FamilyOTC Health and Beauty Products

Peppermint is a perennial plant that produces light purple flowers and green leaves with serrated edges. Commonly used as a flavoring in products such as candy, chewing gum, toothpaste, and ice cream, peppermint also has been used traditionally to cool the body by promoting sweating, which can help support the respiratory system. Peppermint has also been widely used to support digestion and to soothe an occasional minor upset stomach.

Lemongrass is a tropical herb that is popular in Thai cooking. Traditionally, is has been used to support normal respiratory function. Lemongrass tastes great and is a warming herb that can support digestion.

Echinacea is a genus of nine species of herbaceous plants, all of which are native to the United States and southern Canada. One species, Echinacea angustifolia, was widely used by the North American Plains Indians for its general medicinal qualities. Today herbalists use the root to support the body's immune system. Three Echinacea roots - purpurea, pallida and angustifolia - are used in herbal medicine and are considered to be clinically identical and interchangeable.

Cinnamon Bark comes from a small evergreen tree that is native to Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is a pungent, sweet and hot spice that can warm and invigorates the body and support function of the respiratory and digestive systems. It can also help to promote circulation to the joints and support immune function.

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a flavorful, sweet herb that has been used for thousands of years and is still one of the most widely used herbs in all herbal systems. Licorice has been used traditionally to support the skin and the liver. It also is thought by herbalists to help soothe indigestion and the throat.

Spearmint Leaf has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes since the time of the ancient Romans. It is mildly soothing and relaxing overall. Ayurveda says that this herb can help to clear the mind and senses. Like all mints, spearmint is a mild !@&*# that can help support the respiratory system.

Botanically-speaking, fennel seeds are not seeds, but are the fruits of the sweet fennel plant, an herb that has been cultivated for culinary and medicinal use for thousands of years. In India, fennel seeds are routinely chewed after meals to support digestion and to act as an herbal mouth freshener.

Cardamom seed is a uniquely flavored culinary herb in the ginger family. But cardamom seed is more than its delicious flavor. This herb is warming and has been traditionally used to support healthy stomach and digestive function as well as the respiratory system.

The rose hip is the pomaceous (similar to an apple) fruit of the rose plant. Rose hip has a delicious tart taste and astringent action and supplies antioxidants and vitamin C. In traditional herbal medicine, rose hip isused to support the immune system.

Ginger Root, the underground stem, or rhizome, of the plant Zingiber officinale, has been used in many herbal traditions since ancient times. In Ayurveda, ginger is known as the wonder herb, and it's no wonder, since Ayurveda uses ginger for a wide variety of conditions, including supporting digestion. Historically, ginger root was one of the most respected herbs for supporting joint health. Ginger has also been traditionally used to support healthy peripheral circulation, so it can help warm up cold hands and feet, and will also promote sweating when that is needed.

Burdock Root - a member of the daisy family that originated in Eurasia - is now firmly established as a naturalized plant in North America. Herbalists value burdock for helping to detoxify the liver. The root is served as a food in Japan, where it is known as gobo. Resembling a long brown carrot, burdock can be prepared in the same way you might enjoy a carrot, such as fresh juice or in a stir-fry dish.

Clove Buds are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the Myrtle family. The English name clove derives from Latin clavus (nail), as the shape of the buds resembles small nails. Clove bud is widely used as a spice in ancient Asian herbal traditions. With a warming quality, clove supports circulation and digestion.

A common wildflower native to Europe and Asia, mullein has a long history of use in herbal medicine as a soothing herb. Herbalists have traditionally used mullein to support the immune and respiratory systems.

Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. The leaf is used primarily as a sweetener in South America. Locals there use it as a substitute for sugar for those who can't use sugar. Various glycosides, including stevoside - which is about 100 to 200 times sweeter than sugar - provide the sweetness. It is widely used as a non-sugar sweetener in other areas of the world, particularly in Japan.

Not only is Black Pepper one of the most widely used culinary spices in the world, it also has a long history of use in traditional herbal medicine. A spicy herb that can help support digestion, it also supplies antioxidants, which can help to reduce free radicals. As a diuretic, black pepper can support water balance in the body.

Astragalus Root, or milk vetch root, is considered a superior herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), where it is known as Huang Qi. A member of the legume family, Chinese families regularly add astragalus to the family stewpot. Japanese herbalists use astragalus, which they call "ogi," to support a variety of functions, including energy, digestion and elimination. Unlike many Chinese herbs, astragalus is surprisingly tasty as a tea, with a velvety texture and a sweet, buttery taste.

Natural flavors are derived from natural sources such as spices, fruit, herbs, roots, or many other plants or foods, whose significant function in food is flavoring.

Essential oils are natural oils extracted from plants by distillation.

Bring water to boiling and steep 5 to 10 minutes. For a stronger tea, use 2 tea bags. Drink up to 5 cups a day.