits and soda will make the drink sweeter. Once you have your wine, you add in some brandy or rum, your favourite fruits, and some spices if you feel like getting extra creative.

Many wine snobs turn their noses up at sangria, but I really think they’re missing out. It’s meant to be a refreshing and fun drink, best served in a pitcher for sharing with friends.

Feeling fancy? Garnish your sangria with fresh mint or stevia.

What Fruits Can I Put in Sangria?

Let your imagination go wild! Practically every version of sangria you order from a bar or have in a friend’s backyard consists of different fruits. Personally, I like to use whatever is in season, whether that is picking fruit from my backyard or grabbing some from the weekend farmer’s market.

Another good method is choosing to add fruits where the flavours are already present in the wine. Hint hint, read the label of the wine bottle.

Slices of orange and lemon are fairly common to see, with the citrus flavours notable in the sangria after soaking. Want to change it up? Why not go with a berry theme, including raspberries, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and blackberries. Tropical is also popular, using mango, peaches, pineapple, and more.

When adding fruit to your sangria recipe, it’s nice to let it sit and marinate in the drink overnight if possible. The wine will take some of the fruity flavour and the fruit also soaks up some of the wine for a tasty adult treat while sipping.

Cut up your fruit as small to make it easy to muddle and eat later on.

How to Make Sangria

Before we jump into this red wine sangria recipe, it should be noted that wine has an average ABV (alcohol by volume) content of 11.6%. When spiked with brandy, you are going to have a higher alcohol content.

Depending on how much soda you add and how much ice has melted, the drink can also be diluted. But let this be your warning that this drink packs a little more punch and will be stronger than the average glass of wine!

Ingredients

Refer to the recipe card for exact measurements. Makes a large 4L Mason jar.

Jump to Recipe
- Apples
- Peaches
- Strawberries
- Mangoes
- Lemons, limes, and/or oranges
- Lemon-lime soda
- Red wine
- Brandy or rum
- Ice
Mango gives it a tropical, luxurious taste.

Make it!

Get slicing and chop all your fruit. This recipe uses apples, peaches, strawberries, mangoes, lemons, limes, and oranges, but feel free to use whichever fruit you desire.

Add as much or as little fruit as you like. Personalize it to your taste preference.

Cut your fruit into 1’ pieces and leave all the skin on the fruit (with the exception of mango). For the citrus fruit, cut into half-moon slices.

Put your fruit directly in your sangria pitcher.

Layer your fruit into your 4L Mason jar or pitcher. Add some lemon juice to the fruit that can brown such as the apples.

Pour in your lemon-lime soda and then add in the red wine. I like to use a dry, fruity, and inexpensive red wine for my sangria recipe as all the additives will sweeten it up.

You don’t need a fancy or expensive wine since you’re adding so much other sugars and flavour.

Stir your drink with a long wooden spoon. Push down on the fruit to muddle it as you go.

Muddle the fruit by squishing it with the wooden spoon to release more of the flavour.

Add in your brandy or rum, stir, then muddle again.

Add in your ice and get ready to serve. A ladle works well to help scoop up the fruit!

The fruit will soak up some of the alcohol, making it a delicious treat at the end of every glass.

FAQ About Making Sangria

Why is the drink called sangria?

The name sangria comes from the Spanish word “sangre” which translates to blood. This likely comes from the bright red hue of the drink when made with red wine.

What is the best wine for sangria?

You can make wine out of any wine, including red, white, rose, and sparkling. Most traditional sangria is made using red wine. Choose something dry rather than sweet, as the fruits, brandy, and soda will sweeten it up.

What brandy is best for sangria?

If you want to have the best traditional sangria, you will want to use a Spanish brandy made with Spanish grapes. However, I don’t get too fussy about the quality of wine and brandy for my sangria since the added soda and fruit give even more flavour.

While brandy is traditional, you can also use an orange liqueur such as Triple Sec or Grand Marnier.

More Delicious Drink Recipes:
Red Wine Sangria

Get the taste of summer with this pitcher of sangria made from red wine and seasonal fruits.

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time5 minutes

Total Time20 minutes

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Spanish

Keyword: red wine, sangria

Servings: 1 4L Mason jar

Calories: 442kcal

4L Mason jar

Wooden spoon

Ladle

1-2 apples

1-2 peaches

2 cups strawberries

2 large mangoes

3-4 lemons, limes, and/or oranges

350 ml lemon-lime soda

750 ml red wine fruity, dry, and inexpensive

½ cup brandy or rum

Ice

Cut your fruit into 1″ pieces. Leave the skin on except for the mangoes. Cut the citrus into half-moon slices.

