Our Story
Back in 1980 prior to developing the multi-step serialized TincTract® process for making completely alcohol-free liquid herbal products, L. Carl Robinson had determined that liquid delivery of herbs was far more efficient than what dried herbal products were capable of, however, he asked two additional questions – "Why is alcohol still the primary solvent used for liquid herbal tinctures/extracts in the liquid herbal products industry?" And, "Why are the process methodologies used for making liquid herbs so antiquated and not current to known fluid chemistry and science proven concepts?"
Going back to high school and college chemistry, Carl recalled that alcohol (i.e. grain based ethanol) possesses the intrinsic effects of denaturing and rendering inert many biological compounds, many in fact that are present in herbs, and the fact that different compounds, to retain their intrinsic biological nature, require different methodologies to effectively extract them from a raw material. That is, after all, the basics of extractive fluid chemistry as he had learned in his early studies.
Out of these considerations, Carl conceived of and developed a multi-step serialized process that utilizes the non-alcohol solvent glycerin for making liquid herbal concentrates. It's a process that goes way beyond typical tincturing or fluid extraction methodologies. More than a TINCture and more than an exTRACT, Carl named this innovative development the TincTract® process..
Simply put, the proprietary TincTract® process is geared towards removing heat sensitive water soluble compounds intact as well as compounds requiring more dynamic processes, all being done in an all in one proprietary serialized process.
A multi-step serialized totally alcohol-free liquid processing approach had never before been done in the liquid herbal products industry to the degree Carl had developed, and the TincTract® process, through its generational iterations of enhancements and improvements (now in its 12 generation), still holds the distinction of being the most thorough liquid herbal processing technology in the herbal products industry. From this Carl went on to found Cedar Bear Naturales®.
Over the decades since obtaining his Master in Herbology (M.H.) specializing in phyto-pharmacognosy, clinical-based formulation, clinical use of herbs, and liquid herbal processing technologies, and developing the TincTract® process, Carl has acquired additional professional degrees, certifications and registrations. They include member induction into the International Society of Lymphology (ISL) - first non-doctoral person to become a member of a world-wide physicians organization; Therapy Technician (T.T.) multi-state license qualified; Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist & Instructor (C.C.H.) State & National certified; and becoming a Registered Herbalist (R.H.) with the American Herbalists Guild (AHG) in clinical and broader ranges of traditional herbal medicine and practices.
Cedar Bear® is now a majority 'Woman Owned' and day-to-day 'Woman Run' business with his wife and co-founder, Jhoane, President/COO of the company, and herself a traditional herbalist.
Carl is Cedar Bear's herbal alchemist as its head formulary herbalist, oversees its ongoing innovative R&D and generational improvements & enhancements to its processing technologies, is the interface between CB Herb Gardens and Cedar Bear®, and has developed and teaches a series of courses on integrative Herbal Alchemy. He is the Chairman/CEO of the Cedar Bear®.
What are the benefits of a botanical that has been subjected to the TincTract® process?
There Are Many:
• No alcohol is used at any time in the making of a 'Genuine TincTract® Made' product. None! Ever!
This means the components extracted from a botanical are not subjected to alcohol's denaturing and/or inert rendering effects. For instance, aromatic compounds are denatured, and many rendered inert when alcohol is used resulting in diminishing or loosing their efficacy, but such is not the case with glycerin where the compounds remain whole, intact and active.
And, many polysaccharides, especially the linked and cross-linked ones, are denatured (crystalized) and rendered inert by alcohol as seen in the chitin matrix of mushrooms and mycelium when alcohol is used in their attempted extraction for instance, but these same mushrooms and mycelium are able to be TincTract® extracted with glycerin and not crystalized, denatured or rendered inert.
• The glycerin used in a 'Genuine TincTract® Made' product possesses micro-encapsulating properties (alcohol does not!).
