Herbal Medicine Making Kit Download Link - Learning Herbs

Herbal Medicine 

Making Kit 

John M. Gallagher, L.Ac., CCH

PLEASE READ 

Printing Recommended for this book 

Printing this book is recommended. You may want to have these instructions with 

you when working on the kit. 

We advise first watching the DVD introduction, and then reading the introduction 

in this book. With each section of the kit you do, read through this book, then watch 

the DVD, and with the printed instructions in hand, do the lesson. There is no lesson in 

this book for making the herbal infusion, therefore, just watch the DVD. The conclusion 

for the kit is on the DVD. 

In these books, clicking on any “hyperlink”, such as the web site surrounded by a box 

below, will bring you directly to that page if you are connected to the internet. 

Resource Page: http://www.LearningHerbs.com/ResourcePage 

Also, clicking on the 

Page as well. You must be on-line to use this feature. 

icon on the top of each page will bring you to the Resource 

TERMS OF USE: The Herbal Medicine Making Kit and all 

information provided on or by LearningHerbs.com is for 

educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute 

for the advice provided by your physician or other medical 

professional. 

You should not use the information contained herein or the 

products in the Herbal Medicine Making Kit for diagnosing or 

treating a health problem, disease or injury, or prescribing 

any medication. 

If you have or suspect that you have a serious health 

problem, promptly contact your health care provider. 

Always consult with a health care practitioner before using 

any herbal remedy, especially if pregnant, nursing, or have 

a medical condition. Always follow the manufacturer’s 

directions when using herbal remedies or giving herbal 

remedies to children. 

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements 

have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration 

and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent 

any disease. 

LearningHerbs.com, it’s owners or employees, shall not be 

liable for injury, damage, or loss allegedly arising from the 

information contained in the Herbal Medicine Making Kit. 

By purchasing the Herbal Medicine Making Kit, you have 

accepted our terms of use. Anyone who does not accept 

these terms, being the purchaser may have been unaware 

of them at the point of sale, may return the Herbal Medicine 

Making Kit at any time for a full refund (we will not refund 

shipping costs). 

The Herbal Medicine Making Kit 

Written by John M. Gallagher 

Edited by Kimberly Gallagher, Kat Koch 

Production/Layout/Photos/Web Design by John M. Gallagher 

© 2005, 2007 John M. Gallagher. All rights reserved. 

First printing/electronic release: January, 2005 

No part of this publication or the accompanying DVD may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or 

transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the 

prior written permission of the copyright owner. Making copies of any part of this book for any purpose other 

than your own personal use is a violation of US copyright laws. 

This book is part of the Herbal Medicine Making Kit, which is published by LearningHerbs.com. The 

LearningHerbs.com, Herbal Medicine Making Kit and logos are registered trademarks. Information about the 

The Herbal Medicine Making Kit and may be obtained at www.LearningHerbs.com.

What’s in your kit 

Organic Echinacea 

purpurea 

Salve Herbs 

Comfrey*, Calendula, 

Plantain*, and 

St. Johnswort* 

*Organic or wildcrafted 

Organic Nettle leaf 

Urtica Dioica 

For use with the 

Nourishing Herbal 

Infusion section 

of the DVD. 

Echinacea purpurea 

Date: / / 

Decant: / / 

Dried root in ____% alc. 

9 oz. jar for 

tincture making 

Echinacea root for 

tincture making 

Herbs for salve 

making 

Nettle for use in 

Roots and Branches 

Cheesecloth 

L A V E N D E R 

ESSENTIAL OIL 

10 ml. 

Beeswax for salve 

making 

Cheesecloth for 

straining herbs 

Lavender for salve 

making 

4 blue dropper 

bottles for your 

finsihed tinctures 

H E R B A L 

H E A L 

I N G 

S A L V E 

ECHINACEA 

Echinacea purpurea 

root extract 

Contains: Comfrey, Calendula, Plantain, and 

St. Johnswort (in Olive oil); 

essential oil of Lavender; 

bees wax 

1 fl. oz. 

10 labels for your finished products! 

4 salve tins and 2 

2oz. salve jars. 

Special Thanks & Acknowledgement to Kimberly, Jon Young, Sally King, EagleSong, 

Karen Sherwood, my brother Jim for designing our logo, Sandie Grumman, the Wilderness 

Awareness School staff and elders, Ingwe, Erin Groh, Eileen VanBronkhorst, nd the RavenCroft 

Community. Extra special thanks goes out to Paula at the P&G Speakeasy Cafe in Duvall, 

WA where I wrote most of these books. EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA special thanks to my 

parents for their never ending love and support. 

For Kimberly, Rowan, and Hailey...

Welcome 

Herbal Medicine Belongs to Everyone (Even you) 

Perhaps you have taken Echinacea for an oncoming cold 

and want to learn more. Maybe you heard that you can 

make herbal remedies at home, but haven’t found the 

right instruction or haven’t felt safe doing so. Or perhaps you 

are part of the growing number of people who want to care for 

themselves naturally but just do not know where to start. 

“There are so many herbs to learn about, the body is so 

complex, and I just do not have the time or energy to 

learn about it all. I really want to treat my family naturally, 

but where do I start? Who will teach me? What book can 

I trust? What alternative method of healing is the right 

one for me? I think my doctor is helping me, but it just 

isn’t enough. Why isn’t there a pill to cure my energy loss 

or migraines?” 

