Salves and Tinctures

Prepare this timeless remedy to help keep those pesky bugs, insects, ticks, fleas, flies, mites and spiders at bay.

This specially-formulated blend of herbs serves as a powerful insect repellent, and helps deter fleas, ticks, chiggers, mites, spiders, lice, and other pests. It should be diluted with water to half-strength when sprayed directly onto the skin; and is useful around the house, or as a topical insect repellent during outdoor activities and on pets and farm animals.

Directions

Combine 12 tablespoons of the premixed herbs and 2 quarts of vinegar in a sealed glass jar, and steep in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks or so, shaking daily. Then, strain out the used herbs, and retain the herbal liquid mixture.

Add several cloves of crushed garlic (about 2 tablespoons), and close lid. Let soak for three days, and strain out the garlic fiber and discard.

This liquid tincture needs to be stored in a cool place, like the refrigerator. It can be preserved for a very long period of time by canning. To do so, fill canning jars with boiling liquid tincture to within one-half inch of top. Cap with rubber seal canning lid, tighten ring, and turn hot jar upside down; leave it undisturbed until it cools to room temperature. This will cause the jar to seal. Don’t forget to date and label it.

Contains:  Rosemary Leaf*, Lavender*, Wormwood Herb*,Sage Leaf* & Peppermint Leaf* (*Organic) 

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From our Reading and/or Experience...

• DO NOT use on broken skin.
• Storage is not a critical issue with this herb mixture. However, we keep ours in a dark, dry and cool place (refrigerator is very good).

Lately, with all these awful threats of plagues in the news, I have been spending my free time reading medical reports and ancient history books that discuss the times of the great plagues.

The last great plague of 1664-1665 covered all of Europe, Turkey, India, and China. It is estimated that at least one-half of the population of those areas died. The people knew the disease was somehow related to the rats and mice, because as the rodents died off, so did the people. They just didn’t understand it was the fleas leaving the dead carcasses of the rodents and finding human hosts that were spreading the disease.

In reading personal accounts of the different plagues, I noticed some important points. There were usually 3 completely different expressions of the plague: bubonic (swelling glands), pneumonic (lung congestion with flu-like symptoms), and septicemic (pathogenic bacteria in the bloodstream). Often nurses, doctors, and those who buried the dead never contracted the plague. The survivors telling their stories never agreed upon a preventive, yet I noticed several different authors mentioning vinegar and smoke as a possible defense against the plague.

I read of one old couple who served the sick and never got ill. They strongly believed their immunity was the result of the use of herbal vinegar, which they put on their hair, clothes, and even a vinegar-drenched rag placed in front of their faces when they were attending the sick. They lived to tell their stories and to promote their preventive.

Many families survived by staying in their homes at all times and creating acrid smoke in their homes every 3rd day. They thought the smoke was purifying the air of disease. The smoke was made by burning a variety of things, from gunpowder to Rosemary. They suspected that the rats and mice might be carrying the disease, and by creating the strong odor, they believed it would drive the rodents and fleas from their homes.

Burning Rosemary, which is a pleasant odor, proved to be so effective in ridding homes of pests that its use has continued down through the years. Even as late as World War II, rosemary incenses were burned in the hospitals of France to “cleanse the air.”

The most famous and interesting story of healing coming out of the great Black Death plague was the story of the four thieves and their amazing concoction that came to be known as The Vinegar of the Four Thieves. History records that the four thieves were arrested for stealing from the homes of the many dead victims. After their arrest, they were taken from prison and forced to bury the dead with the promise that if they lived, they would go free. One of the thieves was an herbalist, whose herbal wine vinegar purportedly kept the four thieves alive all during the Black Death. As their resistance to the disease became obvious, others started using their vinegar tincture—reportedly with great success. They lived to credit the vinegar potion for their survival.

The old records document several recipes that are very much alike. I looked up each of the herbs comprising the tincture and marveled at how effective the tincture would be in place of today’s insect repellents. Of course, superstition was rampant during those times, and disease was not understood, so the old history books confuse superstition with herbal healings. Common sense and more recent medical understanding have made it possible to comprehend why this herbal vinegar worked so well.

Rosemary, being a strong antiseptic, was one of the choice herbs. Wormwood and Rue are the bitterest of herbs. Both are antiseptics and vermifuges (kill worms). Wormwood has been used internally but can cause convulsions. Lavender and peppermint are high in volatile oils, hence excellent ingredients for a very good insect repellent, as well as being pleasant smelling. Sage, among other good things, is a lymphatic, which is an important fact to remember in case of a bubonic-type disease outbreak. Of course, garlic, as the king of herbs, is a wonder drug. Within its paper-thin wrapping is found a host of beneficial properties, far too many to list. But it does have specific properties that are antiseptic, antimicrobial, antibiotic and, antifungal—chemicals that kill parasites.

The Vinegar of the Four Thieves is a super-strong insect repellent. It should be diluted with water to half strength if you spray it directly on your skin. This repellent can be used in many ways. Splashed on your socks or shoes will discourage ticks, chiggers, and mites. An herbal cloth kept in your pocket and rubbed on your skin every hour or so would be very beneficial during outdoor work or recreation. Or, a nightly bath with a little herbal vinegar and oil will keep it on your skin for many hours and could prove helpful for families who live in the country or while out on camping trips.

Say "goodnight" to fitfully tossing and turning, and embrace restful sleep with this easy-to-prepare tincture mix.

