Bach Flower Remedies (Essences)

F.A.Q.

Five Flower Formula comprises:

Star of Bethlehem: for trauma and shock
Clematis: for tendency to 'pass out', unconsciousness, being ' far away'
Cherry Plum: fear of mind giving way, verge of breakdown, anger
Impatiens: for irritability, tension and fidgety
Rock Rose: for frozen terror and panic

Agrimony for those who hide worries behind a brave face

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Aspen for vague apprehension or fear for no known reason

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Beech critical and intolerant of others; fussiness

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Centaury kind, quiet, gentle, but weak-willed; dominated or exploited

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Cerato for those who doubt their own judgement; easily led and misguided

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Cherry Plum for fear of losing control; uncontrollable irrational thoughts

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Chestnut Bud failing to learn from life; repeating mistakes

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Chicory demanding, possessive, self-pity, self-love

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Clematis inattentive, dreamy, absent-minded

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Crab Apple feeling unclean, self-disgust, small things out of proportion

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Elm normally capable, but temporarily overwhelmed with responsibility or feelings of inadequacy

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Gentian discouragement, doubt, despondency

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Gorse for pessimism, defeatism, "what's the point"

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Heather talkative, over-concerned with self

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Holly jealousy, suspicion, revenge, anger, hatred

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Honeysuckle living in the past, nostalgic

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Hornbeam feels weary and thinks can't cope; Monday-morning feeling; procrastination

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Impatiens impatience, irritability, tenseness

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Larch lacks confidence and the will to succeed; expects failure

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Mimulus fear of known things, such as spiders, heights, nervous, shy

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Mustard gloom descends for no apparent reason

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Oak persevering, never giving in; strong but no longer able to struggle against adversity

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Olive fatigued, exhausted, totally drained mentally and physically

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Pine blames self, even for mistakes of others; self critical; overly apologetic

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Red Chestnut obsessed by care and concern for others; anticipating misfortune; projects worry

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Rock Rose feeling alarmed, intensely scared, panicky

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Rock Water rigid minded, self-denying; overly puristic

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Scleranthus uncertain and indecisive

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Star of Bethlehem emergency essence for the effects of fright following bad news or accident; for grief

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Sweet Chestnut utter dejection; feeling of unendurable desolation

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Vervain insistent, wilful, fervent, over-enthusiastic

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Vine dominating, demands obedience, tyrannical

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Walnut assists in adjustment to change, e.g. bereavement, divorce, new job, new surroundings; the link breaker

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Water Violet withdrawn, reserved, aloof, seeks own company

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

White Chestnut persistent unwanted thoughts; preoccupation with a worry; mental turmoil

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Wild Oat

lack of direction, unfulfilled; drifting

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Wild Rose resignation, apathy; no point to life

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Willow resentful, embitterment, life is unfair, "poor old me"

10ml stock bottle

£3.50

Complete set of 39 x 10ml remedies

£112.00

Five Flower Remedy - Dr Bach's Rescue Remedy

10ml - £3.50 or 30ml - £6.99

More details

Five Flower Rescue Remedy Cream

More details

30g - £3.65

Empty 30ml 'treatment bottle' with pipette

30ml - 99p

rock water scleranthus star of bethlehem sweet chestnut vervain vine walnut

38 Remedies

Bach Flowers at the original dilution of 1 in 360 in full strength 40% organic brandy matured in oak casks

agrimony aspen beech centaury cerato cherry plum chestnut bud chicory clematis crab apple elm gentian gorse heather holly honeysuckle hornbeam impatiens larch mimulus mustard oak olive pine red chestnut rock rose

water violet white chestnut wild oat wild rose willow complete set of 39 remedies five flower rescue remedy five flower rescue remedy cream

How to Take Flower Essences

Dosages are the same for adults, children, pets, or garden plants.

Flower Essences possess an innate "safety valve" so that it is not possible to take an overdose, nor are there any side effects or contra-indications. They cannot be neutralized by other substances, and they may be used to supplement other forms of treatment.

Dosages are 2 to 4 drops of concentrate 4 times a day directly under the tongue or added to water, juice, tea or other beverage, taken preferably away from food.

Flower Essences may also be added to bath water (16 drops) or lotions or oils and added to baby's bottle.

It is advisable to take the flower essences more often if the need is felt - 10 or even 20 times a day. At bedtime and upon rising are especially important dosage times.

Store out of direct sunlight, heat and humidity.

Dr Edward Bach (1886-1936)

Dr Edward Bach was an English scientist and physician. He built up a successful practice in London and was a student of the founder of homoeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann.

As chief bacteriologist and pathologist at the London Homoeopathic Hospital, Bach found himself in a perfect position to observe large numbers of patients and draw conclusions about their health and the course of their diseases.

