Making a tincture

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Loolee

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I'm wanting to make a tincture and I have a couple of questions, since I'v never made one before.

1. A tincture is made with alcohol. Either rubbing alcohol or vodka will work, right?

2. Will I need a preservative for this if I'm planning on selling it? Or will it keep on its own if I strain out all the botanicals?

Is there anything else I should know about making a tincture?
 
You would be using vodka as tinctures are usually taken internally. I believe you will have to get approval through the FDA (US) or Health Canada for Canada before being able to sell.

Now of course there is always the possibility that I am dead wrong :lol:
 
hmmm, not the answer I was looking for... or should I say... was wanting... but helpful none the less.



Thanks! :)
 
Rubbing alcohol is for external use only!!!

Mods, where are you on this one? Long, impassioned lectures for people who get on this forum with basic questions about soap making who plan to sell, but hardly a peep out of you all when someone comes on here clueless about making tinctures-someone who thinks RUBBING ALCOHOL Is okay? I have a big problem with that. The fallout from that has much more serious potential.

To the OP- if you sell tinctures without educating yourself first, you are setting yourself up for some serious karma.
 
please chill out. I'd never use rubbing alcohol for something to be taken internally.

I read somewhere that rubbing alcohol was used... but having never used a tincture before, I don't know. I thought it was used externally... hence the question.

and who cares about karma when in the good ole US we have "lawsuits" gasp!
 
Mouse said:
Rubbing alcohol is for external use only!!!

Mods, where are you on this one? Long, impassioned lectures for people who get on this forum with basic questions about soap making who plan to sell, but hardly a peep out of you all when someone comes on here clueless about making tinctures-someone who thinks RUBBING ALCOHOL Is okay? I have a big problem with that. The fallout from that has much more serious potential.

To the OP- if you sell tinctures without educating yourself first, you are setting yourself up for some serious karma.

Someone already told her that since tinctures are for internal use, that they'd have to use vodka and that they'd have to get FDA or Health Canada approval.
The Op didn't go on to disagree with the response that was given to her.

So I'm not really sure what the problem is?
 
MRH's blog has info on making tinctures. http://mountainroseblog.com/guide-tinctures-extracts/

Interesting discussion on making tinctures. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/loa ... 15868.html

You will need to do some research on making tinctures since I believe some herbs do not perform well in alcohol. This is just a suggestion but food grade glycerin is a solvent. Also, rubbing alcohol can be used for topical tinctures but it probably would be better to use vodka just in case someone doesn't read the instructions. :wink: I wouldn't think you'd need to add a preservative if you're using alcohol for the tinctures. Alcohol should be enough of a preservative.

However, I don't know if you could sell tinctures since they could possibly fall into a drug or food supplement category. You'd have to check with city, county, state and federal authorities to find out what regulations and manufacturing standards are required. You may have to have tinctures tested for safety. I'm sure there is quite a lot involved with selling tinctures that I don't even know about. Also, insurance might be extremely expensive.
 
DragonQueenHHP said:
not gonna reinvent the wheel here is a link to a how to from a trusted site
http://mountainroseblog.com/guide-tinctures-extracts/
rubbing alcohol is not a extractor I would ever recommend
food grade glycerin works well too I use it when making extracts for pets and young children
if you have anymore questions please feel free to ask

Thanks for the link! :D
 
If "ever clear" is available in your area, it may be used
instead of vodka. From what I understand, if using
grain alcohol, it is to be mixed 50-50 with purified
water, which may be the same suggestion when
you use glycerin, although I have done it with
pure glycerin before. Vinegar may also be used.

But, if you are wanting to make these for use in
creams, soaps, etc., why don't you soak your
herbs in a light carrier oil to make an herb
infused oil?

Kathy
 
Vinegar tinctures are not very potent, don't last for as long as alcohol tinctures, and have an aggravating tendency to rust the lid onto the tincture bottle. A few medicinal herbs, such as Lobelia and Wintergreen, are commonly tinctured in vinegar. Many garden herbs, such as Tarragon, Oregano, Chives, and Rosemary, are put up in vinegar.

Yes you use any 80 proof + gain alcohol thou most often vodka is used due to cost
No you do not have to add water to your stored tincture as it only weakens it.

I agree if you are making them for soaping ect... I would infuse them in a carrier oil :D
 
Infusions extract minerals and vitamins; tinctures do not. Tinctures extract the powerful, potentially poisonous, active ingredients in plants; depending on the plant, infusions may or may not do this.
 

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