Ask a person who works with herbs for healing purposes, whether or not combining herbs is a good idea. You will get everything from "No way!" to "The more, the better." I recently made a salve which included a number of healing herbs, roots, and flowers. The purpose of this salve was to help heal skin irritations ranging from sunburn to itchiness, while moisturizing and relieving pain at the same time. While some herbalists believe that sticking to one treatment that addresses solely one complaint at a time is the best route to take, others say, that combining herbs can alleviate problems more efficiently.
I think that I am stuck in the middle of this somewhere, myself. I can see the benefit on both sides. Especially when you have a client who may have an adverse reaction to the compound salve - how do you know which ingredient in the bunch they are allergic to?
Most people who come seeking herbal alternatives for health, are in a position where they may have tried every medication or treatment in the allopathic arsenal. And, sometimes, I feel they are looking for the miracle cure, the "hidden gem" they have not been able to find all this time. It's almost like they want to try everything, to see if it will help them feel better. What do you do if a client pressures you into the "More is better" method to healing, they want it all - the tinctures, salves, tonics, nourishing treatment formulations, and teas, etc. At this time, do you step back and say "Hold on there!" or do you leave it to their discretion?
Ethics plays a role, I think. What do you think?
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