When it comes to supporting your family’s health naturally, herbs can be beautiful allies, gentle enough for little ones, nourishing for grandparents, and supportive for everyone in between.
But not all herbs are created equal, and safety, dosage, and delivery matter, especially when you’re caring for folks at both ends of the age spectrum.
Let’s walk through some of the best herbs for each age group and how to safely bring them into your daily routine.
Herbal Safety Across Ages
Before we start brewing teas or mixing tinctures, it's important to understand a few foundational guidelines:
Start Gentle: Choose gentle, nutritive herbs, especially when introducing herbs to kids or elders. These herbs support rather than stimulate, making them safe for long-term use.
Dosage Matters: Herbal dosage isn't one-size-fits-all. Kids typically need lower doses based on weight, and elders may require adjustments depending on medications or sensitivities. A good rule of thumb? For children, use 1/4 to 1/2 of the adult dosage, depending on age and weight.
Delivery is Key: How you give herbs matters. A soothing tea might be perfect for winding down, while a sweet glycerite is more appealing to picky kiddos. Elders may prefer tinctures for potency and ease, especially if digestion is an issue.
Kid-Safe Herbs
Children have developing bodies and more sensitive systems, which means they often respond beautifully to mild herbs without needing strong doses. Their little systems are more open, so gentle herbs can work effectively and quickly. The goal is always to support and soothe rather than to strongly stimulate or suppress.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Chamomile is one of the most beloved herbs for children and for good reason. It’s a gentle nervine (calms the nervous system), carminative (relieves gas), and mild anti-inflammatory.
- Teething pain: Chamomile helps reduce gum inflammation and fussiness. You can make a strong tea, soak a clean cloth or pacifier, and chill it before letting the baby chew.
- Tummy upsets: A warm cup of chamomile tea after meals helps relieve gas, bloating, or mild cramping.
- Bedtime routine: Chamomile tea about 30 minutes before bed helps relax the body and mind.
- Irritated eyes: Cooled chamomile tea bags placed on closed eyes can reduce puffiness or eye irritation (especially during allergy season).
How to use:
Mild tea (1 tsp dried flowers per cup of hot water, steep 5–10 minutes).
For babies: use a cooled, diluted tea (1 tsp tea to 2–3 oz water), and offer in small amounts via dropper or bottle.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon Balm is a gentle nervine and antiviral herb that shines when children are overstimulated, anxious, or emotionally overwhelmed. It has a mild lemony flavor that most kids love.
- Separation anxiety, bedtime fears, or school stress: It gently relaxes the nervous system without making kids sleepy or dull.
- Overstimulation or hyperactivity: It helps regulate mood and calms the mind—especially after a long day, screen time, or a sugar crash.
- Cold sores or viral infections: Lemon Balm has antiviral properties that can be helpful when applied topically or taken internally.
How to use:
In tea or glycerite form (glycerites are sweet, alcohol-free tinctures ideal for children).
Blend with chamomile or peppermint for a calming and tasty tea.
Fresh leaves can also be made into popsicles with honey and lemon juice for a soothing summer treat.
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Elderberries are rich in antioxidants and immune-boosting compounds. They’ve been shown to help prevent and shorten the duration of colds and flu—especially when taken at the first sign of symptoms.
- Daily immune support: Taken as a syrup, elderberry is an enjoyable part of a child’s morning or bedtime routine during cold season.
- Sick day remedy: It’s helpful when kids show early signs of a cold, sore throat, sniffles, or fatigue.
- Allergy season support: Its anti-inflammatory properties may help ease mild allergy symptoms.
How to use:
As a syrup (homemade or store-bought). Combine with honey (for kids over 1) and warming spices like cinnamon and clove.
In gummies or lollipops for picky eaters.
Use dried elderberries to make your own infusion or tea, but always cook the berries as raw elderberries can be toxic.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Fennel seeds are naturally sweet and soothing to the digestive tract. It’s a gentle carminative, which means it helps relieve gas, bloating, and cramping—perfect for babies and toddlers.
- Colic and gas relief: Fennel tea is a time-tested remedy for fussy infants with gas pains.
- Constipation: Its mild laxative action can help get things moving gently.
- Tummy aches or post-meal discomfort: Great after a heavy or unfamiliar food.