What Bach postulated isn't really so surprising at all. Bach wrote that his patients' physical ailments were directly related to their state of mind. Emotions like hopelessness, anxiety, depression, etc., prevented his patients' innate healing ability and health. Bach concluded that disease was not due to physical cause but the underlying emotional stresses that had origin in the mind.

(One of many modern studies of the impact of emotions on the body was done at Duke University in 1997. It showed plainly that negative emotions and thoughts restrict blood flow to the heart thus putting one at risk for heart attack. Positive thoughts were found to improve coronary blood flow. (Reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.)

Bach set aside his practice in London and moved to the English countryside. Intuitively, he began to experiment with flowers and evaluated the effect they had on him when he covered the bloom with his hand. Bach had listed 38 specific emotional conditions from his studies. He developed Bach Flower Remedies to address each one.

Bach's Flower Remedies are based on a very subtle energy that he believed was inherent to the flowers and related to the state of the patients he worked with.

One misbelief about Bach Flower Remedies is that they are aromatherapy. They are not. The essential formulations have no aroma at all. Neither are they of the essential oils. A clear, water-like liquid, they are formulated from specific flowers to address specific emotional states that can be interfering with our complete health.

The recommendation is to place drops under the tongue four times a day for a week, then evaluate. People who use Bach Flower Remedies refer to a condition known as "unpeeling". This means that as certain emotions are remedied, others surface that are dealt with in turn.

Most practitioners suggest that no more than six remedies be used at once. In addition to the 38 specifics, Bach developed a general Remedy called Rescue Remedy for the relief of broad-based stress.

A full understanding of why and how people have found success with Bach Flower Remedies isn't clear. Many believe it is the subtle energies involved that relieve the emotional bind that Bach believed to cause illness. What is known, is that they have been used for over 70 years and continue to be common in Great Britain where they were initially used.

more product details

Agrimony for those who hide worries behind a brave face

Agrimony are jovial, cheerful, humorous people who love peace and are distressed by argument or quarrel, to avoid which they will agree to give up much. Though generally they have troubles and are tormented and restless and worried in mind or in body, they hide their cares behind their humour and jesting and are considered very good friends to know. They often take alcohol or drugs in excess, to stimulate themselves and help themselves bear their trials with cheerfulness.

Positive aspects of Agrimony Bach Flower Remedy

Agrimony is given to help Agrimony people to accept and come to terms with the darker side of life and their own personalities, so that they can become more rounded human beings. They will not lose their sense of humour, but they will laugh at their troubles to dispel them, rather than laughing to hide them. As a mood remedy, Agrimony helps anyone who is trying not to face a trouble and using jokes and witticisms and smiles to avoid a painful reality.

Aspen for vague apprehension or fear for no known reason.

Aspen is for vague fears of unknown origin, for which there can be no explanation, no reason. Yet the person may be terrified of something terrible going to happen, he knows not what. These vague unexplainable fears may haunt by night or day. A typical need for Aspen is on waking in fear from a bad dream, even if the dream itself is forgotten. Sufferers are often afraid to tell their trouble to others.

Positive aspects of Aspen Bach Flower Essence

Helps towards an inner peace, security and fearlessness.

Beech critical and intolerant of others; fussiness

Beech people are constantly making criticism, intolerant of other people's shortcomings and unable to make allowances. They are easily irritated by other people's mannerisms or habits. They are convinced that they are always in the right and everyone else in the wrong.

Positive aspects of Beech Bach Flower Remedy

Helps to encourage tolerance and understanding, and as this happens so the irritability also fades - it helps you to see the good in others despite their imperfections.

Centaury kind, quiet, gentle, but weak-willed; dominated or exploited

Centaury is for people who find it difficult to say 'no' to other people. They are kind, gentle souls and like to be of help to others. But sometimes other more ruthless people will take advantage of this, and instead of willing service the Centaury ends up the slave of another's wishes.

Positive aspects of Centaury Bach Flower Essence

Centaury supports the development of courage and self-determination so that you can better draw the line and make space where you can be yourself, free of the desires and commands of others.

Cherry Plum for fear of losing control; uncontrollable irrational thoughts

The Cherry Plum fear is very specific: it is the fear that one is going to lose control of oneself and do something dreadful, which can include injuring others and suicide. Cherry Plum is also the remedy for the loss of control when it has in fact already taken place, and for the frantic fear and dread associated with loss of control. (Think of the fear of a small child in a screaming, irrational rage.) Fears of going mad and of acting irrationally are Cherry Plum fears.

