Traditional healers now also have to contend with rising demand due to a general increase the world over for traditional medicines, as people become more averse to the risk of side effects in pharmaceuticals.

Due to the increased demand, traditional healers are often forced to harvest far more of the materials than they would otherwise have to. This presents the risk of some of these medicinal plants no longer being available at all.

Sustainably Harvested Wellness
The Buchu herb (Agothosma betulina herba) is just one of the many South African medicinal herbs that are threatened by increasing amounts of unsustainable harvesting. As a result, natural wellness brand BuchuLife is heavily invested in ensuring the sustainable harvesting of the Buchu herb.

Just as Buchu was a scarce resource in the past – so much so that one could trade a thimble full of it for a sheep – so it remains a valuable resource today. The small strip of fynbos where Buchu is cultivated for its oil is situated in an ideal climatic position, between Paarl and Clanwilliam in the Western Cape, allowing for constantly ideal conditions for Buchu growth.

The method for extracting the oil (the active ingredient in all BuchuLife products) from the Buchu leaf is a high vacuum, low-steam process which allows for maximum oil extraction, meaning that less actual Buchu plant needs to be harvested.

About BuchuLife
BuchuLife is a South African brand specialising in herbal products made from the potent oil of the Buchu plant. The oil has been scientifically proven to be high in antioxidants and bioflavonoids, helping the body to combat free radicals. Using sustainably harvested Buchu,BuchuLife products come in a range of variants, among them:

• UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) Relief Capsules
• First Aid Gel
• Sparkling Herbal Water
• Joint Health Capsules