Pain and Swelling Tincture

A friend expressed concern over taking Advil for her chronic back pain and was looking into a herbal solution. I suggested Ashwagandha as her pain is along the spine and  any joint related pain is often a swelling and inflammation issue. I choose the chamomile because of it's analgesic properties but also it's nervine affects. We can all use a little calm in our lives. The choice of the lemon was driven in part by the need to smooth out the flavor of the Ashwagandha. In additon, Lemon is a known to help regulate the internal ph which is often helpful in pain situations. 


1 part Ashwagandha Tincture
1 part Lemon Tincture
2 parts Chamomile Tincture

Headache Tincture

I have found that a pure lavender tincture usually will eliminate my headaches which are typically anxiety, but this tincture will help with most types of headaches. Because I have suffered with headaches for ages a lot of people in my office comes to me for headache meds. Some folks now ask for the herbal version first.

3 part Lavender tincture
1 part Passion Flower tincture
1 part Feverfew tincture

Honey Lemon Lip Balm

I love Calendula. It is lovely in so many applications and I nearly always have a batch of Calendula oil steeping because I think of it as a great all purpose skin product oil. 

This lip balm is much better than any other I've ever used. Commercial balms simply add a barrier between you lips and the environment, but this stuff really helps to heal your lips. I regularly play around with this recipe, but what you see below is simply the best to date. I prefer to spring for the little lip tubes for this because it can be a little too soft for the pot.

3 Tablespoons Calendula oil
1 Tablespoon shea butter
1 Tablespoon plus 1 tsp bees wax
1 Tablespoon Honey
20 drops lemon essential oil

To avoid wasting a lot of product your Mise en place is a must for this receipt.

In a double boiler melt the shea butter into the Calendula oil then stir in the bees wax. Once the wax is fully melted take it off the heat and add the honey. Attempt to stir the honey into the mix while giving it about 30 second to cool further before adding the lemon essential oil. Now comes the tricky part to incorporate the honey well, use an immersion blender on the mixture. This blend the honey in with the fats but it will also incorporate air and cool the mixture pretty rapidly so be prepared to "bottle" as soon at the blender comes out. The balm may form honey droplets on the surface from time to time, but I just think of that as a nice treat. 

• This recipe make about 10 lip balm tubes.

Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnate) monograph

Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnate)
Family: Passifloraceae

Herbalists have a high regard for the soothing properties of passionflower and recommend it as a general nerve tonic to treat nervous stress. The Commission E approved its use for anxiety. Passionflower is used to gently relax the mind/body to prepare for a more restful nights sleep.

Common medicinal properties:  Analgesic , Purgative, Sedative

Current Research:

Contraindications:

Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with PASSIONFLOWER

Parts Used:  Dried leaves and stems.

Constituents:  Apigenin and luteolin glycosides, vitexin, isovitexin and their c-glycosides, kaempferol, quercetin, and rutin; indole alkaloids (0.010.09%), mainly harman, harmaline, harmine; coumarin derivatives; cyanogenic glucosides (gynocardin); fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic); gum; maltol; phytosterols (stigmasterol); sugars (sucrose); and a trace of volatile oil

Folk applications:   Placed in the home to calm problems and bring peace. When carried, it attracts friends and creates popularity. Placed in a pillow it brings sleep.

Personal observations

Fresh:

Dried: 

Water infusion:

Alcohol infusion from dried:

Oil infusion:

Essential oil:

Receipts

Basic Dreamtime Blend

Irie's Mommies Dreamtime Blend

Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia) monograph

Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia)
Family: Asteraceae

Herbalists do not agree on which species is best, E.purpurea,, E. pallida, or E.angustifolia, but all variants have phytochemicals that improve the immune system.

