Why 86% of you come back (and the 2000-year-old secret)

Posted by Bree Keogh on May 15, 2026

A Note From Paul - medical herbalist, naturopath and founder of Core Botanicals®

I was recently looking at some data from our online store, and one number stopped me in my tracks: 86%.

That is our returning customer rate. In a world of "quick fixes" and endless supplement options, seeing that almost 9 out of 10 people come back to Core Botanicals  is the ultimate feedback. It tells me that what I set out to do - create potent, result-driven therapeutics - is actually working for you.

So, let me pull back the curtain on why Core Botanicals  formulas are different.

In the traditional world of herbal medicine (especially Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM), getting a therapeutic dose often meant boiling a large quantity of herbs on the kitchen stove.

This process is called decocting which in the end produces about 750 mL of dark, bitter, "smelly"liquid that you must choke down throughout the day. This system does work, but let’s be honest, it’s a lot of effort, and it doesn't exactly make your kitchen smell like a day spa.

At Core Botanicals, we’ve modernized this 2000 to 3000-year-old process.

For example, take our ALLERDEFEN medicine which was first formulated more than 1800 years ago. The basic seven herb formula has been used for generations to defend the spaces between the interior and the exterior of the body. In modern terms this function relates to the immune system defences and to “spaces” the likes of the eyes, nose and throat which can manifest
symptoms identified in Western medicine as allergic rhinitis or hayfever.

Core Botanicals takes the very same traditional herbal ingredients and extracts them using both the modern hydroethanolic system and the ancient aqueous decoction process to produce a high-potency medicine equivalent to at least 1.5g of dry herb per millilitre of extract.

Not only do we save people the inconvenience and trouble of preparing Chinese medicine the traditional way themselves, but we concentrate the daily dose of 750 mL of decoction into a convenient, reasonably palatable, high-potency daily dose of approximately 40 mL or a little over 5% of the decoction volume. No "smelly vapours" in the kitchen - just clinical-strength medicine in a highly absorbable liquid form that’s eliminated the hard work and inconvenience from taking Chinese herbal medicines.

When you see the statement "concentrate liquid herbal extracts" on our labels or “potency before profit” in our marketing, these are not buzz-phrases. They represent our unequivocal commitment to provide medicines that are consistent with traditional indications and dosages so you can experience the power of ancient Chinese medicine in a modern, convenient, liquid form.

Paul’s Clinical Tip: If you’ve tried dry herb preparations in decoction, capsule or tablet forms for the relief of the symptoms of hayfever (allergic rhinitis) including watery eyes, dripping nose, sneezing and itchy throat without satisfaction, maybe you’d like to try our high potency liquid ALLERDEFEN medicine. Many of my patients and customers not only report significant relief of symptom but also reduction of recurrence, which exemplifies an important TCM principle of
treating both the branch (symptoms) and the root (predisposition).

To your health,
Paul Keogh
Founder, Core Botanicals

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Why you’re exhausted but can’t sleep

The "Tired but Wired" Trap

A Note From Paul - medical herbalist, naturopath and founder of Core Botanicals®

In my clinical experience, one of the most common complaints I’ve heard over the last three decades is some variation of: "Paul, I’m exhausted all day, but as soon as my head hits the pillow, my mind starts racing."

I call this the "Tired but Wired" trap. It’s a hallmark of our modern, fast-paced, goal-oriented world. Consequently, we’re living in a state of "sympathetic dominance" where our nervous system is stuck in "fight or flight" mode, even when we’re just sitting at our desks or trying to sleep. The thing that’s not well known about the "fight-or-flight" or sympathetic nervous system (SNS) mode is that it’s only half of the autonomic nervous system (ANS); the other half is called the “rest-and-repair” or parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which balances the sympathetic nervous system and together optimise the automatic functions of the ANS.

A great way to appreciate the differences is to imagine you’re picnicking under the iconic African “tree of life” (Baobab Tree) after a tiring safari on the savanna. You relax as you take in the scenery and recover as you enjoy some nourishing provisions. In this context, your parasympathetic mode is dominant. There you are feeling high on life when suddenly your sympathetic mode kicks in as a pride of lions approach. As they do, your appetite is replaced by fear and anxiety, and your bliss is banished by stress hormones surging through your body to raise your blood pressure and heart rate in readiness to fight for your survival or run for your life. All this happen below conscious control as part of our evolutionary responses governed by the ANS. So, although we’re no longer on the savanna, our modern cities can still feel like the jungle.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, the ANS is primarily understood through the lens of Yin-Yang balance, where the SNS is associated with Yang (activity, growth, defence, exertion) and the parasympathetic system with Yin (passivity, digestion, rest, repair). Chinese herbs and acupuncture act as dynamic regulators that harmonize these systems and correct imbalances associated with sympathetic dominance such as mild anxiety, irritability, restlessness, excess nervous energy and poor sleep.

In contract to the use of sedative drugs that "knock you out" to reduce anxiety, Western Herbal Medicine seeks to correct sympathetic dominance with Adaptogens.

Adaptogens are a unique class of herbs that help your body adapt to stress. They don't just control symptoms; they work on the primary mechanisms that govern your body’s response to stress including the ANS and the command and control, hormonal system called the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA). The HPA and ANS act as complementary, highly coordinated, and physically interconnected systems that calibrate your body’s response to stress.

