Bach Flower Essence
Remedies

Directions
Bach Flower Remedies can be applied directly to the pulse points, moistened lips, dropped directly under the tongue or you can put 2-4 drops in a small glass of water and sip at intervals, when needed.

Click on a Flower or Plant to learn more

Agrimony : Remedy for people who keep their troubles hidden under a mask of pleasure and happiness. The archetypal person would be the sad clown, suffering anguish inside but still the life and soul of the party. Their friends are often the last to know that anything is wrong in their life. Agrimony people will often turn to drink or drugs to help them maintain a mask of happiness, and they tend not to like being alone since they find it harder to keep the mask up when they are forced into their own company. Instead they will seek out friends, parties and bright lights.

Aspen : Aspen fears are those that cannot be identified. These people tend to fear the dark, but are also fearful in the sunlight. They often feel they have to look over their shoulder or watch their backs but cannot explain why. This remedy relieves this anxiety, providing a gentle calming effect.

Beech : Is described by Dr. Bach as the Flower Essence remedy for people who 'feel the need to see more good and beauty in all that surrounds them.' Beech people are intolerant of people who are not just like them. They lack compassion and understanding of the different circumstances and different paths that other people are given, and fail to see that others too are working towards perfection but in different ways. Sometimes Beech intolerance is manifested as outbursts of irritability. The remedy helps to encourage tolerance and understanding, and as this happens the irritability fades.

Centaury : Remedy 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 people will take advantage of this because the Centaury person does not know where to draw the line. The Centaury remedy does not harden the Centaury personality but rather it supports the development of courage and self-determination.

Cerato : Remedy for people who lack faith in their own judgement. Doubts creep in and they are no longer sure if what they have decided is right. They then go around asking for the opinions and advice of others. They end up hopelessly confused or doing something that they know in their hearts is not right for them. Cerato is the remedy to give people in this state more faith in their judgement so that they can listen to their inner voices and trust their intuition.

Cherry Plum : 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 something has already taken place (think of the fear of a small child in a screaming, irrational rage.)

Chestnut Bud : It is good to move on and leave the past behind, but people in the Chestnut Bud state are doing so too readily. They give so little thought to the past that they fail to learn its lessons and so are doomed to repeat their failures. Chestnut Bud is the remedy to help them learn from the past and then move on to genuinely new experiences.

Chicory : For people that 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.

Clematis : 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.

Crab Apple : This is the remedy of cleansing. For those who feel as if they had something not quite clean about themselves. Often it is something of apparently little importance, but for others there may be a more serious disease which they prefer not to acknowledge. In both situations they are anxious to be free from the one particular thing which is greatest in their minds and which seems so essential to them that it should be cured. They become despondent if treatment fails.

Elm : 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 at 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.

Genitian: is the Bach Flower 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 sooner instead of just waiting for it to go away.

Gorse: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who are have feelings of hopelessness. It is not the same kind of downheartedness as the Gentian state, because Gorse people almost wilfully refuse to be encouraged, so certain are they that their case is hopeless. If ill, they may think of themselves as incurable, or say that they inherited this or that from their families so that nothing can be done for them.

Heather: is the Bach Flower Remedy 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.

Holly: The remedy for anger that is based specifically on hatred, suspicion, envy or jealousy. In other cases different remedies apply; remedies 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.

Honey Suckle: Remedy 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 happinesses (or past misfortunes). On a minor level, homesickness and nostalgia are also Honeysuckle states.

Horn Beam: Is the Bach Flower Remedy used to counter 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. They find it 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.

Impatien: Is, as its name suggests, the Bach FLower Remedy used to counter impatience, frustration and irritability. Anyone can get into this state of mind, but there are also genuine Impatiens types who live life always in a hurry and hate being held back by more methodical people. To avoid this irritation they try, if possible, to work alone. The Impatiens boss is the one who sends staff home early so she can get the job finished quicker!

Larch: Is the Bach Flower 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. (like Elm people, but there is the desire to take on too much which causes the temporary doubt).

Mimulus: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for known fears. In other words whenever you are frightened or anxious about something specific, 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.

Mustard: Is the Bach Flower 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 everything still looks black and hopeless to them.

Oak: Is the Bach Flower 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. They often have many people relying on them, so if illness or exhaustion get in the way of discharging duties they may feel frustrated and unhappy.

Olive: Is the Bach Flower 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 Horn beam, which is the remedy for tiredness felt even before an effort has been made.

Pine: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who blame themselves for something they feel they have done in the past, some neglect of a parent, some fault in themselves, something they have left undone, and for those who wallow in self-reproach. They are never, as Dr Bach writes in "The Twelve Healers", content with their own efforts or the results. They also at times tend to claim responsibility for the mistakes made by others. They are perfectionists and set themselves high standards, and this may cause them to over-work and strive to do better. When the strain becomes too much for the physical body, they blame themselves for the ensuing illness. This guilt-complex takes so much of the joy out of their lives that they become despondent and begin to despair. They often feel so guilty about some minor matter that these thoughts fill their minds and they are always asking for forgiveness.

Red Chestnut: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who feel fear for the well-being of others - the husband afraid when his wife goes out alone after dark, or the mother fretting over what may happen to her child at school. Red Chestnut fears are natural, normal concerns magnified to the point where they may have a negative effect on the person who is the object of concern, destroying confidence and undermining self-belief.

