Liquid Herbs

1:2 potency means that for every 1 part herb, there are 2 parts liquid used to extract its active compounds. All of our herbs are strong, concentrated herbal extracts designed to give you the benefits of the herb in a small dose. We are able to make our tinctures this potent by using a slow drip percolation method, using specialised equipment.

A tincture is a liquid extract of a herb, made by soaking plant material in a menstruum of alcohol and water. Ours are made by slow drip percolation, which draws more from the herb than simple maceration.

A spagyric is a concentrated liquid extract that brings together the essential oils, the tincture and the mineral salts of the plant. Spagyrics are more concentrated than tinctures, so less is taken at a time; follow the label.

One gram of dried herb to every two millilitres of liquid, which is the strongest ratio a tincture is commonly made at. Ours are cold-drip percolated in-house in small batches: the herb sits in the liquid and the extract is drawn slowly through it, rather than heated. A 1:2 is taken in millilitres, not drops, which is the main difference from a spagyric.

Follow the directions on the label. Most of our 1:2 liquid herbs are taken as a measured amount, a few millilitres, in a little water, one to three times a day. Hold it in the mouth for a moment or simply swallow. A spagyric is taken as drops under the tongue instead; its page says so.

Yes. Our 1:2 liquid herbs are extracted and preserved in grape ethanol, and each product's ingredient line says so. A serve is a few millilitres, so the alcohol in it is small; adding the serve to hot water and letting it stand a minute disperses much of it. If you avoid alcohol entirely, the same herb as a dried-herb tea is the better form.

A liquid herb and a botanical concentrate are the same thing: a 1:2 extract of a single herb, or of our own blends such as Damiana Delight and Blue Lily Bliss. A spagyric starts as a tincture and goes further: the spent herb is burned to ash, its mineral salts recovered and returned to the extract, and the result is taken as drops. The spagyrics have their own page explaining the method.

In use, a 50 ml bottle at a serve of 2 to 3 ml a day lasts about three weeks; at a serve twice a day, ten days or so. On the shelf, an alcohol extract keeps for years: cool, out of direct light, lid tight, and go by the best-before date on the label.

Often, yes, but it is a question about the two herbs rather than the form. Read each herb's profile for its precautions and the medications it is known to interact with. If you take medication or manage a health condition, speak with your health professional before combining herbs, and if in doubt ask us on live chat.

Some herbs are used in pregnancy and many are not, and the alcohol is a second consideration. The honest answer is herb by herb: each profile carries its own precautions. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak with your midwife, GP or pharmacist before taking any herb in any form.