How to use:
Make a light tea by crushing a few seeds and steeping in hot water for 5–10 minutes.
For infants: Offer 1–2 teaspoons of cooled tea at a time, or nursing parents can drink it themselves to pass benefits through breastmilk.
For older kids: Add a little honey and offer after meals.
Elder-friendly Herbs
With age comes wisdom—and sometimes a few extra aches and health concerns. These herbs support graceful aging, vitality, and comfort.
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)
Hawthorn is a cardiotonic herb, meaning it strengthens and supports the heart and circulatory system. It’s rich in flavonoids and antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and protect blood vessels. For older adults, it’s a trusted ally for maintaining heart health and cognitive clarity.
- Blood pressure support: Hawthorn can help regulate both high and low blood pressure by improving blood vessel tone and function.
- Circulatory health: Enhances blood flow, particularly to the extremities (helpful for cold hands/feet or varicose veins).
- Cognitive support: Improved circulation also benefits brain function. Hawthorn may help with memory, focus, and mild age-related cognitive decline.
- Emotional well-being: It’s also a gentle heart-soothing herb on an emotional level, calming grief, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm.
How to use:
Tea or tincture: A cup of Hawthorn Berry tea daily is a simple, nourishing option.
Syrup: Combine with rose hips or elderberry for a heart-and-immune-boosting syrup.
Cautions: Generally safe, but should be used under supervision if someone is on heart or blood pressure medications.
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Nettle is often called a “superfood herb” because it’s so incredibly nutrient-dense. It contains calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, chlorophyll, and silica, all essential for strong bones, good kidney function, and overall vitality in aging bodies.
- Joint support: The minerals in nettle nourish connective tissue and reduce inflammation in arthritis or stiff joints.
- Kidney health & detox: Nettle gently stimulates kidney function and helps flush metabolic waste.
- Energy & resilience: Nettle’s deep nutrition helps replenish depleted reserves, especially in elders who are tired or run-down.
- Hair & skin: Its high mineral content also supports healthy skin, nails, and hair.
How to use:
Tea infusion: Steep dried nettle leaves for 4–8 hours (overnight works great!) for a mineral-rich tonic.
Culinary use: Add to soups, stews, or broths—like spinach with a vitamin boost.
Capsules or tincture: For more convenience, especially if brewing tea isn’t accessible.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Turmeric is a well-known anti-inflammatory herb, ideal for elders managing arthritis, chronic pain, or inflammation-related conditions. It also supports liver function, digestion, and even mood.
- Arthritis & joint pain: Turmeric helps reduce inflammation and stiffness in joints, improving mobility and comfort.
- Brain & mood support: Research suggests it may protect brain cells and support mood by reducing neuroinflammation.
- Liver & digestion: Stimulates bile flow, which supports healthy digestion and detoxification.
- Immune support: Its antioxidant properties help keep the immune system resilient.
How to use:
Golden milk: A classic Ayurvedic drink made with turmeric, black pepper, and milk (or nut milk). Add ghee or coconut oil for better absorption.
Capsules or tinctures: Effective and easy for elders with digestive or mobility challenges.
Cooking: Incorporate into meals, soups, curries, stir-fries, for ongoing benefit.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Ashwagandha is a gentle adaptogen, meaning it helps the body adapt to stress and restore balance. It’s particularly well-suited to elders dealing with fatigue, sleep issues, anxiety, or low mood, all common in the aging process.
- Energy and vitality: Supports the adrenal system, helping to combat chronic fatigue or burnout.
- Better sleep: Helps reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and supports deeper, more restorative sleep.
- Mood & cognitive support: Balances mood, improves focus, and may even protect against age-related cognitive decline.
- Muscle & bone strength: Some studies show it can help with muscle mass and bone density in elders.
How to use:
Powder: Traditionally mixed with warm milk and honey at night (can use plant milk).
Capsules or tincture: Convenient and effective, especially for consistent daily use.
With food: Ashwagandha is best taken with food to prevent digestive discomfort.
