Resources

Accredited Courses

Essence Guidelines

History/Aims

BFVEA

Constitution

2002 Survey

Links

The British Association of Flower Essence Producers (BAFEP) Survey 2002

Background

It has long been felt that a full survey should be undertaken to discover the varying methods used in the production and manufacture of flower and vibrational essences in the UK. While the methodology traditionally used in the production of Bach Flower Remedies is well documented [ see E. Bach Twelve Healers & Other Remedies 1936 C.W.Daniel, Weeks & Bullen, Bach Flower Remedies Illustration & Preparation, 1964 C.W.Daniel] other methods have been developed which related directly to the original process. These would inevitably fall within the scope of any proposed legislation and controls.

BAFEP realised at the AGM in 2002 that there would be a need to confirm, justify and prove how essences are made in the UK. To confirm that essences are still made following the guidance laid down by Dr Edward Bach in 1936; to confirm the stance that essence producers have taken proposing that essences are not homoeopathic, not herbal but have a category of their own, most closely aligned to food or living water; to prove the last two by surveying and collating information from the main producers in the UK.

All BAFEP members, the larger producers linked to the British Flower and Vibrational Essences Association and Mount Vernon and NelsonBach were all approached - 40 in all. Of the surveys sent out, 37 were returned (all BAFEP members and 10 of 12 BFVEA members). No response was received from the Bach Centre, Mount Vernon. A very brief response was received from NelsonBach that referred us to the British Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia. A further request for confirmation of their methods of dilution has not elicited a response to date.

The survey was in two parts. Part One was dedicated to those producing ranges of the Bach Flower Remedies. Part Two was for all types of essences, including Bach Flower Remedies.

The Findings:

Part One - Bach Flower Remedies

Six out of the seven current UK producers of the range of Bach Flower Remedies responded, two of those six do not sell their Bach range in the UK.

Of the six that responded:

All use water in the preparation of the 'mother tincture'.
50% use fresh spring water.
50% use bottled water.
All use glass bowls for the 'sun method'.
All pick fresh flowers to make the essences.
Five make under 'blue sky' conditions, the other (who does not sell in the UK), allows some leeway.
All leave the bowl out for at least 3 hours.
Five use the boiling method for 30 minutes, the other uses the 'sun method' for all essences.
All use 40% brandy to preserve a 50/50 mix of 'mother tincture'.
No-one enacts another process in the 'mother tincture' before further dilution.
All who sell to the public dilute the 'mother tincture'.
All regard this next dilution as 'second level' dilution.
All preserve this with brandy and call this 'stock'.
The proportion of 'mother tincture' to the 'stock level' varies from 1 part to 166, to 1 part to 400.
All recommend that the purchaser dilutes the 'stock level' to dosage strength.
No-one of the six who replied sells dilutions labelled 1 to 400% or 5x dilutions.

Ten other producers make essences from some of the species of the Bach range. These are sold within other essences ranges and some are made differently. For example - the sun/water method being used for essences that would have been prepared by the boiling method for the Bach range.

Conclusion:

All producers creating Bach Flower Remedies who responded to the survey follow the methodology outlined by Dr Edward Bach (1886-1936) in The Twelve Healers & Other Remedies 1936 and by Nora Weeks & Victor Bullen (of the Dr Edward Bach Centre) in Bach Flower Remedies Illustrations and Method of Preparation, 1964. All use freshly picked flowers and create a simple, two-stage dilution to 'stock level' that they sell to the public.

Part Two - All Types of Essences

Types of Essences created:

75% of producers make one or more flower essences using the 'sunlight method'.
56% of producers make one or more flower essences using the 'moonlight method'.
33% of producers make one or more flower essences using a mediator (crystal, deva etc).
25% of producers make plant essences (use other parts of the plant other than flowers).
22% of producers make one or more essences solely from water (this includes Rock Water and some made from different types of water).
39% of producers make gem or crystal essences.
47% of producers make environmental essences.
19% of producers create essences by channelling.
11% of producers create combinations in one making/one bowl.
14% of producers create other types of essences than those mentioned above.

Dilutions:

19% of producers do not use brandy - they use vodka or a similar preservative.
5% of producers dilute 1/5 alcohol to water/mother essence.
94% of producers dilute 50/50 or greater, alcohol to water/mother essence.
86% call the second dilution 'stock'.
17% sell 'mother essence'.
83% sell 'stock' level.
61% also sell 'dosage level' (3rd dilution).

Numbers of Essences created

37 essence producers create over 4100 essences

Of the total number of essences:

66% are flower essences.
3% are plant essences.
16% are gem or crystal essences.
5% are environmental essences.
1.5% are channelled essences.
There are no radionic essences.
6% are classed as general essences.
2.4% do not fall easily into any other category.

For example: 19% of the producers (7 producers) create 1.5% of essences (62) by channelling

Conclusion

The creation of essences has expanded considerably in the last 25 years. However, it is apparent from this survey that the tenets put forward by Dr Edward Bach are still widely followed. Whether the subject matter of the essence is a live flower 'in situ', a crystal, a place, a seed, a leaf or spiritual energy - the process and presentation of the essence created varies little.

The dilutions from the 'mother essence' may be 2nd or 3rd, but none have been succussed and sequentially diluted as in homoeopathic preparations. Due to the nature of preparation none contain any trace of the biology or mineral content of their source. None of the essences contains an active ingredient which can be verified by chemical analysis.

BAFEP can therefore confirm that most essences are still made following the guidance laid down by Dr Edward Bach in 1936. Essences produced by those surveyed are not homoeopathic and not herbal. They could have a category of their own if it was feasible, but essences remain most closely aligned to food or activated/living water.

January 28th 2003

Participants in the BAFEP Survey:

Ainsworths, Bailey Essences, 'Blue Pearl' Wild Flower Essences, Brynaherb Essences, Cornish Essences, Cosmic Rainbow Essences, Crystal Herbs, David's Essences, Devic Essences, Findhorn Essences, Gaia Essences, Genesis Essences, Go-Natural Essences, Green Man Essences, Harebell Remedies, Healing Herbs of Dr Edward Bach, Ilminster Essences, Inner Child & Rainbow Light Body Essences, Light Heart Essences, Living Water Essences, Living Tree Orchid Essences, Manx Island Essences, Rising Serpent Essences, White Dove Essences, Rose-Gold Essences, Moonlight Essences, Silver Seagull Essences, Silvercord Essences, Skylark Essences, Soul Connections, Sovereignty Essences, Stewart Flower Essences, Sue's Essences, Sun Essences, Unitive Essences, Vaikuntha Aspirational Essences.

Subsequent new members of BAFEP have also completed the survey information:
Lakeland Flower Essences, Balancing Blooms, Rose Petal Essences, Belerion Essences, Harmonia Essences, Channel Island Flower Essences, Mother Luck Essences, Donaldson Essences, Grassdancer Vibrational Essences, Sun Essences for Animals, Essence of Avalon, Ariel Essences, Saskia's Flower Essences, Rose Cottage Essences, Touchwood Essences, Amourette Essences, Greng't Harz Essences, Indigo Essences, Karen Hague, Londner's Essences, Peppermint Essences, Alcemi Essences, LightBringer Essences, Purely Essences, In a Crystal Garden, Awen Vibrational Essences, John Pugh, Deborah's Starlight Essences (as at 3rd October 2006).

PDF Download the survey as a .pdf