Liquid herbal extract blends are a convenient and effective way to provide patients with a treatment tailored to suit their specific needs. Herbal blending is both an art and a science, and getting it right can be tricky but very rewarding! There are five key steps to take when choosing herbs for your liquid blends.

Determine the herbal actions you need

Based on your case taking, decide on your main treatment goals for this consultation. Don’t try to do too much all at once; one or two primary treatment goals is ideal. Next, consider which herbal actions are needed to address your treatment goals. Then you can check which herbs in your dispensary have these actions, and list them. Once you have this list, you can narrow down your choices to 4 or 5 key herbs by considering the next factors.

Consider herbal incompatibilities

Some herbs don’t play nicely together! Herbal incompatibilities can ruin an otherwise excellent formula. The following herbs don’t mix well:

Herbs containing tannins (e.g. Agrimony) don’t mix with herbs containing alkaloids (e.g. Golden Seal).

Bladderwrack is also not compatible with tannin-containing herbs.

Resins of herbs extracted in high alcohol percentage (e.g. Ginger, Myrrh) precipitate when mixed with herbs extracted in low alcohol percentage. To avoid this, add 10% Licorice before adding resinous herbs.

Mucilaginous herbs (e.g. Marshmallow) are not compatible with high alcohol extracts and should be dispensed separately.

Consider herbal energetics

Consider the energetics of your blend. Does it contain mainly cold, bitter herbs? Try balancing it with a warming pungent herb like ginger or cinnamon. Is your formula very stimulating and tonifying? Consider toning it down with a nourishing nervine like oats or skullcap.

Taste your herbs

Liquid herbal extracts are not known for being tasty! But some herbs taste worse than others. If you have a lot of strong tasting herbs in your formula, your patient may struggle to take it. Always taste your blends, and consider adding a sweeter tasting herb like Licorice or some herbal flavouring mixture to improve the taste.

Calculate recommended doses

Finally, consider the recommended doses of each herb and how you would like to dose the formula. Its important to calculate your doses properly so that your patient gets a therapeutic amount of each herb. If you want to include several high dose herbs, you may need to use fewer herbs in your blend or recommend a higher daily dose of your formula.

A well formulated herbal blend can be a key cornerstone in your patient’s treatment plan. Following these five steps will take your herbal blends from good to amazing, and help you establish your role as a herbal expert!