What is Red Shiso?
Red Shiso Essences are traditionally made with spring water using brandy as a stabilizer to prevent growth of pathogenic organisms in the product. We considered several other options including glycerin (which is very sweet and sticky because it is made from sugar), and vinegar (which has a strong odor to which animals may object). Ultimately, we decided to go with plain ethanol as our primary preservative. If, as is often the case with animals, the essences will be given by spraying the air or topically applied, we recommend an ethanol-preserved formula because the ethanol will rapidly evaporate without leaving a residue. However, many people prefer not to take or give their animals anything containing alcohol of any kind. After more research on the subject, we discovered a wonderful alternative. Spirit Essences now offers a choice of stabilizers: ethanol (standard) or Red Shiso. Red Shiso is a Japanese mint used by Green Hope Farm of New Hampshire in their extensive collection of flow
