I tried the tincture, but I brought the water to a boil then added the tincture and let it set until it cooled off. It wasn't so bad. That evaporates most of the alcohol. I didn't see any results UNTIL I saturated a cotton ball with the tincture and stuffed it up my nostrils (alternating) for a while. Today I have one puffy eyelid with a red rash on it - I think I'm making the pesky invaders uncomfortable! I believe I have an invasion of candida in my sinuses. It happened while I was in the midst of a really bad hayfever attack. So the setting was probably perfect. I'm determined to get rid of this problem once and for all.