Welcome back to another blog which is way overdue. With the opening of our Herbal Apothecary in November- Grassland Apothecary on the horizon we wanted to put out a detailed blog to help you start incorporating tinctures into your daily life. We are going to attempt to add as much information about our tinctures specifically and how to take them when to take them, dosages, alcohol content, and so much more. These tips and steps can apply to other tinctures also in many different ways but we will be using our specific products as a frame of reference. This way our customers know where to go before they purchase or if they aren't sure about how to use alcohol-based tinctures. Lets get started!
BEFORE YOU TAKE ANYTHING
Before you put any herb filled alcohol drops into your body, we want you to think about why you are taking this herbal supplement. Go through this step to prepare your mind to be more aware of your body and how its reacting.
This is also where you sort out your "whys" and recognize what your need is at this point in time. Using herbal medicine is so much more than matching your symptoms with one benefit of any given herb. There is nothing wrong with starting out that way but remember using herbs for their medicinal benefits means we are using the whole plant which has the capability to support more issues we may have than just one. For example, Lavender is calming, so im stressed im going to take it because it is calming. Friend, Lavender is so much more than calming, it is working with a whole list of energetics and actions. Its possible it may not be the best fit for what you need too.
Lets say if you are suffering from mood issues/mental issues and you are taking something specifically for this issue here's what you want to do: Take notes every time you take a dose or herbal concoction of any kind take a mental note or a written note of how you feel. Pay attention to how your body is responding or not responding. Whether there was a positive effect right away or negative effect, or no effect. Then take note of the culminative effect over time. How does your mood feel then?
Take note of any other effects you are experiencing for example like more energy or more tired, less allergies, less indigestion, more focus, less mental heaviness, and your ability to cope with stress., or faster to fall asleep. These are all things we should be paying attention to in our bodies.
Remember not all herbs are going to have the same effect on everyone, you may not have feel any of the supposed benefits that many other people do while taking that type of herb. It doesn't mean it isn't beneficial in some way just that perhaps it wasn't the right herb for your struggles. Keep this in mind as you begin incorporating any herbal remedy into your life.
OUR TINCTURES, ALCOHOL OR NOT?
What's a tincture? A tincture by definition is "a medicine made by dissolving a drug in alcohol". An alcohol-based maceration is an official tincture, and any other solvent is technically not a tincture. Other solvents can defintitly be used instead of alcohol like glycerin or vinegar but they arent going to be as effective as alcohol in extracting the consituents and medicinal benefits of the plant. They are instead called glycerites or extracts.
Why would you not want to use an alcohol based tincture? I don't know! that's a great question, say if you struggled with alcoholism and the thought of using an alcohol tincture is triggering for you, or you just hate the taste of alcohol and cant stomach it even diluted. If it goes against your religion or beliefs. There can be many reason for not using an alcohol-based tincture. Whatever they are make sure you are comfortable taking an alcohol-based tincture.
Our tinctures are all made with high grain alcohol. Everclear brand which is made from corn. A lot of people in the herbal realm have a lot to say about using Everclear for herbal medicine. Here are the reasons we choose to use that type of alcohol:
🌿Its widely and readily available in our area at an EXTREMELY affordable price. If we were to source a completely organic high grain ethanol alcohol it would extremely expensive and drive up the costs for us and the consumer. We can't buy it locally and online is $200+ for less than a gallon with shipping. Not realistic. That would make our tinctures double or triple the cost for the customer.
🌿 It's the highest proof available over the counter. We need higher proofs for certain plant materials like roots, bark, and resins.
🌿 Non organic or not GMO is not an issue or necessary in our opinion when consuming only drops of tincture a day. It's a personal preference. Everclear is Gluten Free though as its derived from corn.
🌿We have the flexibility of extracting everything from resins, roots, barks, AND fresh plant material, dried herbs, and flowers with Everclear. We wouldnt have that with a lower proof alcohol like 100 proof vodka.
TAKING YOUR TINCTURE
Once you've decided on a tincture you want to try, its important to read the label and look at the dosage and the recommended amounts, most of our tinctures have the dosages labeled. The thing with taking tinctures is that they can be subjective when it comes to dosages and completely fine when more than the recommended amount is taken. Its dependent on the person and how they react.
Most plants have great safety profiles, and we wouldn't be selling something that could cause harm if mishandled or taken the wrong way. We've personally taken our tinctures above all of their recommended dosage rates and had no issues. Legally though to be safe we have taken a very conservative approach to ensure they aren't abused, or that any bad reactions don't occur.
As a consumer we cannot stress enough to read the full product description, which will include any contraindications or cautions. All the information on those things WILL BE IN THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION. All herbal supplements out there should be including those things. If its bare bones with very little information, then tread lightly. Any good practicing herbalist will include all information pertinent to the customer to cover themselves legally.
Information such as contraindications (those who shouldn't take this supplement i.e pregnant/nursing, or those on blood pressure medications), correct dosages with complete mg information, full list of ingredients with correct latin names of plants in order, length of time to take supplement, expiration dates, and contact information should be visible on label.
FIRST TAKING THE TINCTURE
If you are completely new to this and nervous then start with a teeny tiny amount and see how you feel. Start with 1-5 drops for several days, then move up to a full dropper which is around 28-30 drops. Then the next couple days move up to a full dose and all the while taking note and keeping track of how you feel and the way your body is reacting. If applicable increase the dosage every couple days, eventually going to the max dose and seeing how you react to it.
Now this isnt always necessary, you can take a full regular dose for your first dose and have no issues, but if you aren't sure, are nervous, unsure of how you will react then start slow. You can even take a tiny dose, then wait a couple hours then take another smaller dose until you are confident you arent going to have any reactions.
****If you see sediment on the bottom of your tincture thats ok! Its normal that is the water soluble constituents settling on the bottom. Be sure to shake all that up before you take your tincture!****
LENGTH OF TIME TAKING THE TINCTURES
How long are you supposed to take your tincture? If you ask any herbalist this you may get 20 different answers, it truly depends on the herb itself. Some herbs have strictly very short usage times. This is because using them longer than directed can have negative consequences on our health. Take Creosote for example, using this herb for longer than a week or two internally has shown to potentially cause liver damage. This is why its usually recommended to only take under the direction of an experienced herbalist and only for a very short window. Another herb that can potentially cause internal damage is comfrey. This is why its absolutely prohibited taking internally and only used topically.
Taking tinctures is not difficult and thankfully most herbs are safe even when taken longer than directed.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
It's important to not only read the product description for mentioned contraindications which essentially means pharmaceuticals, or any conditions like diabetes or being pregnant that could interfere or be affected with the herb you are taking. We have listed any contraindications on each product description. It's still important to talk to your doctor as well if you aren't sure and to do your own personal research on any given herbal supplement you want to take.
We hope this somewhat brief breakdown of taking tinctures has helped clear any confusion up. If you arent sure about taking any given tincture whether its ours or another businesses you can reach out to us at hello@grasslandbeauty.com.
Signing off Jennifer