How to Make Willow Bark Tincture
“The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them.”
Ecclesiasticus 38:4 from the Apocrypha
How to Make Willow Bark Tincture. March 4, 2026. If you’ve ever made an herbal tincture, there is a good chance you used the folkloric method, which is pretty much eyeballing the ingredients. I’ve used this method plenty of times myself. An example of the folkloric method is here. However, if you want to get more professional with your tinctures, then there is the weight-to-volume method. This method isn’t difficult; it just uses a scale and a little math. The results are more stable and predictable, which is why professional herbalists use this method. Since I needed to make more willow bark tincture, I thought I’d use it as an example of the weight-to-volume method in this post.
An Ancient Medicine
The ancient white willow tree (Salix alba) has a long history in herbalism, with records of its use for pain relief dating back to the Sumerians and Egyptians. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates brewed willow bark tea for women to ease their pain in childbirth. In the 18th century, Reverend Edward Stone began experimenting with willow bark, recognizing its effectiveness as a fever reducer. Eventually, the active ingredient in willow bark was isolated, and from it, aspirin was developed in the 19th century. Both aspirin and willow bark are still used today in many applications, including chronic pain management, which is why I am using willow bark.
A Natural Alternative
Like many other women, joint pain has become a common reality during the menopause season and has had me reaching for the ibuprofen rather often. However, this wasn’t the best choice as ibuprofen can be harsh on the kidneys. Willow bark, however, is gentler on the system and natural, so I decided to give it a try and make a tincture. Since I don’t have the right kind of willow tree (or any willow tree!) I chose to buy dried willow bark from a reputable source to make my tincture.
I was pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of my tincture, so I now keep it stocked in my herbal medicine cabinet. It does not taste good, though, so I hold my nose when taking it! You can also add it to tea or a liquid to take. The tincture is not hard to make, but it will need a few weeks to sit. Please read the notes below on using willow bark first.
Important things to note about willow bark products:
- Do not give willow bark products to children or pregnant/nursing women.
- Do not use willow bark products with blood thinners.
- Consult your doctor or practitioner before taking any willow bark product.
Herbal actions willow bark is used for:
- tonic
- astringent
- antiperiodic
- analgesic
- anti-inflammatory
Willow Bark Tincture
Equipment
- kitchen scale
- glass jar with lid (not plastic)
- cheesecloth
- mesh strainer
- amber bottles with droppers *The number and size of bottles you need depend on how much you make. I will probably need only 1 of the 4 oz size and maybe a 2 oz bottle to catch any remainder.
Ingredients
- 100 proof vodka *50% alcohol
- dried willow bark (not fresh) *I'll put a link below for where I buy mine.
Instructions
- Gather your supplies.
- Set your scale to the ounce unit and weigh your willow bark. Note: the willow bark expands significantly after it absorbs the alcohol, so don't use too much willow bark. I had only 1.4 oz of willow bark left, so there is plenty of space for it to expand.
- Add the willow bark to the jar.
- Take the weight of your willow bark (in ounces) and multiply it by 5. This is how much alcohol you will use. I had 1.4 oz of willow bark, so I multiplied 1.4 x 5, which equals 7. I will add 7 oz of alcohol. We are using 1 part dried herbs to 5 parts alcohol (1:5).
- Now place the jar with willow bark on your scale, reset the scale to "0", and add your 100 proof vodka.
- Put on a lid and shake a few times. Label (see notes for how to label).
- Let the jar sit for 4-6 weeks, shaking daily.
- Now to harvest the tincture! Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a bowl or container.
- Pour the contents of the jar into the lined strainer and allow the tincture to fully drain into the container.
- When the liquid is drained, gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Your tincture will be the color of rust.
- Use a container with a pour spout to pour tincture into an amber bottle. Label your tincture. *Free tincture label template here.
- It is ready for use!
Notes
- Name of plant
- Scientific Name of the plant (some plants have similar or same names; this avoids confusion)
- Date Made
- Parts Used (fresh or dried)
- Menstruum Used (what medium was used- we used 50% alcohol today (100 proof vodka)
- Ratio of ingredients (we used a 1:5 ratio of dried herbs to alcohol)
- Recommended usage (there are no official guidelines for this, but suggested dosage for willow bark tinctures ranges from 20-60 drops per use up to three or four times a day)
Have a beautiful day!
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