For those of you who have been with us for some time, you know we are all about being self-sufficient. This can mean many things but for today we are talking about Build Your Own Home Apothecary.
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We have many talks on how to grow and use herbs and spices. We also have quite a few DIY Herbal Recipes on our blog site. As always, we use and recommend StarWest Botanicals as our herb and spice go-to. StarWest Botanicals provides high-quality herbs, spices, teas, and a range of other natural products.
A. The History of Apothecary
To understand how and why, you will need some medical history. Originally the “Doctors” of the time were called Surgeons. Then as time moved on, the local Apothecary took over as the doctor for the towns that they lived in. This was mainly medical treatments with the use of local herbs, spices, and plants. Some of the treatments were, shall we saw, basic and mechanical.
If you look at some of the old medical books, you wonder how anyone lived through such procedures. But overall, the Apothecary was natural treatments with local resources.
Then came modern medicine, which was the oddball idea of that time. But as time kept moving on, then modern medicine took over as the standard. And now it is almost the only way to see a doctor or get treatment.
Unless you have or learn the knowledge for yourself. The usefulness of herbs, spices, and plants has not changed. They are still as good as ever. What has changed is the way people think of doctors and medicine. But that is now changing again. Many people are going back to the old ways, e not the totally nutter ones, to treat minor issues as home.
B. Reasons For Apothecaries
Now there are several different reasons for this and ways of thinking about it. We are not going into depth on this but we will give a few ideas to think about.
a. Natural or Not
It may seem obvious to some of us but many people do not know that modern medicine is not natural. Most modern medicines are made with all kinds of chemicals and lab-created combinations.
Apothecaries use almost exclusively natural resources like herbs, spices, plants, and sometimes vitamins and minerals.
We are not suggesting that if you are in a car crash, go home and slap a leaf on it, you will be fine. That is nuts. Of course, if you have a major issue, go to the doctor and have it seen about. But there are many minor issues that can be handled at home with the correct knowledge. In many cases, a home apothecary can head off minor issues so they do not become major ones.
b. Preventatives
Once you start looking into Build Your Own Home Apothecary you will find most of the time, you are doing preventative work, not just trying to keep up with the symptoms. If you are prone to high blood pressure, there are herbs and teas that can help keep it under control when used regularly. Breathing issues can be managed with the proper use of herbal concoctions. Echinacea is a well-known flower that is used by many as winter comes on to prevent cold and flu symptoms. Elderberry is also well known and used for these same seasonal issues.
c. Cost
If you have been to the doctor or pharmacy at all lately, you know the prices have gone up and will keep going up. A bad economy affects everything.
How about, if your allergies are flaring up, walking out to your herb garden, picking a few leaves or flowers, depending on the plant, and making a nice herbal tea? Many of the herbs, spices, and plants found in apothecaries help strengthen the immune system or help your body fight off infections, all naturally.
So basically, you can grow your own medicines in your garden or backyard. This will save you an untold amount of money, not having to pay a doctor’s visit and then buy over-the-counter meds.
Do take note, we are not saying to burn your medical insurance card and go totally wild. But there are things you can do with a home apothecary to help keep your family healthier and not have as many illnesses to start with.
C. The Apothecary
If you are interested in Build Your Own Home Apothecary, then you might be curious about how and where to store them. You have two main options: you can create an herbal medicine cabinet with everything you are making, or you can use an apothecary.
An apothecary is ideal because it provides more space for organizing, like shelves and drawers, plus you can store your herbs and the products you make with the herbs.
Here is more information about apothecaries and how you can make your own.
a. What is a Herbal Apothecary?
In ancient times, an Apothecary was an individual who kept a wide variety of healing herbs, balms, perfumes, soaps, creams, and medicines so they could be available for use. Today, an herbal apothecary generally refers to a place where you keep your medicinal herbs and remedies. Take a look at what an apothecary involves and how it can benefit you.
b. Herbs and Plants
There are a variety of powerful and versatile plants and herbs from which to choose for your home apothecary. Having a selection of easily grown and maintained plants like basil, lemon grass, parsley, peppermint, and rosemary can be very useful. Some plants such as aloe vera can be used on their own with little or no preparation, while some others like the anti-inflammatory herb mugwort may take a small amount of mashing to make its best attributes more available.
c. Herbs to Put in Your Home Apothecary
As you know, an apothecary is a wonderful way to begin to keep herbs on hand for use in home remedies. The best herbs and plants for use are often live when they are processed, so you might ask yourself, “Which herbs are the best to grow for my personal use?” Here is more information about selecting the easiest and most versatile herbs to grow for your home apothecary.
