Summer’s heat can leave our lymphatic system feeling sluggish and overwhelmed. While our bodies work overtime to stay cool and process increased environmental toxins, our lymph system (a vital network of vessels and nodes responsible for clearing cellular waste) needs extra support to maintain its natural flow. Here’s a great summer detox, the natural way.
This gentle herbal blend combines the most effective lymphatic herbs from traditional herbalism into one refreshing, cooling tea. Each ingredient works synergistically to support your body’s natural detoxification pathways, reduce inflammation, and restore that light, clear feeling we crave during the warmer months.
Whether you’re dealing with summer puffiness, skin congestion, or simply want to give your lymphatic system some love, this tea offers a delicious way to support your body’s natural cleaning processes from the inside out.
Summer Lymphatic Support Tea Blend
A gentle, floral-green herbal tea for clarity, movement, and deep cellular summer detox
Ingredients (dried herbs):
- 2 parts cleavers (Galium aparine) – lymph mover, cooling
- 1 part red clover blossoms (Trifolium pratense) – alterative, skin/lymph tonic
- 1 part nettle leaf (Urtica dioica) – mineral-rich, nourishing
- ½ part violet leaf (Viola odorata) – moistening, heart-softening lymph mover
- ¼ part ginger root (Zingiber officinale) – gentle stimulant to enhance circulation
- ¼ part lemon peel – lymph drainage and bright flavor
- Pinch of spearmint or lemongrass – for taste and digestive lift
🌿 Preparation:
Mix herbs and store in an airtight jar away from light. Use 1 heaping tablespoon per 12 oz. boiling water. Steep covered for 5-7 minutes. Strain and drink warm or at room temperature, ideally 2–3 cups daily for 1–2 weeks.
Perfect as a cooling summer ritual—try it iced with fresh mint for the ultimate refreshing detox experience!
5 Herbs for Your Summer Detox
Summer heat puts extra stress on your lymphatic system—the body’s natural drainage network that clears toxins and maintains immune balance. When temperatures rise, your lymph can become sluggish, leading to puffiness, skin issues, and that heavy, congested feeling despite being active outdoors.
Your lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump like your heart, so it relies on movement, hydration, and the right herbal support to keep flowing smoothly. Summer’s increased sweating, sun exposure, and environmental toxins mean your lymph needs extra love to stay clear and flowing.
These five cooling herbs work synergistically to support lymphatic drainage, reduce inflammation, and help your body’s natural detox processes thrive—even in the heat.
Cleavers: For Clearing Out The Pipes
Cleavers (Gallium aparine) is a cooling springtime herb that continues to thrive into early summer, often overlooked as a garden weed. It has thin, finger-like leaves with tiny hairs that cling to fur and clothing. As an “alterative” herb, cleavers helps restore proper function to the body and promotes elimination of waste and toxins through our major channels: liver, lymph, kidneys, skin, and lungs.
Cleavers are particularly valuable as a “lymphatic” herb because they’re high in coumarins, which stimulate lymphatic vessel wall contractions, leading to faster and more complete waste elimination through the kidneys. This cooling herb can alleviate summer skin issues, bloating, kidney and bladder concerns, and support immune function during heat stress.
For additional kidney and urinary tract support during your summer detox, consider our Urinary Tract & Kidney Bladder Support Tincture (Soothing Stream), which complements cleavers’ natural drainage properties.
Fresh cleavers may be ingested as a cooling juice, prepared as a refreshing cold infusion, or taken as a tincture.
Red Clover: For Cleansing the Blood
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is a gentle yet powerful cooling herb with the ability to filter and carry toxins out of the bloodstream. Its abundant reddish-purple blooms continue to flourish throughout summer in lawns and fields. Red Clover has a tonic action on the lymphatic system and helps eliminate waste through gentle diuretic action—perfect for summer’s increased fluid needs.
Red Clover stimulates liver function, encouraging bile production and supporting the body’s natural detoxification during the metabolically active summer months. Its phytoestrogenic properties can help regulate hormones that may fluctuate due to heat stress and increased activity levels. This cooling action, combined with blood cleansing and lymphatic support, makes Red Clover excellent for summer detox and has a noticeable clearing effect on heat-related skin complaints. Red Clover may be enjoyed as a cooling infusion or taken as a tincture.
