Feebee Foran
I praise Mother Nature each of my foraging nature walks around Firhouse and along the Dodder. And I mean it, whatever ails you, nature can heal you and, in most cases, what your body needs is growing close to your own front door.
As a herbalist, I see and feel everyday just how much of an impact plants can play in helping people feel better inside and out. Even by working with plants, whether its foraging, digging, tending to or harvesting each one with care, I feel the beautiful energy and life force that grows in each stem, flower, root or leaf.
Over the past year, I’ve made it a personal mission to share the virtues of wild Irish plants (or weeds as you might otherwise refer to them), as I believe that by learning to identify and understand what grows around us in abundance, we can harness the medicinal properties in an earth-kind way.
I first started my skincare brand Forager over the first lock-down, only with the intention of making healing balms for friends and family, healing everyday ailments like bites, stings, cold sores, and irritated skin. Foraging from withing my 2-5km in Firhouse and making small batches of balms on the hob in my kitchen. But like tiny seeds, this little passion project has grown allowing me to help people far and wide with a huge variety of health complaints.
I’m so thrilled to share with you some of the most loved Forager balms, so that you too can benefit from the goodness that grows right here in Dublin.
Skin Saver
Eczema and Psoriasis people, listen up – there’s a new natural treatment in town. My Skin Saver balm is lovingly made using wild Chickweed, a delicate, fully edible plant that was once sold by Dublin street vendors as a vegetable. Chickweed tends to grow where there are cracks in the earth, you will find it growing at lightning speed, carpeting waste ground with its gorgeous green glory. This plants superpower, is its ability to draw out, soothe and restore eczema or psoriasis prone skin. I’m so thrilled that since using this product, a large number of my clients have said goodbye to steroid creams and now successfully manage their skin irritations in a natural way with Skin Saver.
Daisy Healing Balm
I’ll be honest, my heart breaks a little when I see a lawnmower chop the heads of our dainty, humble daisies. Especially knowing just how powerful these wildflowers are. Daisies have many, many healing benefits, in fact, they are known as the “poor mans Arnica” due to their ability to heal bruising, haematoma’s, bites, stings, cold sores, sunburn, scarring and so much more. Daisies can also help remove dead skin cells from your face, which gave way to the adage “fresh as a daisy”. My Daisy Healing Balm is my “never be without” balm, for its versatility and of course, its potency.
Mumbum
I like to think that my balms take care of people from “top to bottom” – and by that, I’m talking about piles. It doesn’t need to be a taboo topic, especially when Mother Nature is on your side. I use a beautiful plant called Lesser Celandine for my Mumbum balm, which dries up and shrinks internal and external piles, while tending to any discomfort at the same time. Plants have a signature, telling you how they want to help you, and in no plant is this more obvious that with Lesser Celandine, as its roots are identical to haemorrhoids. It goes to show, plants are trying to help us understand their medicine, we just need to look and listen.
Forager balms cover a huge range of daily complaints, from arthritic pain, carpal tunnel, tension headaches, migraines, period pains and muscular discomfort – each balm using a different wild Irish weed. And for the beauty lovers, my Fotox (nature’s botox) eye serum and Skin & Tonic foaming facewash are packed with skin loving ingredients that help fight wrinkles and breakouts, hydrate and moisturise all while being gentle enough for those who suffer with facial eczema or rosacea.
For the full range of Forager skincare products, visit forager.ie to order yours today.
Feebee Foran is a nature enthusiast, allotmenter, foraging tour guide and homebrewer. Owner of Forager.ie, Feebee creates skincare and healing products using all natural, locally foraged herbs and plants. A member of the bustling and vibrant community at Bohernabreena Allotments, Feebee grows her own fruit, vegetables and healing herbs. Follow her on Instagram @forager.ie
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