Does any of this sound familiar? Yup, I have been there too. 

I was actually working for a nature school for years before I 

felt comfortable going beyond the Echinacea I took for a cold, 

and even THAT was a stretch for me. I knew from experience

Herbal Medicine Making Kit 

and all the media hype that it worked, but I had no idea 

what all those other bottles of herbs in the store were for. 

Once I ran into someone who actually made their own 

Echinacea tincture and could not believe they trusted 

their own medicine that they made in their house. How 

did they know what plant to use? How much of it? What 

if they poisoned themselves? With questions like these 

rattling around in our heads, herbal medicine can seem 

intimidating or even down right dangerous. 

First I’d like to encourage you to take a moment to consider 

the idea that western culture and western medicine 

have severed our connection with nature and natural 

remedies. It is this severed connection that leads to our 

fears. However, I am not out to bash western medicine. 

I use western medicine when I need it. Many lives are 

saved every day by hospitals and allopathic doctors. 

What I am talking about here is our every day healthcare. 

Preventative medicine… such as exercise, good nutrition 

and whatever else helps us reduce stress. A major part 

of our everyday healthcare can come from the nourishment 

and health giving gifts of the plants. 

Consider that plants not only clothe us and shelter us, but 

they are the root of our sustenance. Everything we eat 

comes from plants and trees, including meat (remember 

what the animals lower on the food chain eat). The quality 

of our food can make a huge difference in our vitality 

and quality of life. Herbs are plants, and herbal medicine 

actually has a lot to do with what we are ingesting for 

our everyday health. 

We all know that spinach and broccoli are good for us. 

They are filled with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, 

and more. We know how to prepare them to eat. Did you 

know that there are other health giving plants besides 

the fruits and green vegetables you are familiar with? I’m 

2


talking about wild plants and herbs. We can eat 

them and make teas that are incredibly nourishing 

for our bodies. The “dreaded” stinging nettle 

is one of the most nutritious and delicious greens 

there are, and can easily be incorporated into your 

favorite dish. Another example is oatstraw. It’s 

nourishing for your nervous system, and a pint of 

oatstraw infusion has as much calcium as a glass 

of milk! 

With this kit you are about to open up a whole new 

world of health and nutrition. However, I realize 

that it takes some time to learn about herbs and 

to feel safe using them. I know that it can take 

some time before you find the right way to keep 

YOU healthy or to heal yourself. I can’t tell YOU how to 

be healthy, but I can introduce you to herbal medicine, 

which can be an important part of your everyday health 

care. I can give you a great starting place. 

Believe it or not, stinging nettle 

is one of the most nutritious 

herbs. You’ll get to try some in 

the Roots and Branches home 

study course. 

I feel a starting place is important. That may sound painfully 

obvious, but seriously, you’d be surprised how hard 

it can be to find a place to start in learning about herbs. 

There are so many books and web sites out there that it 

is dizzying. In one respect, that is a good thing. Twenty 

years ago there were only a few books out there. But 

on the other hand, someone can get so overwhelmed 

by all this information that they never get started. This 

is part of the success of the Kamana Naturalist Training 

Program that I helped design for Wilderness Awareness 

School. It helps people weed through and utilize the 

vast choices of field guides in a simple system that helps 

them learn about nature. 

Similarly, this herbal kit will help you learn to use the 

vast number of herbal resources available today. I want 

to support all the great books out there by helping peo- 

3


ple learn how to use them. I want to support all the great 

teachers out there by leading people to the right class 

for them. When I first learned about herbs I just wanted 

someone to teach me the basics. I had all the books, 

but I still needed someone to show me. I went all over 

the Northwest Herb Faire looking for a kit exactly like 

this one, but could not find one. Luckily, I found a good 

teacher. Once I learned the basics and learned to trust 

myself, the possibilities were endless. I want to help you 

learn to trust yourself and want to inspire you to learn 

more. There are many ways to learn herbal medicine, 

and in time you will find which is right for you. 

I talked earlier about the nourishing herbs we can use 

every day that can keep us healthy. There are also stronger 

herbs that can help us in times of sickness. Whether 

we have a cold or flu, an upset stomach, or are in a firstaid 

situation, the plants that grow around us can come 

to our aid. More serious conditions warrant experienced 

mainstream or alternative practitioners (herbalists, naturopathic 

doctors, homeopathic practitioners, acupuncturists, 

therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, 

etc..), but everyday nourishment and relief from the 

most common conditions lie in our own hands. For tens 

of thousands of years human beings intimately knew the 

medicine of the plants around them. The healer of the 

tribe or village was called in on more serious conditions, 

but people knew how to stay healthy and what to use if 

they fell ill with a common ailment. We today can follow 

that same model. 

I am going to show you that incorporating herbal medicine 

into your life is simple and inspiring. As a human 

being, you are about to “re-learn” the medicine that 

has been growing around you your whole life. The same 

medicine that your ancestors used for millennia. Herbal 

medicine is truly medicine that belongs to everyone. 

4


Why I chose to teach with a kit… 

I feel the best way to learn is hands-on. I also know 

distance education works. I still direct the best naturalist 

home study course available (Wilderness Awareness 

School’s Kamana Naturalist Training Program). So, I had 

this idea that I would combine distance learning with a 

hands-on experience. 

