Jewelweed is aptly named — orange jewels hanging from light and airy branches. It is our best herbal treatment for bites and itchy skin. We harvest whole plants and extract them in alcohol that serves as the base for our Herbal Itch Relief spray. Stock up early so you are prepared when you accidentally run across a patch of poison ivy or swarm of biting insects.

Impatiens capensis

We harvest two main varieties of plantain: the native blackseed plantain, and common plantain which was introduced to New England by the Puritans. Plantain is a wonderfully gentle, soothing herb for all skin conditions. We harvest the leaves regularly throughout the growing season and cold-extract them in organic sunflower oil and alcohol for at least six weeks. Plantain can be found in our Green Wonder, Après Sun, and Herbal Itch Relief.

Plantago major and Plantago rugelii

An ally for anyone who spends time outdoors in the summertime, sweetfern repels insects, soothes rashes and bites, heals skin ailments — and it smells great!

We sustainably wildcraft sweetfern during the summer and cold-infuse it in alcohol and organic sunflower oil for at least six weeks. You will find sweetfern in Herbal Bug Spray and Herbal Itch Relief.

Comptonia peregrina

Witch hazel was an important herb for skin care long before the first factories were built, and we at Half Wild Arts believe that it is time to return to this universal skin tonic. Appropriate for all skin types, witch hazel tones the skin without over-drying it.

We coppice our witch hazel bushes, selecting young shoots and then extracting them in the traditional method by simmering them in water all day. The resulting extract is full of tannins and other plant compounds that are not found in the clear, distilled witch hazel you see in the drugstore. Our witch hazel is milder and more nourishing.

In addition to the pure Traditional Witch Hazel, you will find witch hazel as a base in many of our sprays: Rosewater Mist, Clear Skin Toner, Aftershave, Herbal Itch Relief, and Stay Cool Mist.

Hamamelis virginiana

Yarrow is one of our favorite herbs, and you will find it in many Half Wild products. It thrives in difficult places, always stands tall, and blooms even in drought, and it has so much to offer as a skin ally.

We harvest yarrow tops in full bloom before cold-infusing them in alcohol or organic sunflower oil. You can find yarrow in Green Wonder, Après Sun, Herbal Bug Spray, Herbal Itch Relief, Stay Cool Mist, Aftershave, and Beard Oil.

Yarrow heals and soothes skin, repels mosquitoes, cools the skin, and has a strong yet delicate scent. A favorite from our land to you!!

Achillea millefolium

We use both organic Maine-distilled alcohol and vodka distilled in Massachusetts to extract herbs for our products. In addition to being a great way to extract the active compounds in herbs, the alcohol acts as a preservative, to keep our witch hazel products shelf stable without the use of harmful industrial chemicals. You may have heard that you should avoid alcohol in your skin products, but ours are formulated to be non-drying even with a small amount of alcohol in them to preserve.

PLEASE NOTE: Half Wild products are for topical use only and should never be ingested. Herbs extracted in alcohol are very strong and may be poisonous if swallowed.

Did you know that it takes a dump truck full of rose petals to make one bottle of rose essential oil? This is powerful stuff that uses a lot of natural resources. However, plants have more to offer than their essential oils. If you use products with just essential oils, you are missing out on the full spectrum of plant medicine.

That is why we make all of our products by extracting whole plants in oil, alcohol, or water. We use only a drop of organic essential oil in some of our products to enhance the scent, and we always use an essential oil that is good for your skin or hair — like lavender!

For the health of our bodies and the planet, we encourage everyone to reduce the amount of essential oils that they use and focus on whole plant medicine instead.