In summary, the ANS provides a rapid, immediate response (within seconds) through sympathetic ("fight-or-flight") activation and parasympathetic (“rest-and-repair”) withdrawal, while the HPA axis provides a slower, sustained, hormonal response (over minutes and beyond) via cortisol release from the adrenal glands. However, prolonged activation of the “stress response” can lead to a "disconnection" or "disequilibrium" between these two dynamic, interrelated systems leading to many conditions modern humans experience in today’s version of “life in the jungle”.

For this very common "Tired but Wired" state, I rely heavily on two of my favourite Adaptogens: Ashwagandha (Withania) and Sacred Basil (Holy Basil). In our STRESDEFEN formula, we use these highly respected Ayurvedic Rejuvenating tonics herbs which help the body “adapt to stress” through more efficient and effective responses, together with two powerful Chinese herbs China Root and Chinese Senega that "soothe the spirit" (Shen) to calm the mind, aid mental relaxation, ease restlessness and reduce excess nervous energy.

In a nutshell, the goal of this dynamic approach is to calm the "wired" nervous energy while simultaneously rejuvenate the "tired" energy reserves.

What sets our formulas apart is the potency. Most liquid medicines you find on the shelf are tinctures (1:2 or 1:5) not extracts (1:1 or 1.5:1) with their strengths varying widely. Core Botanicals has developed a special dual-phase extraction system to produce a 1.5:1 extract strength that’s three times the potency of a 1:2 tincture. This means you’re getting three times the dry herb equivalence per mL, compared to many leading brands of 1:2 strength liquid medicines.

So, when you’re stuck in a stress cycle, it’s important to take the right herbs at a dose that can actually “move the needle”. I've also found that fresh air, moderate exercise and meditation support herbal medicines that regulate and rejuvenate your nervous system. A simple approach is to get outside and breath in a dose Nature’s most effective tonic combination: fresh air and sunshine. Research demonstrates this can have positive effects on moods and wellbeing by boosting blood oxygen and Vitamin D levels.

Paul’s Clinical Tip: If you find yourself "spiralling" in the mid-afternoon, that’s usually when your cortisol is fluctuating. Try a dose of STRESDEFEN around 3 PM instead of drinking coffee or coke (both caffeine hits) to help reduce that afternoon brain fog and energy slump. Also, try another dose around 9 PM to get you ready for sleep and prevent the "second wind" that keeps you awake.

To your health,
Paul Keogh
Founder, Core Botanicals

The Core Botanicals® Difference: Quality You Can Trust

At Core Botanicals®, we believe that the quality of herbal medicine begins with the herbs we choose. It’s not just about meeting regulatory standards—it’s about going beyond them to ensure that every single product you take is safe, potent, and effective.

Setting the Standard for Herbal Medicine

In Australia, herbal medicine ingredients are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which requires that all ingredients be accurately identified. While this is an essential first step, it’s only part of the picture when it comes to delivering truly high-quality herbal products.

What many consumers don’t know is that there’s no regulatory requirement to test traditional herbal ingredients for potency against globally recognised standards. This means that while products might be accurately labeled, especially for standardized ingredients, there’s no obligation to prove their strength.

At Core Botanicals®, we don’t believe that’s good enough and we’ve made it our mission to raise the bar.

Investing in Purity and Potency Testing

We invest heavily in our testing process because we believe that our customers deserve the best. Every herb that goes into our medicines is subjected to rigorous testing to ensure it meets the highest global standards for purity and potency. Each test costs $500 and as a small business, this is a big investment for us but one that we know is worth it for the effects that our customers get from our ingredients. In scientific terms, these standards are measured by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) versus the pharmacopeia standard.

Our testing includes:

Contaminant testing: We ensure our products are free from harmful substances like heavy metals, pesticides, and residual solvents.
Microbial testing: We make sure there’s no bacterial or fungal contamination in any of our ingredients.
HPLC and GC testing: These sophisticated techniques allow us to check the botanical fingerprint of our herbs and detect even the smallest traces of impurities such as pesticides and aflatoxins, ensuring the strongest, safest and purest herbal products.

While testing is crucial, it’s not just about checking boxes. For example, in one case, we tested over eleven different samples of a single herb before we found one that passed our strict potency and purity standards. This is the level of care and attention we bring to every batch of medicine we produce.

We put this work into practice, so that we can be confident that our community is receiving the best standard of herbal ingredients in our medicine.

A Commitment That Goes Beyond Requirements

What sets us apart is that we voluntarily choose to test our herbal ingredients using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), a gold-standard method for verifying each herb’s identity and qualifying its potency . At significant cost, we’ve established a rigorous testing regimen to maintain herbal potency comparable to world-leading standards, and yet it’s not a requirement by the TGA. But at Core Botanicals®, we believe that the extra investment is worth it—because it ensures that what we deliver is truly the best herbal medicine available.

We do this because we know that when it comes to your health, you need a product you can trust. With Core Botanicals®, you’re not just getting herbal medicine—you’re getting medicine that’s been tested, verified, and crafted with care to deliver the highest quality possible.