Besides the herbs I use daily to keep myself nourished, 

two herbal products that I often use are my homemade 

all purpose healing salve and my Echinacea tincture. 

They are the foundation of my personal first aid kit as 

well. I thought I would show you how to make two useful 

products while teaching you how easy it is to make 

herbal medicine. 

I want this kit to be the foundation of your future herbal 

learning endeavors. At any time, you can log on to 

HerbMentor.com with your free trial membership (do not 

misplace the yellow sheet that came in your kit). 

5


Whether you choose to be a part of our ongoing learning 

community or not, you can read, listen to or watch all the 

lessons you want while you are signed up. 

You can also download the free Roots and Branches 

Herbal Home Study Course on HerbMentor.com. The 

“Roots” part of the course will expand your herbal 

medicine making skills a little further past tinctures and 

salves. You will learn how to learn about medicinal, edible 

and poisonous plants, how to wildcraft ethically, how 

to make herbal infusions and teas (infusions also covered 

in this kit), the benefits of herbal vinegars, how herbs 

can nourish us, how to cook a meal with wild herbs, and 

a bit about herbal first aid. 

Roots & Branches, formerly the 

‘official follow-up course’ for the 

Herbal Medicine Making Kit, is 

still available on HerbMentor. 

com. 

We recommend you explore 

HerbMentor.com, and make sure 

you are on our free newsletter 

list to receive ongoing recipes, 

remedies and information. 

The “Branches” part were our free monthly newsletters 

designed to keep you inspired and learning. Over 

40 back issues are available on HerbMentor.com. The 

HerbalBranches newsletter was simply renamed the 

“HerbMentor Newsletter,” and we highly recommend you 

get on our current mailing list on LearningHerbs.com. In 

other words, we continue to publish ongoing lessons. 

On HerbMentor.com, there are other options besides 

Roots & Branches to continue your learning journey. You 

can download a guide that instructs you on how to get 

the most out of the site, such as studying the herb of the 

month, using HerbMentor Radio, joining the community 

forum or calling the monthly teleconference. 

What motivates me is knowing that I am helping someone 

break down the wall that separates them from herbal 

medicine and/or making their own herbal medicine. 

I am committed to you feeling that you can be a home 

medicine maker. This kit gives you a starting place and 

the information provided helps you discover where to go 

next on your journey of taking your every day healthcare 

into your own hands. 

6


You don’t need a degree or to take a bunch of classes 

to call yourself a home medicine maker. You simply have 

to embrace and utilize these health-giving gifts called 

plants in a way that promotes life. 

You might have aspirations of being a Community 

Centered Herbalist, a naturopath, an ethno botanist, 

an herbal shopkeeper, or more likely, of being someone 

who brings natural health to your and your family’s life. 

Whatever your journey is, your first step begins here… 

Time to start the Herbal Medicine Making Kit! 

Let’s talk about the herbs! 

Let’s take a look at a useful oversimplification of herbal 

categories (next page), so we begin to get a sense of the 

array of herbs available for our tinctures and teas. 

At the base, you have your nourishing herbs. Those are 

the plants you are going to either eat or drink in larger 

quantities. They are as safe as the organic veggies from 

your local farmstand, and in many cases, more nutritious. 

Some of these herbs include nettles, dandelion, 

burdock, chickweed, and red clover. 

On the next level you have your gentle medicinal herbs. 

Here is where you will find your gentle remedies. A 

couple you are already familiar with are peppermint or 

chamomile. 

Next we have your stronger medicinal herbs. These are 

herbs you want to use far less often, usually when you 

have an acute condition such as a cold, fever, or perhaps 

an ankle sprain. These herbs can include echinacea, 

goldenseal, and arnica. 

7


POISONOUS 

Dangerous to 

mess with 

Stronger Medicinal 

herbs 

Gentle medicinal herbs 

Nourishing herbs 

John’s oversimpified herbal category chart. 

Next up we have potentially poisonous herbs that are 

used for medicinal purposes, but are ones you should 

really stay away from unless a qualified and experienced 

practitioner administers them. These might include foxglove 

or bittersweet nightshade. 

And finally, at the top of the pyramid, you have your poisonous 

plants no one should ever ingest. These include 

belladonna, false hellebore and poison hemlock. (Note 

that some poisonous herbs can be taken internally as 

homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies contain 

8


no biochemical traces of the plant. More on these remedies 

in the Root and Branches course.) 

An important thing to note is that this is a ROUGH 

sketch as to how you will find these herbs in 

nature. Meaning, there are a huge amount 

of nourishing herbs and gentle mind herbs, a 

smaller amount of stronger species, and a much 

smaller amount of poisonous plants. 

Let’s talk tinctures 

Herbal tinctures are herbal chemical constituents 

extracted into a liquid base, usually alcohol. 

(Note: teas are also extractions of herbal 

constituents, except a tea is extracting the plant 

into water.) What’s nice about alcohol is that 1) 

it is a preservative, and 2) it can extract stronger 

constituents than water can extract. The 

constituents are going to be more concentrated 

in a tincture than in a tea. However, alcohol does 

not extract the vitamins or minerals, as water will. 

So tinctures are used as medicine while tea can be 

used for your every day nourishment. 

Tinctures are found in bottles like these at 

most health food stores and herb shops. 

