Tinctures

Description

Looking for tincture blends? They’re here.

Tinctures are potent extracts of herbs in alcohol or sometimes vinegar or glycerin. Unlike laboratory “extracts of active properties,” tinctures preserve the wholeness of the plant while giving you easy access to the healing properties.

Currently available:

Most available in 1 or 2 ounce bottles; some in 4 ounces.

These tinctures are all extracted for a minimum of 6 weeks in organic vodka (40% -45% alcohol). Whenever possible, they are put up on a new moon and extracted one and a half moon cycles later on the full moon, to allow the energy of that cycle to draw out the maximum benefits. But we pick all herbs at the peak of their season and on the driest, sunniest days, so that takes precedence. The herbs are either certified organic or locally grown without pesticides or herbicides and harvested by loving hands.

ALWAYS CONSULT WITH A KNOWLEDGEABLE PRACTITIONER BEFORE STARTING A NEW HERB. EVERYTHING ON THE LABELS IS “SUGGESTED USE ONLY.” Each bottle is labeled with information on the suggested amounts to take. Most are best when taken 2 – 4 x/ day. I am a fan of taking tinctures directly under the tongue and swirling them with saliva for a few moments to fully taste the goodness of the herb and let it absorb into the capillaries under the tongue. Others prefer to mix them with tea, juice or water.

Bottles are new or reused after thorough washing and sterilizing. Droppers are new.

Custom blends are available.

Nothing on this page or anywhere on this website is intended to constitute medical advice. None of these products nor anything written here is intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, nor cure any disease.

“The Passionflower is excellent.” — Dr. Marianne Rothschild, author of Dancing with the Rhythms of Life A Holistic Doctor’s Guide for Women.

• Astragulus is a gentle adaptogen and immune system tonic. Take regularly for best results. Dried organic root in organic vodka.
• Ashwagandha, sometimes called Indian ginseng, is a powerful adaptogen. Taken regularly, it greatly improves the body’s resilience to stress and resistance to disease. There is some confusion surrounding who should take Ashwagandha, as it is sometimes associated with “masculine energy”. However, every human has both masculine and feminine energy, so Ashwagandha is not a men’s tonic per se, but is good for anyone who tends to have more fiery, upward-moving “yang” energy and needs help modulating it to avoid burnout. [Out of stock, May 2022].
• Andrographis/King of Bitters is a native of the tropical lands between the Pacific and the Arabian Sea, yet we were able to grow some in West Virginia! A powerful antibiotic, Andrographis has been found to have anti-spirochete actions, making it effective both as a prophylactic against Lyme and a possible cure.
• Black Walnut, an elegant native tree, has powerful antiparasitic action in its hulls. This tincture is made from freshly gathered green hulls in organic vodka.
• Blackberry root is a specific for quieting children’s coughs. Locally wildcrafted, in organic vodka.
• Bleeding Heart is a beautiful little flower who helps allay the symptoms of shock and grief. This tincture is made from flowers collected from a friend’s garden and organic vodka. Try her by herself or in our “Paint Your Blues Purple” blend.
• Burdock root is “a fierce blast of cool relief” according to the sage of the Wise Woman tradition, Susun Weed. Anti-inflammatory, nourishing to the liver, and balancing to the endocrine system, this is a wonderful herb for those overstimulated by capitalism and its struggles. Dug after first frost from protected land near the Mason Dixon line.
• Calendula­ – these sunny yellow flowers are best known as a skin tonic, but try them internally to help move lymph and stagnant energy. Homegrown calendula in organic vodka.
• Cat’s Claw is a tropical vine which grows in the rainforests around the Amazon. InsideOut Wholeness does not usually carry exotic herbs that are not Fair Trade or sustainably wildcrafted. However, we got this when a friend was struggling with Lyme and plan to use it until it’s done. A powerful adaptogen, it is listed by Stephen Buhner as a formidable opponent to Lyme disease.
• Chamomile, well-known as a nervine and sleep aid, is also wonderful for moving lymph through the body. Try her by herself or in our lymph mover blend. This tincture has locally grown chamomile flowers in organic vodka.
• Chickweed is delightfully cooling. Harvested between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox it brings some of the deep cold of that time into your sweaty summer. Also helps release unneeded fat. This tincture is made of chickweed growing voluntarily in my backyard.
• Cleavers help move stuck lymph, allowing the body to clear out during and after fights against infection. This tincture is made of cleavers growing voluntarily in my backyard.
• Corn Silk is good for strengthening the bladder. Can be effective to stop bed wetting combined with a loving environment and reduction of stress. This tincture is made of non-GMO corn silk grown on my friend’s farm, which is not certified organic but follows organic farming practices.
• Dandelion floats through the air and sends tap roots deep into the earth. Let it nourish and strengthen your liver. We Americans keep our livers busy, clearing preservatives, coloring agents, artificial sweeteners and cocktails out of our bloodstreams. Give yours a much needed boost! This tincture is made of dandelion roots and shoots gathered in very early spring on my friends’ non-certified organic farm.
• Dead Nettle – During this Spring of unprecedented slowness and isolation, many people found this funny little flower a welcomed guest in their gardens. So named because its shoots look like stinging nettle but lack the “live” sting, it’s a particularly boxy mint with tiny, spiky purple flowers. Like it’s unrelated namesake, dead nettle can be a great help to those suffering from hayfever and allergies.
• Echinacea is a powerful immune system support. IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN FOR MORE THAN 2 WEEKS WITHOUT A BREAK OF AT LEAST 2 WEEKS! Don’t let infection get the best of you. Be armed with Echinacea. This tincture is made from the roots of three-year-old Echinacea purpurea dug after first frost from my backyard. (Looking for a more powerful punch? Check out “Super Echinacea” on the Custom Blends page.)
• Feverfew‘s name is a hint to one of her powers—she can bring down a fever over the course of a few hours. But fevers are the body’s natural defense mechanism against infection so we don’t encourage you to do that unless you’re feeling a lot of pressure to do so. However, her greatest ability is as a vasodialator, and migraine sufferers will be overjoyed to make acquaintance with this bitter little friend. Their best bet is to take a dropperful daily as a preventative, but a dropperful every hour for 3–4 hours during a migraine will reduce and in some cases relieve the pain. These tinctures are made from homegrown Feverfew flowers and leaves in organic vodka.
• Ginger is warm, sweet and sultry, ginger is a strong aid to digestion and circulation. This ginger is organically grown.
• Ginko is an ancient tree with deep connection to the brain. Regular use can improve memory and mental clarity, including in those suffering from “brain fog” due to chronic illness like Lyme or Arteriosclerosis.
• Goldenrod is a lovely, tall native flower. it’s pee-yellow flowers indicate, through the doctrine of signatures, that it strengthens the urinary system. Pairs well with corn silk and dandelion to tone this important exit route. Harvested from the edge of a wood in Sparks, Maryland.
• Ground Ivy, Glechoma hederacea, a common groundcover, has a normalizing effect on the reproductive and respiratory systems.

