Natural Alternatives To Toxic, Oral Medication
MEET LINDA HAMMER - OUR FORMULATOR
Dr. Janell Cole was an early pioneer in the use of transdermal herbal treatments. Through her efforts to heal her patients safely and effectively, she embraced the use of through-the-skin treatments to, among other benefits, avoid upsetting delicate digestive tracts.
Today, we want to introduce you to Linda Hammer, whose degrees in chemistry, counseling, and psychology, as well as her background as a health administrator for many years, helped prepare her to carry on in Dr. Cole’s mighty footsteps.
Linda has been working with herbs medicinally for more than 50 years. After moving to her current home in northern Arizona in the 1990s, Linda met Janell. They became fast friends, as both were into medicinal tinctures and herbal remedies. Together, they attended herb conferences and brainstormed new ideas.
During this time, Linda grew even more serious about herbal treatments. She knew where to gather herbs in the wild, and also began growing her own. Feverfew, valerian, lavender, calendula, chamomile, St. John’s wort, comfrey, lemon verbena, echinacea, catnip, various mints, Joe Pye weed, oregano, mullein, and yarrow became prominent in her garden. Since then, using her own formulations, Linda has overcome serious, even life-threatening diseases, confounding her doctors each time.
Clearly, Linda has done her 10,000 hours to become an expert herbologist.
After Janell passed in 2019, Linda came out of retirement to become our Chief Formulator, in charge of all product development and fulfillment. She knew Janell’s formulas for creating some of her original balms and creams, and reformulated others to enhance their effectiveness. She also has created all-new products, such as our anti-nausea and digestive support lines, by expanding on a pattern Janell used for her original formulas.
A peek behind the curtain
So, what’s involved in making an herbal balm? From start to finish, it’s a four-day process.
First, Linda chooses the herbs she’ll need for the balm.
Next, she soaks the roots, barks and seeds in large kettles for two days. The kettles keep the oil and herbs warm, but it’s never boiled. The mixture is stirred almost hourly.
At the end of the fourth day, Linda strains the infused olive oil. It rests overnight. The next morning, the strained infused oil goes back into the kettle. Beeswax and vitamin E are added. When the balm is applied, the beeswax stays on top of the skin to act as a barrier.
Just before she’s ready to pour, Linda adds any essential oils. Once the balm is in the tins, the lids are applied. Next, the tins are safety-sealed and labeled. Then, they're stored in a temperature-controlled area until they're shipped.
Linda keeps the batches relatively small to ensure any product our customers receive is as fresh as possible. The same holds true for our creams, which are made with similar care and attention.
Linda keeps the batches relatively small to ensure any product our customers receive is as fresh as possible. The same holds true for our creams, which are made with similar care and attention.
Remember, every Dr. Cole’s product comes with a full money-back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied.
P.S. Want to suggest a new herbal product? Linda would love to hear your ideas!
