This conversation with Tina from Die Kräutermacherin is part of an interview series with women who, like me, feel a special connection to nature. I will be talking to different women and learning more about them and their approach to nature.

I will then share these stories with you here, so that you too can discover different insights and approaches to nature.

Die Kräutermacherei
Herbal walks and workshops for homemade natural products

Tell us a bit about yourself

I'm Tina, and I'm a self-employed herbal educator. After that, I also completed several other training courses. I am also a Green Cosmetics Educator, Natural Health Educator, and Hildegard von Bingen expert. A few years ago, I started my own business in this field with Die Kräutermacherei. This is also my passion project, and I now offer workshops on a wide range of topics. Herbal walks, and since the end of last year, webinars too, so my offerings are available both online and offline.

But I'm also still a youth worker, and I studied pedagogy and completed a master's degree in social pedagogy. I'm still active in this area in out-of-school youth work.

I live with my partner on a mountain farm in Styria, in Murau, and we run an organic farm, which I support. It was here that I discovered my passion for plants. We have an extreme diversity of plants here on the mountain at 1100 meters, which never ceases to fascinate me. My mother-in-law was very involved in herbal medicine and guided me in the beginning. That was also the starting point for Die Kräutermacherei as it exists today. It's still so fascinating, and there's always so much more to learn. I'm truly captivated by the subject and always happy to be able to pass on my knowledge in workshops and seminars.

 

What was your entry point into the world of nature?

 

Many years ago, a bee or wasp stung me. My mother-in-law immediately gathered some ribwort plantain leaves from the garden and pressed them into my hand, saying, "Rub these vigorously between your fingers and then put them on your foot." Of course, I did it right away, and the great thing was, it helped immediately! The pain was gone, and there was no swelling. I was truly amazed.

 

That was also the point when I started to deal with the topic more closely and intensively.

 

Since my mother-in-law passed away very early, her herbal knowledge also disappeared with her. She did show and explain some things to me, but of course, that was only a fraction. My first training was as a herbal educator. At that time, however, self-employment was not at all planned. But then, more and more often, friends and acquaintances asked me if we could go on a herb walk together or if I would like to show them how to mix different oils or tinctures.

 

The Kräutermacherei is created

 

From that, I decided to really become self-employed. But it was all very spontaneous and full of coincidences. It then developed over the years and was very well received. The topic is very special, and many people are interested in it; they want to know what grows around them. Perhaps also what they can do with it and how they should use it.

 

Green Cosmetics | one of my favorite topics

 

I am also a trained Green Cosmetics Educator, and that is one of my topics that I really enjoy. Gabriela Nedoma founded this special form of cosmetics. Only natural products are used as raw materials, and any additives are omitted. You go to the fridge, see what you have in stock, fruits, berries. You go out into the garden and get wild herbs and medicinal plants and make your cosmetics from them. It is an even more nature-based form that fascinates me greatly. Gabriela Nedoma's credo is also based on Ayurvedic wisdom, "only put on your skin what you would also eat."

 

I also recommend everyone to attend such a workshop, because it is something so special and can totally inspire you. Green cosmetics do not contain surfactants and emulsifiers, and all synthetic ingredients are avoided. It is resource-friendly and very skin-friendly, therefore suitable for everyone.

 

Ingredients that have traveled long distances, such as shea butter or cocoa butter, are also avoided. The focus is on what is available regionally and how it can be processed.

 

How exactly can one imagine this?

 

In a shampoo, for example, you can work with horse chestnuts or rye flour. For example, simply mix rye flour with water to a pancake batter consistency and simply wash your hair. You can make a simple deodorant from water and baking soda. With simple ingredients that you often already have at home, you can produce many products.

This is one area of my work that is also a matter close to my heart. But I also have other focuses, such as the green medicine cabinet or wild cuisine, and I always try to link all areas together. What grows outside and how and where can I best use it.

It is important to me in all 3 areas to use few ingredients and few raw materials to make things as simple as possible.

 

How long do green cosmetic products last?

 

There are recipes that should always be prepared fresh, but there are of course also ointments and oil extracts that can last up to half a year or a year.

 

What is the basis of green cosmetics?

 

You can work very well with local oils like sunflower oil. In principle, you should pay attention to using oils that have a longer shelf life. With flaxseed oils and hemp oils, you should be a bit more careful, as they don't last very long. However, it's less important that the oil contains many active ingredients, as these are enriched by herbs and plants.

