Crafting Your Herbal Sanctuary: Organizing and Preserving Your Apothecary with Demetria Clark

Craft an herbal apothecary that’s not only functional but also a reflection of your personal wellness journey with insights from Demetria Clark, director of Heart of Herbs Herbal School. Imagine having a beautifully organized space where each herb, tincture, and salve is perfectly stored and easily accessible, empowering you to take charge of your holistic health practices. This episode invites both novice and seasoned herbalists to explore the essential elements of an apothecary, including the choice of appropriate containers like amber and cobalt glass to protect your precious concoctions from harmful UV light, and the importance of proper labeling to maintain their potency.

Discover strategies for preserving the quality of your herbal products and learn why glass jars, lined metal tins, and BPA-free plastic containers are recommended for storing salves and creams. Demetria shares practical tips on reusing bottles, purchasing lids separately to save costs, and trusted resources for getting your supplies. This episode is packed with advice on creating a serene apothecary space where order reigns, ensuring your connection to nature and traditional herbal practices is both honored and enhanced. Whether you're setting up your herbal apothecary for the first time or refining your existing setup, this conversation will inspire you to curate a wellness sanctuary that aligns with your lifestyle.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Organizing Your Herbal Apothecary
• 14:22 Herbal Product Storage and Labeling

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:37

Hi, this is Demetria Clark, the director of Heart of Herbs Herbal School, and today, on the Heart of Herbs Herbal School podcast, we're going to be talking about organizing your herbal apothecary. So welcome to the podcast. This is your go-to resource for herbalism, wellness and natural living. We offer herbal and aromatherapy education and certification programs to students worldwide. I'm your host, demetria Clark, the director and founder of Heart of Herbs Herbal School. Founded in 1998, we've been helping students all over the world achieve their herbal and aromatherapy educational and career goals. As a seasoned herbalist what a nice way to say it I'm excited to share my knowledge on a topic that's close to the heart of many herbal enthusiasts organizing your herbal apothecary. I know whenever one of our students shares their apothecary setups in our student group, everyone gets excited and inspired. We love seeing how everyone sets up their storage and their apothecary for their herbal creations. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your current setup, this episode will guide you through creating a practical, efficient and beautiful space for your herbs and herbal formulations. We'll cover how light affects your herbal products, the best labeling practices and choosing the proper containers and tips for organizing by type. So let's get started. I will say. I have a feeling this is going to become one of our most popular episodes, because this is a question people ask all the time.

Speaker 1: 2:07

So what is the value of an at home herbal apothecary? So why should you even have one? The answer lies in the benefits of having quick, easy access to natural remedies and wellness solutions whenever you need them. An at home apothecary allows you to take control of your health and well-being by using natural, time-tested herbs and preparations. It empowers you to address common ailments, boost your immunity and support overall wellness without needing to rely solely on commercial products. Your herbal apothecary can also have products made by other herbalists, so you don't have to make everything in your apothecary. Building your herbal apothecary can also deepen your connection to nature and understanding the traditional herbal practices. It's a way to incorporate sustainable living and holistic practices into your daily routine. Plus, an organized apothecary brings a sense of peace and readiness, helping you feel prepared for anything from seasonal cold to stress relief. There's nothing like knowing that you can have solutions for many of your family's health needs. If you can't sleep, we have a tea blend or a tincture for that Kids got the flu, cough or cold. Elderberry syrup in the winter is already made Essentials to include in your herbal apothecary. So what should you have in your at-home apothecary? So here are some items that can help get you started. So listen, you are going to choose the herbs and nobody's apothecary looks the same Okay. So these are just suggestions.

Speaker 1: 3:36

I like to keep my apothecary full of things I can grow in the garden that are natural and nearby apothecary, full of things I can grow in the garden that are natural and nearby, things that are in my yard, in my fields, in our woods. So that isn't something that everybody can do right or even wants to do. So you can have dried herbs that you purchase from stores or from friends. You don't have to do all of this yourself. So be kind to yourself and use what works for you and your family. So for dried herbs, I have tons, but you know, for starting off things from the mint family spearmint, peppermint you can do herbs like lemon balm, lavender, calendula, elderberry, chamomile, nettles, rose hips, you know there's all kinds of things that you can use. So get your dried herbs and they're really great because they have a lot of versatile uses for teas, infusions, topical preparations. You can put them in tinctures, make tinctures out of them.

Speaker 1: 4:38

Another thing you can have in your herbal apothecary are tinctures, so tinctures that are already made. So you can have ones like echinacea, valerian oats, lemon balm for relaxation, echinacea, ginger, garlic, oregano for immune health. You can also make tinctures, for you know oh, the fall's coming and I know my kids always get this. I'm going to make some tinctures. You can also purchase tinctures and put them in there. You don't have to make everything in your apothecary.

