When you open your medicine cabinet, what do you see? Probably steroid creams and antibacterial ointments for bites and abrasions, plus over-the-counter medicines for both headaches and stomachaches. Most of us use these products fairly often. But they might be more heavy-duty than they need to be for treating run-of-the-mill itches, scrapes and pains. By setting up an herbal medicine cabinet, you can turn to gentler remedies for the same ailments.

Before you get started, a few words of advice from Hyla Cass, M.D., author of A User's Guide to Herbal Remedies. "Herbs must be used responsibly. I warn my patients that if they feel any ill effects from an herb they are using, like rashes and upset tummies, they should trust this response, and immediately reduce the dose or simply stop taking it, and see if that makes a difference." The nice thing about herbs is that if one causes a problem, there are always others that can be tried instead.

Here are some must-haves:

Bumps, Cuts and Bites
Susun Weed, herbalist and author of Healing Wise and Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, suggests having plantain oil on hand for everything from stings to scrapes to diaper rash. It's both anti-itch and antipain, and it also counters infection — sort of like bacitracin and hydrocortisone cream all in one. Any plantain leaf can be used to make an infused oil (place leaf in a jar covered in olive oil, let sit six weeks) or you can buy it ready-made. If making your own, don't wash the leaf; water on top of oil can lead to mold.


Aches and Pains
The oil of St. John's Wort (hypericum perforatum) is great for massaging away muscle and nerve pain, while hypericum tincture works like Tylenol — it's excellent for headaches and backaches. Tinctures (often called extracts) are made by soaking herbs in alcohol and are very easily absorbed into the system through the skin. The oil also can be used on wounds, acne, sunburn and psoriasis.

The most effective oil is made from fresh (not dried) flowering tops of the plant, so it isn't easily homemade. Luckily, commercially made versions are widely available. St. John's Wort also is used as a natural antidepressant; check with your doctor first if you're already taking antidepressant medication.

Coughs and Flu Symptoms
Echinacea can't actually get rid of a cold virus, but it can help ease sore throats and minor respiratory infections. Dr. Cass points out that prior to the advent of sulfa drugs in the 19th century, echinacea was the leading cold and flu remedy in the U.S., and that in Germany it is still the primary remedy for minor respiratory infections.

Weed cautions not to take it for prevention, but rather to use it when you feel the need. Typical dosage is about 600 milligrams of dried extract, taken once a day for as long as symptoms persist. Warning: New research says echinacea alters bacteria in the gut and may cause diarrhea in some people.

Anxiety Aid
Weed can't say enough about motherwort, a "powerful antianxiety herb." She says it calms racing hearts, relieves menstrual cramps and even moderates blood pressure. Reach for it whenever you're frazzled or over your tipping point.

Stomach Sentinal
If you're traveling, throw some wormwood extract into your kit. Weed swears it has kept her (and her family) diarrhea-free even when trekking through India for three months (and drinking the local water) as well as rafting in questionable waters. Artemisia absinthium, or common wormwood, is most famous as an ingredient of the alcoholic beverage absinthe.

Anti-Inflammatory Agent
You might have turmeric on your spice rack, but Cass says it should be in your medicine cabinet, too (in extract form). Turmeric contains antioxidants called curcuminoids and can be used as an anti-inflammatory alternative to ibuprofen. In Asia, the extract has been used for centuries to treat conditions like arthritis. Herbalists recommend taking no more than 1,200 milligrams of extract per day.