Layer your fruit in the Mason jar. Add lemon to the fruit that may brown.

Pour in the lemon-lime soda followed by the wine. Stir with the wooden spoon and muddle the fruit as you go.

Pour in the brandy or rum. Stir and muddle again.

Add ice. Use a ladle to serve and scoop the fruit with.

Serving: 1glass | Calories: 442kcal
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Stephanie Rose

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August 7, 2024
Homemade Cheery Sunflower and Turmeric Soap – Garden Therapy
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Bring in the warm tones of fall with this cheery sunflower turmeric soap recipe. Made with sunflower oil for ultimate moisture and turmeric for colour, both the ingredients also contain amazing health benefits for the skin. Join me in making a soap to celebrate the season!

This sunflower turmeric soap just gives me all the cozy feelings. Sunflowers begin their blooming season mid-summer, with the cheery stalks lasting into the beginning of fall. I always picture their heads at country fairs, with many local gardeners trying to grow the biggest sunflower out of their neighbours.

Of course, it was about time I made a soap that featured this beautiful flower. While I sometimes use sunflower oil in my other recipes, this soap lets it take center stage. It’s a powerful ingredient chalked with tons of benefits for soapmaking.

To make the recipe even more moisturizing, I added some rice bran oil and cocoa butter, along with my usual blend of oils.

And of course, to get that extra pop of cheer we associate with the sunflower, I added in some trusty turmeric for colour and litsea essential oil for fragrance.

Talk about a killer combo! Here’s what we’ll be covering today…

Top off the soap with calendula petals for the same cheery effect of sunflowers.

What are the Benefits of Sunflower Oil for Skin?

To make sunflower oil, producers process the seeds of the Helianthus Annuus plant. Many of us are familiar with sunflower oil in the kitchen, but it can also be a great ingredient for the skin. Considered a non-comedogenic carrier oil, it’s highly absorbent and won’t clog pores. Get ready to lock in a ton of moisture!

The oil also contains four components that we love to see in skincare:
1. High in vitamin E, it acts as an antioxidant for the skin.
2. The linoleic acid helps to protect the skin’s barrier and retain moisture.
3. Oleic acid is beneficial for wound care.
4. Sesamol helps to neutralize the harmful oxidizing effects from UV rays. All in all, it’s a great ingredient that is good for all skin types.
When shopping for sunflower oil to use in this sunflower soap recipe, you want something high-quality, that’s safe for the skin. Opt for an organic, cold-pressed variety. You want to avoid any additives to the oil that can arise from other extraction processes.

Sunflower oil comes from the seeds of the plant.

Sunflower Oil for Soap

Good for skin and good for soapmaking, sunflower oil is a match made in heaven for skincare enthusiasts. Since making a ton of soap can get pricey, I love incorporating sunflower oil into the recipe as it’s an economical option. Every little bit helps when batching!

Sunflower oil is best for creating a moisturizing soap. The linoleic acid makes it great for dry skin that doesn’t like anything too stripping. The soap is softer to the touch and feels amazing when rubbed against your skin.

Because it’s so soft, you don’t want to include too much sunflower oil in your recipe. Otherwise, the soap won’t hold its shape or fully solidify. Too much of the ingredients means the soap will be slow to saponify, essentially the act of the oils and fats turning into soap.

Instead, use it as a supplementary oil that makes up approximately 5-15% of the recipe. In this sunflower oil soap, I use 142 grams of sunflower oil in addition to calendula-infused oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and rice bran oil. And to make it extra gorgeous of course, you can sprinkle some dried flowers on top.

Teddy sunflowers could also be dried and sprinkled on top for decoration.

What are the Benefits of Turmeric for Skin?

The other special component to this recipe, turmeric also boasts quite a few amazing health benefits and has a long history in traditional medicine. Cultivated from the roots of the flowering plant Curcuma longa in India and Southeast Asia, it is known most for giving curry that vibrant yellow colour. I incorporated turmeric in this sunflower soap recipe for the very same reason!

Curcumin is the active component and the reason behind the colour. It’s responsible for most of the health benefits of turmeric, acting as a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Ingesting turmeric is best to get these benefits, but it’s also lovely to have topically on the skin.

Lots of studies show the potential possibilities of turmeric in skincare. In addition to reducing inflammation and providing antioxidants, it also has antimicrobial properties that make it well-suited for treating skin conditions. Those with acne, eczema, photoaging, and psoriasis may benefit from using turmeric topically. The curcumin in turmeric is safe even at high doses.

Because of the bright colour’s possibility to stain and pour solubility, you won’t find it in many beauty products despite all its health benefits. However, in this soap, those two issues don’t pose a problem. Instead, it adds cheer and brightens up the recipe.

