What Do You Need for Your Home Apothecary?
The Healing Hedge Witch Journal

What Do You Need for Your Home Apothecary?

May 17, 2022

So you’re ready to take the leap and start building your home apothecary…but where do you even start? The apothecaries you may see in your local metaphysical shop may seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In this blog post, we’ll be breaking down some of the necessities you’ll want to make sure are included in your apothecary shopping list.

 

Your favorite herbs

Maybe a little obvious, but herbs are the foundation of any apothecary, and building your collection is the fun part! But finding the herbs that speak to you and can support you in your apothecary goals can be daunting.

Don’t know where to start? These packets from Holy Santo give you a little less than half an ounce of popular herbs and even shares a little bit about the metaphysical properties of each herb on its packaging. Or, keep scrolling to see our recommendations for books that might help you make decisions about what herbs to source and how to source them.

 

A few books

As you begin your journey building your home apothecary, you’re probably going to need a little help from the experts. Having some reference books on hand as a resource can help you make sure your apothecary creations are both safe and effective.

Here are a few of our favorites: Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils & More, Your Brain on Plants, and The Homesteaders Herbal Companion

 

Carrier Oils

If you’re looking to infuse oils with herbs as a part of your practice, your first step is going to be finding a carrier oil that works for your skin. Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, and rosehip oil are some of our favorites, but depending on how you’re looking to use the oil, you may not need to stray far from your kitchen cabinets! Coconut oil and olive oil can makke great carrier oils, but are definitely a little heavier on the skin, so we don’t recommend them if you’re looking to infuse an oil to use on your face.

To use a carrier oil, combine it with your intended herbs in a jar and set it in a warm, sunny spot for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, then strain!

 

Dropper Bottles & Jars

If you’re going to start infusing oils and making tinctures, you’re going to need somewhere to keep your creations! Having amber dropper bottles and a variety of different sized jars on hand is an easy way to ensure you’ve always got a way to store your oils, tinctures, and treatments that’s easy to both store and use.

 

Vodka

You might expect a joke about needing a drink after gathering everything for your home apothecary here, but we’re being serious. 

Did you know most tinctures you see sold be herbalists are usually made with an alcohol base? We reccomend vodka because it’s easy to find an inexpensive bottle and it easily takes on the flavor of anything it’s being steeped with.

If alcohol isn’t your thing, this can easily be substituted with a 3:1 mixture of liquid glycerin and water. Just make sure your glycerin is food grade!

With all of these components, you can both quickly and easily build your home apothecary to fit your needs. From here, it’s time to get creative! Start exploring and don’t be afraid to make mistakes, that’s how you’ll know you’re growing.