Rock Rose: Is the Bach Flower Remedy against terror, and as such is an important ingredient in Rescue Remedy. The Rock Rose state may start out as a Mimulus, Aspen or Red Chestnut state, but it is further along the path from any of these, being a panicky, terror-struck fear that makes conscious thought and decision next to impossible.

Rock Water: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who take self-repression and self-denial to extremes. They are very wrapped up in themselves, seeking always to perfect themselves in some way. If they seek to influence others it is not directly but by example only. The Rock Water remedy does not stop people from having high ideals or from trying to meet them, but it does help ease the excesses of the Rock Water personality, so that people like this can show more flexibility when it is necessary, and are not so hard on themselves.

Sclerantus: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who find it difficult to make up their minds which option of two or more they ought to choose. The Scleranthus indecision commonly affects the small decisions of life as much as the big ones: 'should I marry Joe or Peter?' and 'should I buy a red notebook or a blue one?' - both are Scleranthus states. Sometimes the chronic uncertainty of the Scleranthus person manifests itself in other ways, such as mood swings and even motion sickness. In any case, the remedy is given to help the person to act more decisively and know his or her own mind.

Star of Bethlehem: Is one of the Bach Flower Remedies in the Rescue Remedy. It is the remedy for the after-effects of any shock, such as bad news or an unexpected or unwelcome event. It can be used to counter the effects of a shock received many years ago, even very early in childhood.

Sweet Chestnut: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who have reached the limits of their endurance; who have explored all avenues but see no way out of their difficulties, and who feel that there is nothing left for them but annihilation and emptiness. Whereas people in a Gorse state have fallen into a state of hopelessness when there are actually possible solutions all around, the person in a Sweet Chestnut state is genuinely at the end of the line; theirs is appalling, final despair.

Vervain: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who are perfectionists with a keen sense of justice and extreme mental energy that they willingly throw behind those causes that they believe in. Their enthusiasm can be infectious, and they feel a strong need to persuade others to see their point of view. Extreme Vervain people can become fanatics, unable to listen to alternative points of view, and they may put themselves under a great deal of stress because they find it so hard to switch off and relax. The remedy is given to help people in this state to pull back from time to time so that body and mind and be restored. It encourages the wisdom to enjoy life and the passage of time instead of always feeling the need to be active.

Vine: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who know their own minds and think they know what is best for others. They are mentally strong and enjoy the exercise of power, but in their negative states this can lead them to dominate others by force alone. Tyrannical fathers and overbearing bosses are typical negative Vines, in that they will expect absolute obedience from others and will not be overly concerned with winning hearts and minds as long as their orders are followed. In this respect they are very different from Vervain people, who will attempt to convert others to their way of thinking - Vines are content with the simple imposition of discipline.

Walnut: Is the Bach Flower Remedy to help to protect against outside influences in general, and against the effects of particular changes. Walnut types are people who are fulfilling their purpose in life but who, under the influence of the opinions, theories or beliefs of others, may be led to doubt their path. They are not like Cerato people, who actively seek out the opinions of others, but instead may be affected almost despite themselves.

Water Violet: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for those talented, capable people, whose independence and self-reliance can make them seem to be proud and disdainful of others. True Water Violet people are quiet and dignified and prefer their own company or that of a few close friends, but where their natural reserve has built a barrier between them and others they may actually become lonely and be unable to make contact with others. When this happens the remedy can help to bring them back into balance so that they can be more involved with humanity.

White Chestnut: Aesculus Hippocastanum) is the Bach Flower Remedy for unwanted thoughts, worries and mental arguments, which intrude into the mind and stop people from concentrating on things that they should be doing. White Chestnut thoughts are repetitive and go nowhere, simply circling round and round in the head like a stuck record.

Wild Oat: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who feel that they want to do something worthwhile with their lives but do not know in which direction they should move. Instead, they drift from occupation to occupation without finding their true path, which leads to feelings of frustration and depression. Unlike the Scleranthus where the path itself isn't in doubt, but rather the methodology is uncertain, Wild Oat people do not know what their options are because their goals are not defined.

Wild Rose: Rose's sweet, gentle aroma brings warmth to the soul, healing our emotional wounds and restoring the trust that makes it possible to love ourselves and others once again. It's joy is tireless in relieving melancholy, sadness, disappointment, sorrow, heartache and depression. Rose's nature is to comfort and remind each of us of the unique perfection of our soul.

Willow: Is the Bach Flower Remedy for people who feel resentful and bitter about the way their lives have gone. They begrudge others their successes and happiness, and are reluctant to admit when their own lives go well, preferring to concentrate on what is going wrong. Willow people are grumblers, and when ill make bad patients because they are never satisfied with what is done for them.

Rescue Remedy: Contains a combination of five flower essences including Impatiens, Star of Bethlehem, Cherry Plum, Rock Rose, and Clematis. Together they balance the emotions, relieve stress, and reduce fear and nervousness in stressful or traumatic situations (ie: such as receiving sudden bad news, family upset, bereavement, before an exam, meeting, interview, performing, giving a speech, and going to the dentist or hospital.) It is available as a tincture or a spray.