Plants are made up of 1000s of different chemicals, known as phytochemicals. It is these phytochemicals that work on our skin, have medicinal benefits and are needed by our body for its nutrition, growth, development and ultimately our life! The food we eat is basically the phytochemicals that we are consuming.
But, our body is not capable to absorb all the phytochemicals and they require a medium to be absorbed by our body, that is why we use oil and water and heat in our food so that the phytochemicals are broken down and easily consumed by our body.
That is why, herbs are extracted in certain mediums like water, oil, alcohol, glycerine, vinegar, honey, etc. These solvents help in breaking the complex molecules of phytochemicals and absorb them and carry out the medicinal properties of that plant..
Herbal extracts are nothing but extractions of phytochemicals. It is not just via infusion in solvents that phytochemicals are extracted, but it is also via different processes like distillation method and CO2 Process
Ring Bells?
Essential oils and CO2 extracts are also nothing but herbal extracts, the only difference is, they are extracted via a process that requires certain machinery. However, they still are herbal extracts.
Herbal Extracts are generally great for your body and even for your skin. They also fall into one of my philosophies of using whole herbs Vs. Individual Constituent. (it's an amazing philosophy and Ill surely write or talk about it soon).
They are also known as phyto extracts, bio extracts, plant-based extracts, bio-actives.
So let’s look at 4 types of herbal extracts that we can make at home and start building our own apothecary -
Tinctures are the alcoholic extractions of herbs. Herbs are used in alcohol for a few weeks, strained and then used. Tinctures are said to be one of the potent extracts. Tinctures are easy to make, but few things need to be considered as the strength of the alcohol, phytochemicals present in the herbs, herbs to water ratio, individual herbal properties etc.
Tinctures are also used in homoeopathy medicine, though homoeopathy medicine works differently from herbalism. They are known as mother tinctures in homoeopathy.
