Faithful Roots

Can you guess what herbs these might be?

Beginning-of-summer must-have rotation!

The new Bite Balm Stick has been flying off the shelves here and at the farm, and for good reason. It’s one of those grab-and-go essentials you keep close all summer long.

And the Muscle Salve? Just in time for all the sore muscles that come with gardening, hiking, yard work, long days outside, and summer adventures. This is one powerful formulation.

Every ingredient was chosen with care to create a salve that truly packs a punch

• Cayenne helps boost surface blood flow, supporting tissue repair right where it’s needed.
• Ginger promotes circulation while bringing natural anti-inflammatory support.
• Comfrey has long been loved for supporting sprains, bruises, and overworked muscles.
• Arnica is a favorite for soreness, swelling, bruising, and joint discomfort.

These herbs are slowly infused into oil to gently pull out their beneficial properties and create a deeply nourishing base.

After infusion, I blend in menthol for its cooling, penetrating effect, then finish it with a powerful combination of essential oils including eucalyptus, clove, spearmint, and camphor. A touch of castor oil helps carry those ingredients deeper into the skin for even more support.

And we can’t forget the all-natural Sun Butter
Made for nourishing summer skin and supporting time spent outdoors during sun exposure, with simple, thoughtfully chosen ingredients your skin will love.

So thankful to be able to create products rooted in herbs, intentional ingredients, and practical everyday use.

As I was out working in the garden earlier this spring, I quickly realized the bugs were winning…so this year, I decided to fight back with knowledge
I created a “bug bite stick” using some of my favorite herbs: plantain, calendula, chickweed, aloe vera, menthol, tea tree, and lavender oil.
Here’s why I chose each one:
Plantain (Plantago major) – one of the best herbs for bug bites! It helps draw out toxins, reduce itching, and speed up healing. Nature’s little “first aid plant.”
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) – incredibly soothing and promotes skin repair. It helps calm inflammation and supports faster healing of irritated skin.
Chickweed (Stellaria media) – amazing for itch relief! It has cooling properties that help calm redness and take the edge off that “I can’t stop scratching” feeling.
Aloe Vera – deeply hydrating and cooling. It soothes irritated skin and helps reduce inflammation almost instantly.
Menthol – gives that cooling sensation that helps numb itching and discomfort right away.
Tea Tree Oil – naturally antimicrobial, helping keep bites clean and reducing the risk of infection.
Lavender Oil – calming for both the skin and the senses. It helps reduce redness, itching, and supports healing.
This little stick will become a must-have for garden days, outdoor play, and summer evenings. There’s something so satisfying about using plants to care for your body the way God designed

Brains with your coffee, anyone?

I’ve always loved cinnamon in my coffee, but this past weekend at Seeking Whole Health I discovered something new, cinnamon blended with organ meats from Pluck.

I know that might sound a little outside the box, but organ meats have been used for generations as deeply nourishing foods. This blend includes bovine brain, which has a long history in traditional diets around the world.

Bovine brain contains omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and important B vitamins, along with naturally occurring cholesterol that plays a role in the body. While it may not be something most of us are used to today, it’s interesting to see these traditional foods being brought back in simple, convenient ways.

I’ve been adding it to my coffee the last few days and honestly really enjoying it, warm, slightly spiced, and an easy way to try something new.

I also have several of the other Pluck seasonings, and I’ve really loved how easy they are to add into my normal cooking routine and everyday recipes.

I know the weather has been a little wild, but the garden is definitely waking up. There’s one little plant I couldn’t be more excited about, it made it through the winter!

I’m especially looking forward to working with St. John’s wort this year. Unlike most herbs that can be used fresh or dried, this one really needs to be worked with fresh. It’s not native to this area, so I was so thankful to get my hands on some last year and even more thrilled to be working with it this season. It’s such an amazing herb, especially for nerve support.

Of course, I’ve got a couple of my tried and true favorites growing as well, and one I’m excited to explore more deeply this year, self-heal.

Thank You, Lord, for these beautiful herbs, and for the wisdom and guidance to use them to help, heal, and encourage others.

It’s that time of year again!

I listened to all of your feedback from last season, and I’m so thankful you loved the sun butter. I’ve spent the winter refining it and making it even better and I know you’re going to love this new version!

