What Are Flower Essences? (A No-Nonsense Guide for the Curious)
You've probably seen flower essences show up in wellness spaces lately — tucked between the adaptogens and the herbal tinctures, promising things like "emotional balance" and "inner calm." And if your first reaction was okay but what does that actually mean — you're in the right place.
Here's a straightforward breakdown of what flower essences are, where they came from, and how to actually use them.
First, What They're Not
Flower essences are not essential oils. They have no scent. They're not herbal extracts, and they don't work on the body the way a supplement or herb does. There are no active plant compounds being absorbed into your system.
That's usually where people get confused — so let's start there.
So What Are They?
Flower essences are water-based preparations that contain the energetic imprint of a flower. The idea is that each flower, when prepared in a specific way, captures something about the emotional or psychological quality of that plant — and that taking it can help shift a corresponding pattern in you.
Think of it less like taking a vitamin and more like a very subtle recalibration. The physical ingredients (water, a small amount of preservative) aren't doing the work. The preparation itself is.
Yes, this sounds a little out there if you're new to it. We get that. But the practice has a 90-year history, a devoted following among therapists and practitioners, and a significant amount of anecdotal evidence from people who found them quietly, surprisingly effective.
Who Discovered Them?
Flower essences were developed in the 1930s by Dr. Edward Bach — a British physician and bacteriologist who had already built a respected medical career before he started going in a very different direction.
Bach had been working in conventional medicine for years, but became increasingly convinced that emotional and psychological states played a huge role in physical illness. He started looking for gentler tools that could address what he saw as the root cause — not the symptom.
He spent years experimenting with wildflowers in the English countryside, eventually developing 38 remedies (now called Bach Flower Remedies) each corresponding to a different emotional state. Fear. Uncertainty. Loneliness. Oversensitivity. Despair. He mapped the full range of human emotional experience and matched a flower to each one.
His most famous remedy — Rescue Remedy, a combination of five essences — is still sold in pharmacies around the world today.
Bach died in 1936, but his work became the foundation for the entire field. Practitioners and researchers have since expanded far beyond his original 38, developing essences from flowers around the world. Today there are hundreds of flower essences in use, each with its own documented emotional application.
What Do They Actually Do?
The short answer: they work on emotional and psychological patterns — the ones that feel stuck, repetitive, or hard to shift on your own.
Not moods. Patterns.
There's a difference. A mood passes. A pattern is the thing you keep running into — the way you always shrink before speaking up, the scarcity thinking that follows you no matter how much you earn, the guilt that shows up whenever you rest. Flower essences are most useful for those deeper grooves.
They don't sedate, stimulate, or alter brain chemistry. People who use them consistently describe the effect as subtle but cumulative — like one day you notice you're responding to something differently than you used to, and you can't quite pinpoint when that changed.
They're also commonly used alongside therapy, coaching, or other inner work — not as a replacement for any of it, but as a support.
How Do You Take Them?
The standard method is drops under the tongue or in a drink — typically 4 drops, 4 times a day. When I am first starting out with a remedy I will often take it hourly to kickstart the effects!
You can also apply them directly to the skin (wrists, temples, behind the ears) if you prefer not to ingest them. The skin application works the same way — flower essences have no scent and leave no residue.
A few things worth knowing:
- They're safe to take alongside medications, supplements, and other remedies
- They're safe for children and during pregnancy (always check with your doctor)
- Most preparations use a small amount of brandy or glycerin as a preservative — alcohol-free versions are available if needed
How Many Can You Take at Once?
This is one of the most common questions — and the good news is that flower essences don't interact with each other the way medications can.
There are some flower essence practitioners that will tell you to NEVER take more than one formula at a time. They are working on the classic rules from 100 years ago. One of my favorite flower teachers says that you can't take too many flowers, they are all healing us and we can take all the healing we can get right now. This world has evolved into a very different place in the last century. Our brains are taking in multitudes of bits of information by the minute thanks to the internet, perhaps we can take more flowers to try and keep up?
I'm going to let you decide how many you'd like to take at once.
If you take one formula at a time you will have an easier time seeing the progress and not getting overwhelmed with tiny bottles all over your house.
My PERSONAL recommendation if you are new to flower essences is to take one Flower Elixir formula at a time, and up to 2 Tonic formulas at a time.
S.O.S. can be used alongside anything!
How Long Should You Take Them?
One month is the standard starting point.
Flower essences work gradually, and a month gives enough time to notice real shifts rather than just a day or two of placebo effect. Most people take a single bottle (which typically contains about a month's supply at the recommended dosage) and then check in with themselves before deciding whether to continue.
For patterns that have been with you for a long time — childhood conditioning, deep-seated beliefs, things you've been working on for years — two to three bottles back to back is common and encouraged. The longer something has been embedded, the more time it may need.
There's no harm in continuing beyond that. Many people find a remedy they return to seasonally, or during specific life transitions.
A Practical Starting Point
If you're curious but not sure where to begin, the best approach is to start with what's most present for you right now. Not what you think you should work on — what's actually coming up. The thing you keep thinking about, the feeling that keeps showing up, the pattern you're most tired of.
That's your starting point.
And you can always contact us at hello@shopolivine.com and we would be happy to point you in the right direction!
Flowerspell Apothecary remedies are not a substitute for medical or psychological care and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Please consult your doctor or mental health provider for guidance on your individual health needs.