The wonderful world of herbs is quite the powerhouse instead. For years, many have been praising some of the best herbal alternatives for curing their headaches, ailments, and pain. In fact, some of your favorite over-the-counter drugs are from herbs. There are some really incredible choices that you can use daily and add to your wellness routine. In order for people to understand how herbs/adaptogens can play a role in their life instead of OTC drugs, we’ve put together some of our favorite “swap this for that” herbs so that people could really see what the exact natural alternative to their ailment could be. We’ve also interviewed the founder of Apothékary, Shizu Okusa, about the brand. Keep reading for more!
The Best Natural Herbal Alternatives For Your Ailments
1) Instead of Emergen-C, Try Camu Camu
Camu Camu is a new up-and-coming adaptogen a lot of people are talking about. It is a superfood berry found in the Amazons and is also known as “nature’s vitamin” because of its exceptional Vitamin C content. Camu Camu has 60% more Vitamin C than an orange, making it excellent as an immune booster and also assists the body in collagen production.
2) Try Hibiscus, Cordyceps, and Chaga Instead of Accutane
You Dew You contains the vibrant-hued flower, Hibiscus, known for its exceptional antioxidant content and combines well with two beauty-boosting adaptogens, Cordyceps and Chaga, to promote a youthful glow from the inside out. This before and after which is NOT photoshopped was from just 6 weeks of use. Insanity. Try You Dew You.
3) Reishi and Ashwagandha for Booze
Swap that glass of wine for the Chill The F* Out blend. An Apothékary classic and one of our most popular blends is a serotonin-boosting stress-busting elixir targeting cortisol levels. It tastes like a peppermint hot chocolate mix and contains two powerhouse adaptogens, Reishi and Ashwagandha.
4) Collagen and Vitamin C Instead of Botox
There are three plant-based ingredients that are potent and widely known for their Vitamin C and Omega-7 content. It’s a powerful plant-based collagen blend, perfect for those looking to promote elasticity & glow from within. Swap the botox needles for Better Than Botox blend.
5) Swap Coffee for Matcha
Swap that 3rd coffee for some matcha. Slay All Day is a next-level take on a creamy matcha latte blend, containing two powerful adaptogens, Chlorella and Ginseng, that combine to increase the bioavailability of compounds that help to reduce stress. Combined with Matcha, an antioxidant and L-Theanine-rich plant that contains both Yin and Yang aspects by increasing energy, while promoting an overall sense of calm energy.
6) Swap Maca for Viagra
The Seal the Deal contains herbs to help support mood, enhances performance, and balance hormones. The blend contains Maca. It is a powerful adaptogenic root that has been used for centuries to improve fertility and enhance energy.
Why did you start Apothékary?
I grew up in a very traditional Japanese household and my mother instilled in me a lifelong belief in the power of natural healing. Ever since I can remember, I was given natural herbs and adaptogens to heal any of my ailments. Everyone around me would just take over-the-counter pills like Advil or Tylenol.
I started Apothékary from my own personal need for a balanced mind and body. This was after several years working on Wall Street as an investor on Goldman Sachs’ trading floor. It honestly didn’t take long for me to burn out and decide to leave the world as I knew it. I moved to Mozambique for a volunteer biz consulting gig, and then Bali for three months to complete my Ayurvedic medicine and yoga teacher training (YTT) certification. That experience really opened my eyes to true self-care, which when you boil it down, is simple: maintaining mental, physical, and spiritual balance. Prioritizing such balance, amidst changing life, the external world, and seasonal patterns is the everyday practice.
Apothékary is digitizing the traditional apothecary experience, which normally consists of walking in, showing your tongue and eyes, sharing your health concerns and getting a customized blend of herbs to drink or consume in your meals. In essence, using food as medicine. My mission was to streamline that process online while also being able to customize blends specific to the person’s needs and make herbs and adaptogens approachable and most importantly accessible to all.
Tell us more about the brand.
We offer a wide range of 60+ herbs sourced from around the world that promote inward and outward wellness and target a variety of pain points from low energy, concentration, stress, and low libido to immunity, inflammation, and acne. Each herb offered is from a variety of ancient healing systems. These include Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Japanese Kampo, and Western Herbalism.
Apothékary uses food as medicine. This inspired a need to offer natural alternatives to over-the-counter drugs and beauty products. Every product we offer is 100% natural, sustainably sourced, fairly priced, and most importantly, efficacious. We established the company in 2019 and have since expanded the business beyond the US and are now shipping to 22+ countries worldwide.
What are your favorite products?
This is so hard. If I absolutely HAD to choose, I’ve gotta say right now my favorite products are the Chill The F* Out, Mind Over Matter, and 100% Pure Maca. They honestly change every season but right now I’d say those are my top three.
What is next for the brand?
We are actually about to launch a new blend that has been in extremely high demand. It launches in March! Let’s just say, you’re going to want to have your bed, a candle, and Spotify app nearby when you try it.