About
Meet Ivy
Clinical herbalist and fiber artist. I make everything sold here.
Ivy Herbal is a small apothecary and studio in western Montana. I formulate herbal teas and tallow skincare, sew and knit textiles from reclaimed and natural materials, and write researched articles on holistic health. Everything in the shop is made by hand, in small batches, by me.
Knowledge about your own health is a birthright. The things you use every day should be made with care, by someone willing to tell you exactly what is in them.
My story
I grew up around natural medicine, but as a teenager I chose the conventional route for my own health. I spent years in that system trying to resolve ongoing digestive and hormonal problems, along with the lasting effects of a traumatic brain injury from 2014. It was expensive, and I was not getting better.
So I started looking at other approaches, and ended up with a Chinese acupuncturist and herbalist in Portland, Oregon. After a few months of acupuncture, a macrobiotic diet, and herbal supplements, my gut health and hormones improved more than they had in years of conventional care.
I wanted to understand why it worked. I spent years studying herbs and supplements on my own, then enrolled in a clinical herbalism program to put structure behind what I had learned. That training now goes into every formula in the shop and every article in the learning hub.
What I make
Most of what you will find in the shop exists because I wanted it to exist. I hope you enjoy using and wearing these pieces as much as I enjoy making them.
Herbal tea blends
Loose leaf and tea bag blends built on traditional herbal principles, then adjusted until they taste good enough to drink every day.
Browse teas →Tallow skincare and body care
Grass-fed tallow balms, salves, and scrubs made with organic herb-infused oils. Full ingredient lists on every product page.
Browse body care →Upcycled textiles and knitwear
Quilt coats sewn from rescued vintage quilts, hand-knit wool pieces, and other one-of-a-kind textile work.
Browse textiles →Courses, ebooks, and gift cards
Self-paced courses, the cold process tallow soap handbook, and e-gift cards.
Browse digital goods →How I formulate teas and skincare
When I build a tea blend I want it to be supportive, and I want it to taste good. Many of the herbs people are told to drink do not taste good at all, and most people stop drinking something they dislike long before it has a chance to do anything. Each blend here starts with traditional herbal principles and gets adjusted until it is something I look forward to drinking myself.
The skincare follows the same standard. The tallow comes from grass-fed, pasture-raised cattle on a Montana ranch, the oils are infused with organic herbs, and every ingredient is listed in full on the product page. I am proud of what goes into these, so I see no reason to leave anything off the label.
Why I work with fiber
I have been doing fiber arts since first grade. The Waldorf-style school I attended taught knitting, felting, sewing, embroidery, watercolor, and candlemaking as part of the regular curriculum. When my parents moved me to a public school for its magnet programs, I kept it all up on my own. I have always enjoyed making things with my hands and found a lot of peace in it, and I love seeing something I made being worn or used by someone else.
I source materials as ethically as I am able, and natural fibers are always my preference. Some pieces include textiles that are not 100% natural, often because the fabric was rescued rather than bought new, and when that is the case I say so. Every listing describes the fiber content to the best of my knowledge. I care a great deal about textile waste and about microplastics ending up in our waterways, and that is a big part of why I work with reclaimed and natural materials. If you want the background on that, start with my article on microplastics and chemicals in clothing.
A one-woman business
Ivy Herbal is run by one person. I formulate and make each product, photograph it, write the listing, pack the order, and answer the emails. Rob helps out when the workload gets heavy, but most days it is just me in the studio.
If you are waiting on an order or an email, it is coming. There is one person making, packing, and replying, so a short wait usually means I am at the workbench. Thank you for your patience, and for supporting a business this small. Shipping times and the returns policy are on the shipping and returns page, and you can reach me any time through the contact page.
The learning hub
The articles are where I put the research. They cover herbs, nutrition, environmental toxins, holistic pet care, and the health industry itself, and every claim links back to a primary source so you can read the study yourself. Nothing on this site is medical advice. The articles are educational reading, meant to give you better questions to bring to your own doctor or healthcare provider.
