Frustrated, Elijah decided to delve deeper into the creation of his own herbal formulas in the form of tinctures which were far more potent than pills, capsules, teas or decoctions (concentrated water extracts). He also found that many of the herbal products on the market at that time were poorly formulated and produced, often sat too long on a shelf and were made from low grade commercial quality herbs. So, deciding that his clients deserved far better, Elijah began to produce his own herbal products.

It is important to note that all of Elijah’s products are continually designed and developed in a therapeutic situation, not just whipped-up to sell, as many companies do. What we are offering here is just the beginning of the full line. As time goes on, we will be adding more custom formulations and single herbal tinctures. Our Herbs are made with the oldest method of tincturing which takes two to four weeks for each formula.

The Process

1. Single dry herbs are mixed into their complex formulas, then placed into a jar and mixed with the highest grade consumable grain alcohol (80 proof or 40% alcohol) and combined with pure vegetable glycerin.
2. Next we let Nature do the rest. The movement of the Earth with time and natural forces around us will extract the active ingredients from the herb into the tincturing solution.
3. After the herbs have spent enough time in extraction, they are pressed out with 12 tons of cold pressure (very important that no heat is used) and then filtered.

With this method, our alcohol content is low – 22 to 28% – one of the lowest available. And this method does not sacrifice potency or quality to keep the alcohol content so low. The shelf life of properly prepared tinctures is many years, but we prepare our formulas only in small batches so they are freshly made on a regular basis.

Earth Friend Herb Co. makes Tinctures For a Many Reasons

1. Tinctures absorb immediately your system, even if you’re in a weakened state. When taken straight (not mixed with water), tinctures absorb into the mucous membranes of your mouth, never reaching your stomach. A weaker system does not properly absorb herbal pills or capsules. As little as 10 to 15% may be absorbed. The rest is eliminated.
2. Tinctures are not involved in the first step of digestion which is mastication (chewing) and salivation. They bypass that first step and enter your stomach in an unprocessed state.
3. Since tinctures absorb instantly upon contact, they do not mix in your stomach which is undesirable. Herbal pills and capsules do exactly that, and could cancel each other out or create an undesirable effect. Also the digestion time of each powered herb could be different, so the formula may not activate together.
4. Tinctures are very convenient to take, needing no mixing or brewing like teas. The exact dosage can be taken to the drop, insuring proper results.
5. Tinctures need no refrigeration and are highly stable with a very long shelf life. Pills and capsules have a relatively short potency life and are more readily affected by heat and light, and can spoil easily.
6. Some active ingredients from herbs cannot be extracted in water or by the human system. An example is one of the active antispasmodic ingredients from the herb black cohosh (cimicifuga racemosa). This important constituent is only extracted in an alcohol/ vegetable glycerin solution. Yet, you will find antispasmodic herb products containing black cohosh in pill or capsule form on the market, though they can not work properly because of this reason.
7. Tinctures have a much higher potency than all other forms of herbs, but this will depend of course on the quality of the herb and the amount of raw herb used in making the tincture.

About Herbs

It’s been said that “Herbs are a specialized form of life created by Nature to help heal ourselves and the Planet”. We believe in the close cooperation with our good friends, the herbs, and a mutual relationship based on trust, goodwill and the deepest appreciation for who and what the herbs are, and the important role they play in our world.

It is hard to believe that a day would go by that one does not in some way ingest an herb or use one topically. Vegetables are herbs and so are spices, and many fruits and grains also have medicinal qualities. Many scented things these days are made of herbs and so are shampoos & conditioners, cosmetics & skin creams, soaps & perfumes, bug repellents, cleaners & laundry detergents, fertilizers and so on. One does not usually think of all these things, but they are there.

The history of herbs goes back to the beginning of the world as the first food and medicine that was used by people and animals alike. As civilization developed, many herbs were recognized as food and medicine, a sacred gift from Nature and were used in religious ceremonies. This practice is still alive today, with two of the most common herbs used being sage and frankincense. But in general, the sacredness of herbs has been largely forgotten and overlooked.

Why Herbs Work

There are a number of reasons, but we think these are the best.

