August 23, 2026

Happy Scentsational Sunday!

Today, we'll take a look at an aromatic solution for excess heat (hot flashes, specifically, but this solution works like a charm for other issues, too) and also share more ideas based on Western Herbal Energetics---so you can see how an herbalist considers the human body, the situation at hand, and choosing the herbs.

Here's our reader question today:

Hot flashes are no joke. They come on with stress and hormone shifts, and can affect both women and men.

This is such a great question because it gets to the heart of why herbal energetics matter--- Two people can walk in with the same symptom, and the right herbs might be almost mirror images of each other.

Since I don't know what constitutional type Greta has, I'm going to speak from the viewpoint of 1) the Hot-Moist person and 2) the Cold-Dry person. Both types can experience terrible hot flashes.

We'll just leave tension out of the whole conversation to keep it more simple, but that's the third continuum an herbalist might consider about a person when choosing herbs.

🌸 The Hot-Moist Person

Think of the person who runs warm, tends toward flushing, maybe carries a bit more fluid in the body--but the hot flashes come with a sense of internal pressure, heat radiating off the skin, perhaps some palpitations (not always), and general irritability from the heat. Their skin feels damp or sweaty with the hot flash rather than papery dry.

This person needs cooling and calming nervines, and it's where I just love motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca). This is a wonderful plant for women in perimenopause in general, it supports the heart, but is very strongly indicated for the hot moist person because it's cooling, drying, and gently calming---especially for the person whose heat surges come with some cardiovascular things happening (like the heart palpitations, which many women going through perimenopause may experience).

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is my next favorite for this person. It's cooling, aromatic, and one of the most balanced nervine herbs we have. It tends to settle down that "running hot with no 'off' switch" pattern. It's great for settling the irritability from the heat, too.

🌸 The Cold-Dry Person

This person generally runs cold---chronic cold hands and feet, some poor circulation, and yet? They still get hot flashes. Perimenopause is interesting for us all---trust me on this.

Their tissues tend to be dry, too: dry skin, dry eyes, constipation, and thinning mucosa. This is the "fried and dried" pattern some of us see during stages of menopause.

This is where considering herbal energetics can get interesting. The reflex most of us have as herbalists is to just turn toward cooling herbs.

But in this case, you need a little bit of the opposite strategy: warming to restore circulation and bring some heat to the peripheral areas (hands and feet), while moistening to rebuild parched tissue states in the body. A hot flash in this type of person is sometimes a pattern of "congestion" where the heat surges up because the peripheral areas are too contracted to help receive it.

Perhaps you've heard me or other herbalists mention using Sage (Salvia officinalis) for hot flashes? This is the type of person it's perfect for. Even though it's warming and slightly drying, it's perfect for the cold, dry person because when used cool, it's an anti-diaphoretic--meaning it reduces sweating. Used in small amounts it can help with the sweating without adding more cold to an already cold system.

But the real star for the cold, dry person is Marshmallow Leaf (Althaea officinalis), which is very moistening to the system and rather neutral in temperature....and when used with sage which is warming, it can help alongside the sage for a person that's running cold but presenting with heat.

A nice, cold infusion of marshmallow leaf and sage leaf can help rebuild mucosal tissue if used consistently (vaginal dryness, skin dryness, and GI (gastro-intestinal) dryness) all at once. AND...it helps change the terrain so the hot flashes aren't burning up an already dry and parched body.

🌼Now...an herb for both types....

We've addressed the constitution of the two types of individuals (without considering tension, of course, which is another thing to consider--but too complicated for this note), but we need to consider endocrine system support (hormones) too!

Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) is my top choice here.

Although it leans toward being cooling and drying and also relaxing, it's an herb that is specific (for most people) for menopause symptoms like hot flashes. It also has some mild serotonergic effects (supporting serotonin), which is helpful for mood for some.

It helps relax muscle tension and that achy, "gloomy" feeling with physical discomforts. You would pair it with herbs indicated for the specific constitution of the person you're working with.

Use a small amount of black cohosh consistently, and you're likely to see a nice reduction in the frequency and intensity of those super unpleasant hot flashes!

