How to Request a Custom Formulation

Custom Formulations are my specialty. You want something as a salve or a tincture, I figure out if it can work and I make it. There are so many different herbs, flowers, leaves, and roots that can be safely prepared that the possibilities are dizzying; and having a request for a specific thing or type of thing makes my job very simple.

The process looks like this: you purchase the consultation, we have a chat about what you're looking for (either by text, video call, or in person), and I offer you a price quote for a batch between 6oz and 24oz. There is room for negotiation on how you would like it packaged. If you are pleased with this offer, I bill half the quote up front for the acquisition of materials, and the other half right before shipping it out to you to cover labor, containers, labels, and shipping.

There are a few ways to go about requesting a custom product, and a couple of ways you can expect me to respond to your request.

You can come to me with a list of ingredients - either general or specific - and I can produce it for you. This could be as general as 'I like earthy smells and want something for dry skin in the winter'. It could be as specific as 'an herbalist gave me this recipe with these particular ingredients and ratios'. It could be somewhere in-between. I am glad to accommodate all manner of requests, and will give you a definitive 'yes I can make this' or 'no I cannot make this and here is why'.

You could also come to me and say 'I love the idea of your Arnica Salve but I'm looking for a vegan product'. I can mix up a batch using calendily wax, or some other vegan alternative. Or you could say 'I like the ingredients in your Joint Grease but coconut oil makes me break out' and I'll formulate it using Jojoba oil, Rose Hip Oil, or something else with a very low comedogenic profile. You could even say 'I was looking for something forest-y like your Pine Salve, but I'm allergic to pine; what else can you do like that?' and I'd offer alternatives such as Juniper.

You could even come to me and say 'I have harvested a whole lot of Comfrey and Mullein, I would like to mail it to you and have you process it into a salve' and I can do that too! We would chat a bit about what you're looking for in terms of strength and ratios in the final product, and I could let you know how much of the material I would actually need to make a 6-24oz batch size.

You might think to request something custom in a different manner. If you came to me and asked 'I have eczema, can you make me something to treat my flare-ups?' In this case, I would have to say no, because any product made for such a purpose would be classified by the FDA as a drug, and I cannot do such a thing. But if you were to come ask me for something to improve the appearance of scaly, rashy skin on your knuckles, inner elbows, or neck; that's within the realm of a Cosmetic and I could offer any number of potential ingredients that work together well in a salve (such as Plantain, Calendula, and Catnip). Language is a very important tool, as it implies intent, and I cannot be perceived as intending to offer medical advice, treatments, or cures for any manner of medical condition or disease.

Occasionally, someone may come and ask 'can you make something for me containing THC' or some other restricted product. I cannot, and my answer will be a firm no. There are many properly licensed manufacturers who make that their entire business, and I encourage you to seek out one of them instead.

Generally speaking, if it is in the wheelhouse of Western Herbalism, I will be glad to do my research and let you know if something is or isn't a product I can produce as a salve, liniment, massage oil, ointment, or spagyric preparation within my skill, the limits of my equipment, and the plants I can obtain ethically. There are a few things which are endangered that I won't work with, and a few things which are restricted that I can't work with, but otherwise the sky is hardly even a limit.

If you're looking for Ayurvedic or Traditional Chinese Medicine preparations, I am not the manufacturer for you. The bulk of my knowledge is in Western Herbalism via Spagyric Alchemy, and I do not have the level of expertise with those systems or the familiarity with Eastern materials necessary to produce a mindful, quality product. I encourage you to find a skilled, experienced TCM or Ayurveda practitioner to make your purchase from instead.

If you are a Clinical Herbalist looking to have a particular formula produced for a client, I would be glad to take your request. In this case, please contact me directly by e-mail to set up a time to chat. Any recipe you provide for me to make is something I am willing to make exclusively for the people you send to me, and you can have my promise that I won't turn around and produce it for the general public as one of my product offerings. I have a great deal of respect for how much time, effort, and research it takes to build a formula for a compound product, and I will be glad to respect that if it is your wish to keep it for yourself. I am also glad to provide documentation of my process in a wide variety of formats; please let me know what you're looking for in regards to proof of work.

Please be welcome to reach out to me directly if you have any requests or questions. I only charge for my time if you want a physical product ;) but please bear in mind that I am not a teacher, and may politely reject requests for education.