Herbalism: Creating Your Own Herbal Formulas & Blends

Learn to source quality herbs for your formulas—from ethical wildcrafting and garden growing to bulk dried herbs—emphasizing storage, identification, and safety.

Learn general dosing guidelines for herbal formulas, contrasting tonic long-term use with acute dosing, including 2-3 times daily schedules, empty-stomach timing, six-day weekly rhythm, and spacing formulas 15 minutes apart.

Learn the steps to create your own herbal formulas, while recognizing that true herbal knowledge requires broader study. Explore starter resources, safety, and how to select herbs for formulas.

Identify the target area and the root cause to guide your herbal formulas. Focus on the body's interconnections, safety profiles, and using whole herbs rather than extracts.

Research herbal actions in step two to match stimulants and relaxants to your target area, then select compatible herbs to craft a balanced formula.

Identify main herbs and add supporting herbs to enhance formulas through stimulation, directing action, compound effects, and synergy, using ginger, cayenne, and Lobelia as examples.

Design herbal formulas with a parts-based approach, choosing volume or weight. Use 70 to 80% main acting herbs and 20 to 30% supporting herbs, and multiply parts to scale.

Assess who will use your herbal formula and tailor the herbs, parts, and supporting ingredients to age, contraindications, and potential drug interactions. Review and adjust as needed to ensure safety.

Decide the type of herbal product to make and compare options like tea, capsules, tinctures, and extracts, noting glycerin extracts, vinegars, salves, and infused oils and storage considerations.

Step seven shows how to create and test your herbal formula, adjust timing and dosing, and refine by adding or removing herbs while counteracting side effects with carminatives.

Create and customize your own herbal formulas and blends by selecting herbs and adjusting recipes in a hands-on, creative process.