This photo was taken at RavenCroft 

Garden in Monroe, WA. 

Personally, I make most of my tinctures out of those 

gentle herbs such as chamomile and stronger herbs 

for acute situations such as Echinacea. Alcohol does a 

wonderful job extracting the constituents we need from 

these herbs to help us in many acute situations. I never 

touch the potentially poisonous herbs. 

I really like tinctures when I have an acute situation 

because they are effective and easy to transport. It’s 

hard for me at work to make herbal decoctions (strong 

teas that you simmer for a while). With a tincture, all I 

have to do, is squirt a dropper full of Echinacea in my 

water or juice and I am good to go. Then, when I get 

9


Echinacea 

home, I brew up a nourishing soup or herbal brew and 

rest. I would love to be able to run home and rest at the 

first sign of a cold, but you know as well as I do that 

isn’t always possible in this day and age. Even while I 

am nourishing myself and resting at home, I continue 

to take my herbal tinctures. They are a great way to get 

those stronger herbs in a concentrated form. 

So, Why Echinacea? 

Of all herbs, why did I choose Echinacea for this kit? 

Honestly, my first reason was because you probably have 

heard of it. Even my mom has used it. Secondly, it is an 

herb I use myself and really like. Herbalist and author 

Stephen Buhner once said in a class that there are 3 

basic ways he uses Echinacea. 1) At FIRST sign of a cold 

to boost your immune system. 2) For first aid situations. 

Echinacea is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. 3) 

Directly squirted on the back of his throat for strep or a 

sore throat. 

I recently heard on NPR that the University of Washington 

did a study on Echinacea, and it found that it was ineffective 

for children with colds. That’s true. You take it AT 

THE FIRST SIGN of a cold. I found it sad because many 

will interpret that report as “Echinacea does not work.” 

That’s the thing about herbs. You can’t look at them in 

the same way you look at western drugs. There is no 

silver bullet in any medicine for every ailment. No two 

people are the same and no two illnesses are the same. 

Herbs work to support and nourish our health. In this 

case, Echinacea can work to support your immune system 

to help the cold virus not take hold. 

When I first feel signs of a cold, I take Echinacea. I might 

take a dropper an hour for the first couple days until it’s 

10


gone. I will then continue the support whether the cold 

takes hold or not for a few more days (just 3 droppers 

a day). If it takes hold, I will take it a few times a day 

for no more than TEN DAYS. But at the same time I 

am also supporting my immune system by resting, 

eating nourishing soups, ingesting garlic, and drinking 

my favorite “Special-Tea” that I make when I have 

a cold. This tea is covered in the ‘cold and flus’ tab on 

LearningHerbs.com. 

So, what I want to get across is that tinctures are wonderful, 

useful, and great… BUT they are not all that 

herbal medicine is. In fact, the way I take herbs is 

almost just like that pyramid I made. I take MOSTLY 

nourishing herbs, then I take a little less than that in 

gentle remedies, and far less frequently these stronger 

remedies like Echinacea. 

Then, why am I having you make Echinacea tincture 

first? Why not start out with the herbal creations you 

will make far more often than tinctures? Well, you’ve 

heard of Echinacea, you’ve heard of tinctures, tinctures 

are certainly useful, and well… it’s FUN TO MAKE THEM! 

Yes, herbal teas are great, but making your first herbal 

tincture will be far more rewarding and inspiring as your 

gateway to herbal medicine making. Besides, the method 

you use to make tinctures is similar to the methods 

you use to make other herbal remedies. 

Your finished Echinacea 

tincture. 

Making the Tincture 

In the classes I teach people often find it amazing when I 

tell them that in the folk method, many herbal remedies 

are made by stuffing a jar with plants and pouring a liquid 

over them. Well, in a nutshell, that’s true. Of course, 

there is a LITTLE more too it, but basically, that is what 

you are doing. 

In making our Echinacea tincture, you are going to pour 

11


the packet of Echinacea root into the clear 9 oz. jar, and 

fill the jar with vodka until it is full. You’ll then let it sit for 

6 weeks, shaking it once a day. After six weeks, you’re 

going to strain it out through the cheesecloth. Then 

presto, you have your Echinacea tincture. WOW! I just 

explained the whole process in a paragraph! 

100 proof vodka is 

recommended for your 

tincture. A smaller flask 

will be plenty for this 

project. 

What do you do for people who don’t want to take alcohol, 

such as children or recovering alcoholics? For my 

son, I often put his tincture in juice. The amount is so 

small that I really do not feel it is an issue for kids, but 

you may feel different. If it is an issue for you or someone 

you know, you can put the dropper of tincture in hot 

tea or water. The heat will evaporate the alcohol leaving 

the medicine in your tea or hot water. 

I use 100 proof vodka most of the time. You can buy 

it in a small, inexpensive flask for this project. You do not 

need to purchase an entire big bottle unless you plan on 

making more tinctures or having a party. 

Before you begin, purchase a small bottle of 100 proof 

vodka. If you are under 21, please do this part of the 

kit with someone who is 21 or over, so that they can 

purchase the vodka and do this project with you. Please 

make sure they take with them any vodka that is left over 

until you work on your next herbal tincture project. 

Want to make more? 

Take any jar and repeat the process you are about to do. 

Fill half the jar if using dried herbs, or fill with chopped up 

fresh herbs. This is a good rule of thumb to follow. 

