Learn how to make products from herbs
- Culinary
- Cosmetic and therapeutic
- Cleaning & hygiene
- Crafts, decorative and more
Course Structure
There are 10 lessons in this course:
- Scope and Nature of Commercial Herb Product Industries
- Raw Products/ Base Materials
- Cosmetics
- Personal Hygiene Products
- Therapeutic Goods
- Edibles
- Crafts
- Other Products
- Packaging, Handling, Storage and Presentation
- Making Wise Choices
Course Duration: 100 hours
Aims
- Discuss the scope, nature, and commercial potential of different herbal products.
- Compare ways to process herbs for use in herbal products.
- Develop cosmetic products that use herbs.
- Develop personal hygiene products that use herbs.
- Discuss the process of creating and marketing herbal ingredients and products for therapeutic, health and wellbeing purposes.
- Develop edible products that use herbs including both food ingredients (e.g., spices, dried herbs) and foods (e.g., teas, confectionary).
- Develop different craft products that use herbs.
- Develop a variety of other products that use herbs.
- Explain different handling methods for manufactured herb products including packaging, storage, transport, and presentation.
- Determine and manage risks associated with a business that deals with herbal products.
WHAT PRODUCTS ARE YOU INTERESTED IN?
There are many different herbal products on the market, from the dried oregano added to a simmering spaghetti sauce, through to the lavender wheat pillow used on aching muscles at the end of a long run. The beauty of these products is that many are traditionally handcrafted, based on industries that have been around for hundreds of years – meaning that they are very much industries that are accessible to people starting a business, or those simply interested in monetising an interest. Indeed, several products lend themselves well to farmers markets and online sales. This means they can begin as smaller, low-cost businesses that can be scaled as sales increase.
Smaller herbal-based businesses generally focus on a specific sector of the market, such that the end products may fall into any of the following categories:
- Edible products – teas, dried herbs for cooking, sweets, etc.
- Hygiene and cleaning products – deodorants, shampoos, soap, toothpaste, household cleaners, etc.
- Skin Care and Cosmetics – perfumes, moisturisers, face wash, talcum powders, facial masks, sun lotions, etc.
- Craft products – dyes & colourings (for fabric, paints), fixatives, sachets/pot pourri, etc.
- Therapeutic and health products – intended for wellbeing and general health, though these cannot be sold in place of medicinal products or as having medicinal value
- Other – insect repellents, natural pesticides for the garden, fruit, and vegetable washes, etc.
The business may expand later but a single focus is generally best when starting out. Note, however, that an exception to this is when categories are closely related, e.g., hygiene products may do well with cosmetic and beauty products, while some craft and home décor products may pair well with cleaning products.
WHAT IS IN EACH LESSON?
Lesson 1: Scope and Nature of Commercial Herb Product Industries
- Running An Herbal-Based Business
- Brief History of Herbal Crafts and products
- Properties of Herbs
- What are Herbs?
- Beneficial Properties of Herbs
- Overview of Herbal Products
- Herbal Teas
- Herbal Tinctures
- Culinary Products and Edibles
- Herbal Vinegars
- Herbal Oils
- Herbal Honeys
- Herb Salts
- Essential Oils
- Compresses
- Poultices
- Herbal Liniments
- Ointments
- Herbal Baths
- Sachets
- Fresh Herbs
- Oils
- Bath bombs
- Pot Pourris
- Sachets
- Tussie-Mussies
- Pressed Herb Crafts
- Legalities
Lesson 2: The Raw Products
- Harvesting Herbs
- Post-Harvest Processing
- Preserving, Storing, and/or Treating Herbs
- Drying Herbs
- Ageing
- Sweating
- Parboiling/Blanching
- Boiling and Steaming
- Baking or Roasting
- Freezing Herbs
- Essential Oils
- Extracting Essential Oil
- Expression
- Hydrosols and Floral Waters
- Steam Distillation
- Process of steam distillation:
- Chemical compounds in herbs
- Primary Metabolites
- Secondary Metabolites
- Nitrogen-containing compounds
- Flavonoids
- Coumarins
- Tannins
- Terpenes
- How chemical compounds in herbs affect human senses
- How processing can affect chemical compounds in herbs
- Cutting
- Drying
- Freezing
- Choosing the Correct Herbal Solvent
- Oil
- Water
- Vinegar
- Alcohol
- Glycerin
Lesson 3: Skin Care and Cosmetics
- Working with Allergies and Sensitivities
- Natural Preservatives
