Calendula is one of the few annual herbs that we grow here at Half Wild Farm because it grows abundantly even in our short, northern summers. Whole flower heads are harvested by hand every third day throughout the growing season, shade dried, and then extracted in organic sunflower oil, raw organic apple cider vinegar, or alcohol. One of the best herbs for skin health and enhancing red, blonde, and gray hair, you will find calendula in many of our products, including: Gentle Hands, Clear Skin Toner, Facial Serum, Light Hair Serum, Light Hair Rinse, and Herbal Body Oil.

Calendula officinalis

Thyme blankets our walkways and spreads through the grass. It is a glorious, long-flowering plant that lifts our spirits and feeds countless insects from spring through fall. We grow primarily creeping thyme at Half Wild Farm, as it is hardier than English thyme in our northern winters, harvesting it regularly and cold-infusing the leaves and flowers in raw organic apple cider vinegar, alcohol, or organic sunflower oil for at least six weeks before adding it to Herbal Bug Spray, Clear Skin Toner, Dark Hair Rinse, Dark Hair Serum, Light Hair Rinse, Light Hair Serum, and Beard Oil.

Rich in Vitamins A and C, thyme nourishes, cleans, and protects skin and hair, and repels ticks! It is an all around ally.

Thymus spp.

We use only organic, raw, apple cider vinegar from Vermont Village in our hair rinses. Bottled just 38 miles from our farm, we are fortunate to live in apple country and have such high-quality raw vinegar available locally.

Raw apple cider vinegar is full of vitamins and minerals to nourish your hair and balance pH after washing.

Because our hair rinses are made with raw vinegar, they may contain sediment or mother of vinegar. This is perfectly safe and can be left in the bottle while you use the product.

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.