Female Vitality & Menstrual Support

There are many herbs that can support female hormonal balance. For example, shatavari is an adaptogenic herb, which means it can help your body to cope with physical and emotional stress, and it helps to regulate hormonal imbalances, which can be useful during the menopause. Among a host of other benefits, calendula is also hormone balancing – it relieves menopausal symptoms, reduces breast congestion with tenderness and helps regulate menstruation and relieve menstrual cramps. Rose also helps relieve uterine congestion causing pain, heavy and irregular periods, eases menstrual cramps and pre-menstrual syndrome, alleviates mood swings, and is cooling for menopausal hot flushes and night sweats. Liquorice has mild oestrogenic properties, which makes it hormone balancing and useful for menstrual and menopausal problems, as well as for polycistic ovary syndrome. As a reproductive tonic and aphrodisiac, it is good for sexual debility and low libido.

All three of these herbs and more are included in our Female Vitality Tea . We also carry a Female Vitality Tincture, which contains the same herbs but in a tincture – a concentrated herbal extract obtained by macerating herbs into a mixture of alcohol and water.

There are a few herbs that are particularly helpful to reduce period pain. As suggested by its very name, cramp bark is one of them – it is very effective at alleviating painful cramps and spasms, by relaxing muscles and blood vessels especially around the pelvic area. Ginger is another warming herb which stimulates circulation and reduces inflammation. It promotes blood flow and oxygenation throughout the body and reduces the tendency to blood clotting. It is excellent to relieve any uterine congestion and it naturally soothes spasms and pain, making it helpful for painful periods. Raspberry leaf also gently tones and strengthens the uterine and pelvic muscles, reducing cramps and spasms during periods and soothing any discomfort.

All of these herbs are included in our Menstrual Support Tincture and in our Menstrual Support Tea, which both combine hormone-balancing and pain relieving herbs to provide comfort and relief throughout your period. They are great herbal companions for navigating the shifts your body goes through each month, including easing any pain and discomfort but also bringing balance to your mood, energy levels and hormonal changes. We also offer a Menstrual Balm, which can be massaged onto your lower belly as and when needed to help ease cramps, spasms, pain, soreness, bloating and stress. It contains a range of warming, relaxing, painkilling and antispasmodic herbs into a soothing and nourishing blend of jojoba, coconut and castor oil, and added a range of essential oils to create a beautifully effective and fragrant balm.

There are a few herbs that are often prescribed by herbalists to address urinary tract infections, including bearberry, corn silk, buchu, couch grass and horsetail.

A urinary antiseptic, bearberry supports the body in healing and soothing infections, irritation and inflammation in the urinary tract and bladder. Its antimicrobial, cleansing and astringent (skin toning) properties make it particularly useful in aiding the healing urinary tract infections and soothing the urinary tract.

Corn silk, the smooth, creamy-yellow strands inside the husks of corn (ideally harvested before pollination) is rich in nutrients and is a wonderfully soothing remedy for the urinary system. It is powerfully anti-inflammatory and soothes acute and chronic inflammatory conditions of the bladder and kidneys. It also reduces fluid retention and aids the elimination of toxins via the kidneys.

Another diuretic and urinary antiseptic, buchu is excellent for soothing urinary tract infections. It improves circulation to the urinary system and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It eases acute and chronic inflammation in the urinary system. High in B vitamins, it reduces water retention and eases the flow of urine.

Couch grass is another herb which is very rich in a moistening substance called mucilage, which is very effective at cooling irritation and inflammation – particularly in the urinary tract. It contains mannitol, saponins and vanillin, which act as diuretics, increasing the flow of urine and thereby supporting the excretion of wastes, including excess sodium and uric acid. It is excellent for infections and inflammatory conditions such as cystitis, urethritis and prostatitis, as well as irritable bladder and painful urination (dysuria). It contains silicic acid, which is healing and strengthening to the urinary tract and sphincters, and is useful for healing after an infection and for treating bedwetting and urinary incontinence.

High in silica, selenium and zinc, horsetail is a potent ‘remineraliser’. It preserves the elasticity of connective tissues and supports the elimination of metabolic waste from the body, especially through urine. It gently tones the tissues of the urinary system, and can help with urinary incontinence and bedwetting in children. It is used to soothe inflammation in the bladder, urethra and prostate. As a diuretic (increases urine output and enhances elimination of waste products via the urine), horsetail can also support the body in preventing the formation and recurrence of kidney stones.

All of these herbs are included in our Urinary Support Tea, which was crafted especially to support urinary health — and particularly to help the body deal with infections, inflammation and irritation in the urinary tract or bladder (cystitis).

There are many herbs that can support female hormonal balance and increase female libido. For example, shatavari is a nourishing, adaptogenic herb, which means it can help your body to cope with physical and emotional stress, and it helps to regulate hormonal imbalances, which can be useful to increase libido. Another example is liquorice: it is a reproductive tonic and aphrodisiac, often indicated for sexual debility and low libido. It also has mild oestrogenic properties, which makes it hormone balancing and useful for menstrual and menopausal problems, as well as for polycistic ovary syndrome. Ginger is a warming circulatory stimulant, which improves oxygenation of the tissues, warms up the body, enhances vitality and clarity of mind, and can also help enhance libido. All three of these herbs and more are included in our Female Vitality Tea and in our Female Vitality Tincture.