Common medicinal properties:  * Anti-inflammatory * Antibacterial * AntiViral * Depurative * emetic * Immunostimulant

Current Research:

Common cold - Many scientific studies show that taking some echinacea products when cold symptoms are first noticed can modestly reduce symptoms of the common cold in adults. But other scientific studies show no benefit. The problem is that scientific studies have used different types of echinacea plants and different methods of preparation. Since the studies have not been consistent, it is not surprising that different studies show different results. If it helps for treating a cold, the benefit will likely be modest at best. It also isn’t clear whether echinacea can help PREVENT colds. Any benefit is likely to be modest.

Vaginal yeast infections. Taking echinacea and applying a medicated cream to the skin seems to lower the recurrence rate of infection to about 16% compared to 60.5% with econazole alone.

Contraindications:

Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) substrates) interacts with ECHINACEA

Caffeine interacts with ECHINACEA

Medications that decrease the immune system (Immunosuppressants) interacts with ECHINACEA

Parts Used:  Most often roots, stems and flowers are also used but are weaker

Constituents:  essential oil (including humulene and caryophylene), glycoside, polysaccharide, polyacetylenes, isobutylalklamines, resin, betaine, inulin, sesquiterpene.

Folk applications:  Used by American Indians as an offering to spirits to ensure and strengthen spells.

Personal observations

Fresh:

Dried: 

Water infusion:

Alcohol infusion from dried:

Oil infusion:

Essential oil:

Receipts

Basic Dreamtime Blend

Irie's Mommies Dreamtime Blend

Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis) monograph

Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis)

Family: Valerianacea

Common medicinal properties:  Adaptogens,  Anodyne ,  Antispasmodic , Aromatic , Nervine, Sedative

Current Research:

Contraindications:

Alcohol interacts with VALERIAN

Sedative medications (Benzodiazepines) interacts with VALERIAN

Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with VALERIAN

Parts Used:  Roots

Constituents:  acetic acid, ascorbic acid, beta-ionone, calcium, caffeic acid, magnesium, manganese, quercitin, valeric acid

Folk applications:  Used in protective sachets, hung in the home to guard against lightning and placed in pillows to aid in falling asleep. A sprig of the plant pinned to a women’s clothing will cause men to “Follow her like children”. The plant will calm quarrelling couples. Valerian root, powdered, is sometimes used as graveyard dirt in workings.

Personal observations

Fresh:

Dried: 

Water infusion:

Alcohol infusion from dried:

Oil infusion:

Essential oil:

Receipts

Basic Dreamtime Blend
Irie's Mommies Dreamtime Blend

Knockout Drops Ninja strength

Knockout Drops Godzilla strength

Kava Kava (Piper methysticum) monograph

Kava Kava (Piper methysticum)

Family: Piperaceae

In this shrubs native habitat, Polynesia and the Pacific Ocean Islands , natives calm down by chewing a few leaves, but the best medicine is in the roots, which can be used to make a tea. Kava is used for medicinal, religious, political, cultural and social purposes throughout the Pacific. These cultures have a great respect for the plant and place a high importance on it. 

Common medicinal properties:   Analgesic , Anodyne,  Antibacterial, Diaphoretic/sudorific,  Diuretic, Expectorant, Sedative , Stimulant

Current Research:

Anxiety - The majority of evidence shows that certain kava extracts (extracts standardized to 70% kavalactones) can lower anxiety and might work as well as prescription anti-anxiety medications called low-dose benzodiazepines. But it might take up to 8 weeks of treatment to see improvement.

Contraindications:

Kava is hard on the liver, even healthy ones. Taking kava if you already have liver disease is taking a risk.

Parts Used: rhizome

Constituents: kava lactones, kawahin, yanoginin, methysticin, glycosides

Folk applications: Drink as a protection from evil and to invite in good luck. It is a common journey inducing beverage.

Personal observations

Fresh:

Dried:

Water infusion:

Alcohol infusion from dried and ground: Cloudy color and very soapy tasting. After making this tincture I always cut it 50/50 with unsteeped alcohol for my personal recipes.

