Frequently Asked Questions

How do I determine the dose of tincture for a child? 

You can use “Clark’s Rule” to figure out a safe tincture dose for a kiddo. Divide the child’s weight by 150. For example, if a child weighs 50 pounds, they would get 1/3 of the amount of an adult dose. If 20 drops are recommended for adults, about 6 drops can be given to a 50 pound child. 

What is the shelf life for tinctures? For dried herbs? 

When kept in appropriate conditions tinctures can easily last 10 years or longer (decades), since they are based in alcohol. Dried herbs usually hold up for a year or two. You can usually sense when the vitality is gone from the plant. Look for vivid color, and use your nose. Ideally, dried plants look just like they do when they are fresh and growing, minus the water. 

What’s the deal with Comfrey?! And why is it in some of your products when the internet tells me to avoid it? 

Comfrey has become a controversial plant in herbal medicine, mainly because of poorly conducted studies, and even worse reductionist thinking circulating on the Interwebs.

The short answer is: the basic issue with Comfrey is that some studies performed on laboratory animals ended with them sick with liver diseases; some so sick that they died. Comfrey plants contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which, for these studies, were isolated from the plant using chemical solvents, and then given in unnaturally occurring quantities to the animals, who then became ill. This is an example of a study which is taking the plant completely out of the context in which it has traditionally been used (and let’s not even get started on the totally unethical use of animals in laboratory studies!). These alkaloids are not present in those proportions in actual comfrey leaves used in teas, for example, when made with the whole leaf of a cultivated plant (and arguably may not even be metabolized when taken that way). Wild comfrey plants can have higher concentrations of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, even in the leaves, but in the cultivated variety they have largely been bred out.

Comfrey has a long history of use (over 2000 years, likely even longer) and has been held in high regard since antiquity as a very important plant in healing. Comfrey is not unlike the many millions of women burned at the stake for hundreds of years, for the crime of practicing crafts such as herbal medicine and midwifery. Feared and prosecuted, all while offering incredible healing. 

It is best to avoid use of the comfrey root internally, the part of the plant where these alkaloids are more highly concentrated. The root can be used topically/externally quite safely, and is divine where broken bones or other like traumas are in need of mending. The leaves of the cultivated variety of the plant (Symphytum officinale) are considered quite safe by many herbalists to consume internally. The leaf of Symphytum officinale is the variety and part of the plant you’ll find in the Powerhouse Tea or Infusion from Village Herbals, while the root is found in our Skin Soother Salve.

There are some diverse opinions about this even within the herbal community. Please do your own research and make an informed decision about whether to use it, rather than take our word for it. As with the use of any plant medicine, or anything else, your body is the final authority. If you notice adverse effects when taking any herb, it is best to discontinue it immediately. This is just brief explanation to attempt to make a confusing topic a bit simpler to understand.

Do you carry single bulk herbs?

Yes! They are not listed on the site for sale because of constant fluctuations in availability. But we have a wide variety! Please contact us to ask about the specific ones you are looking for. (Hint: if it’s an ingredient in any of our products, it’s likely we have it in stock for sale as a single, bulk herb.)

How do I know which herbs to use?

If you aren’t sure which herbs to use, and the product description doesn’t answer your question, or if you think you might benefit from some more personalized guidance, a private herbal wellness consultation might be appropriate. If you turn to the internet for advice, beware of a lot of confusing and contradictory information. It is wise to look for herbal information that is actually written by an herbalist, in order to get practical insight, and avoid getting lost in a bunch of theory. There are many great herbal books out there, written by practicing herbalists. It is always wise to consult at least three different books (written by herbalists!) to learn about a given herb and it’s applications. Below you will find a list of such books.

I want to harvest my own herbs. How do I begin?

• Make sure to positively identify any herb that you decide to collect from the wild yourself, and especially before ingesting it.
• Be very mindful of taking only what you need. Never take so much that you over-harvest an area. Leave 75% intact of any given stand of plants. Tread lightly!
• Always ask permission before harvesting on anyone’s land, and ask permission from the plant. Believe in the answer you hear, even if it’s just a faint feeling.

There are too many nuances to include in this brief answer, about when to harvest, what to harvest, and why. But a general guideline is to focus on the part of the plant that the plant is currently focused on, as this is where the most energy will be concentrated. For instance, the first green shoots in early spring; flowers, when the plant is in flower; seeds, when seeds are set, and roots, usually, though not always, in the fall when the energy is drawing down into the earth in preparation for winter dormancy.