An Introduction to Flower Essences

I have many home remedies in my home apothecary. Flower essences are one not a lot of people seem to know about. One of the reasons I love them is because herbalists and homeopaths both use them, so it bridges my two favorite forms of medicine together. They are effective for many people with emotional balance, cleansing and more. They can be utilized children, pregnant women, breastfeeding and the elderly. Essences can help with emotional imbalance, strong feelings, motivation, trauma, coping, stress management, depression, anxiety, psychiatric disorders and more.

Flower essences are the funny little dropper bottles at your local health food store. Rescue Remedy is the best-known essence, it is even sold at a lot of box stores and mainstream markets now. I heard a commercial for Rescue Remedy on a local radio station the other day!

One way I have heard these remedies described is as diluted sun tea. While this is a good basic description, it doesn’t quite capture the true method of preparation. I am not going to go in-depth on the making of flower essences today but there’s lots of other info online! 

The essence acts not to remove you from the emotion, but to give you clarity of thought to help process the emotion itself. My flower essence collection is growing and I’m enjoying learning more about them. There are 38 basic essences in the Bach collection. These are the most used essences.

I came to flower essences through the therapist that I worked with postpartum. She suggested I look into Rescue Remedy to help with some anxiety I was experiencing. I was amazed at how well a couple drops in my mouth worked. It was something I continued to use and even purchased the kid’s version. I could write post after post about the times we have used it. It has taken my child from hysterical sobbing after an injury to a peaceful, playing, happy child with one drop. I have used it to help myself with anxiety and stopped a panic attack in its tracks. A girlfriend of mine was recently involved in a major traffic scare, she was trembling and shaken up- after a couple drops she was calm and able to process. I keep a bottle of Elm on my desk that I use when I’m stressed or feeling under pressure. (If you want to know more about the specific essences I use, feel free to reach out!)

Determining the right essence for your needs can feel overwhelming. Literally, hundreds of remedies exist. The basic 38 can cover most scenarios. There are also practitioners certified in flower essence therapy. Treatment with a practitioner is inexpensive & often includes the essence itself. You can also do some research and figure out what you’re in need of for your particular situation. Personally, I love to use books and I have found this book to be helpful for my family.  For those of you who prefer digital resources, check out the Essence Repertory.

The basic 38 essences are available at most health food stores. More essences are being proven (the process by which an essence’s potential uses are determined) every day. Obviously, there are thousands of flowers in the world. If you look through the above resources you’ll see that hundreds of flower essences exist. My personal favorite resource is Butterfly Express. This is where I get most of my homeopathic remedies, flower essences, and herbs. They’re priced significantly lower than the health food store ( about 80% cheaper than getting remedies at my health food store!) and you get a larger amount than most health food store remedies. However, if you are in crisis it’s good to know you can run to the store and grab them.

In non-urgent situations, most people put 4 drops in a glass of water and sip on the water throughout the day (For example, managing depression, processing past trauma or grief, or stress relief). This is the method I use most often. I have found they work well orally or are applied topically. I like to put them on the top of the head, back of the neck, or on the wrist. You can also mix a drop or two in with an essential oil blend!

Many of the remedies are preserved in brandy or another form of alcohol. Obviously, a couple small drops are not much alcohol for consumption but topical or diluted use is advised for children. I am sensitive to alcohol and cannot drink it but I don’t have any problems with a couple drops when I’m using a remedy. Unfortunately, most physicians aren’t trained in flower essences & probably have no idea what they are. It is always a good idea to check with a qualified practitioner, homeopath or herbalist before using flower essences if you’re breastfeeding, pregnant, or have health concerns. Most Naturopaths should be trained in them as well.

I often describe these remedies as blessings in a bottle. I am amazed at how effective they are. Our country is plagued with anxiety, depression, psychiatric disorders, etc. I believe we could get every person in the country off pharmaceutical psychiatric medications if they worked with a practitioner trained in flower essences or homeopathy- that’s how much I love them and believe in them! They are tapping into the very essence of how and why these beautiful plants were created for us.