Also, I should mention that hot flashes are often as much about total stress load as they hormones. If your hot flashes aren't related to perimenopause or menopause, it could be that there's just a lower threshold for vasomotor instability in the particular body. This often comes with those who are over-caffeinated and over-stressed, with too little sleep.

Now, obviously, this isn't a personalized herbal consultation, but hopefully this discussion gave you some information about why understanding and growing in your knowledge of herbal energetics needs to become part of your herbalism journey at some point!

🌼 Ready to think like an herbalist?

If you're on my email list, you're probably very interested in learning herbal medicine so you can help others. You may already know quite a bit about herbs!

You probably have books filled with notes, jars on your shelves, favorite remedies you reach for, and more herbal recipes saved than you'll ever have time to make. (I KNOW this because it's part of every herbalist's path)😂

But knowing what an herb is "good for" isn't the same thing as knowing when that herb is the right choice for the person standing in front of you.

A recipe might tell you what herbs are commonly used for a situation (like digestion or inflammation or sleep), but it can't tell you why one of those herbs work great for one person and does absolutely nothing for another...and may even make a different person feel worse!

Knowing how to consider the person, the condition of the situation and tissue state, as well as the qualities of the plants you're thinking about using is 100% needed to formulate and choose well.

I know it sounds like a lot.

But there comes a time in every herbalist's education where they wake up and know they're ready.

Is this you?

Inside my course, "Master Western Herbal Energetics" I'll teach you how to recognize energetic patterns in people and plants so you can make better herbal decisions with purpose and confidence!

You'll move beyond symptom lists, and you'll be able to match herbs thoughtfully to the individual and create balanced formulations instead of combining random "good for" herbs and hoping they work.

Here's what one of my students shared about my course, Master Western Herbal Energetics:

This is the transformation I want for you if you've been studying herbalism for any amount of time.

If you're serious about becoming a better herbalist, you need a framework that helps you make sense of what you already know and then use that knowledge well.

Western Herbal Energetics gives you that framework.

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An Aromatic Hot Flash Helper

Essential oils are amazing for topically supporting different bodies. Hot body? Yes, there are essential oils! Cold body? Yep! There are beautiful warming essential oils.

Specifically for hot flashes, here is a formulation I worked up for myself that I've just loved. Enjoy!

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Herbs can help with hot flashes systemically, while essential oils can help with immediacy and topically---fast and effective. This is why I teach both herbalism and aromatherapy...together, so your formulas are both safe and effective.

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What if I'm Not Ready for Western Herbal Energetics?

I 100% get this!

People studying herbalism will get to the point where they're ready for energetics at some point. For some, it's years of study. For others, it's much faster, depending on how often they're working with plants and people.

So, if you're beginning, then my Family Herbalist Apothecary program is for you, and there is a certification option with more intensive (and fun) instruction. I'm opening up a new student cohort next month for the last time this year!

If you're already familiar with remedies for people, but you need plant knowledge.... OR, if you learn best in a powerful and strong herbalism community for mentorship, constant answers at your fingertips, and support, then the Confident Herbalist Tribe is for you. The $1 trial is about ready to go away, so if you want to jump in and see how it all works (courses, texts, 100's of searchable replays, videos, and live events) then you should join us now.

If you're loving essential oils?

Well, you can earn a certificate as an Aromatherapy Specialist. Enjoy solid evidence-based text, lots of support, the opportunity to create your own set of case studies, aromatic chemistry, some anatomy & physiology and more!

I hope you enjoyed this morning's note, and if you're in the throes of perimenopause, menopause, or andropause (the male version---and yes, men get hot flashes too), or know someone who is? I hope you'll share with others by forwarding this along.

​Our School of Botanical Arts & Sciences is the best place to learn Christian herbalism in an exciting, supportive, vibrant place!

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. Remember, this is the LAST day of the Western Herbal Energetics Course Flash Sale!

Use coupon code: 25OFF SPECIAL

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***If you're missing my Encouragement and Inspiration faith-based section? It's now over on my Substack, Keep Your Lamp Lit! It's FREE to join. I'm getting ready to dive into help for mindset, which is part of holistic health as well as our beloved herbs and oils, over there.