Yerba santa is an expectorant herb useful for asthma, bronchitis, pleurisy, and moist coughs. It is also used as a bitter tonic to stimulate digestion (chewing on tender young yerba santa leaves is good for digestion). The herb has an agreeable, bitter, and resinous taste.

The tincture is useful to mask the objectionable taste of very bitter herbs, such as cascara sagrada.