Primer for Using Medicinal Herbs, Part 2

Essential oils are the extracted essence of an herb. They are rather pricey to purchase, but they are extremely concentrated. You need only a few drops for any application, so a 1 ounce bottle of essential oil can last a long time.

It is possible to make your own essential oils, but the volume of herb needed to produce even a smidgen of an essential oil makes this a less-than-ideal home project. It's best to find a reliable source for pure, unadulterated essential oils. If you can get organic essential oils, that much the better.

There are several online sources for essential oils:

New Directions Aromatics sells pure, undiluted, therapeutic grade essential oils. Prices are reasonable.

Mountain Rose Herbs offers a great selection of certified organic essential oils. Prices are reasonable.

Visit your local health food store or herbal store for an alternative to online shopping. They will probably have a good selection of essential oils and might be able to special order any you want that they do not normally stock.

Using Essential Oils

Essential oils should not be used for internal applications, unless you are working with a licensed professional who is qualified to use essential oils.

However, essential oils are invaluable in topical herbal health applications. Because they are so concentrated, they are able to deliver a stronger dose of an herb's medicinal qualities. Be careful with essential oils. Their very concentration also means that they can burn or even damage the skin; never apply an undiluted essential oil to the skin or take an undiluted essential oil internally, unless you have done thorough research and know that it is safe to do so. Some essential oils are fine on the skin, but many are simply too strong when undiluted.

A powder is a very simple way in which to use medicinal herbs; simply crush dried herbs to a fine consistency, and you have an herbal powder. Generally you won't use powders for making infusions, decoctions, and tinctures, because the powders are so fine they cannot be strained out of the finished product. A gritty feel in your herbal infusion does not make it more appealing.

However, powders are ideal for topical applications. They can be used for making ointments, creams, compresses, and poultices, as well as infusing oils or vinegars.

Powders are also the perfect method of creating herbal capsules to take internally. Making capsules at home is not a complicated process; you need a few simple tools, empty capsules, and high quality herbs. The box below gives step-by-step directions.

Start with the finest, organic, freshest dried herbs you can purchase. The herbs need to be dried in order to be made into a powder, but you don't want dried herbs that have been sitting in the store room for the last five years. If you have fresh herbs, dry your own. Otherwise, purchase the finest quality dried herbs from a reputable source.

You will need the following supplies:

Mortar and pestle, coffee grinder, or blender

Empty capsules

If you're interested, you could also look into purchasing a Capsule Filler and Tamper or Capsule Filling Machine. This is entirely optional, however. A Capsule Filler/Tamper (average cost from $20 to $35) simply provides a tray to hold empty capsules and a method for tamping down the contents in one motion. A Capsule Filling Machine automates the process (average cost from $60 to $100 for smaller models).

Method:

Pulverize the dried herb to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle, blender, or coffee grinder. Work in small batches.

Pour the powdered herb into a clean, large, shallow dish. Dip the larger half the empty capsule into the powdered herb and hold with one hand. Use your other hand to insert the smaller half of the capsule into the larger half. Shake to distribute the herb. Bottle and label the capsules.

Remember:

It takes a few tries before you get the hang of it, so don't get discouraged. You'll get into a rhythm as you go.

Herbs start releasing their medicinal properties once powdered, so powder the herbs just before you fill the capsules, and don't make a huge supply. Make enough for a month or so, and then refresh your supply with fresh herbs so that you are getting the full potency.

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