In short:
- Four brands, from Biofloral to Distillerie Saint-Hilaire by way of Deva and Elixirs & Co, sell a Bach flower blend designed for emotional cravings; all were scored on 25 October 2026 against eight criteria.
- Biofloral meets all eight criteria, Deva seven, Elixirs & Co six and Distillerie Saint-Hilaire five.
- Cost per millilitre ranges from €0.75 (Saint-Hilaire) to €1.35 (Elixirs & Co); Biofloral sits at around €1.
- In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, 52% of women and 20% of men showed emotional eating.
A craving for chocolate at 5 pm, a packet of biscuits opened after a tense meeting: snacking often answers something other than hunger. That is where Bach flowers for weight loss come in, blends of several flowers that brands associate with the emotions that drive us to eat. This comparison reads their formulas and scores them on what each maker publishes.
Four blends under the microscope
Prices and sizes are those shown by the brands on 25 October 2026; cost per millilitre is calculated by the editorial team.
| Rank | Brand | Flowers in the bottle | Base | Size and price | Cost per ml | Points | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biofloral | 6 Bach flowers | organic Demeter cognac | spray, 20 ml, €19.90 | €1.00 | 8 / 8 | a biodynamic preparation to keep on you |
| 2 | Deva | 3 Bach flowers and 4 in-house essences | cognac, or alcohol-free maple syrup | spray, 15 ml, €12.70 | €0.85 | 7 / 8 | a household that prefers an alcohol-free version |
| 3 | Elixirs & Co | 7 Bach flowers | organic brandy | mouth spray, 10 ml, €13.50 | €1.35 | 6 / 8 | a very small, easy-to-carry size |
| 4 | Distillerie Saint-Hilaire | 7 Bach flowers | organic brandy | dropper, 20 ml, €14.90 | €0.75 | 5 / 8 | diluting in the day’s drinking water |
Eating without hunger: what research measures
Emotional eating is far from marginal. The large French NutriNet-Santé cohort measured it in tens of thousands of adults:
Among 35,641 adults followed, 52% of women and 20% of men showed emotional eating, meaning a tendency to eat in response to an emotion rather than to hunger. NutriNet-Santé cohort, Sandrine Péneau’s team (Inserm, Inra, Cnam, Paris 13 University), American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2013
Bach flowers change nothing in what a meal contains or in how much energy we burn. They have no demonstrated effect on weight, and the makers themselves do not present them as slimming aids: Deva writes that flower essences bring no weight loss, while Distillerie Saint-Hilaire speaks of emotional support. Their traditional use targets the moment before the gesture, when irritation, boredom or tiredness look for a way out in the kitchen cupboard.
For anyone who also wants to work on digestive comfort, the ways to reduce bloating naturally follow a different logic, that of plants and eating habits.
Biofloral, biodynamics in a pocket bottle
Based in Auvergne since 1999, Biofloral prepares its essences in its own laboratory, from flowers picked at sunrise and sun-infused where they were gathered. Among the four, Biofloral alone displays Demeter certification, awarded to biodynamic farming, on top of the organic label; even the cognac that preserves the flower infusion carries it.
Its blend for impulsive cravings comes as a 20 ml spray and gathers six flowers, each followed by its number in the system devised by Dr Bach:
- Agrimony (1), chosen when worries are kept to oneself behind a calm face;
- Cherry Plum (6), which tradition links to the fear of losing control;
- Chestnut Bud (7), linked to patterns that keep repeating;
- Walnut (33), for times of transition;
- Crab Apple (10), for the way we see our own image;
- Elm (11), for the feeling of being overwhelmed by responsibilities.
This selection covers both the impulse of the moment and what surrounds it: the fatigue of a busy day, the wish to change one’s habits, the relationship with the mirror. The brand’s page specifies the recommended course length, a benchmark that only two of the four makers publish. Biofloral also sells the 38 flowers separately, for anyone who wants to fine-tune their mix.
Deva, the alcohol-free option
Founded in 1986, Laboratoire Deva prepares its essences in Autrans, in the heart of the Vercors mountains. The brand’s blend combines three Bach flowers (Chicory, White Chestnut and Cherry Plum) with four essences from its own range, Apricot, Cayenne, Hyssop and Dandelion. The whole blend is certified organic by Ecocert.
Its strength lies in the choice of base: alongside the cognac spray in 15 or 30 ml, Deva sells a 30 ml maple syrup bottle, alcohol-free, at €18.70. Its page states how long a bottle lasts, which helps plan a course. The laboratory also publishes a long guide on the role of flower essences in rebalancing one’s eating, which gives a voice to a doctor of pharmacy.
Elixirs & Co and Distillerie Saint-Hilaire, one family of flowers
The two brands chose exactly the same seven flowers, which can be grouped by situation. For impulse and difficulty saying no: Cherry Plum (6) and Centaury (4). For the need for attention: Chicory (8) and Heather (14). For high standards towards oneself and self-doubt: Vervain (31), Rock Water (27) and Cerato (5). Both dilute their essences at 1/250 and keep them in organic brandy.