This means that actives and constituents are less affected by REDOX (Reducto-Oxidative), i.e., oxidation, than products made with water, alcohol, or water and alcohol. This also contributes to the long shelf life and stability a 'Genuine TincTract® Made' product is known for. For instance, due to the micro-encapsulating properties of a 'Genuine TincTract® Made' product, there is little to no unwanted complexifying of actives or constituents during the shelf life of our products, and once opened for use, do not require refrigeration. Cedar Bear® 'Genuine TincTract® Made' products are so stable that they list an independent 3rd party lab verified 6 year expiration date on their labels, the longest listed expiration date for any liquid herbal products in the industry and in the marketplace.
The longer product expiration date of our products is further verification of the quality, stability, and safety of Cedar Bear® 'Genuine TincTract® Made' products.
• 'Genuine TincTract® Made' liquid herbal products are gluten-free!
There has been some controversy in the liquid herbal products industry concerning the fact that single pass distilled alcohol (the most inexpensive to acquire) being made from grains also contains pass-through gluten particulates that can set off gluten sensitivity issues. What is known is that only grain alcohol that has been double, and even better, triple distilled, can be deemed to be completely free of pass through gluten factors.
Some companies using grain alcohol may utilize the cheaper single distilled variety as the double/triple distilled variety is much more expensive. To be sure, many reputable alcohol-based liquid herbal product manufacturers do use the double/triple distilled variety of alcohol, but it is those that don't that one has to be careful of regarding this gluten issue. Because no alcohol is ever used in the TincTract® process, all the resulting products are 'absolutely' gluten-free!.
• 'Genuine TincTract® Made' liquid herbal products retain the intrinsic taste quality of an herb, in many instances, even that of the raw fresh harvested herb.
This is indicative that the intrinsic biological viability remains intact, so much so that a finished 'Genuine TincTract® Made' liquid herb often possesses a taste quality remarkably similar to the fresh harvested botanical itself. No other liquid herbal processing technology in the industry possesses this quality, and it has become a hallmark of our 'Genuine TincTract® Made' products.
• 'Genuine TincTract® Made' liquid herbal products are the most 'concentrated' and particulate-free 'clean' glycerin-based herbal extracts of a 'whole' herb based nature available in the marketplace.
The generational improvements and enhancements (now in its 12th generation) to the proprietary TincTract® process have resulted in the recommended per dose amount going from generation one's 1 teaspoonful down to the current 12th generation's ¼ teaspoonful. This means that on a per dose basis 'Genuine TincTract® Made' herbal concentrate products are one of the most economical liquid herbal products for day-to-day use in the market today.
And, 'Genuine TincTract® Made' products are 'clean,' meaning they are particulate-free of any rough or coarse herbal marc, the extracted raw herb material that is filtered and separated from the finished liquid herbal menstrum (i.e., the 'finished' liquid product). This higher QC standard assures a cleaner and safer product that will not be subjected to diminishing product stability and long-term safety to a consumer.
• All 'Genuine TincTract® Made' products are FDA cGMP inspected, made in a NSF certified facility & operations, Kosher certified by an OU recognized Kashrus certifying organization, Vegan certified, and are Halal compliant (Cedar Bear® is currently in the process of becoming fully Halal certified by an international Halal recognized agency).
Not only are our own Cedar Bear® retail brand product lines subjected to multi-layers of QA/QC standards, but our white/private labeled and contract manufactured products are subjected to the exact same multi-layered QA/QC standards.
Are the Founders Still Involved Today?
Absolutely!
Carl, the 'Herbal Alchemist,' as Cedar Bear Naturales® originating Founder and our in-house Clinical & Formulary Herbalist, holds the position of Chairman/CEO, while his wife and business partner, Jhoane, is majority owner and President/COO of the company,
Jhoane, a literary & traditional herbalist, and co-founder of Cedar Bear®, is the majority owner of the company, making Cedar Bear® a woman owned endeavor, and as the President/COO, also making our company a woman run business.
In all of this, what makes Cedar Bear® especially outstanding is that it is an herbal products manufacturing endeavor founded by real herbalists and continuing to be administered and run by real herbalists.
Cedar Bear® – a company founded by herbalists,
owned by herbalists, run by herbalists, and carrying
on the tradition of real herbalism.
Cedar Bear Naturales® is one of very few companies in the
greater herbal products industry to hold that distinction.