A well-stocked home apothecary can be a powerful tool for promoting wellness and addressing common ailments naturally. Whether you’re dealing with seasonal sniffles, digestive discomfort, or simply looking to boost your immune system, having the right remedies at your fingertips allows you to support your health naturally. In our home, natural remedies play a central role in caring for ourselves and our children. Building your own home apothecary will give you confidence in caring for your family’s well-being using the wisdom of herbal medicine.

Here’s how to get started by stocking up on dried herbs, tinctures, oils, and some other key ingredients for making your own remedies at home.

Dried Herbs: The Foundation of Your Apothecary

Dried herbs are a must-have in any home apothecary. You can use them in teas, tinctures, salves, and more. With just a small collection of dried herbs, you can create soothing herbal infusions, oil infusions for topical remedies, or even tinctures to capture their benefits in a potent liquid form.

Here’s a list of herbs to consider stocking up on, especially if you’re just starting out:

Chamomile – Gentle enough for children, soothing for the digestive system, and calming before bed.
Lavender – Great for relaxation, calming nerves, and as a gentle sleep aid.
Calendula – Known for its skin-healing properties, ideal for salves and lotions.
Peppermint – Helps with digestion, headaches, and respiratory support.
Echinacea – An immune booster often used at the first sign of illness.
Elderberry – A powerhouse for immune support, especially during cold and flu season.
Tulsi (Holy Basil) – An adaptogen that helps balance stress and boost immunity.
Nettle Leaf – Rich in minerals, great for nourishing herbal infusions.
Lemon Balm – Calming and soothing, often used for anxiety and digestive support.
Raspberry Leaf – Rich in vitamins and minerals, especially beneficial for supporting women’s reproductive health and toning the uterus. Great for menstrual health and during pregnancy.

These dried herbs can be used on their own or blended together to create customized teas for a variety of purposes.

A Note on Storing Dry Herbs:

When storing herbs in your home apothecary, it’s important to protect them from air and sunlight. Both can degrade the potency of your herbs over time. Exposure to air causes herbs to oxidize, which can lead to the loss of their essential oils and medicinal properties. Meanwhile, sunlight can break down the active compounds in herbs, reducing their effectiveness. In my photos you are seeing the herbal apothecary in my brick-and-mortar store. The herbs are displayed in a way that looks beautiful for visitors to see and it’s a fun conversation starter. I use these herbs to experiment and due to the high demand, they don’t last long in their containers. For the herbal remedies we offer here, we use freshly sourced herbs that come in dark and sealed packaging.

Herbal Tea Blends: Easy, Pre-Made Options

Having a few pre-made tea blends in your apothecary makes it easy to brew a healing cup of tea when needed. As you may have already heard, I drink herbal infusions all day as a replacement for plain water. These infusions taste great and help me stay hydrated while enjoying the variety of benefits from the herbs. Consider stocking up on blends for specific purposes, such as:

Digestive Support – Helps promote gut health and healthy digestion.
Immune Boosting – With antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties
Relaxation and Sleep – Calming herbs for nervous system support.
Nutritional Support – With herbs packed with vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

Having these blends ready can save you time when you’re feeling under the weather or just need a moment to unwind.

Tinctures: Potent and Long-Lasting

Tinctures are highly concentrated herbal extracts made by soaking herbs in water and alcohol or glycerin. They’re convenient to use and carry around with you, for those times when you need quick relief or support. Tinctures also have a long shelf life, making them a staple in any home apothecary.

Some helpful tinctures to have on hand include:

Digestive Relief – I like to carry this one in my bag because you never know when indigestion hits. I do 2 pumps mixed in water or directly in my mouth and repeat the dose every 15 minutes until I feel better. It usually takes 2 or 3 doses before I start feeling relief, but it works every time.
Anxiety Relief – I keep this one by my night stand for those times at night when my head is so chatty that I can’t sleep. The herbs in this formula help slow down my brain enough to rest. I use it the same way I use the Digestive Extract. It’s great at a time of the night when making tea wouldn’t be so helpful.
Mushroom Blend – This blend of mushrooms help you cope with stress better and boosts your immunity by supporting the health of your bone marrow –– the place where immunity cells are born. Mushrooms work over time in your body so you want to use this one daily.
Detox Support – I like to use this one in times when I’m feeling a bit sluggish. Sometimes after traveling, my digestive system doesn’t work properly and I start noticing signs of toxicity in my body. This tincture is bitter and spicy and it helps wake my system up and cleanse.

You can also make your own tinctures with single herbs and then mix as needed to create new formulas.

Essential Oils: Versatile Remedies

Essential oils are another versatile component of a home apothecary. They can be diffused for aromatherapy, added to carrier oils for topical use, or used in homemade cleaning products and personal care items.

Here are some must-have essential oils to consider:

Lavender – Calming and soothing, great for stress relief and sleep. I use it in our Soothing Soak and Healing Salve.
Peppermint – Energizing and helpful for headaches and digestive issues.
Eucalyptus – Wonderful for respiratory support and clearing sinuses. I use it in our Menthol Rub.
Tea Tree – A powerful antibacterial and antifungal oil, great for cuts and scrapes. I use it in our Cold + Flu Soak
Frankincense – Known for its grounding properties, ideal for meditation and skin healing.

Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil, like coconut or jojoba oil, before applying them to the skin. And remember to use essential oils mindfully, especially around children or pets.

Other Ingredients for Medicine Making

Once you have your core collection of herbs, tinctures, and essential oils, you can start making your own remedies at home. Here are some additional ingredients and supplies that will come in handy:

Beeswax – For making salves and balms.
Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter – For moisturizing creams and lotions.
Carrier Oils – Such as olive, almond, or coconut oil for diluting essential oils and making infusions.
Salts and Clays – For detox baths or poultices for bug bites and skin irritations.
Beeswax and Emulsifying Wax – Essential for creating homemade lotions and balms.

Building Your Apothecary

Starting your home apothecary doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Begin by gathering a few key herbs, tinctures, and essential oils that suit your family’s needs, and build from there. As you grow more comfortable using herbal remedies, you can expand your collection and try new preparations, like syrups, poultices, or infused oils.

With time, your home apothecary will become an essential part of your daily life, empowering you to care for yourself and your family naturally, with the healing power of herbs at your fingertips.

Always consult with a healthcare professional before using herbal medicine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication. This article is for educational purposes only.

Ready to deepen your connection with medicinal herbs and bring the power of nature into your daily life? Join me on a journey to connect the wisdom of these healing plants. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your knowledge, our self-paced course will guide you in getting to know 10 of my favorite medicinal herbs at a deeper level with all your senses. Learn more about A Journey Through Medicinal Herbs here.

How to Start Your Home Apothecary with Medicinal Herbs