Herbs serve many purposes. They protect, strengthen, and soothe the body. They help relax tired muscles and invigorate sluggish systems. They stimulate taste buds and add delicious flavor to ordinary meals while supplying vitamins and minerals. The list of benefits goes on and on.

Some herbs are especially suited for use in beauty products. Natural bath salts, skin creams, facial moisturizers, cuticle lotions, and foot scrubs are fun to use. Home-made beauty treatments are effective and most of the ingredients are inexpensive.

Natural hair rinses are simple to prepare. Start with these easy recipes and experiment to see what works best for your hair type.

For normal hair simmer 1 cup fresh elderberries in a pint of water for 15-20 minutes. Strain and apply to hair. Wait 15 minutes and rinse again with vinegar water (1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup water).

For dry and processed hair add 1 teaspoon of borax to 6 pints of warm water. Add 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar and 6 drops of chamomile oil. Shampoo hair and rinse with borax mixture.

For oily hair steep 1 tablespoon mint leaves, 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, and the juice of one lemon in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Strain and rinse hair with this infusion.

For limp hair steep 1 tablespoon of rosemary in 1 cup of hot water. Add the juice of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of beer. Use as a final rinse after shampoo.

For blonde hair, rinse with equal amounts of lemon juice and water. Leave in for 15 minutes, then rinse with plain water. Infuse 4 ounces of dried chamomile flowers in 2 cups of hot water for 30 minutes. Rinse again.

For brunette hair rinse with cinnamon water. Add 4 sticks of cinnamon to 1 cup boiling water. Leave to cool and apply to freshly washed hair.

For red hair rinse in the cooking water left over from boiling fresh beets. Rinse again with red wine.

For black or dark brown hair simmer 1 ounce of sage leaves in 1 quart of water for 30 minutes. Steep for another hour and apply to hair. Leave on for 30 minutes and rinse again in plain water.

For itchy scalp prepare this rinse. Bring 2 cups of water to almost boiling, add 2 ounces of fresh nettle tops. Remove from heat and steep for 15 minutes. Apply to clean hair and scalp. (May substitute 4 teaspoons of dried nettle or 2 nettle tea bags.)

Another treatment for itchy scalp is a mixture of 2 tablespoons cider vinegar and 6 drops of chamomile oil. Pour over wet hair and massage gently. Do not rinse out. Repeat three times a week.

For dandruff try this ancient Roman hair tonic. Simmer a handful of young nettle tops in 3 pints of water for 1 or 2 hours. Add a handful of birch leaves and steep for 30 minutes. Strain and pour into a bottle or jar. Apply to hair and scalp after every shampoo. Do not rinse out.

* Always treat herbs with respect and use common sense. If irritation develops discontinue use.