About My Products
Somebody once told me the Winter Tonic saved them. This was the first of an overwhelming number of heartwarming comments, about a product that came about by chance and has developed and grown organically over the years, to the point where I don't know how its possible to fit any more magic, energy and good vibrations into a bottle.
Elderberries take over my world day and night in the autumn, travelling all over the countryside picking and de-stalking with the help of dear friends. It’s so exciting when the first juicy berries appear and they are such a joy to find and pick. The pain of sleepless nights de-stalking and washing them, soon turns to delirium, but there is so little time and so much to do ! When we have enough berries to fill the one hundred litre pot, the message goes out and people arrive from far and wide to sing and play music, tell stories and poems, laugh and put good vibrations and magic in the mix. Then the white coats and hairnets come out and it takes at least ten people and lots of muscle power, to strain and squeeze every last drop of goodness from the berries, and some brain power to get the proportions just right. We try to make each batch a little bit better than the last. By the end of the weekend the last drop is bottled and ready to send out to the world.
The other products we make don't have quite as many shenanigans but each have their own way of being created. The Love Drops which are known to make you smile from inside have the 100 Greatest Love songs played to them whilst the Chill Out drops get Mozart. The creams, Youthfloria, Muscles and Joints and Skin Soother are all made by hand with 100% active ingredients and absolutely no nasties.
For the past 9 years I have been living and working as a herbalist in Forest Row. Going to the markets and working in the local health shop has given me a valuable opportunity to talk to many people finding out what they want and testing various different products on them.
I began by selling lots of different products but then discovered the main concerns of people and developed a range overtime to try to cover these concerns.
For many conditions the best results come from having a full consultation but a lot of people just want something safe they can pick off-the-shelf for more common uncomplicated issues.
The most common everyday issues seem to be:
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Common cold
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Sore throat
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Feeling rundown
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Low immunity
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Stress
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Low Energy levels
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Over excess
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Sleep problems
So I've developed a range to try and cover all of these issues-
Winter tonic/Elderberry immune boost – Made with wild Elderberries which I pick with the help of many friends, a blend of Echinacea purpura and angustifolia and a local blossom honey. The Elderberries are anti viral and the Echinacea boosts the immune system, blended with the honey it is both soothing and tasty with an interesting tingle. It will sooth a sore throat almost immediately and has helped many singers. Some people such as school teachers take a bit every day and have found it to ward off the usual bugs that they have had in previous years. Others have reported taking it at the first signs of infection and knocked it on its head before its had chance to catch hold of them.
Instant boost* – Contains Schisandra and Eleuthorococcus. I used this combination as my school run tipple and then realized everyone probably needed it. They are both known as adaptogens which give you energy whilst supporting and protecting your body
Liver boost* – Contains Milk thistle, Schisandra, dandelion root and artichoke. This combination has been tried and tested with success at many festivals for its protective and clearing effect on the liver. It has also been used as part of a liver detox.
Sweet dreams* – Contains Valarian, Passion flower, skullcap and jamaician dogwood. They are all well known muscle relaxants, sedatives and hypnotics
Chill out drops and Love drops. – Herbal Joy in a bottle ! For those moments of stress, tension or just to change the moment x
The Chill out drops seem to be more grounding made with Rose syrup for protection and Borage for courage. People have reported using them before stressful situations like going on stage giving talks.
The Love drops make you smile from inside ! Containing Rose which is all about love, Hawthorn which is all about your heart and Lemon balm which is like a big hug. They seem to make everyone feel a bit better and lighten awkward situations.
New Look Creams
I also developed a range of Creams which I have honed down to the most popular three.
Youthfloria
Muscles & Joints cream
Skin Soother cream
All of my products are made using the best quality herbs I can source and with a huge amount of love and care. With the overall intent being to maximise their effectiveness.
We even play the appropriate music whilst preparing the products and the Winter tonic is now quite an event with bands, musicians, story tellers, poets and comedians turning up to perform and put good vibrations into the pot, even a drumming workshop turned up once.
The love drops enjoy the 100 greatest love songs of all time and the chill out drops created to Mozart as it is said to be the classical music that calms down hyperactive children.
My business model so far has been entirely word of mouth and repeat customers who find the products effective even as far as France and Ibiza where they order their winter tonic each year.
Certain products are only available to herbalosophy members who have had a personal on-line cosultation with me.