Nettle: As a Cooling Antihistamine
Nettle (Urtica dioica), also known as “Stinging Nettle,” remains an herbalist’s indispensable ally throughout summer, providing cooling nutrition when we need it most. While the sting might seem contradictory to summer comfort, the plant’s antihistamine action actually helps cool inflammation!
Nettles are exceptionally rich in minerals and vitamins—calcium, iron, chlorophyll, boron, and vitamin A—which we lose through summer sweating and increased activity. Studies show that Nettle tea can supply 90-100% of dietary vitamin A. Nettles provide gentle diuretic support to help kidneys process the increased fluid intake needed during hot weather. Their potent antihistamine action helps soothe heat-induced inflammation and calm overactive immune responses triggered by summer allergens.
Nettles can address summer-specific issues like heat rash, excessive sweating, seasonal allergies, and overheating. Enjoy Nettles as a cooling pesto, in chilled soups, as a refreshing cold infusion, or as a tincture.
Dandelion: For Liver and Digestive Cooling
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) continue to be abundant throughout summer, thriving everywhere from sidewalk cracks to backyards. These resilient “weeds” are cooling masters of detoxification, perfect for supporting our bodies during the metabolically intense summer season.
The whole plant supports summer wellness: flowers are high in antioxidants to combat summer’s oxidative stress, while young leaves picked in early morning provide cooling bitterness rich in potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, B, and C. The leaf’s bitterness stimulates liver and gallbladder function, crucial for processing the increased metabolic demands of summer activity.
The root contains cooling inulin, which feeds beneficial gut bacteria and provides tonic support to digestive organs that may be stressed by summer heat and dietary changes. When your digestive system needs extra support during detox, our Joyful Belly Gut Calming Tincture works beautifully alongside dandelion to soothe and restore digestive balance.
Dandelion root increases bile production, helping flush waste and restore liver cells during the body’s peak detox season. Enjoy as a cooling bitter tea, in summer salads, or as a tincture.
Ground Ivy: For Heavy Metal Detox
Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea), also known as “Creeping Charlie,” is an overlooked evergreen treasure with tiny purple flowers that continues through summer. This cooling member of the mint family offers valuable support during summer’s increased environmental exposure.
Ground Ivy supports liver clearance and function while providing gentle diuretic action to help process increased summer fluid intake through the urinary tract and kidneys. As an expectorant, it helps clear summer congestion from air conditioning, pool chemicals, and environmental irritants.
Ground Ivy’s most remarkable property is its ability to gently but effectively remove lead and other heavy metals from body systems—particularly valuable during summer when we may have increased exposure to environmental toxins through outdoor activities, travel, and urban heat.
Note that Ground Ivy has mild thyroid-stimulating effects, beneficial for hypothyroidism but contraindicated for hyperthyroidism. Ground Ivy is best used as a tincture for concentrated cooling action.
Creating Your Complete Summer Detox Protocol
For those seeking a more comprehensive approach to summer detoxification, consider combining these lymphatic herbs with targeted elimination support. Our Colon Cleanse capsules provide gentle yet effective support for the body’s primary elimination pathway, working synergistically with lymphatic herbs to ensure toxins are efficiently removed from your system.
A complete summer detox protocol might include:
- Morning: Lymphatic support tea blend (recipe above)
- Midday: Kidney and urinary support with targeted tinctures
- Evening: Digestive and colon support for overnight restoration
Bonus: CBD as a Summer Antioxidant
CBD (cannabidiol) offers powerful antioxidant support particularly valuable during summer’s increased oxidative stress from sun exposure and higher activity levels. While traditional detox herbs help flush toxins, CBD assists your body’s natural process of neutralizing free radicals and cellular damage.
Summer detoxification can be particularly challenging due to heat stress, and CBD’s interaction with the immune system could help maintain balance during your cleanse. The endocannabinoid system’s gut receptors make CBD valuable for restoring digestive health from summer dietary indiscretions and environmental toxin exposure. CBD comes in various forms including tinctures that integrate easily with other summer detox herbs, taken under the tongue or added to cooling beverages.
Remember to consult with a healthcare practitioner before beginning any new herbal protocol, especially if you have existing health conditions or are taking medications.
