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What is a “1X” extract?
I am trying to make an herbal extract for replicating a customer’s formula. Usually I just order “1X extract” or what have you, but this time around I was only able to get the raw plant leaves, so I have to make it myself.
From what I read it looks like I make a mother tincture of 10% plant to 90% solvent; is that “1X?” How do I do that reliably to match a supplier’s?
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12 Replies
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Normally a 1X refers to a homoeopathic extract - 1 part herb to 90 parts water and succussed 200 times (a sort of mix of shaking and banging the extraction vessel onto a hard surface.
However, you could have a 1:10 extract - which is little more than a weak plant extract, usually reserved for toxic plants used in herbal medicine. That said, it could also be used to produce plant extracts for cosmetic purposes for the purposes of a claim. Herbal extracts are never stated as 1X but 1:10. This means 1 part herb to 9 parts solvent
Most herbal extracts are concentrated powdered extracts as 5:1 - one part extract is equivalent to 5 parts dry herb.
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This seems like it is a reference to food extracts. See this description of vanilla extract.
http://www.amadeusvanillabeans.com/extracts/single-fold-vanilla.phpFor vanilla extract
1X = 3.45% vanilla beans, 96.55% alcohol
2X = 6.9% vanilla bans, 93.1% alcoholI don’t know what it would be for your unnamed extracted. But look at the specification sheet and see what the % solids or % active is. That will give you an idea of the amount of solvent used.
If it’s homeopathy you are talking about, just take a gallon of distilled water, dip one leaf in and out, and you’ve got your extract. Homeopathy is a fairy tale so the leaf is optional.
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The extract in question is lobelia inflata, for what it matters. I agree homeopathy is nonsense, but this particular extract is contributing a lot to the color/scent of their product, which is of more interest to me than its function. Reading more on it, I guess there’s very little chemistry to homeopathy as the definition of “1X” changes from source to source.
The product I’m replicating is actually an OTC drug and under actives it says “Lobelia Inflata 1X………………………….Pain, Inflammation.” How is that allowed?
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If it’s an OTC drug the FDA allows specific claims as long as the proper level of active ingredient is used.
Seems like it is probably an illegal drug if they are claiming Lobelia Inflata is an active ingredient. Are you sure it’s an OTC?
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Perry said:This seems like it is a reference to food extracts. See this description of vanilla extract.
http://www.amadeusvanillabeans.com/extracts/single-fold-vanilla.phpFor vanilla extract
1X = 3.45% vanilla beans, 96.55% alcohol
2X = 6.9% vanilla bans, 93.1% alcoholTrue - but vanilla is the only herb I have come across listed in this manner. Also, vanilla can be listed as 1-fold, 3 fold extract too.
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Lobelia inflata because of its toxicity (lobeline and isolobeline content) is used at very low doses and it is more than likely that this is a homoeopathic tincture.
As for definitions of 1X (also referred to as a 1D in some countries) best to refer to a homoeopathic materia medica - the X (or D) refers to a 1:10 dilution. That is 1 part herb to 9 parts solvent (ethanol, water etc)
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alchemist01 said:The extract in question is lobelia inflata, for what it matters. I agree homeopathy is nonsense, but this particular extract is contributing a lot to the color/scent of their product, which is of more interest to me than its function. Reading more on it, I guess there’s very little chemistry to homeopathy as the definition of “1X” changes from source to source.
The product I’m replicating is actually an OTC drug and under actives it says “Lobelia Inflata 1X………………………….Pain, Inflammation.” How is that allowed?
Homeopathy is the treatment of a disease using a minute dose of natural substances that will cause symptoms of the disease in a healthy person. It is an alternative pharmacological practice that uses nano-doses of an active ingredient to help treat a disease, even though the active ingredient may have contributed to the disease in the first place. It works on the concept of “like treatment”.Does it make you wonder why using a component to treat diseases or health problems works when the same component causes the same problem? The philosophy behind this method of treatment is that it helps stimulate the body’s immune system, thus encouraging it to heal itself. The body has its innate ability to heal itself, and the practice of homeopathy triggers this reaction with its contents.One of the main guiding principles of homeopathy is that treatment should be highly personalized. It depends on the individual’s specific symptoms, medical and lifestyle history and, ultimately, body parameters. For example, if two people are undergoing treatment for the same disease, they may receive completely different treatments due to their homeopathic doctors assessing their unique needs and how their body is expected to respond.Source: Femina
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@Pritishah - With all do respect, Homeopathy is a fairy tale and not a real scientifically based concept.
