tincture

thumb|right|upright|A tincture prepared from Salix alba|white willow bark and [[ethanol, containing salicin (from which salicylic acid-based products like aspirin are derived)]]

A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%. In chemistry, a tincture is a solution that has ethanol as the sole solvent. In herbal medicine, alcoholic tinctures are made with various ethanol concentrations, which should be at least 20% alcohol for preservation purposes.