Speaker 1: 5:08

Um, another thing to have in your apothecary are salves and balms. So keep healing. Salves made with calendula or plantain for minor cuts and scrapes, soothing balms for dry skin, soothing balms for dry skin, sore muscles, like you know. You can also do, you know, arnica for bruising, st John's wort. You know there's lots and lots of great salves out there and we have tons of salve recipes in our programs, but we also have them in, you know our blog. So there's lots of great salve recipes out there and salves, once you get the hang of it, are pretty easy to use.

Speaker 1: 5:46

The next is herbal oils, and these are infused oils like arnica, st John's wort. I always keep a ton of St John's wort oil in hand. I love it. It makes me feel good in the wintertime, but they're also excellent for muscle aches and bruises. You can have um plantain, comfrey, chamomile, calendula, I mean there's all kinds of infused herbal oils that you can make or purchase and put them in your apothecary. Now this next one is really um depends on you and how you practice. So I'm also an aromatherapist, so I also like to have some essential oils in my apothecary and although they're not herbal, they're herbal adjacent.

Speaker 1: 6:33

Now I would like to say that essential oils are not always the best way to use herbs for the environment, because it takes tons and tons of plants to make the essential oil. So educate yourself on that and if you're really finding that you're into aromatherapy, get a quality education so you can have best practices for safety and the environment. But I like to have things like you know, lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, frankincense, the mints. You know I just I have a ton of essential oils because I'm an aromatherapist, so I have them all in my apothecary. But you can also get essential oils that are already pre-blended, so there's blends. You can just have one or two essential oils if you're not sure how you feel about them. So you can definitely make your own decisions about essential oils and then herbal powders and I'm not a huge powder person because I don't do tons of capsules, but some of the herbs that I do like and powder are turmeric and ashwagandha, because I use them in different applications regularly.

Speaker 1: 7:43

Make sure that you customize your apothecary with herbs and products that suit your personal needs and preferences for your family, so you don't need to worry about what other people have in their apothecary. You need to worry about what's in yours. So some useful appliances to have. Now, listen, do not use your kitchen appliances for herbal medicine, particularly if you are using essential oils, because if there's anything that's plastic, the essential oil is just going to be absorbed into that. Or if you're using anything that you know. If you decide that you're going to make a body scrub with some soap in it or something and you use the family blender, there's a good chance you're not going to get it all the way out. So if you don't have the money to right away, go and buy all these things new, you can check out flea markets, thrift stores, facebook marketplaces all kinds of places to buy things.

Speaker 1: 8:37

The only thing that I think would probably be fine in the home and in the apothecary are things like a dehydrator and a freeze dryer. So a dehydrator is essential for drying fresh herbs efficiently and evenly. You can air dry them, you can screen dry them. This just makes life a little bit easier and it also keeps dust and contaminants from getting on your dried herbs, unless you have a herb drying room. So I could have like an herb drying room if I wanted. Like I have the space for that. Not everyone has space for that. My kids are gone, you know. They've moved out, so like I have a lot more space in my house than someone who has little kids running around.

Speaker 1: 9:18

Another one, and this isn't a must, but I got to tell you I love mine and I use it to preserve herbs from our farm with the least amount of coon, stichoint and nutrient loss. But it is an expensive tool, is a freeze dryer and I think that they for me, it's a must because it just gives me so much more power over how long I can preserve my herbs, because I cook with tons of herbs too, so I'm like a huge cook. Um, the joke is is I probably should have uh, you know, I easily could have been, you know a chef. I just love cooking, I love experimenting with food and it has a lot of herbs in it. Everything I make is just so herbally rich, like even my garlic butter is just crazy insane, chock full of herbs. So you want to. If you have like a freeze dryer or something like that, you'll want to make sure that you know you can use it. Um, family and herbs that are for your apothecary, but if you're selling your herbs you need to have separate tools.

Speaker 1: 10:24

The next is an herb grinder. So an electric or manual herb grinder can be a game changer for making fine herbal powders. This appliance ensures that you can have a consistent, easy to use powder. The next is a blender or a food processor. So there's all kinds of really powerful blenders out there.