1. Peppermint
Peppermint is a great herb to start with when it comes to the herbs you should have in your home apothecary. The main chemical menthol is one of the properties of peppermint herbs and is associated with a feeling of cooling. When inhaled, peppermint is excellent for opening sinus passageways and aids in the production of bile by stimulating the gallbladder and the liver.
2. Rosemary
Rosemary is another fantastic herb to have in your apothecary, or even just in a home herbal medicine cabinet. This herb is widely used for its aromatic effect, but it is also known to increase awareness. It has antimicrobial effects and may have the ability to aid in fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
3. Basil
Beyond its use in cooking, basil has been known for its stomach-calming effect, which can be achieved by placing fresh leaves in hot water. You can also add a sufficient quantity to a hot bath to alleviate stress. Basil is also beginner-friendly, so you can grow the herb indoors or outdoors and it won’t be too difficult even for someone who isn’t considered a ‘green thumb’.
4. Chamomile
Chamomile has long been associated with stress relief, but it also has anti-inflammatory properties as well and can be great for treating insect bites. It can also be mixed with an essential oil and placed in boiled water to produce steam to treat allergies.
5. Echinacea
The Echinacea herb is a popular one and for good reason. This herb has a long history of being associated with quick relief from colds and other cold-like symptoms, but its origins began with its use in treating respiratory infections.
6. Calendula
Calendula is good for several things. It is soothing to the skin so great for scrapes and small cuts. It is also antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. It cleans wounds and helps reduce swelling. It also makes a lovely tea. This plant is also grown just for its beautiful, bright, yellow flowers.
7. Thyme
This wonderful aromatic herb has been used in combination with some other herbs for respiratory issues like cough, and even some bronchial infections. Thyme is antimicrobial, and if used topically, can be used as an antifungal. It is also another herb you can grow either in your own garden or containers on your patio or right in your kitchen near a south-facing window.
8. Parsley
Parsley, another easy-to-grow-at-home herb, is wonderful in cooking but also has medical properties. It contains antioxidants, vitamin K which helps with bone density, Vitamin C for a healthy immune system, and Vitamin A for eye health. Parsley contains flavonoids, which are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It can help reduce gas produced in the digestive tract, and it is a diuretic. This will make a great addition to your apothecary.
9. Sage
As you start gathering herbs for your apothecary, you might consider adding sage for tea. Sage tea has long been used to alleviate the redness of the gums and soothe insect bites and stings. It is currently being studied for its antioxidant properties.
10. Lemon Balm
This amazing herb is known for its antibacterial uses as well as its calming effect. When made into a tea, lemon balm can have a slight sedative effect as well.
Lemon Balm also seems to be very easy to grow in pots or in an herb bed.
11. Marigold
An excellent source of Flavonoids, Calendic acid, and plant sterols, which give it some amazing properties that are excellent at fighting candida, it can boost the immune system and can treat multiple types of fungal infections.
12. Cilantro
Great for cooking, yes. But also it contains Quercetin which gives it anti-inflammatory properties. It also has other medical properties which make Cilantro a great choice for your home apothecary. It is easy to grow in your garden or back yard so you will be able to harvest your own when you need it.
13. Comfrey
Comfrey sometimes gets a bad rap and can be dangerous if misused. But when properly handled and used Comfrey is a wonderful plant.
Comfrey helps bones heal faster, reduces scarring, and helps with swelling, burns, and sprains. It also makes a great mulch for your garden plants.
14. Nasturtium
This flower is not only edible but it has an interesting use on the farm. Nasturtium is a natural dewormer for chickens. So you can plant this near your chicken pen and let the chickens deworm themselves and have a nice treat at the same time.
D. Carriers
A carrier is the base material that is used to deliver the properties of your mixtures. These can include different butters, waxes, oils, lotions, and gels. Carrier oils are vegetarian in origin, typically have a neutral odor, and often have a short shelf life. Other carriers such as alcohol or wax can last much longer, and in some cases, they can last indefinitely.
Below is a list of the most common carriers.
Shea Butter Olive Oil Almond Oil
Coconut Oil Grape Seed Oil Flax Seed Oil
Sunflower Oil Rice Bran Oil Epsom Salts
Aloe Gel Plant Glycerin Vodka
Bees Wax Soy Wax Apple Cider Vinegar
There are, of course, many other options for carriers these are just some of the more common and the ones we use ourselves.
E. Essential Oils
Essential oils are powerful concentrations of herbal and plant-based properties that have been extracted through a process such as steam distillation and cold pressing and then added to an oil carrier. These can be used for aromatherapy, treatments, or combined with other herbs to produce a desired effect.
Lavender essential oil is known for its anti-anxiety and burn-healing effects. Peppermint is also known for soothing and invigorating at the same time. For all you hippies-at-heart out there, a combo of Rosemary and Patchouli essential oil makes a wonderful perfume.
