Glycerin Tincturing

[sstolzenburgStudent]

I have found that food grade vegetable glycerin seems to meet my needs for everything else. If you use it straight, it even seems to work with gumweed. I don’t think I would want to use gumweed with glycerin on my skin, it is too syrupy. …And I was able to dissolve powdered myrrh gum in glycerin eventually. I ended up mixing it with the vodka myrrh for a thinner less caustic mouthwash. I don’t mind that I am still uncomfortable with it. Alcohol causes enough other problems. But I still agree with all you have said, I just feel less inhibited with glycerin. …and I don’t want to have to explain to my non-church going friends who drink and would love to catch a Mormon with some booze.

I am a bit concerned about what the Doc said about taking enough to be called a drink because the glycerin is not as caustic as the booze, and there might be a tendency to take more than you should when you use glycerin. It does not give you a jolt in the oral cavity, or the sinuses, and because it is sweet, and might be a bit more dangerous because you can take it without the clobbering you get from the hard stuff.

Can you say more about that Doc. My tinctures are about 2:1 or sometimes almost 1:1 liquid to herb and I might be hitting it too hard. Sometimes I have to add glycein/water to compensate for the swelling of the mash. I am still grappling with the non standard dosing problem. I can say I have not been sick since taking herbs, but sometimes I get a bit of stomach ache.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

sstolzenburg wrote: I agree with everything all of you have said. ….And I did buy some vodka once. I used it to dissolve myrrh. But I have also found that food grade vegetable glycerin seems to meet my needs for everything else. If you use it straight, it even seems to work with gumweed. I don’t think I would want to use gumweed with glycerin on my skin, it is too syrupy. …And I was able to dissolve powdered myrrh gum in glycerin eventually. I ended up mixing it with the vodka myrrh for a thinner less caustic mouthwash. I don’t mind that I am still uncomfortable with it. Alcohol causes enough other problems. But I still agree with all you have said, I just feel less inhibited with glycerin. …and I don’t want to have to explain to my non-church going friends who drink and would love to catch a Mormon with some booze.

I am a bit concerned about what the Doc said about taking enough to be called a drink because the glycerin is not as caustic as the booze, and there might be a tendency to take more than you should when you use glycerin. It does not give you a jolt in the oral cavity, or the sinuses, and because it is sweet, and might be a bit more dangerous because you can take it without the clobbering you get from the hard stuff.

Can you say more about that Doc. My tinctures are about 2:1 or sometimes almost 1:1 liquid to herb and I might be hitting it too hard. Sometimes I have to add glycein/water to compensate for the swelling of the mash. I am still grappling with the non standard dosing problem. I can say I have not been sick since taking herbs, but sometimes I get a bit of stomach ache.

First of all, you’ll get better extraction in a glycerite if you add distilled water at a 2 (H2O) to three (glycerin) ratio.

As to the dosing, I don’t believe glycerin is intoxicating at any level but even water will kill you if you drink too much. As to the herbs…yes, some are not good taken in excess. Use the recommended doses.

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[sstolzenburgStudentTopic Author]

I have been doing 1:1 glycerin to water but since you suggest 3 part glycerin to 2 parts water, it should also do better as a preservative. Thanks.

[sstolzenburgStudentTopic Author]

Doc, I am sorry, with all due respect, I have never had anyone tell me what is the recommended dose. I have asked, but it doesn’t seem to be written down anywhere or forthcoming, and it is not well communicated. Especially since there are different concentrations. What i am hearing is what is good for what problem (among other uses) but not with any reliable dosing reference. I would love to have someone tell me what is the recommended dose. It isn’t well spelled out in any of your modules. Maybe you could do a module on recommended dose

I have just figured I was on my own for that. And I am taking a lot of herbs to see if there is any effects from too much but it means I am my own guinea pig, and I am taking herbs without being sick or having any symptoms,

[IdahoHerbalist]

Yes, dosage is an open subject. For alcohol tinctures the dosage is suggested as 10-30 drops. Before even doing that you have to consider not only what the concentration of herb is, but the age, constitution and tolerances of the patient. ALWAYS start low and work your way up, especially for a new herb and a new patient.

Me, I KNOW I have a high tolerance for medicines so I start higher. We also muscle test and see what that reveals and adjust accordingly.

