herbales

Herbales is a term used in some contexts to denote products or preparations derived from herbs, used for culinary, medicinal, or aromatic purposes. In English, the term is uncommon; in several Romance-language traditions, herbales or herbales products refer to herbal preparations or botanical products.

They include dried herbs, infusions, decoctions, tinctures, essential oils, and blends. Common categories include culinary herb blends, herbal teas, medicinal tinctures, essential-oil preparations, and sachets for aroma.

Production involves sourcing plant material, harvesting, drying, or extraction processes. Quality control ensures correct species identification, absence of contaminants and pesticides, and proper labeling; adulteration and mislabeling are concerns.

Historically, herbales appeared in traditional medical systems (Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Unani) and in European herbalism; today they are regulated variably: as foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, or medicines, depending on jurisdiction and claims. Safety considerations include potential interactions, allergies, and potency variability.

See also: herbalism, phytotherapy, essential oil, herbal tea, dietary supplement regulation.