Oil infusion:

Essential oil:

Receipts

Basic Dreamtime Blend

Knockout Drops Ninja strength

Knockout Drops Godzilla strength

Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus) Monograph

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)
Family: Rosaceae

Common medicinal properties:  AntiCancer, Astringent, Diuretic, Febrifuge, Parturient, Stomachic, tonic, Uterine Tonic

Current Research:

Contraindications:

 Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Red raspberry might act like estrogen. If you have any condition that might be made worse by exposure to estrogen, don’t use red raspberry.

Parts Used:  fruit, leaves, bark

Constituents:  leaves: fragarine, tannin. fruit: sugars, citric and malic acid, vitamins a, b, c and e, pectin, volatile oil, iron, calcium, phosphorus

Folk applications:  The brambles of the raspberry plant are thought to be protective and are hung over doors and windows to protect a home.  Women also carried raspberry leaf to alleviate pains from pregnancy and child birth.

Personal observations

Fresh:

Dried: 

Water infusion:

Alcohol infusion from dried:

Oil infusion:

Essential oil:

Receipts

Peaceful Pleasure Tea

Moon Tincture

Moon Tea

Apothecary Glossary

Some terms that describe herbal medicine types and methods along with anything else I think needs some explaining.

Decoction - A method of extracting substances by boiling herbal or plant material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes . Decoction involves first mashing and then boiling in water to extract oils, volatile organic compounds and other chemical substances. This method is used only when the plant material will not yield it's virtues using a more gentle method and the loss of volatile principles is not a concern. 

Distillation - a process of separating the component substances from a liquid mixture by selective vaporization and condensation. Distillation may result in essentially complete separation (nearly pure components), or it may be a partial separation that increases the concentration of selected components of the mixture. In either case the process exploits differences in the volatility of mixture's components.

Elixir - A sweet-flavored liquid used for medicinal purposes often including alcohol. 

Infusion - The process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water,oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An infusion is also the name for the resultant liquid.

Tincture - An alcoholic extract of plant or animal material. To qualify as an alcoholic tincture, the extract should have an ethanol percentage of at least 50–120 proof. Ethanol is able to dissolve substances which are less soluble in water, while at the same time the water content can dissolve the substances less soluble in ethanol. The alcohol content also acts as a preservative. Ethanol has a tendency to denature some organic compounds, rendering them so changed as to be ineffective.


Capsules
Liniment
Lotion
Salve
compress
lozenge
Monograph

Lavender (Lavandula spp) Monograph

Lavender (Lavandula spp) 

Family: Lamiaceae

Common medicinal properties: Analgesic, AntiCancer, Antifungal,  Antioxidant,  Antiperspirant, Antirheumatic, AntiViral, Aromatic, Cardiac tonic cordial, Chlagogue, Cicatrisant, Cytophylactic, Deodorant/Perfumes, Diaporetic/Sudorific, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Hypotensive, Insect repellents, Muscle Relaxant, Nervine, Parturient, Sedative, Splenic, Vermifuge, Vulnerary

Current Research:

Migraine. Some research suggests that rubbing 2 or 3 drops of lavender oil on the upper lip, so that the vapor is inhaled, might reduce migraine pain and nausea, and help stop the headache spreading.

Contraindications:
Sedative medications (Barbiturates) interacts with LAVENDER
Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with LAVENDER

Parts Used: Flowers, leaves and stems

Constituents: volatile oil (up to 1.5%, containing linabol, linalyl acetate, lavendulyl acetate, terpinenol, cineole, camphor, borneol, pinene, limonene), tannins, coumarins (coumarin, umbelliferone, hemiarin), flavonoids, triterpenoids, rosmarinic acid

Folk applications: 
Clothing smelling of lavender attracts love (thus the drawer sachets). Rub lavender against anything you want to attract a man. It is burned or smoldered to induce peacefulness and rest.It is carried to see ghosts.