[sstolzenburgStudentTopic Author]

Hey Doc, I am wondering if you have experience using glycerin tinctures on wounds. I had a puncture wound on my hand from an electric screwdriver tip and I used a plantain tincture made from glycerin and it healed nicely but it left a knot for a scar. I did not think much about it until I gave somebody the same tincture for a superficial hand wound and it seems that the scar was more pronounced that it should have been. I know glycerin is astringent, and antiseptic, but is it too strong and damaging to tissue? Searching for an answer. :poke:

[IdahoHerbalist]

For your wound my suspicion is that it healed from the outside in and trapped something under the skin. Puncture wounds should only get internal treatment, especially with herbs that accelerate healing. They should be kept moist and open so that they heal from the inside out.

What sort of wound was the second one?

[sstolzenburgStudentTopic Author]

The second wound was in the palm, a scratch from a nail that tore the skin on a 3/4 circle. Not a deep wound but one that was hard to clean. It was on a girl’s hand and I did not see her for a week by that time the torn skin has fallen off and it had skinned over, again not deep and it was light pink. she said it did not hurt and it never seemed to get any more infected. I gave her mother about a tablespoon of the glycerin poultice because I figured that the way it attracts moisture, it would draw out any infection. i had also given her some Calendula infused lip balm, but the tincture went on for 2-3 days before the calendula, and told her to keep it covered with the herbal under a bandaid. I am sure i will see the hand scar again on Sunday.

With my screw driver wound, it had pus for 2-3 days but never closed until about 10 days later, I don’t think it healed from the outside, it remained a hole until the end. I only use the plantain tincture (with plant matter) for two days then i stopped the plantain and went to calendula salve under a bandaid. I did not see any infection, meaning it never got red and the pain went away within 24 hours. I did not think much of screwdrver wound , and after a month the scar is not much of a knot anymore.

I was just wondering if the glycerin is drying out the healthy cells.?

[IdahoHerbalist]

Not sure about the properties of the glycerin drying out things. Patrick will have to address that.

One thing you should know about Calendula is that although it is considered not as strong it does have tissue regenerating properties similar to plantain.

It will be interesting, and important, to get to the bottom of this.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

sstolzenburg wrote: Doc, I am sorry, with all due respect, I have never had anyone tell me what is the recommended dose. I have asked, but it doesn’t seem to be written down anywhere or forthcoming, and it is not well communicated. Especially since there are different concentrations. What i am hearing is what is good for what problem (among other uses) but not with any reliable dosing reference. I would love to have someone tell me what is the recommended dose. It isn’t well spelled out in any of your modules. Maybe you could do a module on recommended dose

I have just figured I was on my own for that. And I am taking a lot of herbs to see if there is any effects from too much but it means I am my own guinea pig, and I am taking herbs without being sick or having any symptoms,

The typical dose of most tinctures is 10-30 drops. Glycerties are the same.

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

sstolzenburg wrote: The second wound was in the palm, a scratch from a nail that tore the skin on a 3/4 circle. Not a deep wound but one that was hard to clean. It was on a girl’s hand and I did not see her for a week by that time the torn skin has fallen off and it had skinned over, again not deep and it was light pink. she said it did not hurt and it never seemed to get any more infected. I gave her mother about a tablespoon of the glycerin poultice because I figured that the way it attracts moisture, it would draw out any infection. i had also given her some Calendula infused lip balm, but the tincture went on for 2-3 days before the calendula, and told her to keep it covered with the herbal under a bandaid. I am sure i will see the hand scar again on Sunday.

With my screw driver wound, it had pus for 2-3 days but never closed until about 10 days later, I don’t think it healed from the outside, it remained a hole until the end. I only use the plantain tincture (with plant matter) for two days then i stopped the plantain and went to calendula salve under a bandaid. I did not see any infection, meaning it never got red and the pain went away within 24 hours. I did not think much of screwdrver wound , and after a month the scar is not much of a knot anymore.

I was just wondering if the glycerin is drying out the healthy cells.?

Glycerin is wonderful topically and has a lot of nice properties. It’s very soothing, emollient and mildly anti-septic if you dilute it with water first (3 parts glycerin to 2 parts distilled water). It’s a good addition to poultices and will help them stay moist longer.

If you don’t dilute it, it’s irritating and stimulating. This can be useful as well…just depends on what you’re after.

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

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