SW Herb

Specializing in medicinal herbs, SW Herb is a fun store to explore. When you walk in the door there is a certain coziness about it.
What immediately caught my eye were the large glass jars of various bulk herbs lining the wall. They have nearly every imaginable type ready for purchase and sold by the ounce. On the display helves, you will find already pre-​packaged herbal teas for various ailments. Each product has a label listing the ingredients so you know what exactly you are putting into your system.
As you walk into the smaller room to the right you will find a fair amount of books of herbal remedies and uses for sale. If you are into making your own remedies, they have all the supplies you will need for your creations. SW Herbs also carries an herb additive for pet food, so it seems every member of the family can find something here.
The two owners Kathy and Madalyn are such a power team. Kathy has over 25 years of experience in herbalism. She genuinely has a passion about health and well being. So when you come to her for help she will give you her full attention. I was honored to take her herbal certification in the Spring of this year. What an amazing experience. I have been to my share of dull/​boring classes but Kathy and Madalyn keep it fun and interesting. In addition to learning about each herb and what medicinal properties they have, she tells stories from her own experiences. Some serious and some that will make you laugh and even blush! Classes are hands on. You get to sample yummy snacks Madalyn creates using herbs that are discussed in each class. You will watch demonstrate how to make ointments, salves, lip balms, and tinctures. After the each demo all students have the opportunity to make their own.
This shop is a true gem! What a gift to the East valley.

They have a wide range of herbs for teas and tinctures. Space is very clean and welcoming, staff is helpful and friendly.
I tried two of their herbal classes and while they were informative, we didn’t really do much nor did the instructor provide information on where some of the herbs can be grown. Instructor focused on telling stories more than providing information. Turned me off from taking the next session of classes. I’m more hands-​on and was hoping to learn how to make tinctures and such instead of sniffing herbs for two hours.
Definitely a great shop and nice to see a holistic movement in the east valley.

Bubble, double, toil and trouble…
I don’t know much about herbs and such. I do know that upon my first visit to Southwest Herb, I saw a real Witch inside!
Ok, it was the day before Halloween. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t live there all the time.
What’s nice about the store is that it has a very intimate sort of feel and the staff genuinely tries to create a personalized experience for you. Many similar stores seem to have trouble providing customer service to anyone other than their typical client… You can easily feel like a Lumberjack walking into a lingerie store.
Not the case here. I spoke to Angela, and she not only answered all my questions, but told me a whole bunch of stuff I didn’t know– AND gave me 20% with a coupon. I felt enticed to stay and chat more, but was distracted by the omnipotent fact that trees ain’t gonna just cut themselves down– and simply had to move on.
SW Herb also has a booth at the farmers market across the street, so it is a short walk between the two. The store is an extremely cool refurbished Craftsman era bungalow, located just north of Downtown Mesa, really neat stuff.
I’ll definitely be back– Although, this time I’m sticking around long enough to try the toe-​of-​frog tea.