Kristyn Helgeton, RMT

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) 🤍

Chamomile is a versatile herb and a favourite in my apothecary. Well known for promoting relaxation and restful sleep, it also helps soothe digestion, calms the nervous system, and eases irritated & inflamed skin.

I use chamomile in lots of products, from calming tea blends and the Luna Sleep Tincture to the popular Itch Balm and botanical skincare- where its gentle, soothing properties shine.

A pretty little flower with a long history of bringing comfort, inside and out. It even blooms gently, doesn’t it? Always happy to see chamomile make its appearance. 🙂

Day Oil Restock 🌻

Formulated for mature skin that prefers simplicity, this lightweight blend combines argan and jojoba oils infused with calendula & rosehips, then finishes with bakuchiol: a plant based extract often called ”nature’s retinol”.

This oil helps support smoother, healthier-looking skin without the increased sun sensitivity associated with retinol, making it a beautiful choice for us summertime sun-worshippers who like to keep it clean.

Gentle enough for daily use, effective enough to not bother with a bunch of other stuff. Holler to try it out!

Hanging out on the step with my wild flowerbeds watching the clouds roll in and sipping on some herbal iced tea. Not the worst way to end a serious Monday!

Tonight’s blend is Lemon Hibiscus. Bright citrus, a little tang, and a cool fruit-punch vibe. This iced tea is easy to make, easy to reach for, and a guilt-free way to wind down with a little treat.

Summer is short. Drink good tea!

First time out at hustling massages. Not the exact weekend we had planned, but it was definitely a great opportunity to get my “feet wet” in the overland community. 😏 Great people, great atmosphere, and great experience despite the generous raindrop therapy.

Thanks for having me, and and a shoutout to all the other welcoming folks who I had the pleasure of hanging out with. 💚

When all else fails, adjust the lighting and create something new. 🐦‍🔥

The story of the dandelion is an interesting one, at least if you find this sort of thing interesting! 🤓

Before the mid-century suburban lawn boom, dandelions were generally valued rather than vilified. Early European settlers brought them to North America as a source of food and traditional herbal medicine. Their leaves were eaten in spring salads, their roots used in tonics, and their flowers supported pollinators after long winters. Ecologically, their deep taproots also help break up compacted soil and bring nutrients closer to the surface. Over time, shifting ideas around the “perfect lawn,” along with aggressive marketing of broadleaf herbicides, rebranded this resilient plant as an unwanted w**d and people started spraying them with toxic chemicals rather than using them in the kitchen and medicine cabinet.

Recently though, the little yellow flower is getting some attention in the lab, and the herbalists aren’t mad. Early research (preclinical in vitro studies) is showing that dandelion root extract is triggering apoptosis in certain cancer cells. Apoptosis is essentially cellular su***de, where the damaged or abnormal cells basically shut themselves down and die off naturally. In the studies, certain cancer cell lines like leukemia, melanoma, and colon cancer have shown this response when exposed to concentrated extracts, while healthy cells don’t seem to react the same way. Scientists think it may be linked to how the extract disrupts energy production and stress signals inside the cell. It’s early research, but it shows some real promise. Especially if you compare that to data related to the effects of herbicides! Oh, the irony-but hey, we don’t know what we don’t know until we know it.

Anyways, all of this to say that my backyard dandelion patch is coming along just dandy. 😏🌼

Awkward, but educational! Thanks for watching. 💚

Meet me (Kristyn), my tincture Vita, and my big fuzzy emotional support cat Rune who helped me make this video without me so much as asking. A big shoutout to my dear friend Tiff @themartletbarbershop for being a confident and encouraging friend and amazing entrepreneur. Go get your hair cut! She’ll make you laugh. I promise. If you’re curious about the tincture, hit me up! I’m a person. Thanks for watching guys 💚 #slowmade #apothecary #supportlocal #tincture #emotionalsupportcat

Apothecary update: for the first time in many moons, the herbalist has been defeated by influenza.

Current treatment plan:
✨ elderflower cordial from last year’s stores
✨ homemade ginger ale strong enough to resurrect the dead
✨ a dash of Irish whisky as medicine
✨ aggressive napping

Fun fact: whisky was still prescribed during Prohibition and legally sold through pharmacies with a doctor’s prescription. In small amounts, alcohol acts as a vasodilator and can help you warm up, relax, manage aches and pains, and rest. The emphasis here is on a “little” whisky- we are talking healing elixir; not time travel, haha.

And if you’re a non drinker, it’s still worth knowing about the elderflower cordial and ginger ale; it’s packed with quercetin, vitamin C, anti-inflammatories, soothing aromatics….the list goes on and on here.

2026 or the old days, the best remedies still involve herbal syrups, pain relief and rest.

Stay well, Red Deer! 💚