In Focus...Bach Flower Remedies

Bach flower remedies are dilutions of flower material developed by Dr Edward Bach, an English homeopath, in the 1930s.

Dr Bach believed that dew found on flower petals can retain the healing properties of that plant. The remedies are intended for emotional and spiritual conditions, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress and, physical symptoms of emotional conditions.

The remedies contain a very small amount of flower material in a 50:50 solution of brandy and water. The remedies contain "energetic" or "vibrational" nature of the flower and that this can be transmitted to the user.  Bach flower remedies are considered vibrational medicines.


Dr Bach believed there was a strong relationship between the mental outlook of a person and their physical state. He taught that negative emotions can show up physically as pain, stress and illness, and that the flower remedies heal the mind in a gentle natural way.

The remedies can be purchased and used yourself but can also be used by a practitioner together with another complementary therapy.  One that most people will have heard of is Rescue Remedy, which is a combination of the remedies which can help in moments when you feel a bit shaky and need a more positive outlook.  On the Holland and Barrett website it uses driving tests, exams, and flying as times when it could be effective.

The 38 remedies are:

Agrimony - mental torture behind a cheerful face

Aspen - fear of unknown things

Beech - intolerance

Centaury - the inability to say 'no'

Cerato - lack of trust in one's own decisions

Cherry Plum - fear of the mind giving way

Chestnut Bud - failure to learn from mistakes

ChicoryChicory - selfish, possessive love

Clematis - dreaming of the future without working in the present

Crab Apple - the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred

Elm - overwhelmed by responsibility

Gentian - discouragement after a setback

Gorse - hopelessness and despair

Heather - self-centredness and self-concern

HollyHolly - hatred, envy and jealousy

Honeysuckle - living in the past

Hornbeam - tiredness at the thought of doing something

Impatiens - impatience

Larch - lack of confidence

Mimulus - fear of known things

Mustard - deep gloom for no reason

OakOak - the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion

Olive - exhaustion following mental or physical effort

Pine - guilt

Red Chestnut - over-concern for the welfare of loved ones

Rock Rose - terror and fright

Rock Water - self-denial, rigidity and self-repression

Scleranthus - inability to choose between alternatives

Star of BethlehemStar of Bethlehem - shock

Sweet Chestnut - Extreme mental anguish, when everything has been tried and there is no light left

Vervain - over-enthusiasm

Vine - dominance and inflexibility

Walnut - protection from change and unwanted influences

Water Violet - pride and aloofness

White Chestnut - unwanted thoughts and mental arguments

Wild OatWild Oat - uncertainty over one's direction in life

Wild Rose - drifting, resignation, apathy

Willow - self-pity and resentment

The remedies are split in several groups which can then be combine and turned into a solution tailored to your individual needs.

Bach remedies are sold in a concentrated form that should be diluted with fruit juice or mineral water and rubbed on the lips/behind the ear or dropped directly on the tongue.

For more about Dr Bach and his work and for information on courses and practitioners visit www.bachcentre.com