Here is a good place to get started on learning the truth about homeopathy.
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/reference/homeopathy/ -
Perry said:…Homeopathy is a fairy tale…Not even that. Fairy tales aren’t built on lacking knowledge and misconceptions. Homoeopathy is a philosophy, either you believe it (or live it) or you don’t. It’s not all bad and useless, though. Placebo is a scientifically proven effect which makes up about 40% of the effect of common pain killers. Arnica (homoeopathic one) does help against pain (I guess with about 40% compared to common pain killers). That’s nearly half the effect for zero chemistry/toxicity
. Sure, it’s not going to hold up to a placebo controlled trial given that the placebo will show the exact same 40% effect. If you can’t take drugs (for example pregnant/breastfeeding women), take homoeopathy (which sounds better than placebo and is, due to psychological reasons, better and taken with more compliance).It’s like cosmetics: They don’t make you younger but make you feel younger and hence happier. I call that a win for the seller and the buyer (and confusion and desperate head shaking for the scientist). It’s not all science out there, it’s people. We’re not test tubes but human beings with all their flaws and faults and an erratic, poorly understood subconsciousness influencing even the brightest and most rational minds on a constant and daily basis. -
@Pharma - Here is a running list of people who took the advice to use homeopathy and died. http://whatstheharm.net/homeopathy.html
There is real harm in following nonsense and pseudoscience when you don’t know that’s what it is.For cosmetics, sure homeopathy may not cause any problems like death but let’s not pretend it’s actually doing anything beyond placebo. Homeopathy is really no different than a belief in Santa Claus
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Everything is 1x of it self.
An example
1x aloe vera means actual aloe vera.
2x aloe vera concentrate means they have removed the solvent until it becomes half the weight. If you add that mach solvent again it becomes like actual aloe vera.100x aloe vera concentrate means they have removed the solvent until it becomes 1/100 the weight. if you mix %1 of this with %99 solvent it becomes like actual aloe vera.
X200 aloe vera concentrate means they have removed the solvent until it becomes 1/200 the weight. if you mix %0.5 of this with with solvent it becomes like actual aloe vera.If you want to make a lotion with %10 aloe vera you can use
%10 1x aloe vera or%5 2x aloe vera or%0.1 100x aloe vera or%0.05 200x aloe vera
They will all be the same. -
Perry said:@Pharma - Here is a running list of people who took the advice to use homeopathy and died. http://whatstheharm.net/homeopathy.html
There is real harm in following nonsense and pseudoscience when you don’t know that’s what it is.For cosmetics, sure homeopathy may not cause any problems like death but let’s not pretend it’s actually doing anything beyond placebo. Homeopathy is really no different than a belief in Santa Claus
I know (rather knew) someone dying from cancer that way. Honestly, they kinda deserve their fate (see darwinawards.com)… it would be better, though, were they still able to learn from their mistake. The spouse of aforementioned person did try amending her decision for supporting his ‘treatment’ by caring for my dying father which was a big relieve and support for my mom though she hated her for it. In hindsight, their ‘stupid’ decision to use homoeopathy instead of chemotherapy turned out as a little miracle for our family and did help a lot (though not the original patient). Ironic, sad, wonderful… life can be a bitch
.Homoeopathy has its place and its benefits within its margins like any other treatment (you wouldn’t undergo surgery for having mild hey fever, would you?). So, in my opinion, homoeopathy much like most other alternative medicines such as Bach flowers or spagyric are philosophies and have nothing at all to do with science i.e. can’t be pseudoscience unless someone who hasn’t understood the philosophy tries to prove/legitimate it by using scientific explanations from a scientific field he/she understands as little as the philosophy. Don’t disgrace homoeopathy and the like, rant about the people trying to ‘scientify’ something with doesn’t fall into the realm of science (yes, by scientific definition, there are two realms, the one we know = science and the whole rest we don’t know which is there to yet be discovered).I like your comparison with Santa Claus. He, like alternative medicine, does more than placebo but ‘resonates’ with our hopes, dreams and the subconscious mind. He can even bring joy and happiness to someone who does no longer believe in him like a dad who organised his uncle to play Santa for his kids. Homoeopathy is not a treatment of a disease, it’s a tool to help the patient to a better quality of life much like palliative care.I know, I know, completely OT. But I like trying to persuade you that there are truly hidden psychological powers in non-science which can work ‘wonders’ way beyond placebo if you let them. Sure, always use reason, too. And that’s meant as a scientific perception from the PhD scientist in me. Someone who makes cosmetics for a living should understand what I mean.
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