12


Now that you have your alcohol and kit materials 

ready, here’s what to do: 

1. Pour all of the enclosed dried Echinacea 

root in the enclosed 9 oz. jar. 

2. Fill the jar with vodka to the lip below 

the screwband. Make sure the Echinacea 

is covered. Put the lid on. Keep the jar 

out of direct sun light. You’ll want 

to keep your finished remedies out of 

direct sunlight as well. 

13


3. Label the jar with the enclosed tincturebrewing 

label. Fill it in with the alcohol 

percentage and date. For example, 

“Echinacea purpurea, dried and tinctured 

in 50% alcohol on 6/3/2004” 

In this example, Echinacea is part of 

the botanical name, so I did not put 

the common name. The date will help 

you remember when to strain it. Some 

advice…ALWAYS label your herbal creations. 

All those brown liquids begin to 

look alike as you grow your personal 

herbal apothecary. 

4. Shake the jar. Do this once a day for 

6 weeks. If this is not possible, then 

at least do it every day for the first 2 

weeks. It’s helpful to keep the jar in 

a place where you will remember to 

shake it regularly, such as on the kitchen 

counter. 

14 

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

You do not have to wait until the tincture is 

completed to sign up for HerbMentor.com. You 

can even begin the Roots & Branches course. 

Though you’ll enjoy any part of HerbMentor 

at this point, we do not recommend you do 

any courses until you finish the salve. 

MAKE SURE you check every day for 

the first 2 weeks to see if the vodka 

is covering the herbs. It is vitally 

important that the herbs remain covered 

at all times. This prevents oxidation. 

If the herbs are above the vodka 

line, add vodka until they are covered 

again. 

Read through the rest of the tincture 

instructions, but return to Step 5 in 

six weeks to complete it. Continue 

on and begin making your herbal 

salve.


5. After 6 weeks, use the enclosed cheesecloth and 

strain the tincture into a large bowl. 

6. Use a small kitchen funnel to pour your 

finished tincture into the enclosed dropper 

bottles. If there is any left over, pour into 

any old bottles you have in the house. Make 

sure you clean out any old jars by submerging 

them in boiling water for ten minutes. 

7. Label your bottles with the enclosed labels. 

8. You’re finished! Now have now made your 

own Echinacea tincture! 

15


Wasn’t that easy! Now, imagine the possibilities. You can 

make tinctures with so many herbs that can be used for 

so many different ailments. The process isn’t all that different 

from what you just experienced. Yes, I know there 

is a lot to learn…all those plants, all those herbal skills, 

all those ailments…BUT… 

I want to say something important with regards to how 

to learn herbal medicine. I want you to know that it is 

possible for you to feel empowered as a home medicine 

maker right from the beginning. Let’s face it, herbal 

medicine and nature are huge subjects. In fact, they are 

infinite. Talk to any experienced home medicine maker 

or herbalist, they will tell you that the more they learn, 

the more questions they have and the less they feel they 

know. Get comfortable now with the fact that you will 

never know it all. Nobody can. 

So, how can you feel empowered now? 

Well, the key is to just take it day-to-day, experience-to-experience. 

Maybe it’s once a day, or 

maybe it’s once a week or once a month, put aside 

a little time to learn about plants or practice a new 

herbal skill. With every little thing you learn it takes 

you further down the path of herbalism. Today you know 

more than you did yesterday. And tomorrow perhaps you 

will know more than today. 

If you keep learning, growing, picking, drinking, eating, 

pickling, tincturing, or infusing herbs in your life, in 

time you will look back and realize how much you have 

learned. You might have this realization when you starting 

telling others about herbs. It’s hard to keep in touch 

with how much we are learning on a day-to-day basis, 

but on reflection we often discover just how far we have 

come. 

16


Once again, do not focus on the vastness of the subject 

or how much you would like to know. Just stay focused 

on the present. What will you do today? That’s enough. 

Will you work in the garden? Make nettle soup? Use an 

herbal salve for a bruise? If you make it a point to learn 

or experience something today, you have succeeded in 

making steps towards your dream. Those steps might 

lead you towards being an herbal medicine maker, a consultant, 

a gardener, an herbal business owner, a teacher, 

or simply someone who uses herbs to improve their 

everyday quality of life. You really have no idea where 

your herbal education is leading you right now. However, 

in the present moment, you have a tincture and a salve 

to make. 

When I first picked a guitar up and found myself playing 

regularly, I guess I could have called myself a musician. I 

always thought that you had to be really good or have an 

album out to be called a musician. Then one day, someone 

called me a musician, and it felt right. Yes, I was a 

musician. It’s the same with being an herbalist. While 

you are using this kit, technically you are an herbalist. 

An herbalist is one who uses herbs. However, it might 

take some time before you personally feel like you are an 

herbalist. Perhaps one day someone will introduce you to 

someone else as an herbalist, and you will think, “Yes, I 

AM an herbalist.” It will just feel right. So, whether that 

time is now, next month, or next year, it will be up to 

you to recognize when calling yourself an herbalist feels 

right to you. 

