A Celebration of Fathers and the Children Who Make them Crazy!

This month, we celebrate Father’s Day and the first days of summer. We also honor the important role fathers play in their children’s lives—not just in the traditional role of providers or as fun-loving grown-up kids themselves, but as nurturers and caretakers as well. We also honor and appreciate the role of fathers as stewards of plant medicine have had throughout history, herbalists who have passed down essential knowledge of herbal traditions to the next generation. 

At Cedar Bear, a woman-owned company built on holistic values, the spirit of family is at the heart of everything we do. Our founder and master formulator, L. Carl Robinson—a father of six and stepfather to five—crafted the very first TincTract® formulas in 1982 with the health of children and expectant mothers in mind. His dedication to creating safe, effective, alcohol-free herbal remedies began at home and continues to inspire our mission today. 

The Birth of TincTract®: A New Era in Herbal Extraction

In 1982, Carl created a revolutionary approach to herbal supplements. Drawing from food chemistry, traditional alchemical wisdom, and deep observations of then existing herbal extraction practices, he developed a new process right from his home kitchen. He had long questioned why alcohol was the go-to solvent in tinctures, especially when it inactivates many important plant compounds.

Determined to create something better, Carl conceived and developed a completely alcohol-free method that preserved herbal potency, tasted great, and stayed shelf-stable. He named it the TincTract®, combining the words tincture and extraction to reflect its unique and improved nature.

Carl began by crafting simple formulas to keep his children healthy. His success soon caught the attention of midwives, leading to his first commercial product: Herbal Minerals for pregnant mothers. That small kitchen project quickly grew into something much bigger.

Kids’ Formulas: Honest Results, Straight from the Source

“Kids can’t be placeboed,” Carl says. “The herbal products either work, or they don’t. It’s that simple.” With that in mind, he developed his first child-specific formulas using the early TincTract® method—minimal ingredients, maximum effectiveness, and zero alcohol. Young children can’t swallow pills and won’t willingly take ‘yucky’ tasting ‘medicines.’ Tinctures taste yucky, and most glycerites were too weak.

By 1989, Carl had formulated a full line of children’s herbal remedies, many of which remain trusted staples today. One standout was Respir-Moisten (for Dry Coughs), the very first herbal formula designed specifically for dry coughs. While other formulas focused on wet coughs with wild cherry bark, Carl’s herbal formula for dry coughs was the first of its kind.

CEDAR BEAR HERBAL SUPPORT

These children’s formulas have gone through several name changes over the years, but they are still available and as efficacious as ever, based on the original recipes. They are listed here with their current names.

• Respir-Dry (for Wet Coughs) - a great-tasting liquid herbal formula that can help take care of your kids’ wet, gunky coughs and help dry up their runny noses.

• Respir-Moisten (for Dry Coughs) - The first natural herbal formula made to soothe dry throats and calm occasional dry coughs in children. It hydrates respiratory tissues, supports the immune system, and gently soothes sensitive tummies.

• Seasonal Support - a liquid herbal formula that does wonders for a kid’s sniffle and sneeze needs, no matter what season they’re in.

• Tummy Ease - helps soothe sensitive, upset tummies and helps them feel better fast. It even helps calm motion-related queasy tummies!

• Immune Booster - an immune system activator made especially for kids to support a strong immune response throughout the body. 

• Intestinal Cleanse - gently helps neutralize negative influences and wiggly ‘hitchhickers’ and clear the digestive system’s intestinal tract. It positively shifts the environment of the digestive system in such a way that allows beneficial flora to flourish. 

• Gut Flora Builder - a great-tasting formula that helps the ‘good guys’ in the gut microbiome flourish—supporting digestion, immunity, and overall health.

From cottage kitchen beginnings to lasting herbal innovations, Carl’s TincTract® process continues to set a higher standard for safe, effective, alcohol-free herbal formulas—especially for the ones we care about most: our kids.

Herbal Care and Community for the Male Practitioner

Most of us are familiar with the phrase “You can’t pour from an empty vessel,” and for good reason. It’s an important reminder that even the most resilient among us must still set aside time to rest and recharge. 

This phrase becomes paramount when applied to the role of a male practitioner, healer, or caretaker. The healer himself must be nurtured and cared for in order to provide healing to others. This can come in the form of intentional self-care, the support of family, or connection with the greater community.

This Father’s Day—and every day—consider ways to support yourself or the men in your life who give so much to others. Here are a few herbal and holistic care tips to help refill their cups and renew their well-being:

Foundational Health 

Building strong, lasting health starts with the basics. Here’s how to lay a solid foundation for feeling your best:

• Eat a whole foods-based diet
  Focus on real, nutrient-dense foods. Fill at least half your plate with fresh vegetables at every meal.

