COMMENTS & ISSUES

We are constantly formulating to make our HERBAL creams as natural as possible, but now one of our new MOISTURISERS  has passed  PET TMPh1 without all of the normal plethera of chemicals  used , to stop  the product going off + give "guaranteed" shelf life. But instead now use herbs from various extractions and one food additive to achieve  a good result, with far less problems with side effects.    It was not easy to achieve, because  testing was showing all of the weaknesses in  the formulation, mainly in the control of fungi and mould, the spores are in the air......... So then there are more step trials and testing, until you get the right texture , feel and everything <10 in testing........."Then you know." the what , why and how.

See my latest comments on the cream page, you probably agree if you want things done thoroughly.

We have just upgraded our bench balance to an A&D GF600-.001-600g, being so much more accurate (plus now theres a print out as well) .

The British Herbal Medicine Association web site (www.bhma.info) is another place where lots of very useful information can be found, and is a really worth while visit to check out their book list - the new volume 1 and 2  British Herbal Compendiums are very up  to date and are a pleasure to use.

(UPDATE)  The BHMA has produced a publication  of " the first 100 Traditional Herbal Registrations THR's in the UK", this booklet can be very useful and informative + it fits nicely in your pocket for easy use.

We are getting the same question asked a lot, "what do we replace tablets with,speak to a Qualified Medical Herbalist about making or getting the required  herb/s in capsules. Because they are easy to carry around and  take while on the move + it is a measured dose , so you know how much you are taking.  But make sure that the capsules are certified vegetable - we supply our clients with Pfizer EU Capsulgel certified  capsules , BUT there are capsules out there that they say are  vegetable, but  are often contaminated and usually much cheaper to buy. So be careful if you are a vegan . We use EU CERTIFIED & PRODUCED capsules  because they set rigorous standards.

  Another method is to make teas made from dried  herbs, but doing it this way you need hot water and a cup + you need to measure out the right amount to use and this can be very difficult on the move or when you are busy. We recommend that certain herbs should be washed  before use, as they could be contaminated with pesticides, heavy metals or bacteria, the herbs processed in the EU comply with very strict standards, so should not require cleaning. SO...... speak to a Qualified  Medical Herbalist  who prepares or supplies dried herbs.

The main advantage of capsules filled on requirement, is that they contain no fillers or preservatives so that you get what you pay for and nothing else + there should be no risks from bacterial  or pesticide contaminations, as long as the herbal powders have been processed to EU standards + they are made for your specific needs.

Another question we get asked a lot, "do herbal tinctures and dried herbs store well"? We  prefer glass bottles for  the storage of Alcohol tinctures, plastic bottles can have a problem with the release agent used in the process of making+ organic volatile compounds can migrate through plastics. If  herbal tinctures are stored in a good container, in sensible conditions -  these should store very well - if made properly.

With dried herbs, they are best stored in  paper bags with the temperature  kept constant, in a dry well aired cupboard.