Haarlemensis is a traditional South African remedy — a strong-smelling oily liquid, sold in small bottles, taken in drops and used for a wide range of complaints. It is a long-established household product, and it is not a registered medicine. It should not be given to babies.
What is Haarlemensis?
Haarlemensis has been sold in South Africa for generations and is one of the country’s best-known traditional remedies. It descends from Haarlem oil, a Dutch preparation dating to the seventeenth century, brought here through the Cape.
It does not appear in the South African Medicine Price Registry, and that is expected: complementary and traditional medicines follow a different regulatory route from registered scheduled medicines. Its absence there says nothing about whether it is legally sold.
What it does mean is that this page cannot verify what is in your bottle, and will not guess. Traditional preparations of this kind are typically oil- and sulphur-based, and formulations differ between manufacturers and have changed over time.
Read the label on your own bottle. Legitimate complementary medicines must declare their ingredients. Look for the ingredient panel, the manufacturer and distributor with a South African contact address, and any statement about regulatory status. Then, if you intend to take it — particularly alongside other medicines — show the bottle to a pharmacist. They can read the ingredient panel and tell you whether anything in it interacts with what you already take.
If a bottle has no ingredient information at all, that is a reason not to take it, and a reason a doctor treating you could not account for it.
What is Haarlemensis commonly used for?
Traditionally it is taken for a very wide range of complaints, including:
- Coughs, colds and chest congestion.
- Kidney and bladder complaints, and as a “cleansing” remedy.
- Digestive discomfort and constipation.
- Aches, pains and rheumatic complaints.
- Skin problems, applied externally.
- General wellbeing, taken as a periodic tonic.
That breadth is characteristic of traditional remedies and is worth reading carefully. A remedy said to help almost everything has usually not been tested against anything specific. There is no reliable clinical evidence that it treats any of these conditions, and that is a straightforward statement of the evidence rather than a judgement on the tradition.
The most searched question about it concerns babies, and it deserves a direct answer.
Do not give Haarlemensis, or any similar traditional oily remedy, to a baby or young child. Several reasons, all serious:
- Infants absorb far more than adults relative to their size, and their livers and kidneys handle substances less efficiently.
- Oily liquids given to an infant can be inhaled into the lungs, causing a chemical pneumonia that is severe and sometimes fatal. This is a well-documented cause of infant admissions, and it can happen with a single dose.
- The contents cannot be verified, so no safe infant dose can exist.
- Traditional remedies given to infants are a recognised cause of poisoning and liver injury in South African paediatric practice.
If a baby is unwell — coughing, constipated, colicky, feverish, not feeding — that needs a clinic nurse or doctor, not a remedy. Clinics see this constantly and will not judge you for asking.
Who commonly looks for Haarlemensis and why
- Parents and grandparents, often because it was used in their own families. It carries genuine cultural weight and long familiarity.
- People with a persistent cough or cold, wanting a traditional remedy.
- People with urinary or kidney complaints, following long-standing traditional use.
- People seeking a periodic “cleanse” or tonic.
- People wondering whether it is safe for a child — which is the most common search, and the most important to answer honestly.
- People using it alongside prescribed medicine, often without telling their doctor.
That last group matters most practically. Tell your doctor or clinic what you are taking. Clinicians in South Africa deal with traditional medicine every day, and knowing about it helps them — it explains symptoms, avoids interactions, and prevents a treatable problem being misread.
What to check on the label before taking Haarlemensis
- The ingredient panel. If there is none, do not take it.
- The manufacturer and distributor, with a contactable South African address.
- Any regulatory statement, such as a complementary medicine declaration.
- The stated dose and the age it is intended for. Do not extrapolate a child’s dose from an adult’s.
- Whether it is for internal or external use — some traditional oils are for application only.
- The expiry date, and whether the seal is intact.
- Anything you already take that might overlap, especially prescription medicines.
Safety, interactions and when to seek professional advice
Because the contents cannot be verified, the honest position is that the safety profile cannot be stated. What can be stated is who should not take it without professional advice:
- Babies, infants and young children — see above. Do not.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
- Anyone with liver disease or kidney disease. Traditional remedies are a recognised cause of liver and kidney injury when contents are unknown.
- Anyone taking prescription medicine, particularly blood thinners, blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy, heart or HIV medicines.
- Anyone with a chronic condition, or who is elderly.
Get emergency help immediately if:
- A child has swallowed it — take the bottle with you, and do not try to make them vomit. Oily liquids are especially dangerous to inhale.
- Anyone develops coughing, choking or difficulty breathing after taking it.
- There is swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or a widespread rash.
- Someone becomes drowsy, confused or unresponsive.
Stop and seek advice for persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, reduced urine output, or any new symptom after starting it.
And see a doctor rather than self-treating for a cough lasting more than three weeks, blood in the sputum, weight loss or night sweats — which in South Africa should always prompt a TB check — urinary symptoms with fever or back pain, or any illness in a baby.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Haarlemensis used for? Traditionally for coughs and colds, kidney and bladder complaints, digestive discomfort, aches and pains, and as a general tonic. There is no reliable clinical evidence that it treats any of these.
What is Haarlemensis used for in babies? It should not be used in babies. Infants absorb more relative to their size, oily liquids can be inhaled into the lungs and cause severe chemical pneumonia, and the contents cannot be verified. Take an unwell baby to a clinic.
Is it a medicine? It is a traditional or complementary product, not a registered scheduled medicine, so it does not appear in the medicine price register.
Is it safe? Its safety cannot be assessed without knowing what is in your bottle. Read the label and ask a pharmacist.
Can I take it with my prescription medicine? Ask a pharmacist first, and tell your doctor you use it. Interactions cannot be ruled out for a product whose contents are not verified.
Can I use it while pregnant? Not without professional advice.
Should I tell my doctor? Yes. Traditional medicine use is common, and knowing about it helps your doctor rather than counting against you.
What if my bottle has no ingredient list? Do not take it. A product nobody can identify cannot be assessed for safety or accounted for if you become unwell.