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Make Your Own Borge Flower Essence

Borage flowers (borago officinalis), with their vibrant blue star-shaped blooms, aren’t just beautiful additions to your garden; they can also be used to create a flower essence that promotes optimism and courage. Flower essences are liquid extracts that capture the energetic imprint of a flower. Believed to work on a subtle level, they can be used to address emotional imbalances and support well-being.

Fundamental Flower Essence-Making Process:

Flower essences have captured the imagination of those seeking natural ways to support emotional well-being. Traditionally, they’re made by soaking flowers in water under the sun. This process is believed to transfer the flower’s subtle energetic properties into the water.

While the science behind flower essences is still being explored, the practice itself is quite beautiful. Here’s a look at the basic method of creating a flower essence:

  1. Gathering your blooms: Select flowers that are vibrant and fully open, ideally on a clear, sunny morning.
  2. Choosing your vessel: Traditionally, spring water is used for the infusion, and some believe a clear glass or crystal bowl allows the sunlight to better work its magic.
  3. Harnessing the sun’s energy: Place the flowers gently on the water’s surface and let them bask in direct sunlight for several hours.
  4. Straining and preserving: Once the sun infusion is complete, carefully remove the flowers and strain the water. Brandy is then traditionally used as a preservative to create a long-lasting essence.

Please note: There is limited scientific evidence to support the claims that flower essences have a direct impact on health. However, creating your own flower essence can be a meditative and reconnecting experience with nature.

Why Use Flower Essences: 

Flower essences are gentler than teas and tinctures that are often used in medicinal and folk medicine. Flower essences rely more on the energetics of the plant, rather than the compound found within the plant material. Many homeopathic remedies rely on flower essences to derive their benefits. 
Borage essence is a wonderful choice for anyone feeling down or lacking motivation. It’s said to be particularly helpful for:

  • Lifting low moods and chasing away the blues, especially for those with heavy hearts 
  • Rekindling hope and optimism
  • Encouraging courage and perseverance
  • Bringing more joy and playfulness into your life
  • General assistance with overall emotional balance
  • In yoga, borage flower essence can be used to help open the heart chakra and the throat chakra

Flower Essences vs. Essential Oils: Unveiling the Differences

Flower essences and essential oils, both derived from plants, offer unique approaches to well-being. Here’s a breakdown of their key differences:

Extraction Method:

  • Flower Essences: These capture the plant’s subtle energetic imprint. Traditionally, flowers are gently placed in spring water and left to bask in sunlight for several hours, sometimes even days. This slow and gentle process is believed to transfer the flower’s essence into the water.
  • Essential Oils:  They’re concentrated extracts obtained through steam distillation or cold-pressing. A large amount of plant material is used, often under high pressure and heat, to extract the volatile aromatic compounds.

Safety and Use:

  • Flower Essences:  These are generally considered safe for internal consumption, making them suitable for taking by mouth or adding to beverages.
  • Essential Oils: Due to their potency, essential oils are not recommended for internal use. They are typically applied topically diluted with a carrier oil like almond oil or jojoba oil, or diffused in the air using an aromatherapy diffuser.

Focus of Benefits:

  • Flower Essences:  They are believed to work on a subtle energetic level, addressing emotional imbalances and promoting emotional well-being. Flower essences often don’t have a strong aroma associated with them.
  • Essential Oils:  Their primary focus is capturing the aromatic essence of the plant. They offer a range of benefits through inhalation, such as promoting relaxation, improving focus, or even easing respiratory issues.

Integration with Herbalism:

  • Flower Essences: These often find a place within an herbalist’s practice alongside other herbal remedies. Practitioners may use them to address emotional aspects of a client’s condition.
  • Essential Oils: While some herbalists may incorporate essential oils, they’re not traditionally considered part of herbal medicine.

In essence (pun intended!), flower essences and essential oils represent two distinct yet complementary ways to harness the power of plants. Choosing between them depends on your specific needs. If you’re seeking emotional support or a gentle energetic nudge, flower essences might be a good fit. If you’re drawn to the powerful scents of plants and their potential for physical and emotional benefits through aromatherapy, essential oils could be a better choice.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own borage flower essence:

  • Fresh borage flowers in full bloom: Choose fully open blooms, on a sunny morning after the morning dew has evaporated.
  • Spring water: Use filtered or glass-distilled water for the purest essence.
  • Glass or Ceramic Bowl (using a crystal bowl is said to enhance the essence’s energetic properties. Amethyst is a popular choice for flower essences.)
  • Brown dropper bottle or dosage bottle: Glass is ideal, as it won’t react with the essence.

Making Borage Flower Mother Essence:

  1. Harvest flowers after the morning dew has evaporated on a sunny day. 
  2. Wash the borage flowers gently and with intention. You can also hold them briefly in sunlight, visualizing them being infused with light. Wash your bowl l, and rinse the dropper bottle with boiling water.
  3. Fill the bowl with pure spring water.
  4. Carefully place the borage flowers on the surface of the water and let them float freely.
  5. Place the bowl in a sunny location for 4-6 hours. The light of the sun will slowly infused the essence of borage into the water. 
  6. After the sun infusion, carefully remove the flowers and strain the water into your dropper bottle using a coffee filter. The water left in the bowl is now called the “mother essence.” 
  7. While the mother essence captures the flower’s imprint, it needs a preservative to create a long-lasting remedy. Traditionally, brandy is used for this purpose. It acts as a natural preservative, helping to extend the shelf life of the essence.Some believe brandy also acts as an “anchor,” stabilizing the subtle energetic vibrations of the flower within the water base. This allows the essence to be stored and used for extended periods.Fill the bottle so it is half the mother essence and half brandy. Alternative Dilution Options:It’s important to note that brandy isn’t the only option.  For those who prefer an alcohol-free alternative,  you can simply fill the bottle halfway with spring water instead.

Using Your Borage Flower Essence:

Flower essences, especially in their concentrated “mother” form, are not meant to be consumed directly. To create a safe and usable dilution for internal consumption, follow these steps:

  1. Prepare your stock bottle: Choose a one-ounce amber or cobalt glass bottle with a dropper. Add 2-10 drops of the mother essence.
  2. Fill with solvent:  Top up the bottle with a 50/50 mix of spring water and brandy.
  3. Shake and label:  Once filled, give the bottle a good shake to ensure proper mixing. Label the bottle clearly with the flower essence type, dilution ratio, and date of preparation.

Dosing from your stock bottle: Take 2-4 drops of the diluted essence (stock bottle) under your tongue, up to four times a day as needed. Natural remedies such as flower essences can take longer to see shifts. 


Saftety Note Disclaimer: Flower essences are not a replacement for medical treatment. If you are struggling with emotional issues, please consult with a licensed healthcare professional.

Borage flower essence is a simple and beautiful way to harness the power of nature to promote emotional well-being.  Give it a try and see if it brings a little more sunshine into your day!

Other Uses for Borage Flowers

Also known as a cup of courage in your tea when your cup is filled with Borage blossoms. Pluck fresh borage flowers and steep in hot water to create a soothing tea. In herbal folk medicine, borge is used to support the body during a fever or aid in flushing excess fluid into the body. It is a natural diuretic. As part of your herbal studies, print our Borage Flower Monograph to add to your study materials. Purchase the monograph from our Etsy shop.  

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