Herbs & Botanicals

Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis): Natural Soap, Traditional Use, Research & Safety
Soapwort, also called Bouncing Bet and fuller’s herb, is a saponin-rich perennial historically used as a gentle cleanser for wool, silk, lace and household washing. This guide separates its well-documented detergent chemistry and traditional external uses from the much weaker evidence for internal medicinal use. Read more...
Shiso / Perilla (Perilla frutescens): Culinary Uses, Traditional Medicine, Research & Safety
Shiso is a culinary variety of Perilla frutescens, not a completely separate species. This guide separates shiso leaves from perilla seed oil and concentrated extracts, reviews East Asian food and herbal traditions, human allergy research, omega-3-rich seed oil, and the often-misunderstood livestock toxicity issue. Read more...
Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris): Bleeding Tradition, Research, Safety & Identification
Shepherd’s purse is an edible mustard-family weed with a long traditional reputation for bleeding. This guide reviews modern taxonomy, identification, menstrual and postpartum clinical studies, the limits of hemostatic claims, pregnancy safety, and practical sourcing. Read more...
Senna (Senna alexandrina): Constipation Evidence, Sennosides, Safety & Proper Use
Senna is a well-established stimulant laxative herb, not a detox or weight-loss remedy. This guide explains modern taxonomy, leaf versus pod preparations, how sennosides work, what regulators recognize, short-term use, interactions, melanosis coli, and the risks of chronic or excessive use. Read more...
Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris): Traditional Use, Research, Wound History & Safety
Self-heal, also called heal-all, all-heal and Xia Ku Cao, is a widespread perennial mint-family herb with a centuries-long wound, throat, food and traditional medicine history. This guide separates folklore from current human evidence, including a recent randomized trial, while keeping antiviral and anticancer laboratory findings in their proper context. Read more...
Savory (Satureja hortensis & Satureja montana): Traditional Use, Research, Safety & Culinary Uses
Savory is not one single plant. Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) and winter savory (Satureja montana) are closely related culinary and traditional medicinal herbs with different growth habits, flavor profiles, and chemistry. This guide separates food use from concentrated extracts and essential-oil research, and reviews what human evidence actually exists. Read more...
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum): Toxicity, Identification, History & Safety
Sassafras is an aromatic eastern North American tree with a long food, cultural, and herbal history. This guide separates traditional uses from modern evidence and explains the crucial distinction between safrole-containing root bark and oil versus regulated safrole-free food flavorings. Read more...