i've made quite a few topical formulations in the last year
i started cause i kept hearing people talking about them out west, and i was pretty skeptical of their value. so i had to try for myself---and HOLY SHIT. they totally are amazing! inflamation, pain, arthritis, eczema, burns, scars, carpal tunnel, etc. etc. all showing incredible results using topical cannabinoid therapy.
it can be as simple as any decarboxylated concentrate dissolved into any appropriate carrier oil. i use different oils for different formulations---they range in weights from light to heavy and that effects their skin feel, absorbency rate, and how much concentrate they can hold.
grapeseed
sweet almond
apricot kernel
jojoba
olive
avocado
coconut
just warm one or any combo of the above in a double boiler over low heat, and stir in your decarboxylated concentrate of choice. under 150* works fine for incorporating concentrates, and avoiding going too hot will preserve some of the more delicate natural healing properties of the oils.
then there's the butters
cocoa
mango
shea
butters are solid at room temperature, which can be useful or an issue depending on the application.
if you add beeswax, you've made a salve or a balm, depending on the ratio of beeswax to oils. salve is greasier, balm is more solid.
as soon as you add water (or any aqueous substance, including aloe gel, witch hazel, or botanical teas) things get a lot more complicated. creating a stable emulsion can be frustrating, and it gets trickier the looser your target consistency. not only that, but including water opens the product to bacterial or fugal blooms, which can cause nasty skin problems if use is not immediately discontinued. use of preservatives is highly recommended.
you can make a stiff cream using an water-in-oil (often written w/o) emulsion ratio, that means max 49% of the ingredients by weight is water. literally you're suspending tiny water particles in a matrix of oil. i've gotten a decent shelf life in products like this without preservatives by using packaging that minimizes contamination. foil tubes are my favorite right now, like a toothpaste tube. anything where the user puts their fingers into the product is to be avoided (no jars).
if you want a nice lotion consistency, you'll probably need an emulsifier and proper preservatives. the looser consistencies are oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions. the matrix is water in this case, with tiny oil particles suspended within. without preservatives any questionable bacteria or fungus can spread through the entire container very quickly.
my friend monsoon has created a nice tutorial for a shelf-stable medicated lotion over at fuck combustion. check it out.
here's a few of my products:
Sorry to double-post but i originally stuck this essay in a discussion on soil-based recipes and it was....so here we go with "Growing On The Fringe," dedicated to those growers who explore the strange new frontiers of cannabis cultivation
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I've been very interested in the experiments involving the field of "biodynamics" which is a general term for a sort of holistic and homeopathic approach to agriculture. Sometimes biodynamics is seen as a pseudo-science invented by quack named Rudolf Steiner, but there are some intriguing results from some experiments and mainstream scientists are finally beginning to accept some biodynamic principles or at least take them more seriously....
Firstly, there are mineral applications that you can add to your soil. One of the best is finely powdered Quartz crystal which must be absolutely pulverized until it reaches 2-5 microns per quartz particle. Quartz has piezo-electrical properties which are said to stimulate root growth and greatly enhances the multiplication of beneficial bacteria in the soil ecosystem. An additional benefit is the Silicon which builds up strong plant cell walls and aids in resistance to disease. Other rock-dust products are commercially available and include crushed granite and crushed volcanic basalt which are said to increase soil health via paramagnetic properties. Crushed rocks may sound like a new-age fantasy, but beneficial bacteria and microbes actually feast on rock dust and some ancient species of bacteria still use it as their sole source of nutrition. Millions of years ago, when there was not even a trace of life on any continent, the glaciers began to slowly recede towards the poles. As they did this, they crushed and pulverized tons and tons of rocks. This rock dust lay completely inert until some lucky bacterium adapted to utilize the dust as its primary food source. As years went by, these bacteria lived and died by the trillions and helped transform lifeless rocks into the fertile soil that we see today.
"theoretically:
a hematite at the bottom of the pot encourages rooting
quartz is always an energizer,
amythest a 'cleanser'
and carnelian encourages growth."
Secondly, there are herbal preparations that you can add to your soil. Some companies refer to these herbal preparations as "phytochemicals" or "botanical extracts" or "fermented plant essences" and such compounds are making their way into the specialty hydroponic stores. One example is the "polyphenolic compounds" that are an ingredient in the new "Sweet" product from Botanicare. "These phytochemicals act as natural antioxidants and assist in slowing down the aging process, providing more vigorous growth and a healthier plant. Polyphenolic compounds work synergistically with plant esters to enhance flavors and aromas (quote from brochure)." Another product in which you might be interested is the extract of the Yucca plant. This comes in a dried powder and is said to greatly enhance a plant's resistance to drought and allows a plant to more efficiently allocate its water resources. Some phytochemicals come in fermented extracts. Advanced Nutrients has a new product called "Emerald Shaman" which contains dozens of these fermented extracts. These fermented plant essences are reminiscent of the original biodynamical experiments done by Rudolph Steiner in which he buried specific herbs stuffed in an animal's horn deep within the soil. As these herbs fermented and slowly leached within the roots various beneficial effects on plant growth were observed.
For more information on botanical extracts and mineral preparations click here:
http://www.biodynamics.net.au/farm_member_products.htm
Thirdly, the field of biodynamics explores energy patterns and the ways in which they affect plant growth. This facet of biodynamics is a little more difficult to explain but basically it all amounts to projecting patterns of energy upon fields of growing plants (or individual plants) using electro-magnetic frequencies of various types. "Field broadcasting is an economical, effective way to continuously apply organizational patterns for robust environmental health to one’s land. This makes low-input, high-yield agriculture of the highest quality do-able for everyone. As a stationary, self-driven instrument, a field broadcaster induces self-reinforcing, resonant fractal patterns as homeopathic potencies directly into the life energy fields of soil and atmosphere day and night, 365 days a year."
For more information on field broadcasting click here:
http://www.unionag.net/field.broadcaster.htm
Of course many people claim that talking to their plants or playing soothing music stimulates growth in plants, and these phenomena might well fall under the category of "energy transmission" or "field broadcasting." Another product to fall into this general discussion is the "Sonic Bloom" product that claims to reproduce a certain frequency of sound that is a distillation of the chirping of morning birds and insects. Supposedly, plants have linked this particular sonic frequency with the dawn and subsequently open their stomata- thereby increasing cellular respiration and overall plant growth. A foliar spray containing vitamins accompanies the CD or cassette and is supposed to be applied at the onset of the frequency. Although this might sound like pure hocus pocus, i have actually seen this product in action and in each case it seemed to work!
More information on energy devices can be found in the following link:
http://www.rexresearch.com/hhusb/hh5elc.htm
So go figure......-kind regards, GP