I dropped some off at the Farm On Central this past Saturday, so you can grab it there, or just reach out to me and I’ll make sure you get some.

“Faithful Roots was so honored to play even a small part in such a creative baby shower! Kali reached out to see if we could help provide some tallow and the result was absolutely darling, a homegrown theme filled with locally made goods and artisans, making for the sweetest little celebration❤️

Herbalism can feel really overwhelming sometimes. You could study one single herb forever, it seems like. One of the things I’ve learned is that one plant can have so many different uses, and the deeper you go, the more layers you find.
One of the herbs I decided to start studying this winter is marshmallow root. I knew it was well known for supporting digestion, but I kept hearing more about how it helps hydrate the body from the inside out, especially when it comes to skin. It’s also commonly used for coughs and respiratory support.
So I decided I’m going to start drinking marshmallow root tea every day.
One important thing about marshmallow root is that it needs to be prepared as a cold infusion. That’s how you get all of those soothing, mucilaginous properties that make it so beneficial. Another herbalist I follow shared a recipe that really intrigued me: a marshmallow root infusion with a splash of milk, a touch of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon.
I figured I’d document my journey and share the results, both from a digestive standpoint and from the perspective of whether it truly helps hydrate the skin.
And honestly, what better time to test that than in the middle of winter, when everything feels cold, gray, and drying?

Why Knowing Your Tallow Maker Matters

As tallow has grown in popularity, it’s important to look beyond just buying “tallow” and instead focus on who is making it and how it’s made.

What started as people discovering the benefits of tallow and making small, clean batches for their families has now expanded into large companies and major skincare brands. Growth isn’t a bad thing—but with it comes shortcuts.

I personally started making my own tallow because I wanted something clean, trustworthy, and nourishing for my own family. And honestly, that’s how most tallow makers begin—not because they’re trying to make money, but because they’re looking for a better product for the people they love. From there, it often grows as others ask for it and see the benefits.

That said, there are two very different kinds of creators in the tallow space today. There are hands-on makers who render their own tallow, care deeply about sourcing, and are involved in every step of the process. And then there are brands that outsource production to large manufacturing facilities, sometimes even private-labeling their products without ever touching the tallow themselves.

In many large-scale operations, tallow may be bleached and deodorized so manufacturers can use lower-quality fats like trim fat. The best source for skincare tallow is suet fat—the fat found around the kidneys and liver. Suet is naturally higher in nutrients, vitamins, and beneficial fatty acids and doesn’t require harsh processing.

Trim fat is wonderful for cooking, but it isn’t ideal for skincare. Because it has a stronger beef scent, it often must be chemically processed to make it cosmetically appealing.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t many wonderful tallow makers out there—because there truly are. It’s not just me. There are plenty of small, ethical creators producing beautiful, high-quality tallow with integrity.

That’s why it’s so important to know your tallow maker:
• Where is the fat sourced?
• Are they using suet or trim fat?
• Do they render their tallow themselves?
• Are chemical processes involved?

Tallow is an amazing, time-tested skincare ingredient—but quality and transparency matter. I always recommend supporting makers who are open about their practices and who create products they’d confidently use on their own families.

And if you have friends or family currently using tallow, please share this with them too—so they know what to look for and can make informed, quality choices as well. 🤍

Buy thoughtfully, buy quality, and buy from people you trust.

A little note about tallow🌿

Because our tallow cream is made with real, natural ingredients (no stabilizers or fillers), the texture can sometimes change depending on where it’s stored. Tallow is made up of different fatty acids, and they melt and harden at slightly different temperatures. So when the cream warms up and cools back down (bathrooms, cars, window sills, heaters, etc.), those fatty acids can re-set in a way that feels a little grainy.

Totally normal. Nothing is wrong with it at all.
It’s still just as nourishing and works exactly the same.

If you want to keep it smooth, store it at room temp and avoid big temperature swings. And if it does get a little grainy, just warm it between your hands or let it sit somewhere warm for a bit.

It’s just one of those little reminders that you’re using a real, old-school ingredient — and we kinda love that about it 🤍
Thanks so much for supporting small, simple, honest skincare.

* Sidenote, I would love to hear your success stories. If you could send me messages about your thoughts or something that Faithful Roots has been able to help you with I would like to provide testimonial highlights from time to time. You all have shared such amazing stories, I would love to share it with everyone.♥️