This is a post in the 6 Categories of Herbal Remedies series. To read the intro post, go here.
Short of just eating an herb outright, water-based preparations are some of the easiest and most versatile ways to work with an herb. It does require access to clean water, which is not a given for many people around the world, including in our own communities or neighboring communities. We all have a responsibility to protect waterways and sources, so I encourage you to keep this in mind as you work with these herbal remedies.
Let’s take a look at how to prepare the different kinds of water preparations.
Tea
There’s a technical argument that herbs cannot make a ‘tea’, because only the Camellia sinensis plant, the tea plant, counts as tea. But I reject that idea, because in the context of herbalism a tea is a type of preparation.
Tea is made by steeping the aerial parts of a plant–leaves, flowers, non-woody stems–in just barely boiling water for only a few minutes, often no more than five. Because of the shorter steeping time, teas are often not as medicinally potent as infusions, but they’ll still have an effect. You might opt for a tea when you don’t have the time for an infusion, or if you want a gentler flavor than what you’d get from an infusion.
To make tea: pour just barely boiling water over 1 teaspoon of dried herb (or 1 tablespoon fresh) per 1 cup of water; steep, preferably covered, for 5 minutes. Strain before drinking.
Infusions
Infusions are probably the most common water preparation, and many herbalists use the terms tea and infusion interchangeably. For clarity’s sake, I differentiate–the biggest difference between the two is time.
Like tea, infusions are for the aerial parts of a plant (leaves, flowers, non-woody stems), but unlike tea, infusions can steep anywhere from twenty minutes to several hours, even overnight! Infusions that steep for several hours or overnight are called long infusions, and they are especially appropriate for plants with high nutrient amounts, like nettles or violets.
To make an infusion: pour just barely boiling water over 1 tablespoon of dried herb (or 2 tablespoons fresh) per 1 quart of water; steep covered for at minimum 20 minutes, and up to 8 hours. Strain before drinking. (Mason jars or a dedicated french press work great for this!) You can also make a cold infusion by following these same steps, just substituting hot water for cold–in that case, you’ll want to let the infusion steep on the longer side.
Decoctions
Decoctions are another tea-like preparation, but for different parts of the plant. Decoctions are for ‘hard’ parts of a plant–barks, dried berries, roots, woody stems, and seeds–which need more continuous heat to help extract their medicinal properties.
To make a decoction: add 1 tablespoon of dried herb (or 2 tablespoons fresh) per 1 quart of water to a pot on the stove, cover; turn the heat on high and bring to a boil, then drop the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain before drinking.
But what if I want to make a drink that contains both aerial parts and hard parts?
Make the decoction first! Then bring it back up to a boil and use that as the water to steep your infusion.
Washes
Washes are like infusions or decoctions but used externally. When I hear ‘herbal wash’ I immediately think of herbal wound wash, like washing out a cut or scrape with rose water. But first aid is not the only time to use a wash–washes have their place in skin care routines, not just cleaning but also tonifying.
To make a wash: follow the instructions for an infusion, if you’re working with the aerial parts of an herb; if you’re working with roots/bark/dried fruit/seeds, follow the instruction for a decoction. You can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days.
Baths
Baths are for me the most time-intensive water preparation, even if prepping them is relatively simple. Baths (and soaks, which are like baths but smaller, only for a specific area like hands or feet) are ideal for external situations. But since our skin is our largest organ, we also absorb the herbal properties into our bodies as well. You’ll want the water as hot as you can tolerate, as this will open the pores and help absorb the medicine.
To make a bath: follow the instructions for an infusion or decoction, depending on the parts of the herb you’re working with. For a soak, you can use two cups of infusion; for a full bath, you’ll want at least a quart of infusion to pour in. Strain out the herbs first so you don’t clog the drain.
Steams
Steams are my favorite way to handle colds and respiratory illnesses, but they also help with face and eye issues too. Many of our antimicrobial herbs like thyme and oregano are antimicrobial on contact, which means that the aromatic oils of the plant need to actually encounter microbes to kill them. By inhaling the fragrant steam, we can get the medicine exactly where it needs to be.
To make a steam: bring a pot of water to a boil, two quarts is enough; remove from heat and place on a pot holder or heat-proof surface; drape a towel over your head and around the pot, to make a tent that catches the steam, then add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of herbs to the pot and breathe deeply. Remain under the towel tent until the steam naturally lessens, around 10 to 15 minutes.
Compresses
A compress is simply an infusion/decoction-soaked bandage or cloth applied to the skin. Compresses are helpful for areas that are hard to soak, like the back of the neck or an elbow, or when you don’t have time to sit in a bath. They’re also more portable. My favorite compress is for sore muscles or spasms.
To make a compress: make an infusion or decoction, strain out the herbs, then soak a cloth in the water and take it out. Let it cool just enough that you can comfortably touch it, then put it over the area and cover with a dry cloth, then hang out for 20 minutes. You can repeat this multiple times, but if you’re using a compress on a wound or external skin issue, you need a fresh cloth each time.
Those are water preparations in a nutshell! Many of them are based off of infusions and decoctions, so if you learn those, you're well on your way to knowing all of them. Which water preparations is your favorite? Which new ones do you want to try?
This is the first post in the 6 Categories of Herbal Remedies series. To read the next post, go here.