Elemental Herbs
I pretty much like to stick with natural products as much as possible. Sure, I like to wear a spritz of perfume now and again, but when it comes to lip balms, salves and ointments, I keep my eye open for ‘a naturale.’
When I was at the Outdoor Retailer show in August, I stopped by the Elemental Herbs booth, where I picked up a few samples to test out from the company’s owner, Caroline Duell. Caroline sprayed a bit of their Herbal Cool (an all-natural sore muscle spray) on my back. And while my back wasn’t necessarily in pain (though I had been walking around all day), it DID feel refreshed and tingly. I haven’t had any sore muscles since then but I can only imagine that this would relieve the pain PDQ.
My favorite test item was the All Good Lips balm. Like all their other products, these are made from organic ingredients including calendula, lavender, plantain and yarrow, and then infused with essential oils. I love the Sweet Tangerine and found the original version to be a bit on the herby side (it almost stimulates your lips – that sounds weird but try it and see). The lip balms also come in Spearmint.
The All Good Goop is a healing balm perfect for dry skin, cuts or burns. It comes in a 1 oz. jar that can easily be stashed in your carry-on toiletry case.
Finally, their SPF 20 sunscreen moisturizes as well as protects from the rays. It’s chemical-free and is biodegradable (good for the environment!).
While they don’t have a huge range of products, what they do manufacture, they do really well.
R.U. Ved Ayurvedic Herbs
I am a believer in the ability of vitamins and herbs to boost one’s immune system. I know, however, that it’s a slippery slope because you can’t always prove it. I can only tell you anecdotally that I feel better when I’m taking vitamins. I also use herbs (Valerian root) to help me fall asleep (especially on long flights) and take echinacea when I feel like I’m getting sick.
Prior to a trip, I usually feel the most stress so before leaving on my India and Bhutan trekking tour, I beefed up on a few immune support herbs to ensure I didn’t get sick.
These are from a Seattle-area company called R.U. Ved. Specifically what I took was Flucomune and Holy Basil. Flucomune is comprised of 7 herbs that have immune supportive properties as well as ingredients that are known to be detoxifying. The Holy Basil eases physical stress and helps maintain blood glucose levels.
Upon landing in Kolkata this past week, I got a runny nose within about 8 hours. I’d say this was due to the city’s polluted air and an abundance of air-conditioning in most buildings. I immediately popped a couple of Flucomune capsules along with my vitamins and after my next night’s sleep, my runny nose went away.
Maybe it would have gone away on its own, but I’m fairly certain that this combination of immune-boosting herbs had something to do with my runny nose not getting any worse.
All of the above products can be ordered directly from these companies’ websites.
Enjoy and stay healthy!
Travel Well,
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