The reason why I am even bringing this up now is 

because I want to keep driving home the fact that using 

herbs is not something reserved for naturopaths or other 

people with letters after their names. Herbs are for all of 

us. They always have been. And, becoming an experienced 

herbal medcine maker can only happen 

when you have a lot of experiences with herbs. And 

17


you have a lot of experiences with herbs by starting with 

one experience, and building on it. That one experience 

you started with was the Echinacea tincture. An experience 

to build on that will be the herbal salve. After the 

salve, I will give you some more ideas. Project by project, 

you build your knowledge. 

How to Make an Herbal salve 

I suppose the first question should be WHY make an 

herbal salve? Well, herbs work incredibly well in first aid 

situations. Cuts, bruises, bites, stings, scrapes, burns…I 

have had personal success with the healing power of 

herbs with all of these. Whereas knowing what exact 

herbal remedy (salve, poultice, compress, etc.) to use in 

a first aid situation will come in time with experience, an 

important part of your herbal repertoire will be the salve. 

I always carry an all purpose herbal healing salve in my 

travel first aid kit, and use it often for many situations. 

Rowan uses his salve on an 

ouchie. I use this all purpose 

salve you are about to make 

for cuts, scrapes, itching, 

minor burns, dry or chapped 

skin or lips, sun burn and so 

much more. I always make 

sure the wounds are cleaned 

out thoroughly first. Water 

first, then Echinacea tincture 

usually does the trick. 

Remember how the Echinacea plant constituents were 

being extracted by the alcohol when making your tincture? 

Basically, the same thing is happening in salve 

making. With a salve, the herbal chemical constituents 

are extracted into olive oil. After the oil is completed and 

strained, it is combined with melted beeswax. When the 

combined substance hardens, presto, you have a salve. 

Sound easy? Well, it is. So, let’s get to making it. 

Before you begin, you will need a few things you 

have in your kitchen. Get out your olive oil (you’ll 

need 1 1/2 cups, available in all supermarkets), a 

wooden spoon or something to stir with, a kitchen 

strainer, a bowl, a smaller pouring device (such as 

a measuring cup), and a saucepan (I like using glass 

Corning pans, but any pan will work. I have a double 

boiler insert that insures that I won’t accidentally burn 

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About the herbs in your salve... 

Calendula 

Calendula officinalis 

Calendula is an easy flower to grow in your garden and 

is one of the premiere first aid herbs. You’ll find it in 

most first aid lotion, salve or cream formulas. It acts 

against inflammation, and is excellent for cleaning and 

healing wounds. It soothes and quiets irritation. It 

also increases peripheral circulation. It is a very safe 

herb to use externally, as all these herbs are. 

Comfrey 

Symphytum officinalis 

Comfrey is known as one of THE most healing herbs. It 

is nourishing and a very powerful herb to use externally. 

It is excellent for sprains, broken bones, and bruises. It 

is also very regenerative, which is why it is excellent for 

wound healing. Always make sure wounds are cleaned 

out with an anti-septic such as Echinacea tincture before 

applying remedies with comfrey, such as the salve you 

are making. You do not want to trap infectious material 

under the skin. 

19


Plantain 

Plantago major 

If you’re out and ever get an insect sting, find some of 

this very common plant quickly, chew up a few leaves, 

and apply it directly to the sting. It is one of the best 

known “first-aid kits” of the wild. It has incredible 

drawing qualities. It also helps to stop bleeding, helps 

stop infection from spreading, and takes away pain as 

well as itching. It is also well known for snakebites. Look 

for this incredible gift from nature in a sidewalk crack 

near you. Who knew Ortho’s most wanted could be so 

healing? Makes ya wonder... 

St. Johns Wort 

Hypericum perforatum 

You may know this as the famous antidepressant, but 

few know of it’s powerful first aid properties. It can heal 

damaged nerves, is great for sun burns, is anti-viral, and 

is awesome for strained muscles. I use the oil as “sun 

screen” in the summers. It didn’t do much for me in the 

intense sun of Wyoming last summer, but in Washington 

state, this amazing herb never fails to protect me from the 

summer sun. The trick is to use it regularly on commonly 

exposed parts of your body. 

20


anything on the bottom of the pan. You can often find 

these at second hand stores. BUT, do not let a piece of 

optional kitchen equipment stop you from starting. 

Just get going. It only takes an hour and a half.) 

PLEASE read these instructions at least once before 

making the salve. Make sure you have all your 

supplies nearby before starting. I also recommend 

you have an extra small jar or two handy in case 

there is extra salve. 

1. Pour 12 fluid ounces (1 cup and a half) of olive 

oil into the saucepan or double boiler. Put the 

pan on low-medium heat on the stove. Olive 

oil is used because it is more stable than most 

vegetable oils and will not go rancid nearly 

as fast. Do not heat the oil higher to make 

this process go faster. Doing this will further 

destabilize the oil and cause earlier rancidity. 

If using a double boiler insert, boil the water 

in the saucepan, turn to low-medium heat so 

the water does not spill out, and then pour 

your oil into the double boiler insert. If you 

use a regular saucepan, be CAREFUL and 

keep the heat LOW. 

Saucepan with double boiler 

insert. 

2. Add the salve herbs into the oil (do this right 

after you pour the oil in). Stir herbs into the 

oil with stirrer. Stir every so often for one hour. 

If you are using just a pan and not a double 

boiler, you’ll need to make sure you stir your 

herbs more often. You’ll also need to make 

sure you have the heat on low if using just a 

saucepan. With a double boiler, the heat can 

be a little below medium. 

