Homemade Mullein Tincture
- Nicole Walker
- Oct 10
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 14
Mullein is a plant you’ve probably driven past a hundred times while out on a highway or maybe have even seen while walking on a nature trail.
I urge you the next time you spot this plant to stop and grab a few leaves!
After cleaning, give them a soak in alcohol for 2 months and then strain. You now have nature’s medicine in a bottle ready when illness strikes.
(Find the full recipe at the end of this post)
Commonly asked questions about Mullein
What are the benefits of mullein?
Mullein offers so much more than respiratory support. It is nourishing and nutritious.
It boosts your immune system, helps your nervous system adapt, and is like liquid yoga for our bodies, lengthening and strengthening our musculoskeletal system. Truly a superplant.
Mullein is loaded with:
Flavonoids—anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Saponins—pain-relieving, anti-tumor, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Phenylethanoids—antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Iridoids—anti-inflammatory properties.
Mullein also contains around 3% mucilage, which is believed to be the reason for its use to soothe the body’s mucous membranes.
What is a tincture?
Herbal tinctures are concentrated extracts made by soaking either fresh or dried bark, leaves, flowers, or roots from plants in alcohol. The alcohol extracts the active and therapeutic properties from the plants. After the extraction process, the concentrated liquid is separated from the herbs and is filtered out. The used plant parts are composted. And the concentrated liquid that remains is now called a tincture and is shelf stable for many years.
What are the advantages of taking tinctures?
Tinctures allow you to bypass the need to digest whole herbs in the gut and are easily absorbed, giving them an advantage over taking pills or capsules.
What if I don’t want to consume alcohol?
Even though it contains vodka, a dose of mullein leaf extract has the same alcohol content as simply eating a very ripe banana.
Can the alcohol be removed?
If you absolutely don’t wish to consume the alcohol, removing it from a tincture is possible, and easy.
All you have to do is get a cup of boiling water or tea and drop the appropriate dosage on the surface of the hot water. Leave it uncovered so the heat can evaporate the alcohol from the water. If you cover the tea, the alcohol will not evaporate out. Wait for at least 5 minutes for the alcohol to dissipate.
Where can I purchase mullein tincture?
Mullein tincture can be purchased from a variety of brands online or even at your local health food store in the supplement area.
How do I make my own tincture?
Follow this easy Mullein Tincture recipe:
Ingredients:
A jar
Vodka or Gin
Mullein leaves
Instructions:
Thoroughly wash and pat dry your mullein leaves.
Tear or crush the leaves as you work to place them in a clean glass jar pressing them down well.
Fill the remainder of the jar with vodka or Everclear, making sure the leaves are fully submerged.
Put a lid on the jar and place it in a cool dark place for about two months, giving the jar a shake once or twice a week.
At the end of two months, when the tincture is ready, strain the plant matter from the vodka using a fine sieve or strainer.
Put the strained tincture into a clean dark glass jar, label it, and store it in a cool dark place. Tincture will last several years.
Tincture Dosing:
Just one dropper's worth 2-3 times a day will help with cough, chest congestion, sore throat, fever, and aches/pains associated with illness including the common cold, pneumonia and Covid, asthma and bronchitis. For children, limit dose to 1-2 times per day.
This can be used once daily to boost the immune system as well.
I hope you have found this post helpful!
Be Well,
Nicole
(Follow Nicole Walker, holistic health practitioner, on social media @NaturallyNicoleWalker)
[ For more information on Mullein, see these cited sources: ]
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