Tiny Apothecary Essentials

A few years ago, natural remedies were anything but simple in my home. With cupboards full of herbs, essential oils and raw ingredients, large totes full of supplies in the garage and a drawer full of accessories, my apothecary was out of control.

Since then, I’ve simplified and can create multiple natural DIY recipes with just a few ingredients.

These essentials will get you off to a great start as you build (or simplify) your tiny apothecary.

Build your tiny apothecary

Essential Oils

  • Frankincense
  • Lavender
  • Lemon
  • Melaleuca
  • Oregano
  • Peppermint
  • Wild Orange
  • DigestZen
  • On Guard
Dried Herbs

  • Arnica
  • Calendula
  • Chamomile
  • Comfrey
  • Elder flower
  • Elderberry
  • Lavender Flowers
  • Lemon balm
  • Marshmallow root
  • Plaintain
  • Yarrow
Raw Ingredients

  • Beeswax
  • Coconut Oil
  • Fractionated Coconut Oil
  • Castor Oil
  • Olive Oil
  • Shea Butter
  • Redmond Clay Powder
  • Liquid Castile Soap
  • Vitamin E Oil
  • Canned Coconut Milk
  • Raw Honey
Supplies

  • Brewing Basket
  • Labels
  • Glass mason jars
  • Roller bottles for essential oil blends
  • Sample vials for essential oils
  • Metal tins for ointments and balms

Keep scrolling for recommended resources.

Learn how to use your tiny apothecary

Herbs & Essential Oils Bundle: So many excellent resources at a ridiculously low price. Bundle includes ebooks, ecourses and audio recordings geared toward making natural living easier.

Herbal Academy of New England is such a wealth of herbal information. The blog posts in themselves are great, but their courses and Herbarium are even better. Whether you just want to learn more about individual herbs or want to become a full-fledged herbalist (or something in between), I highly recommend the resources at HANE.

Where to find herbs, essential oils & raw ingredients

doTERRA

doTERRA Essential Oils are hands down the best essential oils I’ve ever used. They are 100% pure and each batch is tested by a third-party to make sure they’re safe and effective. These are the only oils I use from natural remedies to personal care products to natural cleaners. They work well and they work quickly.

You can get doTERRA oils retail or by becoming a wholesale member to save 25% off all orders (which I recommend unless you only plan on buying one or two oils in the next year). The best part? When you create a wholesale account you can purchase an oil kit that will give you an even bigger discount.

Bulk Apothecary

Bulk Apothecary is a one-stop shop for herbs and raw ingredients for making natural recipes. You’ll find loose herbs in various quantities (I typically recommend starting with 4 oz. unless you’ll be using a lot of a specific herb).

Bulk Apothecary also provides beeswax, carrier oils, butters, etc. so you can get just about everything you need in one place. They also sell essential oils but I prefer doTERRA as you can use them for everything as opposed to just cleaning.

Where to find supplies

Labels by the Sheet: It’s so much easier to use your remedies when you actually know what they are. That’s why I recommend labeling everything you make with what’s inside, how to use it and when you made it.
Share Oils: A great place to buy essential oil roller bottles, sample vials and labels. They also have some great DIY kits and recipe-specific labels.
Papermart: Perfect for bulk orders of containers for natural remedies.
Specialty Bottle: Containers in bulk or small quantities.