Everyday Herbs for All Ages
These are the herbs you’ll reach for again and again. They’re safe, effective, and multi-purpose which means they’re just as useful in a toddler’s first-aid kit as they are in an elder’s wellness routine. Here’s how to make the most of them:
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
Peppermint is an herb that awakens the body and mind. It’s most well-known as a digestive aid, but it also helps with headaches, mental fatigue, fevers, and congestion. It’s stimulating and cooling, perfect when you need clarity, relief, or a little energy boost.
- Digestive relief: Helps ease bloating, nausea, gas, and indigestion. Safe for kids with upset tummies or elders with sluggish digestion.
- Headaches: Apply diluted peppermint essential oil to temples for tension headaches. (Not for babies—use with caution in young children.)
- Fevers or overheating: Peppermint tea or a cool peppermint foot bath helps regulate body temperature.
- Congestion relief: Peppermint steam or tea helps open nasal passages and relieve sinus pressure.
How to use:
Tea: Steep 1 tsp dried peppermint in hot water for 10 minutes. Cool for little ones.
Essential oil: Always dilute properly (e.g., 1 drop in 1 tsp carrier oil) before topical use.
Inhalation: Add a few drops of peppermint oil to a bowl of hot water, cover your head with a towel, and inhale deeply.
Caution: Peppermint essential oil is potent and should not be used near the faces of infants or very young children. The tea is safe when cooled and diluted.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Calendula is like sunshine in flower form. It’s gentle yet powerful, with a wide range of uses. This herb is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and lymph-moving. It’s most famous for skin care, but also supports gut health and wound healing.
- Skin healing: Use for diaper rash, cuts, scrapes, eczema, or chapped skin. Great for older skin that’s thinning or healing slowly.
- Mouth & gum health: Calendula tea is wonderful as a mouth rinse for canker sores or gingivitis.
- Lymphatic system support: Helps gently move and detox the lymph system, great for mild swelling or recovery from illness.
- Gut inflammation: Drinking calendula tea can soothe the lining of the gut, supporting digestion and healing from leaky gut or ulcers.
How to use:
Salve or cream: Make or buy a calendula-infused oil and blend with beeswax for a healing salve.
Tea or infusion: Steep dried flowers in hot water, beautiful and mild, with a slightly earthy taste.
Baths: Add calendula flowers to bath water to soothe irritated skin or diaper rash.
Glycerite: Sweet, alcohol-free tincture safe for kids.
Safe for: Infants, toddlers, adults, elders, even pets!
Plantain (Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata)
Plantain is one of those “backyard weeds” that herbalists treasure. It’s a drawing herb, meaning it pulls toxins, splinters, and infection out of the skin and a soothing herb for the gut, lungs, and skin. It’s cooling, moistening, and restorative.
- Bug bites, bee stings, splinters: Chew a fresh leaf and apply it directly (yes, spit poultices are a thing!). Plantain draws out toxins and calms inflammation.
- Minor cuts and scrapes: Helps stop bleeding and prevent infection.
- Diaper rash or eczema: Plantain-infused oil or salve soothes irritated skin.
- Gut health: When taken internally, plantain coats and soothes the mucous membranes of the digestive tract—great for acid reflux or leaky gut.
- Respiratory health: Supports mucus membrane health in the lungs and can help with dry coughs or bronchial irritation.
How to use:
Fresh leaf poultice: Crush or chew a leaf and apply directly to the skin.
Salve: Combine plantain-infused oil with beeswax, apply to itchy skin, wounds, or dry spots.
Tea: Drink a mild infusion for digestive issues.
Baths: Add dried leaves to a muslin bag and steep in bathwater for all-over skin soothing.
Ways to Incorporate Herbs for the Whole Family
Incorporating herbs into your family’s routine doesn’t have to be complicated or bitter. Here are some fun and effective methods:
Herbal Teas – Great for hydration and soothing rituals. Let kids pick their own "tea blend" to make it interactive.
Honey Infusions – Combine dried herbs with local honey for a sweet and medicinal treat. Perfect for sore throats and daily immune support.
Salves & Oils – Topical applications like calendula or plantain salves are easy for kids and elders alike. Great for cuts, scrapes, and dry skin.
Baths – Herbal baths with chamomile, lavender, or calendula are relaxing and gently therapeutic for all ages.
Glycerites – Sweet, alcohol-free tinctures that are perfect for children or anyone avoiding alcohol. They can be taken straight or added to water or juice.