- Articles Long-form, sourced pieces on herbs, nutrition, and the health industry
- Free Materia Medica One entry per herb: traditional use, energetics, published research, and safety notes, with no paywall
- Become an Herbalist A guide to studying herbal medicine on your own terms
- Free resources Courses, ebooks, podcasts, and research databases I recommend
- Gut health Articles on digestion and the microbiome
- Holistic pet care Herbs and natural care for dogs and cats
How I approach this work
Education, not advice
I am a clinical herbalist, not a physician, and I do not diagnose or treat anything. What I write is meant to be read, questioned, and discussed with a qualified provider who knows your history.
Informed choice
You have a right to understand what the research says, including the parts that disagree, before any conversation with your provider. I try to lay out the published evidence plainly, link the sources, and leave the decisions to you and the people caring for you.
Full ingredient lists
Ingredients are listed in full, fiber content is described on every textile, and sources are linked in every article. If I cannot tell you what is in something, I will not sell it.
Training and background
Here is where my training comes from.
Herbal medicine
My clinical herbalism training covers Western herbalism, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and I keep studying every week on my own. That background is what I draw on when I write about herbs and when I put together a tea blend.
View the full course list
- Professional Herbalist Course, Year 2 Winter Term, IIEI
- Professional Herbalist Intermediate Course 2022, IIEI
- Professional Herbalist Course, Year 2 Online, Fall Term 2022, IIEI
- Herbalism Herb Pro Series, Portland Community College (CEU 3214)
- Herbalism Series: Herbs and Health, PCC (CEU 3215)
- Herb Pro Series: Holistic Health, PCC (CEU 3216)
- Herbs for Pets Workshop with KP Khalsa, IIEI
- Korean Hand Acupressure Online Workshop with Michael Tierra, Elder Herbalist
- Moxabustion Therapy Mentorship with a retired acupuncturist
- Fire Cupping Online Seminar Workshop 2020
Research methods
In college I was on track to become a psychology major, with the idea of running research trials as a career. I did not end up taking that path, but I completed several courses in research methods and scientific study design along the way, and they have made my work as an herbalist a lot easier. I read a lot of studies now, and that training is what lets me tell a compelling trial from a weak one and spot problems in how a study was designed.
Fiber arts
Knitting, felting, sewing, embroidery, watercolor, and candlemaking were part of my school curriculum from first grade on, and I have practiced them ever since. Every textile in the shop is cut, sewn, or knit by hand in my studio.
Web design
I have always been interested in design. As a teenager I coded my own blog from scratch and used it to share my photography, art, and poetry, and that early habit grew into the work I do now. I build and refresh websites for other small businesses, including this one. If you need a site, a fix, or someone to teach you to manage your own, the web design page has the details.
Frequently asked questions
How can I follow new articles and products?
The newsletter sign-up at the bottom of this page is the best way. I email once or twice a month. Longer, more opinionated pieces go out on my free Substack, Deep Roots with Ivy, and you can also follow along on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X.
Do you sell herbs in bulk?
Not at this time. The shop carries finished tea blends and whole blue lotus flowers, but not single bulk herbs. For bulk herbs I buy from Mountain Rose Herbs (affiliate link). Using my link costs you nothing and helps cover the cost of running this website.
I want to start learning herbal medicine. Where should I begin?
Start by reading. Many of the most seasoned herbalists have documented their work in books, and that is the best foundation you can build. My Become an Herbalist guide lays out the full path, and the Materia Medica is a free place to begin.
Can you make a quilt coat from my own quilt?
Not yet, but it is a service I plan to offer. If you have a quilt you would like turned into a coat, send me a message so I can let you know when it is available.
Can you build or help with my website?
Yes. I design and refresh websites for small businesses, help with SEO, and train people to manage their own sites. Take a look at the web design portfolio and reach out through the contact page for a quote.
Thank you for being here
Whether you came to read, to shop, or to ask a question, I am glad you found your way to this corner of the web.