I've had a similar issue with homemade clove oil once—talk about intense! I was trying to make something soothing for a toothache, but ended up with something that felt like it could numb half my face. Grapeseed oil actually saved the day for me too. It's super neutral and didn't leave any weird residue or greasy feeling in my mouth. I just added a little at a time, stirring and testing carefully until the intensity was manageable. Another trick I learned is to dilute small batches first, rather than the whole thing at once, so you don't accidentally overdo it. That way, if you mess up, you're not stuck with a huge batch of unusable stuff.
Haha, reminds me of the time I tried making chamomile tincture for my kiddo's teething pain. Thought I'd nailed it until the whole kitchen smelled like a flower shop exploded. Ended up diluting with coconut oil—worked wonders and smelled way better too.
"Thought I'd nailed it until the whole kitchen smelled like a flower shop exploded."
Haha, been there! Tried making lavender oil once for anxiety, and my apartment smelled like grandma's perfume drawer for days. Diluting with almond oil helped mellow things out...lesson learned about moderation, right?
Haha, totally relate to this. I once tried making a homemade clove tincture for toothache relief—figured it'd be easy since dentists use clove oil all the time. Well, let's just say my kitchen smelled like Christmas baking gone horribly wrong for about a week. Diluting definitely helps, but another trick I found useful was airing out the space with bowls of vinegar overnight. Sounds weird, but vinegar absorbs strong odors surprisingly well. Also, if your tincture or oil ends up way too potent, you can always mix it into something neutral like coconut oil or even beeswax to make a balm—makes it easier to control how much you're using. Trial and error is half the fun though...and hey, at least your kitchen smells floral instead of medicinal!
Interesting tip about the vinegar bowls—I haven't tried that yet. Does it leave your kitchen smelling like vinegar afterward, though? I mean, trading one strong smell for another doesn't sound ideal, especially with kids around who complain about every new scent in the house.
When I had a similar issue with a eucalyptus tincture (way too strong, felt like inhaling vapor rub every time I walked past the pantry), I found activated charcoal bags really helpful. They're pretty cheap online, and you can reuse them by just leaving them out in the sun every few weeks. Worked surprisingly well for absorbing odors without adding another strong smell into the mix.
Also curious about mixing tinctures into beeswax or coconut oil—does that affect how long the mixture stays effective? I'm guessing the shelf life might change depending on what you're blending it with. Have you noticed any difference in potency or effectiveness over time?
Another thing I've wondered about: if you accidentally make a tincture that's too weak instead of too strong, is there a way to salvage it without starting from scratch? Maybe evaporating off some of the alcohol gently or something like that? Haven't tried it myself yet, but seems like it could work in theory.
Anyway, totally agree that trial and error is part of the process. At least homemade herbal remedies usually aren't too costly when they don't work out...just a bit frustrating (and smelly) sometimes.