Elixirs & Co, founded in 1993, packages this mix as a 10 ml mouth spray, the smallest size in this comparison. The brand belongs to the European Bach Flower Guild, has three shops in Paris where advisers help with choosing flowers, and its page explains the role of each one in the formula.
Established in Auvergne for more than 30 years, Distillerie Saint-Hilaire sells the same combination in a 20 ml dropper bottle, the lowest cost per millilitre of the four. Its glass pipette bottle lends itself to diluting in a water bottle sipped through the day.
Reading a formula: which situation each flower answers
Rather than choosing a brand first, you can start from the situation you are living and look at which formulas contain the matching flower.
| Situation when the craving strikes | Associated Bach flower | Found in |
|---|---|---|
| The urge comes suddenly and is hard to hold back | Cherry Plum (6) | all four brands |
| Eating to fill a lack of attention | Chicory (8) | Deva, Elixirs & Co, Saint-Hilaire |
| Always falling back into the same habits | Chestnut Bud (7) | Biofloral |
| Feeling swamped by the day | Elm (11) | Biofloral |
| Accepting a dessert so as not to offend | Centaury (4) | Elixirs & Co, Saint-Hilaire |
| Judging oneself harshly in the mirror | Crab Apple (10) | Biofloral |
| Setting oneself very strict rules | Rock Water (27) | Elixirs & Co, Saint-Hilaire |
An emotion missing from these formulas may call for a single flower: jealousy, for example, traditionally points to Holly, covered in the guide to the Bach flower for jealousy.
Ranking methodology
Each brand was assessed on 25 October 2026 from the public pages of its website: the page of the blend linked to eating, the catalogue of single essences, and information on the workshop and labels. Assessed at brand level, the first three criteria are shared by every Carnet Végétal ranking featuring Biofloral, while criteria 4 to 8 look at the blend itself.
Scoring grid. Every fulfilled criterion brings 1 point and shows as Yes. When a criterion is unfulfilled, or its information could not be located, it shows as N.A, for lack of data found by the editorial team, and brings 0 points. The eight criteria carry the same weight, 12.5% each, and rank follows the total. Should two brands share a total, the brand with a sponsored feature (flagged at the top of its section) alone takes the higher place, never tied; among the other brands, the advantage goes to the most points on criteria 4 to 8, then to alphabetical order, and a perfect tie gives equal rank.
| Criterion | What earns the point |
|---|---|
| 1. Demeter certification | the brand’s flower elixirs are Demeter certified (biodynamic) in addition to the organic label |
| 2. Made in France | place of manufacture in France published by the brand |
| 3. Full range of 38 Bach flowers | the 38 single elixirs of Dr Bach sold individually by the brand |
| 4. Formula linked to eating | the brand sells a Bach flower blend associated with cravings or emotions around eating |
| 5. Spray available | the blend exists as a spray |
| 6. Flowers listed on the page | each flower in the blend is named on its page |
| 7. Organic label on the blend | the blend’s page mentions an organic certification |
| 8. Published duration | the blend’s page states a course length or how long a bottle lasts |
Results.
| Criterion | Biofloral | Deva | Elixirs & Co | Distillerie Saint-Hilaire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Demeter certification | Yes | N.A | N.A | N.A |
| 2. Made in France | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3. Full range of 38 Bach flowers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4. Formula linked to eating | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 5. Spray available | Yes | Yes | Yes | N.A |
| 6. Flowers listed on the page | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 7. Organic label on the blend | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 8. Published duration | Yes | Yes | N.A | N.A |
| Overall score | 8 / 8 | 7 / 8 | 6 / 8 | 5 / 8 |
N.A: not applicable, as the data was not found by the editorial team.
Three questions to ask before choosing
Do you need to avoid alcohol?
Three blends out of four rest on an alcoholic base, cognac or brandy. For a household that avoids it, Deva’s maple syrup version is the only alternative in this comparison. Questions specific to breastfeeding are covered in the guide to Bach flowers and breastfeeding.
Where do the cravings happen?
At the office or on the move, a spray needs no glass or pipette: that is the case at Biofloral, Deva and Elixirs & Co. At home, the Saint-Hilaire dropper can be diluted in a bottle of water.
Ready-made blend or personal mix?
A blend brings together a selection designed by the maker. A personal mix starts from your own emotions: all four brands sell the 38 flowers one by one for that purpose. A moment of intense stress, rather than an urge to snack, is better served by the Rescue Bach flower blend, designed for emergencies.
When to talk to a professional
Rapid, unexplained weight change, eating that takes up all your thoughts, or episodes of eating a lot without being able to stop deserve the advice of a doctor, a dietitian or a psychologist. Flower essences can stay alongside that support, they do not replace it. Often the last word goes to a simple habit: for one week, note the time and the emotion of each craving, before even choosing a bottle.