If you take supplements, use botanical skincare or keep herbal remedies in your cupboard, you’re already engaging with plant medicine – and probably assuming “herbal” means natural.
In reality, it doesn’t tell you much about what’s inside the product, how it was made or how those plant compounds impact the body. Two capsules can list the same herb and deliver totally different outcomes depending on dosage, extraction methods, formulation and quality control.
Modern herbal products sit at an interesting crossroads. They draw from centuries of traditional use but they’re manufactured using contemporary pharmaceutical processes. These days, herbs appear everywhere: in capsules and tablets for convenience and consistency, liquid extracts that allow for easier absorption and flexible dosing, traditional teas and infusions with variable strength and topical creams designed for skin concerns. Each format delivers plant compounds differently – and none of them are passive additions.
Certain herbs crop up over and over in health-focused blends, for good reason – many have a base of tradition and a growing body of scientific investigation. Turmeric is commonly used for joint support and inflammation, echinacea for immune-related support and ashwagandha for stress, sleep and energy. St John’s wort has a long history in mood support, ginkgo is linked with circulation and cognition and St Mary’s thistle (milk thistle) often appears in liver-support formulas.
From alternative to everyday
Today, more people are thinking in terms of preventative health and want options that feel holistic and supportive. According to the 2024 Industry Snapshot from Complementary Medicines Australia, more than 75 per cent of households turn to complementary medicines, while Australians spend roughly $3.8 billion on natural therapy practitioners. The data shows just how integrated these approaches have become in everyday wellbeing.
Research into herbal ingredients and botanical compounds continues to expand, helping clarify how some herbs interact with human biology and when they might be most useful. Still, not every product on the shelf is backed by strong evidence, or every claim holds up under scrutiny. Knowing when quality matters – and when context matters more – makes all the difference.
What quality control looks like
Understanding how herbal ingredients are sourced, processed and regulated – and how they’re affecting your insides – is what separates informed use from guesswork. In Australia, herbal products must be manufactured under strict standards. Products are made under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and meet the requirement