The force that through the green fuse drives the flower

Drives my green age;

Dylan Thomas’s powerful portrayal of the universal life force is an apt symbol for the activity of glycerine. For what normally preserves dead tissue will usually harm life (e.g. formaldehyde, alcohol) and what generally promotes life will typically contribute to decay in the inanimate (e.g. moisture, oxygen).

Not so with glycerine. In interesting research published in the December 2003 issue of The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Dr. Wendy Boilag and Dr. Xiangjian Zheng, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia, found that glycerine makes skin look, feel and function better by attracting moisture and by helping skin cells mature properly.

The researchers discovered glycerine’s role in skin cell maturation while studying phospholipase D, an enzyme that converts fats or lipids in the external, protective membrane. All cells have this layer, but skin cells secrete extra lipids to form a protective barrier. Says Dr. Boilag, “Think about it. If there was not some sort of barrier, when you took a bath, all the water would go into you and you would blow up like a balloon.”

This research is not news to natural soap makers who for years have been extolling the virtues of real soap over mass-produced chunks of chemicals that are cheap, but not skin-friendly. For while natural soap makers return the glycerine that is a normal by-product of the soap making process back into the soap, and often add even more, usually from vegetable oils such as coconut or other nut oils, commercial soap manufacturers remove the glycerine to add to more profitable products such as hand creams and other cosmetics.

It wasn’t until 1889 that a viable way to separate out the glycerine from soap making was discovered. In those days the primary use of glycerine was to make nitro-glycerine, which was used to make dynamite. Suddenly, commercial soap making became a lot more profitable, which gave birth to the mass manufacture of cheap soap, to the detriment of the small local soap maker.

But what exactly is glycerine? It is a sweet-tasting, colourless, viscous liquid, which can be dissolved in water or alcohol, but not oils. It is a trihydric alcohol with the chemical formula C3H5(OH)3. Glycerine (sometimes spelled “glycerin”) makes a good solvent and is highly “hygroscopic,” which means that it absorbs water readily.

Glycerine was first discovered in 1779 in the saponification (the conversion of fats into soap via the addition of an alkali such as lye) process of olive oil. Today, glycerine is found in and sourced from animal fats, vegetable oils and synthetically from petrochemicals.

The uses of glycerine are many. In addition to soap and cosmetics it is used in medicinal ointments, sometimes thickened with finely powdered starch. It is lubricating, emollient, soothing and healing to the skin. When mixed with floral waters (e.g. rose or lavender water) and borax it makes an effective wash for chapped skin. In this form glycerine is toning and astringent. When added to pills, suppositories and lozenges, glycerine will prevent them from becoming hard and mouldy. Glycerine suppositories are an excellent remedy for consistent constipation and haemorrhoids.

Glycerine is antibacterial and is a valuable food preservative, being used extensively in the food processing industry. Although not quite as effective as alcohol for extracting the active ingredients in herbal tinctures, glycerine based tinctures are recommended for children or anyone wishing to avoid alcohol.

Finally, to bring us back full circle to the Dylan Thomas quote, glycerine is fabulous for preserving flowers, enabling them to maintain pliability and avoiding the brittleness of air-dried flowers. Dye can be added to the glycerine solution to retain or change the original plant colour. It can take up to a week for the plants to absorb the solution, but they will then last for years. Check with your local craft supply store, bookstore or library for information on how to do this effectively.

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station has some excellent online instructions on how to preserve flowers using glycerine. The information can be downloaded from [http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/mf2446.pdf].

One word of caution: If you’re adding dye to the solution, don’t place the flowers in a bathroom, kitchen or any other area susceptible to moisture. The glycerine will attract this moisture. The plants will weep and you’ll have an indelible mess on your hands.

Bruce Burnett is a chartered herbalist who has also won four Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards for travel journalism. Read more of Bruce Burnett’s writing on his websites:

1. http://www.globalramble.com

2. http://www.bruceburnett.ca

3. http://www.herbalcuisine.com

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruce_Burnett

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Hey Readers! I’ve been comin across some crazy stuff the past few days from a few different blogs around the web which I just had to share with you. Check em out below…

herbal tinctures – i’ve been making mine using herbs and pure …

i usually make up my tinctures with 4oz herbs to 1pint high grade spirit [usually vodka...hic! ] but in the bartram's herbal encyclopaedia i have just got it says that you can make up a perfectly good tincture using a mix of 25% alcohol …

latest herbal tinctures news – duchy originals herbal tinctur

the sale of herbal tinctures on the duchy originals website and in several retail stores is an example of such a clanger-drop moment. the story has been covered in the media, and blogged here (in a blog that is somewhat less sympathetic …

Stay Well – Stay Away from the White Stuff

To encourage wellness we drink green juices, green smoothies, and tea with herbal tinctures. Herb Pharm's Children's Herbal Compound is a good one for kids that was recommended to me by an herbalist mom. …

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

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What is the best brand for herbal supplements?

I do not use any specific brand. I order raw herbs and make them myself. This way I always know what I am taking. I hate to give away my secret, but I am on a role, so here it is.
www.mountainroseherbs.com is one of my favorite site for herbs.