Herbs We Love For Skincare, Cooking, and More

by Nicole Martinson


We love herbs for their versatility: For skincare, hair care, cooking, and as pleasant scents. Herbs like rosemary and mint are packed with so many uses and health benefits. They’re tasty and aromatic, with a notably lovely smell of nature. And not to mention how cute & pretty to look they are too look at — So aesthetically pleasing! Dried or fresh, we know a great recipe for you to use whatever herbs you have.

Herbs for Skincare

Holistically, herbs for skincare can help you stay moisturized and feel fresh with a lovely aroma. Many herbs are often used in bath and body products for their strong scent which makes you more likely to use and enjoy it (keeping you clean and smelling lovely). A real popular way to use herbs for skincare is to infuse them into oil. Dried calendula buds soaked in jojoba oil is a common one. Then, these infused oils can be used in many other skincare and health and beauty products. For a down-low on how to make calendula jojoba oil, we like this recipe by Homestead and Chill.

Other herbs and flowers that are commonly used in skincare include: 

  • Lavender
  • Rosemary
  • Calendula
  • Eucalyptus
  • Chamomile  
  • Rose 
  • Mint
  • Basil

Most of these herbs tend to be great for cooking and seasoning your food. And OK, while technically neither an herb or flower… we’ll throw trendy turmeric root (known for its anti-inflammatory properties and pleasant floral aroma) into this mix of skincare and cooking, too. And while thyme and oregano aren’t popular in skincare like they are in cooking, any woody herb like such will work well in infused oils or other DIY body products.

DIY Body Products

It’s actually so easy (and lots of fun!) to make your own DIY body products like lip balm, lotion, body scrub, and more. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen recipes and posts detailing how to do just so on the internet. And a quick Etsy search yields thousands of options for herb-infused oils and body products. There are so many different DIY body products to make and use, it can kind of become overwhelming! Lots of oils, butters, herbs, and other ingredients like sugar for a sugar scrub can be combined for various uses for health and beauty.

But when you make your own DIY body products at home, you can be sure of each ingredient used, and trial-and-error until you have a product, like this body butter, that you love as much as we do.

Whipped Body Butter Recipe

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup raw shea butter
  • ½ cup unrefined coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp calendula-infused jojoba oil - optional
  • 5-10 drops essential oil of choice - optional

Instructions 

  1. Melt the shea butter in a double boiler. When it's still warm, stir in the coconut oil (which has a lower melting point), until both are melted. Stir in the calendula-infused jojoba oil and essential oil, if using.
  2. Let firm up at room temperature until the oils start to become opaque, about 30 minutes.
  3. Beat with a hand mixer on high until fully opaque and whipped. Spread into a storage container (like a mason jar). It will firm up just a little more in the jar.

Cooking with Herbs

Here at Salt + Thread, we’re all about cooking with herbs and spices to enhance recipes and further flavor food. While many people are familiar with cooking with herbs, others don’t know where to start. Simply put, dried herbs are like spices that can be used to season food during the cooking process. And while some people don’t know how to use fresh herbs, it’s pretty much the same. Cooking with fresh herbs brings even more fresh flavor to a recipe. Plus, it’s a lovely way to add a little touch of color to a finished dish (thanks, parsley!).

When cooking with herbs, you’re likely to go for a few of the same herbs that can be used in skincare: Think basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. But some herbs that aren't common in skincare tend to be very fresh, moist herbs like dill, chives, parsley, and cilantro. 

Have a handful of leftover fresh herbs that you don’t think you’ll use? (Looking at you again, shit-ton of parsley cornered at the bottom of my produce bin!) Dry them out to use later: Chop the parsley, cilantro, whatever, and spread it in a single even layer on a baking sheet. Let it sit out overnight, or for a day or two, until the herbs are dry even to crumble slightly between two fingers. Store in an airtight container. Proceed to bring your home-dried herbs out for a special appearance once dinner rolls around again.

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