21


3. After one hour, turn off the heat. Put your 

kitchen strainer over a bowl. Line the strainer 

with some of the enclosed cheesecloth. If you 

do not have a strainer, you can use just the 

cheesecloth, but you’ll need to wait for the 

oil to cool first. The point is, separate the 

oil from the plant material, but KEEP the oil. 

Once you have done this, compost the plant 

material. 

4. YOU NEED TO HAVE exactly ONE CUP (8 

oz.) of herbal oil. If you have more than 

this, pour off the extra (you can use it as 

an herbal oil for the same healing purposes 

as the salve). If you have a little 

less, make up the difference by pouring 

in a little extra olive oil. It is REALLY 

important to have exactly one cup of 

oil. 

22


5. Clean out your pan or double boiler with soap 

and water, or just get another pan for the next 

step. 

6. Once again, put your pan on a low-medium 

heat. If you are using a double-boiler, do the 

same as before to get it ready. 

7. Empty beeswax packet into the pan at any 

point. 

8. Allow the wax to melt all the way. Be careful if 

you are only using a pan not to burn the wax. 

It should gently melt. Stir as melting. 

23


9. When melted, pour in your herbal oil (EXACTLY 

1 cup!). It will solidify a little. This is normal. It 

will melt again. Just stir it in with your wooden 

spoon. 

10. Eventually, it will all be melted together. At this 

time, have all your enclosed salve jars and tins 

open by the stove. It is a good idea to have an 

extra jar ready in case you have extra salve. 

11. After everything is melted together, pour the 

melted salve into the pouring device with a 

spout. I use a Pyrex measuring cup available 

in most regular grocery stores. Any kind of 

measuring cup is nice because they usually 

have a spout. 

24


12. QUICKLY (and calmly) pour the salve into 

your jars and tins. Have some left over? 

Pour into your extra container. 

13. Add 4 drops of lavender essential oil 

(enclosed) to each tin and 8 drops into each 

2 oz. salve jar. 

*You could also add about a teaspoon of 

the essential oil to the melted salve before 

pouring into the tins and jars. This would 

eliminate this step. 

14. Let the jars and tins sit out until they have 

hardened. When they have, put the lids 

on them. Label the jars with the enclosed 

labels. 

You’re all finished!!! 

25


Other things you REALLY NEED to know about herbal oil 

and salve making. (You can read this now or later, for it 

is information used outside of salve making in the kit.) 

The method I taught you for making an herbal salve is a 

valid method, BUT it is not the method you will normally 

want to use. I designed this method to work for you 

quickly so you would have an great salve completed in 

no time. Here are some things to keep in mind: 

Your finished salve. 

• Normally, you make your herbal oils separately. 

You would have started with separate comfrey, 

calendula, St. John’s Wort and plantain oils rather 

than make the oil with all of these herbs together. 

I combined the dried herbs in this kit to make it 

easier for you to start with. 

Cottonwood buds ‘cold’ infusing 

in olive oil. Though this is a fresh 

plant infusion, you only half fill 

the jar when using cottonwood 

buds. Note the paper towel in the 

screw band lid. This allows water 

vapor to evaporate and prevents 

molding. After the oil is finished 

in 6 weeks and it is decanted, a 

regular lid is used. 

REPLICATING THE KIT SALVE 

Though we recommend using 

the methods listed the right to 

make more oils, if you want to 

REPLICATE the kit experience, 

the mixture used is one ounce of 

herbs by weight. We simply mixed 

the four herbs equally. The wax is 

one ounce by weight. 

Making the oils separately allows you to learn 

about the qualities of each herb one oil at a time. 

It also gives you the flexibility of making your salve 

mixtures in different ratios. In addition, you might 

want to use a single herbal oil remedy for a variety 

of health giving purposes. 

• You can use dried herbs as in this kit, but you can 

also use fresh plants. In many cases, using fresh 

plants will make more effective remedies. We’ll 

talk about gathering fresh plants in the Roots and 

Branches course. 

• Although cooking your oils to infuse herbs works, 

the best way is to infuse them is using the “cold 

method.” Essentially, you make an oil like a tincture. 

Chop up your fresh herbs finely and fill a jar 

with a loose pack. I prefer fresh herbs with oils, but 

if you use dried herbs, fill the jar half way. Then, 

fill the jar with olive oil. Cover with a cloth or paper 

towel and hold it in place with a rubber band. If 

26


you are using standard mason jars, put the paper 

towel or cloth on and hold it down by using the 

screw band part of the lid (this will help prevent 

molding). Stir your oil every day for the first few 

weeks. After six weeks, decant the oil just like you 

decanted the tincture. Store your oil in the same 

jar if you like, but with a closed lid. Store out of 

direct sunlight. You usually want to use oils within 

a year. Every fresh or dried herb has its own personality, 

but this is the basic formula. 

Lavender was also part of 

your salve, and its virtues 

are discussed on video on 

HerbMentor.com. 

• The cold method of oil making is preferred because 

the oil stays more stable when it is not heated. In 

other words, heated oils have a greater chance of 

going rancid sooner. This is not an issue in this kit 

because you made such a small amount of salve. 

But if you were making a larger volume of oil or 

you knew your oils or salves would be sitting longer, 

use the cold method. You can increase the 

life of your salves and oils by adding vitamin E to 

the oils. This is wise to do if you use the cooking 

method in the future for larger amounts of oil. 