This restful herb mix does just that... it helps you sleep like a baby! These herbs help to relax and soothe, and before you know it you will be fast asleep. It can be prepared as a sweet food-grade glycerite or potent alcohol tincture.

Tincture Instructions

Make your tincture by filling a jar 1/3 - 1/2 full of herbs. Use 1/3 for hard herbs and roots (as they will absorb more liquid) and 1/2 for soft or fluffy herbs. Fill the jar to the top with alcohol (80-90 proof Vodka is best), close it, and store for 3-8 weeks in a cool, dry place. Shake the jar daily. After 3-8 weeks, strain and discard the herbs, bottle the liquid and label it.  

For more information on making tinctures, see How To Make a Tincture.

Contains: *Lemon Balm,*Catnip Herb, *Chamomile Flower, *Passionflower, *Oatstraw Herb, & *Hops Flowers.   (*organic)

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult with your health care provider before adding any supplements to your routine.

Glycerin Tincture
* Fill crock-pot 1/3 full of the premixed herbs. (If you have any left over, or don’t want to make such a huge batch, you can keep the extra premixed herbs in an air tight bag, clearly labeled for up to a year. I make a huge batch to give away to friends and family.). 
* Pour hot water over herbs, mixing with a spoon, until herb mix is damp - not soaked.
* Pour glycerine over herbs until crock-pot is full (Appr. 1 inch from rim), stir well, and cover with lid. This will take about 2 quarts of glycerine; don’t worry if it takes a little more or less.
* Heat on low for 3 days. Stir occasionally.

NOTE: If your crock-pot gets too hot on low, the herbs will smell like they are "cooking" and turn dark and strong smelling within 24 hours. This will not ruin the tincture, but it does speed up the process, and may not be quite as effective as a slow heat. My crock-pot got too hot, so after 42 hours, I went ahead and strained the mixture, and it was fine. You can also water bath the herb mixture by putting the herb/ glycerine mixture in a jar with lid, in hot water on the stove for 3 days. The idea is to break down the herbs so that the properties are in the glycerine. You have succeeded when the mixture becomes dark and strong smelling.

NOTE: Many people make only a glycerine tincture, or only an alcohol tincture. Each process is valuable and abstracts properties from the herbs that the other method may not be as successful in abstracting. Finally, the pressure cooker abstracts even more. I like to do all three and mix them for a stronger final result. I 

• As is the case with most herbs, this mixture should be stored in a dark, dry, and cool place. Refrigeration or freezing is great, but certainly not necessary. Following these suggestions will delay the loss of its highly valued nutritional and medicinal properties.
• Follow the same instructions for storage after you make it into a tincture. We do not use any bottles in particular, but recycle empty glass bottles, whenever possible.
• An alcohol tincture (extract) doesn't taste the greatest but is the most effective way to draw out the goodness of the herbs, and are the easiest to make. For those two reasons alone, alcohol tinctures are the industry standard in all ready-made store bought tinctures. They also keep the longest (at least 2 years).
• Glycerine tinctures (or glycerites), though not as effective, are much more palatable with their sweet flavor. However, they will only keep for up to one year or so.
• A combination of both alcohol and glycerine has the benefits of both (effectiveness, sweet flavor, and longer shelf life).
• This dry herb mixture can be brewed into a tea. It's not as effective as the tincture, but it can help nonetheless.
• The mixture could be ground up into powder and encapsulated, as some folks simply prefer capsules.

This carefully-formulated blend of herbs can easily be made into a potent tincture with our simple instructions, and is sure to be a game changer for your health and wellbeing.

This antifungal, antibacterial tincture helps to strengthen the immune system, and may help support the body’s natural defense against sickness, fungal and bacterial infections, and yeast.

Ingredients are from organic and wild-crafted sources.

Tincture Instructions

Make your tincture by filling a jar 1/3 - 1/2 full of herbs. Use 1/3 for hard herbs and roots (as they will absorb more liquid) and 1/2 for soft or fluffy herbs. Fill the jar to the top with alcohol (80-90 proof Vodka is best), close it, and store for 3-8 weeks in a cool, dry place. Shake the jar daily. After 3-8 weeks, strain and discard the herbs, bottle the liquid and label it.  

For more information on making tinctures, see How To Make a Tincture.

Contains: Burdock root, *Dandelion root, Butcher’s Broom Root, *Echinacea Root, *Nettle leaf, *Olive leaf, Pau D’Arco bark, Cat’s Claw bark, & *Red Clover tops.

(*Organic) 

(Not recommended for pregnant or nursing women.)

A great, all-natural salve to support healthy skin. Our Eden Salve is soothing to the touch and created right here at Bulk Herb Store!

We specially formulated this salve using herbs and other natural ingredients to help support healing as well as soothe and moisturize the skin. The herbs we selected have historically been respected for their astringent and antiseptic properties. One of our bestselling products, used often by young and old alike!

Why It Works:
We formulated this salve using a blend of herbs and natural ingredients that have been historically respected for their ability to support healthy skin. The herbs used in our recipe have been traditionally used for their astringent and antiseptic properties. When you and your family need it, Nature’s Healing Touch is here for you!

How To Use:
Apply salve generously to cleaned wounds, rashes, insect bites, boils, and chapped, cracked, or dry skin. Use externally as often as needed for adults, children and infants.

Contains: Olive Oil*, Beeswax Pastilles*, Echinacea Purpurea*, Rosemary Leaf*, Comfrey Leaf*, Plantain Leaf*, Yarrow Flowers*, Propolis Powder, and Grapefruit Seed Extract. (*Organic)