Receipts

Blues Buster
Migraine Tincture
Peaceful Pleasure Tea

Auntie Kandy's Monographs

A monograph is a specialized work of writing on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, usually by a single author. This collection is my personal work, based upon my limited studies and applications and the basis of my own personal herbal. Reading these you will note rather quickly that I am not ONLY interested in the medicinal applications of plants but also record folk and magic uses. These are works in progress so you will find many "empty" fields.

Check out my resources page for a selection of lovely professional herbalist monographs.

Chamomile
Echinacea
Feverfew
Kava Kava
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Passion Flower
Raspberry
Valerian 

Receipts

Dreamtime Tincture
Tincture to aide falling asleep.

Honey Lip Balm
A lovely lip balm to heal and sooth dry lips.

Headache Tincture
A headache tincture that will treat most types of headaches. 

Joint Support Tincture
A tincture intended for daily use of those suffering from joint pain.

Pain & Swelling Tincture
A tincture to reduce pain brought on by swelling near the bones/joints.

Peaceful Pleasure Tea
Mild soothing tea with anti-anxiety properties.

Great Expectations Tea
Nutritional supplement tea for expectant mothers or those changing diets

Tranquility Tonic 
A blended tincture to calm the mind and body

No Headache Inhaler
An essential oil inhaler to sooth a tension headache

Honey Thyme Cough Syrup (coming soon)

Travelers Defense (coming soon)



Moon Elixirs
A collection of receipts for moon magick elixirs.

Chakra Support
A collection of receipts for items that support chakra work. 

Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) Monogram

Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) 

Family: Lamiaceae

In most folk or older texts it is refereed to as "Balm". Culpeper calls it "so common" that he doesn't even offer a drawing of the plant. 

Common medicinal properties: Anodyne, Antispasmodic, AntiViral, aromatic, Cardiac Tonic Cordial, Diaphoretic, digestive, emmenogogue, Febrifuge, Hypotensive, Nervine, Sedative, Stomachic, Uterine Tonic, Vermifuge

Current Research:

Cold sores. Applying a lip balm containing 1% lemon balm extract seems to shorten healing time, prevent infection spread, and reduce symptoms of recurring cold sores.

Insomnia. Taking a lemon balm by itself or along with other ingredients might improve the length and quality of sleep in healthy people and in those with insomnia or sleeping disorders.

Contraindications:

Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interact with Lemon Balm

Parts Used: Whole herb

Constituents: volatile oils (citral, citronellal, eugenol acetate, geranoil) polyphenols, tannin, flavonoids, rosmarinic acid, triterpenoids

Folk applications: Soaked in wine and shared with a prospect to induce love. Hang upon a blade that caused a wound to make the wound stop bleeding. Included in charms to ensure success.

Personal observations

Fresh:

Dried: 

Water infusion from dried: Fruity smelling, slightly bitter, and a little soapy. 

Alcohol infusion from dried: Amber brown like dark whiskey, grassy flavored with a mildly camphorus aftertaste. 

Oil infusion:

Essential oil:

Receipts

Chill pill tea blend
Moon tea blend no 2
Cold buster tea
Protection tea
Peaceful Pleasure Tea

Peaceful Pleasure Tea

I was looking for a gentle easy to sip herbal tea that would be universally appealing and easy to make. Based upon what I had in the cabinet and what I like to sip I made the following very simple tea.

I like it best when steeped from 7 to 10 minutes.

Peaceful Pleasure Tea
2 parts Lemon Balm
2 parts Raspberry Leaves
1 part Lavender Flowers

Dreamtime Tincture

My most widely used product is the Dreamtime Tincture. The remedy is used to help a person fall asleep. It has gone through many iterations and now even has several different formulas based on the different needs. Below is the receipt for the basic tincture. 