• Hawthorn, Crataegus spp., berries are the member of the apple family most likely to keep the Cardiologist away! Regular use strengthens the heart and circulatory system, keeping veins supple and clear. Generally safe to use with prescription medication, but of course, ask an expert!

• Hyssop, Hyssop officinale, has been used for health and purification for thousands of years. It is mentioned several times in the Bible, and has stood the test of time. A gentle strengthener of lungs and sinuses, Hyssop is a breath of fresh air for those with colds, flus and chronic respiratory ailments. Try it alone or in our Virus Smasher!

• Honeysuckle is a fragrant harbinger of summer, yet this herb is surprisingly effective against hard-to-cure viral infections. Please try something like thyme first (check out my anti-viral thym syrup) because honeysuckle quantities are limited. But when the going gets tough, call in this elegant tough ally!

• Ironweed, Vernonia fasciculata,is a beautiful native of our field. We’re still getting to know her, but the Cherokee knew her as an ally for those with menstruation and kidney issues.

• Japanese Knotweed may make you frown if you find it growing in your garden, but it’s wonderful support for those suffering from the arthritis sometimes attendant with Lyme Disease.
• Lemon Balm, a bright voracious member of the mint family, will help ease your troubled mind. It is also a gentle but effective antiviral. Homegrown Lemon Balm in organic vodka.
• Lion’s Mane mushroom is a magic fungus. It improves the ability to focus and concentrate, which in turn improves memory and efficiency. This tincture is made from lion’s mane mushrooms grown at the King family’s holistic mushroom farm in Maryland.
• Maitake Mushroom is a powerful immune nourisher. Underneath the surface of the earth lies a network of mushroom fibers. To say they have magical powers is a bit of an understatement. Maitake is being researched by doctors studying AIDS and other immune system disorders (I am not advocating it as an AIDS medication, I’m showing what a well-documented effect it has on the immune system.) This tincture is made from maitake mushrooms grown at the King family’s holistic mushroom farm in Maryland.
• Maracoc (Passionflower) is a funny name for an herb that helps you sleep! Apparently, some European looked at the other-worldly beautiful purple and white flower and all he could think of was Jesus wearing a crown of thorns, so it’s named for “the passion.” Maypop is a slightly less offensive name, though obviously it’s still in English, so the colonial influence is still there, so I went further back and found a name used by indigenous people in the southeast of the “United States”—Maracoc. This gentle sedative is a great friend to those prone to anxiousness and restlessness. This tincture is made from flowers and leaves growing voluntarily in a community garden which has had the soil tested and is proven clean and safe.
• Mimosa trees were cultivated in gardens for their elegant green leaves and amazing pink puffball flowers. Many have escaped and, while somewhat invasive, are wonderfully nourishing to the heart, both physical and emotional. This tincture is from the inner green bark of mimosa branches growing over the Western Run in West Baltimore; in organic vodka.
• Motherwort‘s Latin name is “lion-hearted,” and she certainly is. Strengthen your heart and nerves with this “mother’s little helper.” Unless of course you’re menopausal and experiencing flooding, in which case she is not for you.
• Mullein is a friend for your lungs. A big furry bear of a plant, with a two-year growth cycle. All you’ll see the first year is a rosette of large velvety leaves. If you examine one of these, you’ll see the pattern of veins is almost an exact replica of the pattern of bronchials in the human lung. And the effect of Mullein tincture on the lungs is undeniable and incredible. Shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing, whether caused by infection, pollution, or asthma, is immediately relieved with a dropperful of Mullein tincture (or by smoking the leaves). In the second year, a thick spinelike stalk emerges from the center of the rosette and the plant grows six to ten feet tall! There is a gentle nervine in this stalk, which many Mullein tinctures lack, but ours contains. This is an important part of Mullein’s magic—anyone who’s ever been short of breath can tell you there’s a panic involved, and this holistic Mullein extract both soothes the panic and corrects the underlying problem with the lungs. Our Mullein tincture is from a plant grown by two local ordained shamans. The plant is macerated in organic vodka.