Positive aspects of Cherry Plum Bach Flower Essence

Cherry Plum helps you to find an inner balance so that you can think and act rationally. Cherry Plum is one of the ingredients of Rescue Remedy.

Chestnut Bud failing to learn from life; repeating mistakes

Chestnut Bud is for people who make the same mistakes over and over - for example, taking a succession of identical office jobs and being surprised to find each one unfulfilling. In other cases, they see others making a mistake and the results that arise, but then fail to apply this lesson to their own lives and go right ahead and make the same mistake themselves.

Positive aspects of Chestnut Bud Bach Flower Remedy

Chestnut Bud is the remedy to help you learn from the past and then move on to genuinely new experiences.

Chicory demanding, possessive, self-pity, self-love

Chicory people are full of love and care for their families and friends. But they expect to receive back all the love they give, with interest, and feel slighted and unnecessarily hurt if they don't get what they expect. Also, their great love can lead them to hold onto their loved ones and try to keep them dependent and close to hand. This can stifle the development of other personalities, or simply drive them away.

Positive aspects of Chicory Bach Flower Essence

Chicory helps you to be less selfish and be able to offer genuine love - love given unconditionally and in freedom.

Clematis inattentive, dreamy, absent-minded

Clematis is for people whose minds drift away from the present into fantasies of the future, or into alternative versions of the present. Often their dreams are of great future success, creative endeavour and achievement, but the danger for people in this state is that their dreams will remain fantasies because the Clematis person is not sufficiently anchored in reality to make them happen.

Positive aspects of Clematis Bach Flower Remedy

Clematis helps you to come back to earth and back to yourself so that you can build castles in life instead of in the air. It helps you gain a more lively interest in the world around you, and in life. Clematis is one of the ingredients in Rescue Remedy, where it is used to help the fuzzy, light-headed feeling that can come at times of emergency.

Crab Apple feeling unclean, self-disgust, small things out of proportion

Crab Apple is known as the cleansing remedy. Its main use is to help people who feel that they have something unclean or poisonous about them, or who dislike some aspect of their appearance or personality. Sometimes there might be very real things wrong with someone in this state, but they will disregard the big problems and concentrate obsessively on the one thing that they have fixed on.

Positive aspects of Crab Apple Bach Flower Essence

Crab Apple helps you look at yourself without unrealistic critique and helps you to cleanse obsessive, repetitive behaviour such as hand-washing, re-checking that appliances are unplugged, and so on. Being a cleanser, this remedy purifies wounds if you have reason to believe that some poison has entered which must be drawn out.

Elm normally capable, but temporarily overwhelmed with responsibility or feelings of inadequacy

Elm is the remedy for people suffering a temporary loss of self-confidence due to the overwhelming amount of responsibility they have taken on. Genuine Elm types are people who are successful and carrying out work that they believe in, but at times feel the weight of the charge on them and become depressed and concerned that they will not be able to go on.

Positive aspects of Elm Bach Flower Remedy

Elm helps you to dispel these feelings so that you can resume your life without thought of failure. It helps you approach life one step at a time.

Gentian discouragement, doubt, despondency

Gentian is the remedy for the relatively mild downheartedness and despondency that follows when something has gone wrong. As soon as things start to go right again this kind of despondency tends to lift by itself, but the remedy can be used to lift it the sooner so that the person is better able to make things go right, instead of just hoping they will do so.

Positive aspects of Gentian Bach Flower Essence

Gentian helps lift your spirits so that you can see that there is no such thing as failure when one is doing one's best.

Gorse for pessimism, defeatism, "what's the point"

Gorse is the remedy for people who have given up belief that there is any hope for them. It is a far stronger kind of downheartedness than the Gentian state, because Gorse people almost wilfully refuse to be encouraged, so certain are they that their case is hopeless. If ill, they make think of themselves as incurable, or say that they inherited this or that from their families so that nothing can be done for them.

Positive aspects of Gorse Bach Flower Remedy

Gorse helps you get a sense of faith and hope, a feeling that your life will be renewed and helps you go forward with a surer step.

Heather talkative, overconcerned with self

Heather is for people who are obsessed with themselves, but who do not like to be alone. Dr Bach called them 'buttonholers' because they do anything to keep people with them, all the time talking at exhaustive length about their problems and illnesses, great and small, until people begin actively to avoid them. Thus the thing Heather people fear - loneliness - is brought about because of their own behaviour.

Positive aspects of Heather Bach Flower Essence

Heather helps you see your own concerns in the context of other people's. You even may become a good listener as a result and great support for others.