The turmeric is in such a small amount in this recipe that it won’t cause any staining.

What About Litsea Essential Oil?

Another one of my secret ingredients for this sunflower turmeric soap, litsea essential oil comes from the evergreen shrub Litsea cubeba.

While the oil can be extracted from the leaf, the best quality essential oil comes from the fruit. It produces a lemony scent with light woody undertones that the indigenous people of Taiwan have traditionally been using for centuries.

Like many citrus scents, it uplifts the spirits and adds a rejuvenating quality to this soap. Because it has high levels of geranial and neral (the components of citral in citrus fruits), it has amazing cleansing power to deodorize and is often used topically.

The scent is known for lifting the spirits, adding to the cheery element of this soap. A morning shower will be enhanced just by the aromatherapy this oil provides.

Litsea essential oil provides an uplifting scent to the soap.

How to Make Sunflower Turmeric Soap

The sunflower oil combined with the rice bran and cocoa butter make this recipe super moisturizing. This soap is best for those who want a soap that is gentle on the skin and hydrating.

The instructions below are meant for those who have made cold process soap before. If this is your first time, check out this post for more detailed instructions to get started.

This recipe makes 3lbs or 1.4kg of soap. I often double the recipe to fill 3 2lbs molds. This recipe fills 2 x 1.5lbs molds or 1 2lb mold with a few extra bars in cupcake size molds.

I used a loaf soap mould for my soap, but you can also put them in special silicone bar moulds.

Ingredients

See the recipe card for exact measurements.

Materials
- Kitchen scale
- Infrared thermometer
- Stainless steel double boiler, soap making pitcher, and a pot of water
- Heatproof measuring cup (such as Pyrex)
- Immersion blender
- Safety gear, including gloves, apron, eye protection, etc.
- Loaf soap mould
The dried petals are just for decoration on top of the soap, so get creative with them!

Make It!

Using a scale, measure out all of your ingredients beforehand. Be as exact as possible in order to get the perfect soap!

Over low height, melt together your oils. Stir continuously until your oils reach a temperature of 115°F with the thermometer.

Set your oils aside and make your lye water in the heatproof cup. Be sure to mix this mixture in a well-ventilated area as the odour is strong and irritating. Once the lye is completely dissolved, let the mixture cool in an ice bath until it reaches the temperature of 115° F.

When both your oils and lye water is 115° F, slowly add the lye water to the oil mixture in a large bowl. Using the immersion blender, blend until it reaches a light trace.

Add in your turmeric powder for that cheery pop of colour and blend until well mixed. Next, add in your litsea essential oil for fragrance and blend again.

Pour your mixture into your soap moulds. Sprinkle dried sunflower or calendula petals on top. Let the soap sit somewhere warm for 48 hours. Afterward, unmold the soap and cut it into your soap sections.

This recipe needs to be cured for six weeks in a cool, dark place. Then moisturize away!

FAQ About Making Soap

What does turmeric soap smell like?

The turmeric smell isn’t strong in this recipe since we only use a small amount for colouring. Whichever essential oil you add will be the primary scent. In my soap, I used litsea oil for a light, lemony-woody fragrance.

What essential oil for turmeric soap?

I like to play in with the colour and choose a scent that will match the orange, cheery colouring. Most citrus-like scents would be a good pair. In addition to the litsea oil for this soap, you can also try grapefruit, tangerine, sweet orange, lemongrass, lemon, cinnamon leaf, or bergamot essential oils as a substitute.

Is sunflower oil good in soap?

Yes! I often use sunflower oil in my soap because it’s highly moisturizing, full of linoleic acid, and economical to use in large batches. Sunflower oil should comprise a maximum of 15-20% of your soap; otherwise, it might get too soft.
Sunflower Turmeric Soap

Ultra moisturizing, this soap brings a pop of cheer to your morning routine. This recipe fills 2 1.5lb soap molds.

Measure out your ingredients on your scale.

Melt your oils together slowly until they reach a temperature of 115°F.

While your oils heat, combine your lye and water together in the Pyrex cup in a well-ventilated area. Once fully dissvoled, transfer the container to an ice bath to cool to 115°F.

Slowly combine your lye water and oils in a large bowl using an immersion blender.

Once it reaches trace, add in your turmeric for colour and blend until well mixed.

Add in your litsea essential oil and blend again.

Pour in your soap molds. Sprinkle sunflower petals on top for decoration. Let sit somewhere warm for 48 hours.

Cut soap into equal sections. Let sit and cure for 6 weeks in a cool, dark location.
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Stephanie Rose

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August 6, 2024