It is a good idea to note, that for the most part, essential oils are to be used outside not to eat or drink. There are times when essential oils are added to teas and the like but that is for a very experienced apothecary, not for someone just Building Your Own Home Apothecary.
F. Items and Accessories You Need For an Apothecary
Ok so now you know what an apothecary is so what do you want to put in your apothecary? You already know the basics like putting herbs and carrier oils in there, but there are some more items that can be really useful.
1. Storage Shelf
This one is relatively self-explanatory. The shelf will be where you store your items and tools. Preferably a shelf that includes drawers for easy tool storage, as well as for storing ingredients that should be kept in the dark. Proper organization really does go a long way when you are setting up your apothecary.
Some people just use metal shelving but some go all out with those cool old cabinets with all drawers, shelves, and doors. This is totally up to you as to what you want to use.
2. Supplies
A well-stocked apothecary will keep more than just plants and substances. There will be a wide range of tools, jars, bags, and other materials kept for the purpose of extraction, mixing, and creation of other apothecary items. Cheesecloth or fine strainers of different types may be used in the pressing process. Containers of different sizes related to the needs of each individual project should be available, which can help a skilled person avoid waste.
3. Mortar and Pestle
This is the 2 piece tool that can used for grinding or mashing of plant material and other ingredients. You will want to find one that doesn’t leave residue in your mixture for purity reasons. They can be found fairly inexpensively online or you can get them from natural food stores and herbalist stores quite easily as well. Plus, they are fun to use!
We have several and we love them. You can go simple and grind spices or herbs or you can use it to make a paste.
We like all kinds, because they are just cool but for practical use marble is easy to clean and has no dust of its own to get into the mix.
4. Jars of Various Sizes
You will require an assortment of jars for storage in your apothecary as well, though you don’t have to be too picky about what types of jars you use. Mason jars work perfectly well. Different-sized jars will be important, as some of the herbs will either not take up the same amount of space, or be distilled into more concentrated forms. This will help to make your storage area much more space efficient.
It is best to have different jars for different uses. If you are using Vodka or Apple Cider Vinegar use a jar with a plastic, screw-on lid as these liquids will eat the metal ones. Small jars, like recycled baby food jars, are great for lip balm, hand creams, and the like.
We like old-fashioned metal tins but again depending on what you are making, the ingredients may eat your tin so be sure to consider that.
5. Droppers
These are needed both for the application of oils, and to regulate amounts that you will be adding to carriers when making your own mixtures. Keeping a few extra on hand is always good, as you will want to make sure that some substances don’t come in contact with each other.
If you make one concoction often, you may want to have a dropper for just that one oil, tincture, or infusion. You can wash the droppers between uses but be sure to get it very clean or you may contaminate the next thing you make.
It should also be noted, that the rubber tops on the drops do wear out over time and use. And some of the ingredients will also eat the rubber.
6. Mesh Strainers and Cheesecloth
A large portion of recipes when making natural herbal products call for the extraction of chemicals from plant matter. This is where a type of strainer will come in handy. These items will allow the precious fluids to pass through and leave the plant matter behind to be discarded or repurposed.
In general, we keep cheesecloth on hand for larger plant material but sometimes the smaller mess of nut bags is better. The smaller mess will help strain out ground herbal powders whereas the larger cheesecloth will not.
7. Linen Bags
Bags of different sizes can be used to make tea bags, poultices, and compresses. This thin cloth will allow a liquid to pass through and deliver the healing properties of your herb. This is really useful when you are making an herbal bath tea bag or if you have very finely ground herbs or spices to strain off.
We have a bag that we use only for making Cayenne Infused Oil. That is the only thing we use it for so that we do not get Cayenne Pepper into any of our other concoctions. How bad would it be to get Cayenne Pepper in your Peppermint Lip Balm? Really bad.
Of course, drinking tea is a common use for linen bags. Making a simple tea bag is easy. You simply fill a small bag with your choice of tea leaves and herbs and cinch it shut using a 6-inch piece of linen string.
8. Scales
Food scales are a very useful tool when Starting Your Own Home Apothecary. Many herbal preparations are fine with just a good guess on amounts but some will require exact weight. If you need to have an exact weight a set of food scales is just the thing. You can weigh out the poundage that you need or by ounces and get it just right.
9. Glass Stirring Sticks
It may seem odd to use what is basically a martini stick with herbal preparations but they are very useful. No matter what you are making, you will need to stir it. Metals may react with the plant material and cause issues. Wood sticks will absorb the oils. You do not want to risk contaminating Project Two with materials left on your stick from Project One. Glass will not absorb or react with plant materials, and it is easy to wash.