• Add color with fruits
  Include a variety of fruits for antioxidants and natural sweetness that support overall vitality.

• Prioritize clean protein
  Choose organic, high-quality protein sources to support muscle strength, bone health, and energy levels.

• Reduce sugar and caffeine
  Limit sweets and stimulants that can stress your adrenal system and drain your long-term energy.

• Breathe clean air
  Spend time outdoors when air quality is good. Indoors, use air-purifying plants and high-quality filters to keep your space fresh.

• Move your body regularly
  Whether it’s walking, biking, swimming, or dancing, get your heart rate up several times a week to support cardiovascular health and emotional clarity. Physical activity isn’t just for your body—it also helps reduce stress, lift your mood, and sharpen your focus.

• Engage with your Community
  Get out and enjoy some local music, a qi gong or tai chi class, a visit to the farmer’s market, or invite your community in for a dinner party. Find a group of friends to play basketball or pickleball with. 

Start small, stay consistent, and let these simple habits become the building blocks of vibrant, lasting health.

Deep Nourishment

True healing takes time, intention, and a commitment to deeply nourish the body, mind, and spirit. Here are ways to support lasting wellness:

• Tune in to what your body really needs
  Focus on rest, recovery, and practices that support long-term healing, not just short-term relief.

• Exchange healing with other practitioners
  Trade massage, bodywork, or energy healing with fellow healers. It builds community and ensures you receive the care you give to others.

• Take time in nature
  Plan a long weekend outdoors. Unplug from screens, slow down, and let the natural world reset your nervous system.

• Consider a retreat
  Whether solo or in a group, retreats offer space to step away, reflect, and renew deeply.

• Nourish with herbal support
  Supplement with deeply restorative herbs and Cedar Bear® TincTracts®, which work at the cellular level to restore energy and vitality.

• Tend to emotional healing
  If you're carrying emotional weight, consider counseling, sound healing, or joining a supportive community to help process and release.

Give yourself permission to receive as much as you give—deep nourishment is the foundation of sustainable healing.

CEDAR BEAR HERBAL SUPPORT

Here are some Cedar Bear formulas to consider for deep nourishment and overall health. 

• Adrenal Balance - a powerful blend of adaptogenic, nervine, and brain-supporting herbal formula that helps the body manage stress, calms the nervous system, and supports energy, memory, and mental focus.

• Ginseng Vitality - benefits your overall health and longevity, builds energy, slows the aging process, and helps maintain your physical, mental, and emotional vitality. 

• Prostate Support helps with fluid dynamics in the urinary tract and reduces irritation in the prostate and other tissues.

• Revive His Drive - strengthens the male reproductive/hormonal system and helps maintain circulation to the lower extremities. Yep, it helps give you that ‘lift’ you’re looking for!

• Tongkat Ali - a general health tonic herb that helps improve physical and mental energy levels and overall quality of life. It also helps improve testosterone levels, male fertility, athletic performance, and muscle mass. 

• Uri Lixer - powerful and focused support for your body’s fluid dynamics, urinary system and overall health. 

Though not all 11 of our blended family chose to follow in their father and stepfather’s herbalist footsteps, each one has been supported and nurtured through the years by his care and plant wisdom. A few have even been part of the Cedar Bear team, learning the art of herbalism firsthand and how to steward the land for future generations on our family farm. 

WHY CEDAR BEAR?

At Cedar Bear we firmly believe in constant evolution as we formulate, and reformulate, our proprietary TincTract® singles and blends. Throughout the years we have brought numerous enhancements to the process itself in an effort to continue to bring the most cutting edge, efficacious remedies to the market.  

Building and supporting overall health, wellness, and vitality is a hallmark of Cedar Bear herbs. You will find that the support on a micro-nutritional level from Cedar Bear herbs brings astounding results for your mind, body, and soul.

It’s not just the herbs that make Cedar Bear herbal products so effective at supporting your overall health. When they are made with Cedar Bear’s special proprietary process called the TincTract®, (more than a tincture, and more than an extract, and works better than either!), Cedar Bear’s TincTract® process makes the herbs both bio-available and bio-utilizable, so every drop goes right to work supporting your health and well-being.

Best of all, the TincTract® process not only makes herbs work better, but they taste better, too! And, as always, all Cedar Bear® herbs are totally alcohol-free. They have only three things in them, herbs, glycerin, and water. Nothing else!

Boost your overall health today with herbal products by Cedar Bear®!

By Jhoane Robinson, Co-Founder, Herbalist & Writer
Contributing Author: Aubrey Loretta Connelly, MH, NC

(These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.)