• In this kit, I pre-measured the wax for you. The 

ratio is ONE CUP (volume) of oil to ONE OUNCE 

(weight) of bees wax. SO, that’s 1:1…easy! In 

this kit, you made 1 cup of oil, so I enclosed one 

ounce of wax. This is why the oil volume was so 

important in step 4 of the salve making. If you 

make three cups of herbal oil into salve in the 

future, then simply use 3 ounces of beeswax. 

YOU DID IT! 

So far, you completed the Herbal Medicine Making Kit. 

Congratulations! Now, you have the choice of either 

stopping here and moving on to your next project in life, 

continuing on to HerbMentor.com. 

My flowers are a well known 

ear ache remedy and my 

leaves are helpful to the lungs. 

Who am I? Find out in Roots 

and Branches...AND... there is 

even a video on HerbMentor. 

com. 

NOTE: The Nourishing 

Herbal Infusion lesson, 

which uses the nettles, 

is located on the DVD 

that came with your 

kit. 

27


When you first log on, it will show you a simple video on 

how to use the site and where to find stuff, like the Roots 

and Branches course or the HerbMentor Study Guide. 

Do as little or as much as you want. I chose to go on and 

design HerbMentor and write the Roots and Branches 

course because teaching this stuff is my passion. I am 

excited for you to learn. If I can keep your attention 

enough to try a few of the coming projects, then there 

is one more person in the world who wants to take their 

everyday healthcare into their own hands and possibly 

help people in their communities. 

If you’re choosing to go on to HerbMentor.com, please 

see the yellow sheet that came with your kit. The yellow 

sheet has instructions on how to do that as well as the 

code for a free trial membership. 

Need herbs or supplies? 

Click on the Herbs & Supplies 

link on LearningHerbs.com. 

By doing this first before you 

place every order, our handcraft 

family business gets a 

small commission. It helps 

us offer so much great free 

information. Thanks! 

Slow, ongoing learning is the way to learn about herbs 

and bring them into your life, and we are proud to offer 

you HerbMentor.com. The original kit only had Roots and 

Branches, which was great, but it was not enough. So 

many people wanted to learn more, but I did not have 

the time because I was in acupuncture school. 

Now that I have graduated and opened a practice, I have 

more time to devote to LearningHerbs.com. I get to do 

what I wanted to do from the beginning, which is provide 

high quality, ongoing herbal learning experiences. 

Even if you only join us for the trial period, we will be 

honored to have you. Thank you so much for making 

your own medicine. May the seeds planted blossom into 

health for you and your family. 

Pssst...there are 2 more pages. 

28


About John Gallagher, L.Ac., CCH 

Herbal medicine began 

studying John Gallagher 

when it covered him 

with poison ivy for many of his 

childhood summers in New Jersey. 

Upon reaching adulthood, he began 

working with Wilderness Awareness 

School, where he learned the 

virtues of the wild plants that grow 

around us, including the amazing 

dandelion (which he formerly 

poisoned in landscape jobs) as 

well as a preventative cure for poison ivy (finally). After 

moving to a poison ivy-free bioregion, he began seriously 

studying herbal medicine. He learned from some of the 

most talented herbalists the Northwest has to offer 

including Sally King and EagleSong of RavenCroft Garden, 

Karen Sherwood of Earthwalk Northwest, Erin Groh, and 

most of all, from the plants themselves. 

Kimberlly, Hailey, John and 

Rowan Gallagher 

John is father to his son Rowan and daughter Hailey, and 

husband to Kimberly. 

John is a licensed five-element acupuncturist with a 

clinic in Redmond, WA. John also runs LearningHerbs. 

com with Kimberly and the kids. He continues to work for 

Wilderness Awareness School as an instructor of herbal 

studies for its Residential Program. 

He is a Community Centered Herbalist, which is how all 

this kit and web site began. John is dedicated to helping 

people rediscover their place in nature. He and his family 

live in the Snoqualmie Valley, at the foothills of the 

Cascade Mountains. 

29


AN HERBAL ADVENTURE GAME 

A cooperative board game that teaches 

edible and medicinal plants. 

“Wildcraft! is great family fun. Gather up the kids, bring out the 

board game, and learn about medicinal and edible plants in 

the most fun way imaginable. This is wonderfully cooperative 

game where everyone is a winner and everyone learns something 

about plants!” —Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist, author 

Wildcraft! has many of the things I look for in 

a game... It’s educational, easy to use, beautiful 

to look at, you learn a lot about herbs...and 

you laugh a lot. 

–Bobbe Branch, Montessori Teacher 

30 

For 1-4 players 

Ages 4 to adult, Easy to play 

No reading required for younger players 

No prior knowledge of plants needed 

Read all about Wildcraft! at 

LearningHerbs.com 

Wildcraft! is a unique and educational game 

that my children and I have truly enjoyed playing. 

My son is fascinated by the idea that plants 

can alleviate a variety of troubles. I especially 

appreciate the aspect of cooperation and teamwork 

incorporated into the game. It warms my 

heart to see my two children delight in “helping” 

one another accomplish the goals of the 

game. Thank you for producing a game that 

offers such a positive experience for all players 

over a wide age range. 

–Anne Agostin, mother

Herbal Medicine Making Kit Download Link - Learning Herbs

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