Speaker 1: 10:43

When I first started in the herbal world, there was like the Vitamix and that was it. It was like Vitamix or regular standard blender, and that one was so, oh my gosh, it was like I mean, back then, a three $400 blender was just insane amount of money, was just insane amount of money and for years and years and years I went without. I just like I can't afford that for a blender. It's a you know, a secondary blender, and eventually we got one and it was great. But so and nowadays, though, there's all kinds of brands of very high speed blenders. There's Blendtec. I think Ninja makes one that's got a lot of power. The Nutribullet seemed to have a lot of power, so having a good blender is definitely important. A high speed blender is perfect for creating herbal blends, lotions and infused oils. It can help mix the ingredients seamlessly for herbal use. The ingredients seamlessly for herbal use.

Speaker 1: 11:40

The next is a scale and that could go back and forth between your house and your apothecary A digital scale. They're pretty cheap. I remember when I first was buying digital scales back in the early 2000s. You know everyone would go oh, you're a drug dealer. But they're really important because some recipes are based on weights or some creations that you're going to make are based on weights, and having a good digital scale is really important. You don't need one that can do a few hundred pounds unless you're going to be doing a few hundred pounds or something.

Speaker 1: 12:08

A devil boiler is great for melting wax and oils. You can also have a melting pot. This is useful for salves, balms and creams. A mortar and pestle while not electric, a mortar and pestle are indispensable for hand grinding herbs and releasing their essential properties. You may also want to look at having a small crock pot or slow cooker for creating crock pot long infused herbal oils without the risk of burning. Crock pot long infused herbal oils without the risk of burning. Um, an electric kettle is great. I love having electric kettle. I really, when I was living in Europe, I just fell in love with them. And now that we, you know, have a wood stove and stuff in the shop, I, you know, I'm definitely looking at other kinds of kettles to have on the wood stove in the middle of winter just to save some energy and, you know, double dip on the on the heat that's coming from it.

Speaker 1: 13:00

The next is knives and scissors. Good knives are really important. I know sometimes it's hard for people to be like. Knives are expensive, but good knives are going to protect your hands. They're going to make your job much easier when it comes to processing herbs and having, you know, separate apothecary scissors are great. We have tons of scissors all over the place, because I'm one of these people that seems to always lose scissors and then I find like four of them all in the same place, and then cutting boards. So you're going to want your cutting board to be able to be sterilized and cleaned really well. So just make sure that you get something that's a surface that you're comfortable working with. I work with wood and stone. If I was doing large-scale manufacturing, I may look into other kinds of surfaces. These appliances can help you streamline your herbal process, saving time and ensuring consistent results. Try not to use your family's tools. It's really good for herbal medicine making production and food production to have them be separate so you can eliminate crossover contamination. Also, sterilize your tools and containers to lessen potential contamination. If you plan on starting a business, you're going to have to do all of that anyways. So the next part is your containers. So tinctures and extracts.

Speaker 1: 14:23

When storing herbal tinctures, it's essential to use proper containers. Tinctures are prepared with a high percentage of alcohol and they can last for years, even decades, as stored properly. Alcohol is a solvent and shouldn't be stored in anything other than glass. You can use amber glass. You can use cobalt or green the darker the better. We use amber glass dispensing bottles with polysealed caps.

Speaker 1: 14:47

When it's time to dispense tinctures, we recommend transferring them to dropper bottles. This is because long-term storage with the dropper can cause it to deteriorate. These are usually called Boston rounds or amber glass bottles. The bottles are designed to protect your medicine in several ways. The brown glass helps prevent light from degrading the medicine over time and it blocks out the light which can be damaging. Though cobalt and green glass can also be used, the amber does block out the most light.

Speaker 1: 15:13

The polyseal cap is resistant to solvents and is manufactured for chemical storage, making it perfect for storing tinctures. However, although the caps are plastic, we are still seeking a better lid solution and right now there really isn't one. You may be tempted to try alternative solutions like wax, metal or cork, but make sure they're made for the food or chemical industry. We buy the bottles in bulk to save money, and if you want to save money, you can purchase them with friends and split the cost. You can also reuse and recycle bottles. Bottles can last for decades if properly cared for, but you may need to replace the lids. So each time there's a new application, you may need to replace the lids. So each time there's a new application, you may need to replace the lids, and often from the bottle companies, you can just purchase lids. So if you're reusing your bottles, you can purchase new lids.

Speaker 1: 16:06

Choosing the right containers for your salves and creams is essential for preserving their quality, ensuring easy use. So here are some types of common containers Glass jars amber or cobalt glass are ideal for salves and creams because they block UV light and help maintain the integrity of the contents. They're also non-reactive and safe for long-term storage. Now metal tins these are really popular for salves due to their lightweight and durable nature. Ensure the tins are lined to prevent new reactions between the metal and the herbal products. Ensure the tins are lined to prevent new reactions between the metal and the herbal products.

