dit da jow easy applicator or thickening?

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by jroe52, Jan 13, 2011.

  1. jroe52

    jroe52 Valued Member

    i hate using open mouth bottles with dit da jow, half of it goes down the sink. if i use cotton, half of it goes in the cotton.

    i couldnt find any glass jars with rollerballs over 1oz. anyone find any that are sold to non-companies (individuals)?

    any other ideas?

    alternatively any ingredients to thicken it? its so liquid from the alcohol....

    i could make it into balm but id rather not.
     
  2. ROBER-E

    ROBER-E Valued Member

    i keep my jow in a easy bottle to pour.u could put a pan under your hands to catch it if u spill.
     
  3. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

  4. PlumDragon

    PlumDragon "I am your evil stimulus"

    The jow we sell all comes with an eye dropper. I dont know why people use jow without a dropper...

    You can add things to jow to thicken it, but this is primarily in the case of oil-based liniment with the addition of wax. For alcohol based liniments, I suppose you could just use some glycerine but theres really no need when you have a dropper.
     
  5. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    I keep waiting for the day someone bring it out in an aerosol spray bottle. Like most spray deoderant comes in these days. :p
     
  6. jaggernautico

    jaggernautico Valued Member

    Not good to put the jow in plastic bottles. I use cheap glass oil or vinegar dispensers with a pour top. I have about six with different medicines in them. Easy to pour, very little spill and easy access.
     
  7. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Just out of curiosity what is the reasoning behind Jao not in plastic bottles? Does it make a difference the type of plastic? Or is it just plastic bottles full stop.

    The reason I ask is because here in HK there are so many different types of jow that one sees sitting in shops, back up on shelves and sometimes in homes... and I know a sifu or two that make their own. While not my thing... I do find it interesting. I often run across the old ladies who sell used goods and junk early in the morning selling used glass containers like they store jow in. The go for almost nothing. They always look like turn of the century specimen bottles. :D

    Below is an image of the jars you will sometimes find sold by the old ladies. (note that is not Chinese medicine in these... but sharks fin... still held in high esteem by the Chinese)
     

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    Last edited: Jan 19, 2011
  8. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Here is a shot out of Bangkok (not mine) where they have a thriving Chinatown and of course that always means plenty of medicine shops. Similar type jars. The jars will most likely be glass but with plastic screw top lids. Though I'm not entirely sure I think many shops will use plastic jars for dried goods. Though I have noticed that the Chinese shops do seem to like the quality and durability of glass over plastic. You will see shops with rows and rows of glass jars... but not plastic ones.

    On another note... can you imagine walking into a western style pharmacy and seeing shelves or drawers that dirty? :p Just a funny difference in the habits of different cultures. You can almost tell which are the more commonly use herbs just by the amount of wear on the drawer. :p
     

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    Last edited: Jan 19, 2011
  9. ROBER-E

    ROBER-E Valued Member

    I have read the jow absorbs chemicals from the plastic,but if u make your jow from rubbing alcohol sold in a plastic bottle i dont think it matters much because its already in plastic..the seattle kung-fu club sells jow in a plastic bottle and it works good.i make a big batch of jow in a glass bottle then put it in a small plastic bottle to take some with me, i think its ok to put it in plastic just don't age it in plastic.
     
  10. PlumDragon

    PlumDragon "I am your evil stimulus"

    Slip,

    Storing dry herbs in plastic is ok. The primary reason items like dit da jow are not stored in plastic is because of the SOLVENT. Alcohols and vinegars can break plastic down over time and then you have plastic compounds in your liniment. Some non-pourous food grade plastics are ok to store liniments in but there is a stigma of sorts about these sorts of things so most people just dont use plastic at all.

    Additionally, light and reactive metal can both cause adverse chemical reactions with compounds that are dissolved into solution and break them down. He Shou Wu, for example, is particularly sensitive and isnt supposed to be stored against a metallic surface even when its dry and not in solution.
     
  11. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Ok interesting. Much what I thought... they don't want anything to leach from the plastic into the jow. Recently BPA's leaching out of plastic water bottles has become a big concern. So now many plastic or polycarbonate water bottles are being labeled as BPA free.

    Though knowing what I know about quality control in many Chinese factories and how the testing procedures required by western companies for products to pass import laws work in reality... I'd have to wonder just how many bottles are actually now BPA free as opposed to just relabeled.

    I digress...

    I'd wonder also if perhaps the separate ingredients in the jow might not leech something out plastic... but once combined might begin to leech something. Just curious (and my initial guess would be no) if there have ever been any actual tests done to prove or disprove the theory?

    edit: and I just read what I posted earlier and it came off as I put it out there that all Chinese medicine shops were dirty. lol. Not what I meant at all... so here is a shot of again a very traditional type medicine shop (again in Bangkok but much the same as we have all over the Chinese communities in Asia)... and it's like many of them... spotless. :)
     

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    Last edited: Jan 19, 2011
  12. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Yes much as I thought. Much of the information and knowledge as you know is passed by word of mouth and I'm guessing that eventually becomes tradition. I can't but help think of the response of the older Hong Kong people to storing things in plastic and you are correct they aren't big on it.

    ah ok so reactive chemicals and photo-degradation of the plastic. Much the same reason that initially western medicine used glass for storing medicines inn as well.
     
  13. jaggernautico

    jaggernautico Valued Member

    Yes, it absorbs chemicals from the plastic. Its always done in glass and stored in glass. Its part of the process. Its like you said part of the tradition of aging and storing.

    Also i agree often the teachers pour some out and sell them in small plastic bottles for use and usually because a bottle doesnt last that long. some of the more expensive and potent jow is in very small plastic pour bottles.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2011
  14. Dale Dugas

    Dale Dugas My door is always open

    I sell jow with an integral dropper so all you have to do it unscrew the cap and shake the desired amount into the hands and you are all set.

    I have injury formulas as well as iron palm formulas for sale.

    Let me know how I can be of service.
     
  15. jroe52

    jroe52 Valued Member

    I have since bought rollon bottles which work great for application. get them on ebay cheap, plastic rollon bottles with a ball on top.

    I have lost my source for the ingredients, anyone have an affordable place to make 1gal + jow? I may end up making my own with other asian herbs (hmong) which have helped with pain.
     

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