Medicinal herbs can be obtained as fresh herbs or more commonly as dried herbs. When carefully dried they retain all the properties of fresh herbs and can be stored for a long time if kept cool, dry and out of the light. Medicinal herbs can be used in a number of ways. Infusions are a simple way of extracting the active principles of herbs through the action of hot water. Herb barks and fruits are less permeable than the aerial parts of medicinal plants and do not liberate their active principles by simple infusion so they are extracted by a process called decoction. Medicinal herbs can also be prepared as tinctures, syrups, infused oils, ointments and creams but these are normally prepared by commercial companies.