Speaker 1: 16:38

Plastic jars high quality or food grade. While less preferred than glass, they can be a practical option for short-term storage or travel. Please make sure they're BPA free and food grade. Pump bottles and dispensers Pump bottles can provide a hygienic and convenient way to dispense creams and lotions without contamination.

Speaker 1: 16:56

Glass or plastic balm tubes Now they also have cardboard ones now, so you can definitely look at those. These twist-up tubes are ideal for smaller, portable amounts of salves and balms. They're also good for lip balm. They're perfect for the on-the-go application. So when selecting containers, consider factors like opacity, size and airtight seals to preserve the freshness and potency of your products. Some of my favorite companies to get bottles and containers from and they don't pay me, are sks-bottlecom, berlinpackagingcom, specialtybottlecom and birchbottlecom.

Speaker 1: 17:40

I'll try to make sure I put the links in the description, so understanding how light affects herbal products. First and foremost, let's talk about one crucial element that can impact the longevity and effectiveness of your herbal products light. Herbs and herbal preparations are sensitive to light, particularly direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting. Prolonged exposure can degrade the essential oils, active constituents and pigments within the herbs, leading to diminished potency and quality over time. Direct sunlight accelerates the breakdown of compounds due to UV rays. This is particularly relevant for herbal oils, tinctures and dried herbs. For example, st John's Wort oil is highly photosensitive and can quickly lose its efficacy if it's exposed to light.

Speaker 1: 18:30

So pro tip store your herbs in a dark, cool place. Use amber or cobalt glass containers to block out harmful UV rays. If you prefer clear glass for visibility, make sure your storage area is shielded from direct light or use opaque covers. So we put all of our herbs inside of cabinets. So our apothecary is closed cabinets and we have them in a boot room which is off the house. It's a little bit cooler. It's you know it's between the house and the garage and you know it's a tile floor. It just really makes it easier for me to know where everything is. I know the temperature is always a little bit cooler in there and I know that all of my cupboards are light type.

Speaker 1: 19:18

Choosing proper containers for your herbal products. Choosing suitable containers is vital for preserving the quality of your herbs. The container type you use depends on the form of herbal product. Here's a quick rundown dried herbs. Glass jars, tight ceiling lids, mason jars or ball jars are perfect. They have an airtight lid. I also use a vacuum sealer for canning jars and I reseal them once I open the jar. It's a small handheld device that allows our herbs to last longer.

Speaker 1: 19:49

Glass is non-reactive and won't leach chemicals into your herbs. The airtight seal helps to maintain freshness of the herbs. One of the problems is they're often clear, so that's why a cupboard is a really great thing. Or you can spray paint the outside of them and use the chalk markers to label what's inside, or you could put a label sticker on the top. If it's like in a drawer. Anything that you can do to keep light away is really the best. Glass is non-reactive and doesn't leach into your herbs. The airtight seal helps to maintain freshness, so this would work for tinctures too, and we talked a little bit about amber or cobalt dropper bottles being the best for storing tinctures. It's just don't use the. Use the regular lid, not the dropper lid, for long-term storage. You can also find the bottles in green, red and purple and blue, and that's fine too, but you really want to make sure that it's as dark as possible and as long as the light can get in, it should keep them preserved for a lot longer.

Speaker 1: 21:00

Herbs and salves. For ease of access, use wide mouth glass jars, preferably dark in color. Metal tins are great we already talked about that a little bit and you can use plastic or the tubes. It just really depends on what you're making and what you want to use it for Powders, tightly sealed glass or food grade plastic containers. I just keep everything in glass. I'm sorry. I'm not sure what's in plastic and it freaks me out. It's just a preference for me. So if I do use plastic, I make sure that it's like from a company that I know and that it's made in the United States and that I know where the ingredients come from that are in it and that's becoming increasingly hard to do. Avoid using thin plastic containers. They're prone to breaking down and they can compromise the quality of your herbal products. High quality food grade plastics are an option, but glass is generally preferred for long-term storage.

Speaker 1: 21:56

Label, label, label Labeling your apothecary. Proper labeling is essential for keeping your apothecary organized. Like, with all seriousness, know what's in your apothecary. So on your labels you're going to want to include things like the name of the herb, the Latin name, the product. Be specific. So chamomile matricaria redic. Sorry, I always screw up the Latin names Like people are. Like you. Can't you run an herbal school? No, I totally can, because I, you know, trip over myself when I'm talking.

