Ten Great Ways for Medical Herbal Preparations

Introduction to Medical Herbal Preparations

We have been using herbs in our society for thousands of years for everything from culinary purposes to medicinal use. The curative and self-care properties of herbs far outdates todays modern pharmaceuticals. My favorite part of herbal remedies is that you can grow most right in your back yard, or even in your house. Various medical herbal preparations are basically a medicine cabinet at your fingertips.

When I first started looking into herbs and there uses, I was very surprised by how many plants have medicinal benefits. If you are researching medical herbal preparation and their use, you will find that there are differences between historical use and modern day suggested use. Historically herbs used for health and wellness were also linked with magical lore and ritualistic or religious beliefs. Luckily, we have made many advancements in society since then. We now have proven and sound evidence for many medical properties herbs and other plants have.

I was also amazed at how many ways we have utilized herbs and how we prepared them for use. There are so many herbal applications to explore. There are several different well-known ways to make herbal preparations for medicinal use that humans have been using for ages. This guide will help define a few of these preparations along with a bit of background. While this is not an all-inclusive list below are handful well known medical herbal preparations:

• Balms
• Creams and Lotions
• Decoctions
• Infused Oils
• Liniment
• Poultices
• Powders and Capsules
• Salves
• Teas and Infusions
• Tinctures and Tonic Wines

See the below article for a great list of equipment you may find useful to keep in your kitchen for making your medical herbal preparations:

Understanding Medical Herbal Preparations

Balms

Balms are a great way to moisturize your skin and they also are a great way to apply a medical herbal type or essential oil topically to your skin. A balm is a semisolid to solid mixture of an all-oil and wax formulation or an oil, wax in water emulsion. When they are applied to the skin the oil melts which makes it easily applicable. Balms can contain carrier oils, butters, waxes, small amounts of water, fragrances, herbs, or essential oils./*

The high oil and wax content balms can help to form an oily protective barrier on the skin that can help retain moisture. This property makes balms very useful for topical medicine herbal use by allowing the targeted herb to remain on the skin longer and slowly absorb over time. The oils and butters provide excellent nutrients to skin as well. Balms are great for soothing and moisturizing dry cracked skin, and for retaining moisture.

Many balms do not contain water and so may not include a preservative or will include a very mild preservative like vitamin E. Storage of such balms can be 6 months to a year depending on ingredients.  If the balm does include water, it will likely include a preservative. It is recommended that balms with water as an ingredient can last 6 months to a year depending on ingredients. It is typically recommended to store balms in airtight containers to reduce the chance of contamination. You want to be able to store your medical herbal preparations for as long as possible so keeping it contamination free is a good thing.

Creams and Lotions

We are all familiar with using lotion to moisturize our skin. While they tend to be used for skin rehydration, they can also be used to improve dry and aging skin, minor skin irritations and other medicinal purposes.  Lotions and Creams are emulsification of water and oils and are used as topical cooling and soothing moisturizers. The higher water content helps to absorb into skin fairly quickly. They are very condition and provide quick nutrients to the skin. This quick absorption makes them very useful for conditions that require quick relief.

Creams tend to have a little less water in them than lotions which make creams thicker. The oils form a cream that will remain on the skin surface a little longer than lotions making them a bit more moisturizing and perfect for people that have dry skin. Herbal infused water and oils can be used to target creams and lotions to specific skin conditions. Making your own lotion is very easy and fun making this a nice additional to your medical herbal preparations.

Check out an easy recipe for making homemade lotion, just click the link provided:

Due to the water content in creams and lotions, most will contain a preservative to help lengthen the shelf life. Homemade products with preservatives can typically last 6 month to a year. It is typically recommended to store them in airtight containers to reduce chance of contamination.

Decoctions

Decoctions are a great way to pull out essential chemicals, minerals, oils and compounds from herbs. Most decoctions involve crushing or grinding the herb prior to boiling them. This process helps to pull out the compounds from herbs that are being prepared. This method works on tough parts of herbs such as the root, stems or bark.

Once a decoction is made the remaining herbal pulp can be used in poultices and the remaining concentrated herbal water can be used as is or for adding to syrups, lotions and other water based medical herb preparations.