- Using Essential Oils
- Containers and Storage
- Applications of Herbal Products in skin care
- Layered Lavender Flower Water
- Clarifying Toner
- Herb-Scented Water
- Rose Cold Cream
- Lavender and Lemon Eucalyptus Lotion
- Body Lotion
- Oil Cleanser
- Lip Balm
- Lip Scrub
- Shea Butter Lip Balm
- Clay Face Masks
- Lavender Salve
- Herbal Facial Steam
- Perfume
Lesson 4: Personal Hygiene Products
- Growing Herbs at Home
- Purchasing High Quality Products Online
- Selecting the Right Herbs
- Blending Scents
- Keeping Notes
- Applications of herbal products in personal hygiene products
- Lavender Bath Elixir
- Scented Bath Lotions
- Bath Perfumes
- Lavender and Chamomile Wash Balls
- Herbal Soap
- Hair Rinse
- Scented Lavender Water
- Gargles
- Sage Gargles
- Botanical Mouth Wash
- Rose Tooth Powder
- Toothbrushes of Liquorice Root
- Herbal Aftershave
- Herbal Toothpaste
- Nail Strengthening Oil
- Nail Oil
- Fragrant Body Powder
- Vinegar Rinse
- Herbal Rinse
- Aloe Gel Conditioner
- Neutral Henna Conditioner: Treatment to Strengthen Hair, and Control Dandruff and Excess Oiliness
- Citrus Energy Bath
- Herbal Body wash
- Salt Scrub
Lesson 5: Health and Wellbeing Products
- Harvesting herbs for medicinal use
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Bulbs
- Barks
- Seeds
- Different Applications
- Astringents
- Bitter Tonics
- Carminatives
- Cathartics
- Demulcents
- Diuretics
- Emollients
- Expectorants
- Relaxants
- Stimulants
- How to Make Herbal Decoctions
- Hints
- How to Make Herbal Ointments
- Hints
- Calendula Ointment
- How to Make Herbal infusions
- How to Make Tinctures
- How to Make Herbal Poultices
- Syrups
- Syrups Made with Tinctures
- How Aromatherapy Works
- Absorption Through Inhalation
- Absorption Through the Skin
Lesson 6: Edibles
- Food Grade Ingredients and Storage
- Permits and Licensing
- Unusual Products, Flavour Profiles
- Adding Flavour to Herbal Food Products
- Markets and Places to Sell
- Herbal Food Product Applications
- Herbal Teas
- Herb Vinegars
- Herb Infused Oil
- Herb Butters
- Herb Cheeses
- Herb Salt
- Herb Scented Sugar
- Herb Honey
- Herb Confectionery
- Peppermint Cream
- Herb Biscuits
- Savoury Herb Muffins
Lesson 7: Crafts
- Candle making
- Scents
- Dyes
- Wax
- Whitening Crystals
- Wicks
- Shape
- Potpourri
- Mixing Herbs
- Moist Potpourri
- Dry Potpourri
- Various Potpourri Recipes
- Fixatives
- Sachets
- Rose Sandalwood Sachet
- Clove Pink Sachet
- Lemon Verbena Sachet
- Mint Sachet
- Verbena Sachet
- Geranium Citrus Sachet
- Herb Pillows
- Rosemary Herb Pillow
- Mint and Lemon Pillow
- Lemon Verbena Pillow
- Hops Sleep Pillow
- Floral herb pillow
- Tussie Mussies
- Herbal Paper
- Lavender Letters
- Incense
Lesson 8: Products for Homes or Workplaces
- Expressing Citrus Oils
- Herbal Cleaning Products
- Lavender Furniture Cream
- Herbal Fabric Softener
- Surface Spray Cleaner (Non-Porous Surfaces)
- All-purpose Surface Spray Cleaner
- Herbal Dishwashing Tablets
- Herbal Insect Repellents
- Pomanders
- Clove Pomanders
- Rose Bud Pomander
- Garlic Spray
- Other Sprays
- Moth Repelling Sachets
- Insect Repellent Oil
- Scented clothes hangers
Lesson 9: Packaging, Handling, Storage and Presentation
- Harvesting
Annual Herbs
- Perennial Herbs
- Post-Harvest Handling and Storage
- Storage Conditions
- Relative Humidity
- Temperature
- Atmospheric Composition
- Preservation Methods
- Processing Equipment
- Packaging Herbs
- Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
- Packaging Herbal Products
- Packaging Materials
- Labelling
- Food Packaging
- Examples of Food Product Packaging
- Examples of Other Herbal Product Packaging
Lesson 10: Making Good Business Choices
- Developing a Business Plan
- Points of Difference
- Developing the Product
- Scalability
- Partnerships
- Branding, Design, and Labelling
- Business Types
- Cottage Businesses
- Herbal Farm or Nursery -- Businesses that Grow Herbs
- Herbal Product Manufacturer -- Businesses that Process and Manufacture Products
- Different types of refrigerators
- General Logistics & planning a delivery schedule
- Businesses That Retail Products
- Risk Management
- Labelling
- Safety
- Claims and Therapeutic Claims
Who is this Course for?
- Herb Business owners
- Herb professionals
- Students
- Manufacturers and staff
- Retailers
This course is designed as professional development for people with some prior knowledge of growing and/or using herbs They may be someone already working with herbs in a part time or full time business; seeking to develop their knowledge and potentially expand their business.