Basic Dreamtime Blend
1/2 part Kava Kava tincture
2 part Lavender tincture
1 part Echinacea root tincture
3 part Passion Flower tincture
2 part Valerian Root Tincture

When dear Kristina was pregnant she asked for a modified version of the Dreamtime tincture to help her fall asleep. The Kava Kava mixture had always been too strong for her so we did a little experimenting and came up with this lovely mild blend that worked well.

Irie's Mommies Dreamtime Blend
1 part Echinacea root tincture
1 part Lemon Balm tincture
2 part Lavender tincture
2 part Valerian Root tincture

For those folks with more serious insomnia I have a Dreamtime blend that is more aptly named "Knockout Drops". This is not a blend for most of us and I only offer it after the standard doesn't work. There are two strengths here because one time the first one just wasn't enough. 

Ninja strength has me drooling on my pillow in only a few minutes and I wake up feeling groggy and achy.

Knockout Drops Ninja strength
6 parts Basic Dreamtime tincture
2 parts Valerian tincture
1 part Kava Kava tincture

I have never taken with Godzilla strength myself. 

Knockout Drops Godzilla strength
6 parts Basic Dreamtime tincture
2 parts Valerian tincture
2 parts Kava Kava tincture

After my first early attempts with kava kava I found that the tincture was just overpowering in nearly any dosage. I now make the tincture in the typical way but always cut it 50/50 with un steeped alcohol to store and use.

Common medicinal properties defined

Analgesic: any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain.

Anodyne: An anodyne acts to relieve or soothe pain by lessening the sensitivity of the nervous system. It is a kind of analgesic, and is often applied topically

AntiCancer: Herbs used as health tonics may help to lessen the occurrence of cancers. Many medicinal plants contain compounds that are shown to prevent cancer, which is unsurprising given the large range of types of cancers and the host body systems they affect.

Antifungal: demonstrated significant activity against several common infection-causing fungi

Antioxidant: Antioxidants help to control or elimination of free radicals which can reduce cellular oxidation in the body providing an important defense against degenerate diseases caused by oxidative stress.

Antiperspirant: counteract perspiration, and act as natural deodorants

Anti-rheumatic: herbs are helpful in a wide range of arthritic conditions including Rheumatoid arthritis ,OsteoArthritis, Lupus and, Gout. Herbs in this category often have Anti-inflammatory and Analgesicproperties as well.

Antispasmodic: An antispasmodic herb suppresses spasms, and reduce muscular tension. Smooth muscles like those that line the stomach contract without conscious control, and cause spasms, cramps and abdominal pain.

AntiViral: Plants have evolved very good defenses against viruses over the millennia, and we can take advantage of these natural protections against viruses for ourselves

Aromatic: Many of these highly concentrated, fragrant oils, rich in chemical compounds, are extracted by steam distillation from flowers, leaves, roots, seeds and bark and used in aromatherapy. Not all plant essential oils are safe to use, however. Wormwood, calamus and safrole, for instance, are toxic and should be avoided. All essential oils should be handled with care.

Cardiac Tonic Cordial: Herbs that strengthen the heart and the circulatory system are called cordials. These herbs work by supporting the heart muscle and/or stimulating heartbeat in manner beneficial to the body.

Chlagogue: Cholagogues are herbs that support the gall bladder and liver by promoting the flow of bile from the gall bladder into the intestines. Many are also choleretics (increasing bile production). All bitter herbs are cholagogues to some degree. Bitter tastes are mostly missing from the standard American diet (SAD), which may account somewhat for the billions spent on prescription and OTC anti-acids and heartburn remedies. Bitters can have an energizing effect for those who have sluggish digestion and are protective even when taken in small amounts.

Cicatrisant: Herbs that help form scar tissue

Cytophylactic: Stimulate cellular regeneration

Deodorants:  eliminate odors

Diaphoretic: Induce perspiration and sweating  Diaphoretic or sudorific herbs induce involuntary perspiration that helps to reduce fever, cool the body, and speed the elimination of toxins from the system. These herbs are useful in fevers, colds, and detoxification formulations.

