Spring Tonic: Inner and Outer Beauty

Now here is something you don't see every day: a tonic that revitalizes energy and perks up weather-beaten hair—all in one. This spring tonic enhances hair color, brings gray from dingy to golden—and does the same for our spirit. It also brings depth to dark brown and black hair, lifts mood, relaxes anxiety, serves as an internal cleanser or a uterine tonic, gently stabilizes hormonal upsets, and boosts immunity. It contains equal amounts of oat straw, pau d'arco, black tea, lavender, bay leaves, parsley, chickweed, calendula, rosemary, sage, and marshmallow root.

To color hair: Add two tablespoons of the mixture to four cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Infuse twenty minutes. Let cool. Strain well.

Excerpted from Four Seasons of Mojo: An Herbal Guide to Natural Life, by Stephanie Rose Bird