 

For example, you can make a lavender oil extract and then process it further into a lip balm or cream. A deodorant or many other products could also be made from it. That's the beauty of it, that you can be very creative and have many possibilities for further processing.

 

You are very open and free in what you do. In the Green Cosmetics workshops, you learn the basics, and at home, you can continue working and let your creativity run wild. You can then experiment further with the plants around you.

 

Tell us more about the green home pharmacy

 

There are many great recipes for everyday ailments, like mosquito bites, headaches, sore throats. Nature is very useful here, and with simple means, you can quickly find relief. Even the starting point for today's conventional medicine is secondary plant ingredients.

 

My approach is to use old remedies, looking at how people used to work and what ingredients they used. Monastery medicine with Hildegard von Bingen is one such focus, as there are many interesting recipes and ideas that I can explore there.

Here too, very simple methods are used with few ingredients. I work with plants that grow almost everywhere and that you can find in many places. You can also grow many of these plants at home in the garden or on the balcony and then use them for these recipes.

 

A simple recipe for sunburn is to gather some ribwort plantain. Then either rub it between your hands or roll over it a few times with a rolling pin. Afterwards, you place the leaves on the affected areas, which cools well and reduces irritation.

 

Tips for collecting wild herbs and medicinal plants

 

Do not gather near heavily trafficked roads or where many dogs are walked. It is best to go out into nature and stay a little off the beaten path.

 

After gathering, you can then immediately prepare tinctures and oil extracts to preserve the effects of the plants. Then you don't always have to gather fresh, but have a supply for the cold season.

 

The simplest way is also to simply dry the herbs and then store them in jars. This way you always have a supply for your teas.

 

What is your favorite plant?

 

Ribwort plantain is still my favorite plant, the one I've stuck with. You can use it universally, and I really like it. It goes into almost every meal for me, both the blossoms and the leaves.

 

I also prepare a roll-on for insect bites from it. For this, I make an alcoholic tincture. I finely chop the ribwort plantain and put it in a glass, then fill it with 38% vodka. I let it sit for 2 to 3 weeks, and then it's strained, and the tincture is ready. To thicken it a bit, I use transparent xanthan gum, which you can easily buy at the pharmacy. This tincture also has a super long shelf life; it's certainly usable for 2 to 3 years.

 

Ribwort plantain is also great and healthy to eat. In addition to many vitamins and minerals, it has an extremely high content of mucilage, which has an anti-irritant effect on inflamed mucous membranes. This helps well, for example, with dry coughs, as the mucilage forms a protective layer over the inflamed areas.

 

What is an oxymel?

 

This is a remedy that became known in ancient times and is a mixture of honey and vinegar. Its preparation is similar to alcoholic tinctures. You use finely chopped plant material and steep it in a mixture of honey and vinegar. The great thing about it is that you don't need alcohol to dissolve the plant materials, and it is therefore very suitable for children or pregnant women. Oxymel with ribwort plantain is an excellent cough syrup that can be used very well for children.

 

The mixing ratio is always 3:1 - you use 3 parts honey and only 1 part vinegar. If you like it less sour, you can also mix 4:1. Then you cut the plant parts very, very small, the smaller the better, and then put them in the honey-vinegar mixture. You seal the whole thing airtight and let it steep for 2 to 3 weeks. Then you strain the mixture, and it is ready to use. Also use natural and organic products as much as possible for the vinegar and honey.

 

The shelf life of oxymel is definitely half a year to a year. Honey and vinegar are two substances that preserve very well.

 

 

You also give workshops?

 

Yes, there are various offers which you can all find on my homepage. It is very important to me to share and pass on my knowledge in order to preserve it. Here you can also find Tina's Instagram profile.

 

You can find more interviews about amazing women and their connection to nature here:

Karin from Naturspirit
Stephanie from Atempause
Susanne from Naturzauberwerke
Tina from die Kräutermacherei
Melanie from Mint
Anja from Gänseblümchen & Sonnenschein
Andrea from Fermentista
Andrea from Yoga Cuisine
Marlies from Quendelgrün
Christine from Textpoterie
Doris from Mit Liebe gemacht
Alex from Die Kräutermadame
Bianca from Naturespiritauraspray
Gerda from Grüne Kraft
Judith from Seelenzauber