Chamomile Extract Making
Making Herbal Medicine
One of my favorite parts of being an herbalist is making herbal medicine from the earth. Whether the plants are grown, harvested, gifted, or bought - the magic of making herbal medicine is a tradition that has stood the test of time. Cleaning your space, preparing the herbs, and selecting the most effective method to make them into healing magic - the practice is meditative, and touches something deep your soul. Once an activity that would be done in community with others, whether you're crafting herbal remedies in your own healing space or gathering with other herbalists to create - this very ancient practice is alchemical no matter how it's done.
This week I'll be making herbal with chamomile, which is a well-known herbal remedy. We often think of chamomile as a nervous system herb (which it is), but to me it's real magic lies in its ability to support and soothe the digestive tract. Used as both a bitter and anti-inflammatory herb, chamomile is both a soothing and stimulating herb for the digestive organs. The bitter qualities of chamomile are thought to help prepare the body for the process of digesting food, while the anti-inflammatory properties are thought to help soothe mild inflammation in the digestive tract. Prepared in certain ways, chamomile is even thought to have a sweetly moistening effect on the tender digestive organs, offering nourishment and relief.
How To Make Herbal Medicine With Chamomile Like An Herbalist
How to make herbal medicine with chamomile like an herbalist? My favorite ways are as a hot tea in specialty herbal blends to support digestion, as a fresh whole plant extract in bitters and calming blends, and as a nice cooling cold infusion in the warm summer months. I also love to infuse chamomile into oils and distill it into hydrosols to be used on the outer layers of the skin for protection and nourishment all summer long.
This batch of chamomile will be made into a fresh plant extract to be used in client formulas in my apothecary. Want to learn how to make your own digestive goodies. Have you ever worked with chamomile? What are your favorite ways to craft with this ancient botanical?
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