1. First of all, they are all natural. The human body best thrives on natural substances. Herbs are easy to absorb and when the right ones are used correctly, will have no side effect.
2. Herbs were designed by Nature to help your body stay healthy. For most every imbalance created in the body through devitalized and chemically grown food, stress, polluted environment, and the like, Nature has already provided some form of nourishment through herbs that may prove helpful in restoring your natural state of health.
3. Herbs are composed of nutrients that include vitamins, minerals, alkaloids, resins, tannins, flavonoids, essential oils, mucilage, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates and the elements that comprise life and keep us healthy.
4. Herbs absorb easily into your system where other substances do not, such as vitamins and minerals in pill or capsule form or even liquid form. This is because of the carbon based make up of the herbs created by Nature. For example, if minerals were easy to absorb into your system, then vitamins would not need to be chelated or used in such exaggerated amounts (i.e. iron which needs to be chelated for even minimal absorption and vitamin C which is taken by the gram for results). With herbs, the plant itself will absorb iron from the earth, then store it in carbon-based form, then when ingested into your body, it will be easily assimilated. Vitamin C is present in many herbs in vast amounts. In herbal terminology, the property would be called anti-scorbutic. Unlike supplemental vitamin C which can have side effects when taken in too large a dose, a high Vitamin C herb when taken in a large dose will not have any. This is because of the way that Nature put the herb together, with its many components.

However, it is important to be aware that many herbs, including some of the most important ones that we use on a daily basis can and may have unwelcome side effects if taken in too large an amount. Proper amounts of herbs are what works. Too much may be just too much.

Tonic Herbology

All the herbs we make are tonic in nature. This means that their main action is to feed and strengthen your body, rather than stimulate it the way many current herbal products do. When your body is in a state of stress, the last thing it needs is to be stimulated in an attempt to try and make it function in a particular manner. This only leads to further stressing, which is the exact opposite of the desired healing environment. When your body is stressed, the logical way to proceed is to help alleviate the stress by supporting those body functions which are affected. When the stress on those organs, glands, etc. has been helped by feeding them with the necessary nutrients, only then may they begin their process of healing. Our herbal formulas are tonic in nature and do not stimulate any already weakened organs.

This means you may use the same formula for either a hypo or hyper condition. For example, the very same formula may be used for either constipation or diarrhea, just as one other formula may be used for low blood sugar or diabetes. If this is not possible, then the formula is not a true tonic and only stimulates the weakened organ. You will never get the same effect from a stimulating formula as you will from one that is a true tonic. Tonic Herbology is the basis for all of the truly great systems of herbology from all around the world. The form of herbology that we use is called Western Native Herbology. It is based upon the Native ways of using herbs in conscious cooperation, along with the finest aspects of the European schools and the remarkable work of the original Thompsonian herbalists who birthed the first schools of herbology in this country from what their Native brothers and sisters shared with them.

Intelligent Formulas

We have perfected intelligent formulas through the use of a director herb. The director herb, when placed correctly in a formula is like the conductor of an orchestra, that tells everyone else what to do. When an intelligent formula is used, as it enters your body it will literally connect with the intelligence of your cells themselves. Together, they decide what the best action for the formula to take, which will benefit your body as a whole. Our formulas are wide spectrum in each of their categories. The reason they work so well is that the director herb directs which exact action or group of actions that it should take. This form of herbalism is almost a lost art. Elijah Free rediscovered it through years of private practice in carefully observing the effects of herbal formulas on his clients. Our formulas are tonic in nature, and intelligent too.

Potency

Our tinctures are highly concentrated extracts that remove the desirable properties into a fluid base that is easy for your body to absorb. We begin with the finest raw materials available and use more raw herb in our extraction processes than most other companies. Anywhere from half again to twice as much (or even more). This gives us a final product that is highly concentrated. That means you get more herb for your money. If the amount suggested is too much, then use less. You pocket the savings, because you are getting the highest potency available, and not just a watered down product. We believe in producing herbal products that work. The test is in the taste, smell, color and potency in each individual herbal product. If a formula is too strong at the standard dosage, then just use less.

Certified Organic And Wildcrafted Herbs

All of the herbs that we use are Certified Organic and Wildcrafted, for the higher potency and purity they guarantee. This is of the utmost importance because of the powerful and volatile pesticides and chemical fertilizers that are commonly used, many of which are recognized as agents that may produce or lead to cancer, birth defects, nervous system dysfunctions and other undesirable effects. Also these chemical agents can and do alter and nullify the desirable active ingredients in the herbs. This is true of the irradiation process too. Almost all of the herbs we use are shade dried. This too is very important. Nearly all herbs are either kiln dried or sun dried. Kiln dried herbs are placed in a room that is artificially heated to often over 110 degrees.

This is to rapidly extract out the water content, which saves much time and money. It also destroys the volatile essential oils and other delicate substances which make up the medicinal properties. This is a commercial grade herb. Sun drying process is superior, but that too destroys valuable constituents. Shade drying takes a lot longer and costs more, but is far more intact in relation to its full potential. Certified Organic means that the growers have followed highly stringent guidelines and have used no chemical or inorganic fertilizers or pesticides and have only used unprocessed or non-chlorinated water. Wildcrafted means that pickers have collected highly potent herbs at the peak of their growing cycle in the wild, away from highways or any polluted or urban areas with concern for the ecological balance.