G. Tips For Storing and Organizing Your Herbs
One of the integral parts of Build Your Own Home Apothecary is having one that is well organized. This is really important because you aren’t just going to have drawers with different herbs in them. You will likely have a combination of dried herbs and ground herbs using your mortar and pestle, along with jars of tinctures, salves, lotions, and poultices that you have made. Here are some helpful tips for storing and organizing your herbs.
1. Decide What Storage You Want
As you probably know already, an apothecary is going to include some shelves or drawers. This will depend on where everything is being stored, such as a cabinet or an actual apothecary that includes drawers just like they used when these first existed. The ideal shelf would be one that allows you to see a large portion of your inventory but also contains drawers. This will allow you to keep a few items out of sight.
2. Make Sure Everything is Labeled
Since you are dealing mostly with organic material, they are likely to have a shelf life. It’s a good idea to label them so that you are able to know when they were procured. Keep a spot in your cabinet or shelf area where you will always have your pen or pencil ready.
Oils can last a long time but we can go rancid if not stored properly or if kept too long. The dried herbs, spices, or plant matter can last a good while, again if stored right and kept out of the sun, heat, and humidity.
Knowing when your items were made will help you with shelf life.
Obviously, you want to label everything so you will know exactly what it is.
Believe us, you think you will remember what it is but you will not. Once you have harvested ten or so different plants in a day, and have dried and stored them, they kind of all begin to look and smell the same. Some plants are obvious due to their special smell or color but most dried plants, well, look like brown or green dried stuff.
3. Know the Shelf Life of Your Herbs
When you have complete or whole herbs and plants, they will generally last longer, so if you keep the buds or leaves on the branch or stalk instead of plucking them off, you will add some lifespan to your ingredients. If keeping a whole stock isn’t possible, try to keep as much of the plant together as you can.
Again, many of the home apothecary ingredients will last a long time but everything goes bad eventually.
4. Organize Your Dry Herbs
One way to keep your herbs for much longer is to dry them. Dry plant matter will remain nearly impervious to molds and rot. You can get a home dehydrator, make a drying screen, or simply hang them upside down. Well-dried herbs crumble between your fingers. If you choose this method, make sure you include a good organization method for them as well, as label what they are and when they were dried.
A general rule is to keep ingredients together, not mixed with already-made concoctions. Keep alike items together. Have a row for oils separate from the dried ingredients, and waxes in a different row.
You would not want to have dried leaves with your hand creams. Keep ingredients in one place and finished products in another.
5. Have Airtight Containment
Exposing your herbs to the air can lower the potency of your herbs. Airtight containers with a substantial seal can help extend their life well past how long they would normally last. Opt for the lids with a seal around the edge, or go for the flip-top style.
Also adding a desiccant pack to containers will help extend the shelf life and potency of your ingredients. Depending on what the finished product is, a desiccant pack can be used, like with bath salts but of course, not in a hand cream container.
We did a talk a while back on how to make Homemade DIY Silicon Desiccant Packets. If you are thinking of shaving some cost, making them may be the way to go.
6. Keep Herbs Out of Sunlight
As you start organizing your apothecary herbs, make sure nothing is left out in the sunlight.
Sunlight is great for helping your herbs grow to their full potential. One of the ways to make an infused oil, glycerin, or tincture is to place the jar in a sunny window for several weeks. This helps the carrier absorb the key ingredients from the plant material. But keeping the finished product in direct sunlight can damage or destroy many of their precious medical properties.
Try using dark-colored glass jars or storing them in a drawer. Amber bottles are one of the most commonly used for this and they are easy to find.
If you do decide to keep them in a drawer, be sure it is a cool place. A temperature that is too warm can also weaken your herbs and shorten their shelf life.
You know the old saying, “Keep It In A Cool Dark Place” Well, that goes for most everything in an apothecary.
As with many of our self-sufficient talks or DIY projects, it is best to go one step at a time and not try to jump in feet first all the way. Take time to do your research. Learn about the herbs, spices, and plants that are local to your area. Start growing one or two at a time. Once you have mastered one step then move on to the next. The best way to burn out and become totally frustrated is to go head first without taking time to really learn things. And that is how you Build Your Own Home Apothecary, one herb, spice, plant, or recipe at a time.
We hope you have enjoyed and learned a few things from Build Your Own Home Apothecary. This is not, of course, all-inclusive but it is a good place to start if you are wanting to go more natural and more self-sufficient.
The internet is a wealth of info but not all of it is trustworthy so please do your research and find one or two honest, reliable herbalists to learn from.
If you are not sure about this try looking up Heidi Villegas, she does herbal healing for both people and animals. We study her stuff often ourselves. Not an affiliate, we just love and trust her work.
If you are interested in other talks similar to this, please see the ones below.
As always, please note that we are not doctors, this talk is for information only. Please see our disclaimer page for more details.
Thank you for visiting and please come again for another edition of Out Standing in the Field.
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