Decoctions are typically prepared just prior to use due to their short storage life. Most are storable in the fridge up to a week in an airtight container. However, many sites recommend use within 42 hours. There are ways to lengthen the shelf life by freezing the preparations, but once thawed the same week or less storage time will apply.

Infused Oils

Infusing an oil is the process of infusing an herb to transfer fat soluble compounds such as scent, flavor and other active constituents to the base oil. The process may include crushing the herb before introduction into the base oil or the herb may be placed in whole. The idea is for the oil to provide the benefit of itself and of the herbal properties infused within it. They can be made to help alleviate various skin conditions and to condition and smooth skin.

The infusion process may involve heating and simmering the base oil and herb this is known as a hot infused oil. There are many herbs that do very well with a heat infusion. A cold infusion is a slow process and takes longer to make as it involves heating the oil by the sun and infusion over several weeks.  This process is very useful for more delicate herbs.

Infused oils can be taken internally depending on infusion, they can be for immediate topical use or as an additive to salves, balms, lotions and other medical preparations. Storage of concoctions can be 6 months to a year at room temperature in an airtight container. The storage time can be longer if refrigerated or frozen.

Liniments

Liniments are typically liquid topical ointments for the skin made of a solvent such as witches hazel or alcohol base which contain extracted herbal components. There are oil-based lineaments as well. The alcohol or solvent tend to absorb very quickly allowing for a very quick application of the targeted medical benefit. Application of liniments to the skin help smooth and comfort skin, joint and muscle issues.

Preparing an herbal liniment can take time, 4 – 8 weeks, to extract out the needed herbal constituents. Luckily one of the benefit of liniments is the long storage life being anywhere from 2 years to 5 years if not longer at room temperature in an airtight container. This is due to the high alcohol content. Storage can be for up to several years if frozen. Due to the longer storage life, it is recommended to store in glass non leachable containers. The long shelf life makes liniments a very good candidate for adding to a first aid kit.

Powders and Capsules

Dried powdered or crushed herbs are a useful way for us to add an herb to many different products. We have been known to use this form of preparation in culinary preparations as spices and herbs, however this form can also be utilized for medical purposes. Adding the dried herb to a bath or a tea are good examples. You can also take dried herbs that have been encased in a capsule and taken internally.

A great benefit of powdered or crushed herbs are that taking it in this form means you are taking a very potent dose in comparison with other diluted herbal preparations. This means in a powder form you don’t need to take as much to reap the benefit of the herb. Herbal capsules are typically taken with water to help in diluting the herb in your body for ingestion.

Preparing capsules can easily be done at home. You can dry your own herbs by using a dehydrator or if done properly they can be dried by placing them in a warm well-ventilated area. After the herb is dried you can powder or crush the herb and manually fill your capsules. They also sell equipment to help this process.

Drying herbs is a great way to extend the shelf life of a fresh plant. Fresh herbs and plants contain 65-75% water which can be a breeding ground for molds and bacterial growth. Drying an herb removes this water content which reduces the chance of contamination.  Shelf life of dried herbs can be 6 months to 4 years and is dependent on the type of herb. Store the dried herbal form in an airtight glass container which can be stored in a cool dark storage area.

Poultices

A poultice is a compress used to apply to the skin to sooth and treat various skin ailments. This can be made a paste or fresh crushed herbs applied to the affected area. A poultice can also be made of a cloth soaked in a herbal infusion. This preparation has been used to treat nerve and muscle pain, to sooth broke bones or sprains, bug bites and even to help an infected wound. A poultice can be made hot or cold.

Ingredients used for a poultice can vary greatly, they can be made from an herbal concoction, fresh foods such as an onion, salt-based mixtures, or even clay. The ingredient type is dependent on the outcome of the application.  The fabric for a poultice can be any type of cloth. However, many will use a more natural material such as cheesecloths, linens, bandages, or even reusable muslin bags. Many common liquids used to make a poultice mixture are base oils, honey, milk, water, and vinegar. There are of course many more and can be researched and used as needed.