• Nettle leaf is a wonderful ally for many people. In TEA FORM, Nettle is chock full of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. However, you need large quantities to get all that goodness. So don’t look to nettle TINCTURE to replace your multivitamin. Nettle tincture IS wonderful for clearing away unneeded stuff from the blood and lymph. Which makes it wonderful for those suffering allergies or excess processed food residue. Our nettles were gathered in Dunback Meadow in Lexington, Massachusetts, and put up in organic vodka.
• Nettle root tincture is primarily for external use. Unless you request a dropper cap, it will come with a spray cap for spritzing on scalp to relieve dandruff, psoriasis, and other crusty conditions; and stimulate hair growth. Taken internally, it is an ally for the urinary system. Our nettle root was gathered from plants growing in our backyard, and put up in organic vodka.
• Oregano is an anti-oxidant. This tincture is made of the leaves and flowering tops of Oregano grown in my backyard.
• Oshá, a native of the American Southwest, is a bitter tonic effective at stimulating digestion and easing many digestive woes. It is also an immune stimulant and general tonic. This Oshá was dug by natural health coach Bri Martinez of Manner Holistico apothecary, on her family’s ancestral land.
• Plantain (Plantago major)
• Red Clover builds and purifies the blood. This tincture is made of flowers and very top leaves from Red Clover growing on my friends’ non-certified organic farm and in a community garden which has had the soil tested and is proven clean and safe.
• Sage is a plant of much renown. There are many varietals with many different properties, but this is common garden Sage. In addition to having such a lovely taste that I have put it in cocktails to good effect, Sage works wonders for sore throats, sore and inflamed gums, and sore lungs. It is also a specific for the cessation and prevention of tremors. Sage dries up secretions, including sweat, urine, and mother’s milk—and so should be used with caution and plenty of water. This batch of Sage tincture is from organically grown fresh Sage in organic vodka.
• Sweet Gum seed pods are the biological precursor of Tamiflu. As they are wont to do, Western Medicine has extracted the most active compounds from these hilarious looking spheres (have you seen the artists’ rendition of the coronavirus? That’s what it looks like, honestly.), so that Tamiflu itself is strong medicine with potentially dangerous side effects. Tincture of fresh local green seeds and seed pods, whirled around in the blender to ensure all parts of the pod are exposed, is a gentle, safe alternative. Take at first sign of viral infection or use in our Virus Smasher blend.
• Tulsi is the queen of herbs in Ayurveda. A sweet sultry Basil, she is a gentle but powerful adaptogen.  Historically, Tulsi was taken in times of epidemics to protect the user against disease. Let Tulsi help ease your troubled mind. Our Tulsi was grown in our backyard and tinctured in organic vodka.
• Turmeric is another amazing root. A strong anti-inflammatory, it helps do damage control during and after fighting infection. It’s also great for inflammatory diseases like arthritis. This tincture is made of fresh, organically grown turmeric roots purchased at a local organic grocery store.
• Violet root is a specific for children’s coughs. It is an optional ingredient in my cough syrup, which children are likely to find much more pleasant than a tincture. But if you want some, I’ll send it to you! This tincture is made of violet roots gathered in very early spring on my friends’ non-certified organic farm.
• Wood Sorrel was one of the first herbs I learned to identify to eat. It has a lovely, lemony flavor. I grew up calling it clover, but it’s not. Wood Sorrel can act as a gentle emmenagogue, helping to regulate a body’s moon cycle and bring on delayed menses. This Wood Sorrel was growing voluntarily in my garden. I’m glad I got the tincture up before my daughter ate it all!
• Yarrow is a warrior’s herb, a great protector. A few drops of the tincture, or better yet, a little of the powdered leaf, will staunch bleeding almost immediately. Full-strength tincture is an effective insect repellant, keeping away mosquitoes, chiggers, and even ticks, though it does need to be reapplied every two hours. (If you want a spray cap, please ask.) Yarrow is also effective against colds and bronchitis. It will in many cases stimulate the body to a fever and allow you to sweat out the infection. In such cases, take with plenty of water. Our Yarrow was grown in the garden of a friend and tinctured in organic vodka. (We also have tincture of wildcrafted Yarrow in conventional vodka that our family uses as insect repellant. If you’re interested in having this for a lower price, please reach out to us by email.)