Glycerites are easy to make and provide numerous health benefits. They are safe to use, and require very little preparation to make. Once you learn the basics, you’re free to experiment with whatever ingredients you like.

What Are Glycerites?

Glycerites are tinctures made of flowers, fruit, and other plants. Lavender, chamomile, rose, and other fragrant flowers are ideal ingredients. But depending on how you’re going to use them, you can pretty much add anything that tickles your fancy.

As the name implies, these tinctures use glycerin as their base component. This can be a great alternative to alcohol, especially for kids, or if you are sensitive to alcohol based products. The downside is that glycerin isn’t as effective as alcohol when it comes to drawing the essential components from your ingredients.

How Can You Use Glycerites?

Glycerites can be used in a variety of ways. They can be used to flavor teas, desserts, fruit sauces and homemade ice-creams. Depending on the ingredients you’re using, they can be used as simple remedies for upset tummies, colds, or to boost your immune system. Because you know exactly what goes in them, you can use them on a daily basis. There are basically no side-effects to glycerides.

Glycerin also works wonders for the skin so that you can use glycerites as all-natural skincare products. Adding flowers to the recipe can also provide with a lovely, subtle perfume to go along with your glowing skin.

What Are The Benefits Of Glycerites?

One of the benefits of using glycerin tinctures is that they work fast. The body absorbs the active ingredients almost immediately as after reaching your system.

Glycerites made with vegetable glycerin work great as remedies for kids. Vegetable glycerin is usually extracted from coconut oil, which gives it a distinctive, delicious sweetness. Homemade recipes are also advantageous, since you know exactly what goes into them, and you can adjust the proportion of each if ingredient as you see fit.

You can also use its pleasant aroma to mask the taste or smell of other beneficial herbs that may be less pleasant, such as garlic.

As a cosmetic product, glycerites are ideal for people with sensitive skin. Being able to prepare them yourself means you can create a product that is tailored to your needs. Glycerites can also be useful against common skin problems, such as skin tags, alongside other remedies. It can also be used to soothe the skin after certain procedures. Glycerite can also be used to alleviate itching, or skin tightness. Using plants with antiseptic properties, you can use these tinctures to moisturize and repair very dry and damaged skin.

When choosing your ingredients, you don’t have to limit yourself to obvious ones, such as berries or well-known medicinal herb, like chamomile or mint. There are many plants with surprising medicinal properties, such as red clover.

How to Make Your Own Glycerites

Glycerites are fairly easy to make. There are a couple of things you will need, regardless of the recipe you’re trying out.

A large, clear glass jars.

Usually, the final product will have to about 50% glycerin

Additionally, you can also use a mixer to bring all the ingredients together

Something to strain the final tincture, like cheesecloth, or some other textile. You can even use a pair of stockings as a strainer.

Add your ingredients to the jar. You can use either dried or fresh plants. If you decide to use dried plants, you must add water some water before pouring in the glycerin. Bear in my mind that dried plants will expand in the time, as they soak up the water, so make sure leave enough room in the jar.

Add the glycerin. Fill the jar just enough to cover all the plants. Make sure air doesn’t get tramped in the mixture. You can use a chopstick or a knife to poke at the mixture and break the bubbles.

Set the jar aside for about a five weeks. Let the mixture macerate for about five weeks, in a dark room. You don’t have to keep it cold.

After the maceration process is complete, pour out the contents of the jar through cloth you’re using as a strainer. Squeeze out the liquid through the strainer, as you would squeeze a tube of toothpaste.

Throw away the remaining plant material.

Once they’re done, they can be stored in glass jars, or bottles. You can use droppers to make it easier use.

Using the same basic method, you can also make your own glycerin soap.

When choosing your ingredients, make sure you know the recommended daily dosage. While most plants are harmless, even in large quantities, some may have certain side effects. Other plants, such as St. John’s Wart, may interact with medication, so make sure you know what each plant does.

Glycerites usually stay fresh for about two years, if stored in a cool place.