Poultices can take a bit to prepare, but the application can be left on for a few minutes or up to a few days depending on the ingredients and application.  It is recommended to use a fresh poultice but a poultice can be stored in a fridge for a few days. Just as any product made from water or a liquid a poultice is susceptible to mold and bacterial growth.

Salves

Salves are very similar to balms in that they have a high oil content, however, they include less wax, so they are less dense than balms are. They tend to be made from herb infused oils mixed with a bit of wax to thicken them a bit. There is not typically any water included in a salve which makes them a great moisturizer. The wax and oils help to lock in moisture and form a protective barrier on the skin which help to heal and protect the skin. Application can be for dry chapped skin, sun burns, and even rashes.

Salves are made from a base carrier oil such as coconut oil or sweet almond oil, butters and selected herb. There are a good number of carrier oils to select from. A longer lasting oil is preferred to extend the life of your salve. Many times, the selected oil will be infused with the herb that can aid in the medicinal use. The waxes, oils, butters and herb(s) are melted together to create the salve.

A salve can last a bit as you only need to apply a small amount to the affected area. Homemade salves can last 6 months up to a year and even longer if there is an added preservative. You can store a salve in the refrigerator to extend the shelf-life. Storage should be in an air-tight container such as a tin or jar and stored in a cool dark area.

Teas and Infusions

Who has not had a tea or infusion at one point in their life? Tea and infusions are water-based diffusions of an herb, or spice mixture. The beverages are very well-known and a traditional way of making medical herbal preparations. The purpose of the drink is to pull out minerals, vitamins and other healthy constituents from the herbs used to make the tea or infusion. They have been used to treat a good number of ailments and provide important nutrients and health benefits.

Both teas and infusions are easy to prepare and once made can be used for ingestion, mouth washes, steam inhalation, sprays, for poultices or for addition to other water-based product. There is a slight difference between a tea and an infusion. A tea is a short infusion made by steeping an herb or herbs in water for a short period of time. An infusion is also allowing the herb or herbs to steep or marinate in hot or cold water but for longer periods of time, making a more concentrated beverage.

Generally, teas and infusions are prepared for immediate use. They can be stored in the fridge for a few days but just like any water-based product molds and bacteria will start to grow over time. Preparations of dried herbal leaves used for infusions can store for 1 to 4 years if stored properly. They may even last longer if frozen.

Tinctures and Tonic Wines

Tinctures are alcohol or vinegar-based infusions, very similar to liniments however they can be ingested. They are made by soaking the herb in the vinegar or alcohol base which allows the compounds from the herb to be extracted and infused into the base. Tonic wines are very similar here however the alcohol type used is wine. The resulting mixture is very concentrated and tends to have a long shelf life making them great for first aid kits and medicine cabinets.

Making tinctures and tonic wines can take several weeks to allow the full beneficial portions of the herb to be extracted into the mixture. While there are many types of alcohol used, vodka, brandy and rum are very popular choices. When it comes to tinctures a little goes a long way. Many choose to dilute the tincture before use to improve taste, but it can be taken concentrated. You can also take it with honey or a lemon or other edible way.

Tinctures can last a very long time up to several years refrigerated and even longer if frozen. It is important to store your tincture in a dark airtight container that will not leach due to the high alcohol content, such as glass. Vinegar based tinctures have a much shorter shelf life of 3 to 6 months refrigerated. Tonic wines may last only a few months or up to a few years and are dependent on what herbs are used.

Final Thoughts on Medical Herbal Preparations

As a safety side note, it is important to mention that there are precautions that should be researched before preparing and using herbal medicines. Serious ailments need to be addressed with your physician and monitored. Herbal remedies can go hand in hand with you physicians’ medical treatments. Just as modern-day prescriptions have dosing and side effects, medical herbs have the same types of provision. Most common herbs are very safe for use in moderation. We all react differently to medicines, foods, and herbs so doing your research and seeking guidance from a trained practitioner can help reduce risks.

There are many more different herbal preparations that can be made. As you are exploring the topic have fun and experiment with what form you enjoy and are comfortable taking. You can look up a lot of how to articles that go into a lot more detail on each preparation. I hope you enjoyed learning about a handful out of many forms of herbal preparation for medicinal use. I also hope the article inspires you to continue looking into benefit of living more naturally.