When Topical Herbal Remedies Really Work (And When They Don’t)
Herbs with Rosalee
Rosalee de la Forêt
4.9 • 564 Ratings
🗓️ 14 January 2026
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Is there a “right” way to use herbs topically?
Most people are familiar with salves, lotions, and creams—including non-herbalists!—but there are so many other ways that herbs can be used topically beyond these popular applications. From herbal baths and compresses to poultices and liniments (and yes, even suppositories!), topical remedies offer powerful, often immediate ways to support the body—that is, of course, if they’re used appropriately.
In this episode, I’ll explore several different ways to work with herbs topically, and when you might choose one herbal preparation over another. You’ll learn why some topical remedies work beautifully while others fall short—and how choosing the right form can make all the difference.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know:
► Ten different topical herbal preparations—and situations when each of them shines
► One common mistake that will make your herbal oils much less effective
► When to reach for a topical remedy made with water or alcohol instead of oil
► Which topical remedies are best for localized situations, and which can provide whole-body support
► When topical herbal preparations are great on their own—and when they’re best paired with internal remedies and lifestyle support
► and so much more…
I’ll also share details about how to join the free mini course that my friend and co-teacher, Emily Han, and I will be offering next week. This is a free series designed to give you a taste of how we teach and how we think about herbal medicine inside our course Rooted Medicine Circle. If you’re curious to learn more about how to choose the right form of medicine for the situation you’re dealing with, this mini course is for you!
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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.
Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.
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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Herbs with Rosalie podcast, a show exploring how herbs heal as medicine, |
| 0:10.9 | as food, and through nature connection. I'm your host, Rosalie de la Foray. I'm an herbalist teacher |
| 0:17.2 | and the best-selling author of the books, Alchemy of Herbs, and Wild Remedies. |
| 0:21.9 | I created this podcast to share trusted herbal wisdom so that you can get the best results |
| 0:26.6 | when relying on herbs for your health. I love offering up practical knowledge to help you |
| 0:32.4 | dive deeper into the world of medicinal plants and seasonal living. My goal is that you'll walk away from each episode feeling inspired to start with the world of medicinal plants and seasonal living. |
| 0:37.5 | My goal is that you'll walk away from each episode feeling inspired to start working with |
| 0:42.1 | herbs in your everyday life. |
| 0:45.4 | Each episode of the podcast is available on my Herbs with Rosalie YouTube channel, as well |
| 0:50.2 | as your favorite podcast app. |
| 0:53.4 | Transcripts and recipes for each episode can be found at |
| 0:56.1 | Herbs with Rosaliepodcast.com. To get the latest news as well as fun bonuses, be sure to sign up |
| 1:02.9 | for my weekly herbal newsletter. Okay, grab your cup of tea. Let's dive in. Here's something I've |
| 1:10.4 | noticed after years of teaching herbalism. |
| 1:12.6 | Topical remedies are some of the most misunderstood tools we have. |
| 1:16.6 | Sometimes they work beautifully, almost magically, and sometimes they just don't. |
| 1:22.6 | That's not because herbs are wrong, and not because the recipe necessarily failed but |
| 1:28.0 | because we're either choosing the wrong topical remedy or we're asking the topical |
| 1:32.8 | remedy to do work that really belongs to the entire system when most people |
| 1:37.6 | think of topical remedies they think of salves and maybe creams something |
| 1:41.2 | like a little jar on the counter, something soothing, something familiar. |
| 1:45.0 | And while those remedies can be wonderful, working with herbs through the skin is far more expansive |
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