Holly jealousy, suspicion, revenge, anger, hatred

Holly is often thought of as the remedy for anger - but this isn't necessarily the case. Where Holly is for anger, it will be because the anger is based specifically on hatred, suspicion, envy or jealousy. But in other cases other remedies would be needed, such as Impatiens when anger is due to impatience, Vervain where it is caused by a sense of injustice, or Chicory where the angry person feels snubbed and hurt by ingratitude in others. Holly is for very negative, aggressive feelings directed at others.

Positive aspects of Holly Bach Flower Remedy

Holly helps overcome the feeling of an absence of love, and the remedy works to encourage generosity of spirit and openness towards others feeling compassion, love and inner harmony within yourself.

Honeysuckle living in the past, nostalgic

Honeysuckle is for people who live in the past instead of the present. They feel that their best days are behind them and that there is little to look forward to, and as a consequence they prefer to dwell on past happiness (or past misfortunes). Homesickness and nostalgia are also Honeysuckle states.

Positive aspects of Honeysuckle Bach Flower Essence

Honeysuckle helps you move forward and to live in the present without needing the re-live the past. It helps you take joy from today and tomorrow.

Hornbeam feels weary and thinks can't cope; Monday-morning feeling; procrastination

Hornbeam is used against feelings of exhaustion and tiredness that come before an effort has been made. The person in this state feels that he or she is too tired to cope with the demands of the day. It's easier to stay in bed or put off making a start -but if an effort can be made to get started the weariness will fade, a sign that unlike the Olive state this is a mental rather than a physical weariness.

Positive aspects of Hornbeam Bach Flower Remedy

Hornbeam helps you shake off that 'Monday-morning feeling' and strengthen your mind and body for the work ahead.

Impatiens impatience, irritability, tenseness

Impatiens is for impatience, frustration and irritability caused by impatience. Anyone can get into this state of mind, but there are also genuine Impatiens types, who live life at a rush and hate being held back by more methodical people. To avoid this irritation they try if possible to work alone.

Positive aspects of Impatiens Bach Flower Essence

Impatiens helps you feel and be less hasty and more relaxed and patient with others. It is also used to help calm agitated thoughts and feelings.

Larch lacks confidence and the will to succeed; expects failure

Larch is the remedy for people who feel that they are not as good as others and that they are bound to fail. They lack confidence in their ability to succeed and so often do not even bother trying. (Distinguish from Elm people, where it is the desire to take on too much that causes the temporary doubt.)

Positive aspects of Larch Bach Flower Remedy

Larch helps you to go ahead regardless of thoughts of success and failure and helps you regain a realistic sense of self esteem and confidence.

Mimulus fear of known things, such as spiders, heights, nervous, shy

Mimulus is the remedy for known fears. In other words, whenever you are frightened of something or you are anxious about something, and you can say what that something is, then Mimulus is the remedy to take. Mimulus fears are everyday fears - fear of public speaking, of the dark, of aggressive dogs, or of illness or pain. Phobias such as the fear of spiders or of birds are also Mimulus fears, since the cause of the fear can be named. Where is the phobia is very great so that the sight of a spider for example causes sheer terror, then Rock Rose might be given as well as or instead of Mimulus. And when you feel general anxiety and apprehension without a specific known cause, then Aspen is the remedy to consider.

Positive aspects of Mimulus Bach Flower Essence

Mimulus helps you find your own quiet courage and strength that lies hidden inside of you, so that you can face the everyday trials of life with steadfastness.

Mustard gloom descends for no apparent reason

Mustard is the remedy for deep gloom and depression that descends for no apparent reason out of a clear blue sky. People in this state often list all the reasons they have to feel happy and contented, but still everything looks black and hopeless to them.

Positive aspects of Mustard Bach Flower Remedy

Mustard helps to dispel the clouds so that you can once again find joy and peace in life.

Oak persevering, never giving in; strong but no longer able to struggle against adversity

Oak is the remedy for strong, steady people who never give up under adversity. Instead they plod on with determination, and never consider resting until they are past the point of exhaustion. Because they are so steady they often have many people relying on them, and their sense of duty is strong, so that they can feel frustrated and unhappy if illness or exhaustion get in the way of discharging duties. So much is positive about the Oak person, but the negative side is the stubborn refusal to rest or sit back when the need for rest is obvious to all around.

Positive aspects of Oak Bach Flower Essence

Oak helps you remain strong in adversity and not crack under the strain, so that at the same time a different wisdom is learned helping you learn when not to strive.

Olive fatigued, exhausted, totally drained mentally and physically

Olive is the remedy for tiredness and exhaustion after an effort of some kind, such as hard physical or mental labour, or the long struggle against illness. It can be usefully contrasted with Hornbeam, which is the remedy for tiredness felt even before an effort has been made.

Positive aspects of Olive Bach Flower Remedy

Olive helps to restore feelings of strength and the faith needed to continue.