Celandine Tincture (1:4)

Celandine (Chelidonium majus) tincture made from the leaves

What is Celandine (Chelidonium majus)?

In Europe today, celandine is officially classified as a “toxic plant.” But before dismissing it entirely, remember the words of the famous physician Paracelsus: “All things are poison and nothing is without poison. It is the dose that makes the poison.”

This statement essentially applies to all medicinal plants — but especially to celandine. The toxic parts are the yellow-orange latex in the stems and, later in the year, the roots.

Celandine belongs to the poppy family and is a perennial herbaceous plant. With its bright yellow flowers and growth of up to 70 cm in height, it is an attractive sight, now also common in Central Europe. Originally native to parts of Eurasia and the Mediterranean, celandine thrives at roadsides, rubble heaps, and cracks in walls — wherever nitrogen-rich soils are present.

For our aromatherapy tincture, we use carefully ground celandine leaves from sustainable cultivation.

From healing plant to toxic herb

Records from the 1st century CE show that celandine enjoyed high esteem. The well-known physicians Dioscorides and Pliny valued it for treating “darkness of the eyes” and toothaches, both widespread afflictions at the time. It was also prescribed for jaundice and skin conditions. In the Middle Ages, its use expanded to menstrual complaints and abdominal cramps. However, in the German-speaking world celandine later lost its official status as a medicinal plant.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), however, celandine still plays an important role. It is associated with the gallbladder, liver, stomach, intestines, and lungs. Eastern practitioners prescribe it to strengthen these organs, as well as for digestive discomfort, skin issues, headaches, irritability, chronic cough, and more.

Although not all components of celandine are fully identified, it is known to contain:
– Alkaloids (such as berberine, chelerythrine, chelidonine)
– Flavonoids
– Proteolytic enzymes

Ingredients

This aromatherapy tincture is an alcoholic extract from the leaves of celandine.
Extraction medium: ethanol (65% vol.).

Also contains traces of acetic acid from organic apple cider vinegar (under 1%) and purified water.

Notes

We sell this tincture exclusively as a natural room fragrance for aromatherapy. Store in a cool, dry place, out of the reach of children.

Celandine (Chelidonium majus) is not approved in the European Union as a food supplement (according to the provisions of the EU Novel Food Regulation).

As the manufacturer, we must therefore explicitly advise against internal or external use of this tincture. Any such use would be at your own responsibility and against our recommendation.
Caution: Celandine is mildly toxic!