Summer is a time of abundance. Our gardens are overflowing with ripe produce and fresh herbs, wildcrafting opportunities abound, and outdoor adventures are in full swing. The days are long, bright, and hot, inviting us to soak up every last bit of sunlight before the season turns again.
We’ve all heard of the incredible benefits sunlight and soaking up natural vitamin D from the sun’s rays have for your health, but too much time in the sun and heat can negatively impact your health too. If you’ve ever wound up with a headache after overdoing it in the sun or gotten a painful sunburn, then you know summer can be hard on your body.
Happily, there are many herbs that cool the body. We’ll share 10 of our favorite cooling herbs that support your body’s natural balance, keeping you calm and comfortable through even the hottest days of the season. And we’ll share how to incorporate some of these herbs that cool the body into an easy sun tea recipe.
How Heat Affects the Body
Summer’s heat can trigger or worsen what Western herbalists refer to as the heat/excitation tissue state. This kind of heat can’t be measured with a thermometer. Instead, it’s a quality of metabolism and an energetic pattern. It shows up as anything that’s overactive, irritated, hypersensitive, and hot.
Heat/excitation can manifest anywhere in your body, but it often takes a toll on your skin, mucosa, digestive, and cardiovascular systems. You might notice:
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Redness, swelling, heat, and sharp discomfort
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Indigestion, heartburn, and digestive hypersensitivity
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Rashes, acne, boils, and abscesses
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Nervousness, irritability, anger, occasional sleeplessness, and racing thoughts
And these issues might worsen when you’re stressed, eating poorly, during hormonal shifts, or when the weather is hot. At these times, cooling herbs can help offer much-needed support.
What are Cooling Herbs?
Cooling herbs soothe and calm the irritation and overactivity of heat/excitation. They tend to be sweet, sour, and bitter in taste and demulcent, bitter tonic, nervine, and/or alterative in action.
Sour
Cooling and astringent, sour flavor reveals the presence of fruit acids and antioxidant flavonoids that nourish and protect cells from oxidative stress, which is a form of heat. Many herbal fruits like Hawthorn berries and Rose hips are sour.*
Bitter
Bitters cool tissues by stimulating downward movement and the elimination of heat-producing wastes, especially in the digestive system. Many bitters are obviously bitter tonic in action, but many nervines and alteratives have this taste too. Bitter-tasting herbs like Blue Vervain and Motherwort help to cool nervous tension.*
Sweet
Sweet tonic herbs are nourishing and strengthening. They tend to be demulcent—coating and soothing irritated tissues, especially the mucosa of the respiratory, urinary, and digestive systems. Herbs like Marshmallow and Licorice root are moistening, sweet, and cooling.*
10 Cooling Herbs We Work With
There are many sour, bitter, and/or sweet herbs indicated for heat/excitation. Below are 10 of our favorites. We work with these herbs closely, growing or wildcrafting them, then taking them through the traditional Alchemical processes that make spagyric essences, tinctures, and formulas.
Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)
With its downward force, Blue Vervain eases headaches and neck tension, and cools hot tempers and emotional irritation. Intensely bitter, it also supports the liver and digestion. This herb is usually used at slightly lower doses than many other plants; best started with 10-15 drops.*
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
California Poppy eases tension headaches and occasional sleeplessness by deeply relaxing the body and mind. Cooling and calming, it supports recovery from occasional pain, stress, and substance use.*
Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus monogyna)
Sour and astringent, Hawthorn berries cool, tighten, and tone. With a strong affinity for the cardiovascular system, these dark red apple-like fruits nourish and restore tissues from the heart to the capillaries.*
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Calming and soothing to the nervous system, this fragrant, aromatic herb also eases digestion and supports the skin. Lavender is bitter, drying, and cooling, yet it has a slightly stimulant aromatic effect as well.*
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon Balm is cooling, drying, and sour, and honey bees love how it smells. It uplifts the mood, brightens the spirit, and boosts clarity and focus by calming the mind. It’s also delicious and carminative, offering digestive comfort.*
Linden (Tilia europea)
This deliciously scented flower contains antioxidants and is traditionally used as a European tea. Cooling and moistening, it's also sweet, aromatic, and demulcent. As a tonic herb, it’s strengthening for the heart and nerves.*
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
With its Latin name meaning “lion-hearted herb,” Motherwort instills courage and vigor. It strengthens the heart and blood flow while supporting the female reproductive system. Bitter, pungent, cooling, and drying, it’s also relaxing to an overworked nervous system that specifically stresses the heart.*
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
Peppermint cools digestive heat, easing occasional nausea and pain. Pungent and aromatic, it soothes spasms and helps clear congestion, all while being delicious enough for sensitive palates.*
Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
By unwinding the kind of tension that causes muscle spasms and eye twitches, Skullcap helps to ease occasional pain, especially headaches, and supports deep, restful sleep. It’s bitter, relaxant, cooling, and drying.*
Wild Rose (Rosa nutkana)
Cooling and relaxing, graceful Wild Rose tones and calms the heart, nervous, and female reproductive systems. It’s sour, aromatic, and sweet, and it contains impressive levels of bioflavonoids and Vitamin C.*
Cooling Mint + Lemon Balm Sun Tea Recipe
Summer days are long, and the temptation to overdo work and activities is real. Planning some time to cool off and relax is a smart way to avoid overheating. That’s why we suggest making sun tea with cooling herbs to enjoy during the heat of the day.
Try preparing your sun tea in the morning. As the day heats up, your cooling tea steeps. Later, when you’re hot and want a break, it’ll be ready for you to enjoy.
Ingredients:
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1 handful fresh Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) leaves (2 Tbsp dried)
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1 handful fresh Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) leaves (2 Tbsp dried)
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1 quart glass jar with lid
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Spring or filtered water, to fill
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1-2 Tbsp raw honey
Directions:
1. Place the herbs and water into the glass jar and secure the lid.
2. Find a sunny spot where your tea won’t be disturbed by pets, children, or wildlife.
3. Allow your sun tea to steep in the summer sun for 3 to 4 hours.
4. Strain. Add honey. Refrigerate or pour over ice and enjoy.
More Resources:
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For a deeper discussion of the hot and cold axis in herbalism, read this blog post from our other business, The School of Evolutionary Herbalism, “Diagnostic Differentials of Hot and Cold.”
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Herbalist Kat Maier’s book Energetic Herbalism is packed with herbal wisdom and provides an in-depth look at temperature in both herbs and people.
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If you’re short on time and want a way to get cooling herbs into your body, check out Hawthorn Berry Spagyric Tincture, Peppermint Spagyric Essence, or Skullcap Spagyric Essence.
We also regularly share herbal and alchemical wisdom, along with sales and promotions in our newsletters and on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. We look forward to seeing you there!