Digestive: Herbs to stimulate digestion.

Diuretics: Treats abnormal accumulation of fluid under the skin and water weight.Fluid retention, bloating, swollen feet, dropsy, or edema all are caused by the retention of excess water - often in the feet and ankles. Herbs that are diuretic in action stimulate the elimination of fluid, without the depletion of minerals that is a common side effect of prescription drugs. Diuretics are often included inweight loss and cellulite treatment formulas, however excess water weight is easily regained and does not represent real weight loss. If edema is a chronic problem, look for those herbs that are tonic to the kidneysand liver and well as diuretic. Cleavers and Horsetail are good examples.

Emmenogogue: Emmenagogues stimulate menstrual flow in women who would normally be having a period. (not pregnant) These herbs can also help to restore a normal cycle for those with missed or irregular periods (amenorrhea).

Febrifuge: Also called antipyretic: Herbs that reduce fever are useful in a wide range of conditions including colds and flu and viral infections. Hot herbal teas should be given in good amounts, and a tepid herbal bath can cool the body as well.

Hypotensive: Hypotensive herbs lower blood pressure - relieving hypertension, or high blood pressure.

Insect repellents: Plants contain natural insect repelling chemicals that have evolved as self-defensive mechanisms against predatory insects. Many of these plants are aromatic herbs that use essential oils that we humans can use to protect ourselves, our families and our gardens without resorting to spraying poisons. Neem is considered one of the premium herbs to use for a natural insect repellent for home and garden because of its effectiveness and safety.

Muscle relaxant: Tense skeletal muscles like those in your, neck shoulders and back cause tension headaches and soreness.

Nervine: Herbs that directly act upon and the nervous system are nervines. They can act as stimulants, relaxants or have a tonic and resorative effect on the central nervous system, making nervines a sort of "catch-all" category. Many of the these nervines contain volatile essential oils.

Parturient : Promotes and eases childbirth. Traditional herbs used in childbirth. Motherwort is considered one of the premium herbs for women because of its effectiveness and safety.

Sedative: Herbs have a range of sedative actions, that include pain-relief (analgesics), antidepressants, and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), often combining two or more actions. They calm the nerves and relieve tension.

Splenic: Treatment for the spleen. Signs of a weak Spleen include poor digestion, bloatedness, frequent bleeding and bruising and anemia.

Stomachic: Herbs that are stomachic are those who act most directly on the stomach, stimulate gastric digestion and relieve the discomfort of generalized stomach pain and cramping.

Uterine Tonic: Uterine tonics are Women's herbs for female reproductive health. They are often use to prepare women for an easier childbirth by toning the muscles of the uterus. They can also be used to address menstrual problems.

Vermifuge: Herbs that cleanse the body of intestinal worms and parasites are called anthelmintic (expel) or anti-parasite. They may also be called vermifuges (stunning) or vermicides (killing). The harder the herb is on internal parasites, the harder it is on the body, so use these cleansing herbs sparingly.

Vulnerary: Heals cuts, wounds and sores

About the Apothecary

One evening at a tea social a lovely woman shared her passion of herbs with us all via a selection of tinctures and essences. The sample I received was a mugwort essence and it changed my life. With that one drop of essence the way I viewed herbs and plants had changed forever.

I began immediately to experiment, read and study the ways of plants and herbs and to incorporate them into my life. I love my hand written herbals and will continue to use them, but here I will share my herb monographs and the tried and true receipts I have developed. I am not an herbalist and don't have any medical training. Please be mindful of these facts as you read and use good judgement.

This is a work in progress. Receipts, Monographs and the like will be posted incomplete and added to as I have time to post and experiment.

If you have received an Auntie Kandy’s Apothecary product it is because Auntie Kandy loves you and wants you to be well. None of my products are available to purchase.

Update: In December of 2016 I decided to open a small shop to sell my wares. You can find Auntie Kandy's Apothecary at 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/AuntKandysApothecary