Speaker 1: 22:35

Date of harvest preparation this helps you track the age of your herbs, the source, whether it was wild, crafted, homegrown, purchased. So if I purchase herbs, I cut off their label that has all that information on it and tape it right on the side of my jar. Makes my life easier because it has the common name, the Latin name, where it came from, and then I just write the date on it, so the parts used. That's a good thing to put on your label, especially when you're first starting out and you're not sure. And then, if it's a blend, put the intended use and name your blend. If you can create customized labels using printable sticker paper or pre-made label sheets, make sure your label is illegible and use waterproof markers or print in waterproof ink to prevent smudging. Early on, before we had a laser printer, this was probably like a gazillion years ago. It was just amazing to me how quickly labels would smudge and we eventually just started taping over the label and then after that we started printing the labels with the laser. Now laser printers are very affordable, so having a laser printer can really definitely make your life easier.

Speaker 1: 23:52

Now let's talk about organizing. An organized system helps streamline your process with making remedies or blends. So here's a method to consider by form group dried herbs, tinctures, oils and powders separately. This ensures similar products are stored optimally for their preservation. So we have all of our dried herbs in one cupboard and then I have all of my tinctures in some drawers under one of those cupboards and I have all of my you know oils and fats. Those are together, and part of the reason why I do this is because it just makes my life easier. Or if I'm telling someone to go get something, I'm like it's in the fat drawer so, and then you can group them by usage. So if you have herbal products, you can do them by purpose. So if you have salves made and you know teas for digestive health or whatever, you can sort them together if you want. This can make it really easy to grab what you need when you're crafting remedies.

Speaker 1: 24:49

Another way is alphabetically for those who have a more extensive apothecary. So arranging herbs alphabetically can save time when searching for a specific item. So I have my stuff alphabetically. Now I will say I don't always put things back where they should be because I'm always short of space, like I'm always expanding and needing more. So it's definitely. You know, I even use the drawer, the shelf divider, so I can double stack stuff and, with all honesty, I probably need to just invest in a few more cupboards I just haven't gotten around to it yet because I like to find those locally made or used and sturdy. So you know sometimes that takes time.

Speaker 1: 25:37

Seasonal herbs so if you practice seasonal herbalism, organizing your herbs by their peak use or harvest season can be really important, especially if you do like seasonal eating and seasonal like herb using. You know that could be a way that works for you. So you can use stackable containers to make life easier, or tiered shelving to maximize vertical space. Drawer organizers or divided trays can also help keep smaller items like tincture bottles in order, or divided trays can also help keep smaller items like tincture bottles in order. So the next part of this is to create a functional workspace. So once you have this all organized, then you should start thinking about a functional workspace.

Speaker 1: 26:17

Your herbal apothecary should be organized and functional. Make sure you have a dedicated workspace for blending and creating herbal products. It should be well-lit, clutter-free, easy to clean. Like you're going to make such a mess all the time, like you're just going to spill it. You're going to be like, oh, I don't need a funnel, ha ha. The next thing, you know there's stuff everywhere. Store your most used tools, such as measuring spoons, scales and mixing bowls, within reach.

Speaker 1: 26:46

Considering adding labels or tags to shelves for quick identification to help you remember where everything belongs. Especially if you have limited space, keeping things really organized will help you feel less cluttered. You can also use a rolling cart or a portable shelf, so I like to go to restaurant supply stores and get some of that stuff. Like a rolling cart that can hold a few hundred pounds is perfect and they're not super expensive. You can probably even get them at big box places online, but it just kind of makes making things movable and I'm not going to hurt myself, moving them is always a big bonus. So creating and maintaining your well-organized herbal apothecary does take time and effort, but the benefits are worth it. But, however, be mindful of potential pitfalls such as exposure to light, impoverished labeling or using the wrong containers. By avoiding these, you'll not only keep your herbs fresh and potent for longer, but it'll also make your practice smoother and more enjoyable.

Speaker 1: 27:47

Remember, the more love and attention you put into organizing your space, the more inspired you'll feel to create an experiment. So decorate your space. Paint the walls, paint your shelves, hang up posters or pictures. Make it beautiful. Make it a place that you want to be. I have some of those like ruggable type rugs in mine, so when they get dirty, I just head over to the laundromat and wash them in their machines.

Speaker 1: 28:11

Um, so I always have like. I just always feel like my space is beautiful and I love it. Um, but it's really personal and how you do it is up to you. So thank you so much for joining me today. I hope this episode inspires you to take your herbal apothecary to the next level. I even know someone who was teasing me because at one point I had like an old chandelier in my space. I just, you know, just have fun with it. You know, upgrade in little ways to make you feel really creative and inspired. So remember to subscribe and share the podcast with fellow herbalists and leave us a review if you found this helpful. If you're looking to take the next step and pursue your herbal education for a fun career change, check us out at heartofherbscom. Until next time, happy organizing and happy herbal formulating.