general healing balm

7/29/2019 General Healing Balm

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General Healing Balm

1 part lavender flowers

1 part peppermint leaves

Steep in 3 ounces of sunflower oil for 45 minutes.Strain.

Melt 2 ounces cocoa butter or coconut oil in microwave or double boiler.Add 2 ounces of beeswax and melt together. Add strained sunflower oil and

mix thoroughly. When mixture cools, add 2 tsp. essential oil of your

choice. (I use peppermint and lavender) Pour into small soap molds or small plastic container. Peppermint is cooling while the lavender istopically healing.

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Crack Salve

1 oz Beeswax

1 oz Calendula infused olive oil

1 oz Plaintain infused olive oil

1 oz St. Johnswort infused olive oil

Melt all together until beeswax is melted then add:

6 drops Vitamine E

5 drops Pine needle e.o.

5 drops Chamomile (German) e.o.5 drops Lavendar e.o.

5 drops Tea tree e.o.

Cool a bit , then pour into clean jars.

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Foot Salve

10 oz. coconut oil (solid, not fractionated)

2 oz. jojoba

3 oz. olive oil3 Tbs. candelilla wax

1/2 oz. beeswax ( you can replace this with all candelilla wax if you'd

like, I was not happy with the consistency so I added some beeswax)1 oz. cocoa butter

.5 oz. menthol crystals

10 drops peppermint10 drops eucalyptus

10 drops narouli

Melt all ingredients together except for the menthol and essential oils.

Remove from heat, stir in menthol crystals, re-heat until crystals aremelted if needed. Remove from heat and let cool before stirring in the

essential oils or they will evaporate, pour into containers.

If you don't have experience in using menthol crystals, they are quite

powerful, so do wear a mask when using them and caution, you don't wantto have your head right over the bowl when mixing this item.



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Itchy Salve:

If using fresh herbs, gently spray clean and let wilt overnight in a dry place.

1 handful of chickweed

1/2 handful of chamomile heads

1/2 handful of calendula heads2 Tbs. of thyme

2 Tbs. comfrey root

2 Tbs. marshmallow root

Cover with olive oil, infuse over low heat (never get above 200) for 3

hours.

Strain and add 1-2 oz.cocoa butter and 1-2 oz.beeswax, heat untilmelted and pour into containers. Just drop a little on a plate and see

if it hardens enough, if not add more beeswax only a little bit at atime and re-test.

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Chest Rub/Soreness

Olive oil 1 cup or enough to cover the herbs (olive oil lasts a long time)grated ginger root fresh 2 Tbs. dried about 4Tbs.

dried or wilted peppermint leaves 1/4-1/2 cup

Put in crock pot or double boiler and simmer over low heat for 3

hours. Strain out herbs, put back in pan over low heat and melt 1-2

Tbs. of beeswax in the oil, depending on how hard you want to make it.When beeswax melts, remove from heat stir and pour into container, let

sit until cool.

*I add poplar buds to the herbs for pain and inflammation, simmer asinstructed.

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Easy Salve

Here is an easy salve recipe.

Lemon Balm contains Eugenol which eases pain and calendula is great for all types of

skin conditions,



very soothing.

Ingredients are approximate

2 cups olive oil or sunflower oil (olive lasts longer)

3/4 cup lemon balm and calendula. Just throw handfuls in the measuringcontainer until you get 3/4.

Try to use equal amounts of each.

Mix together and place in top of double boiler. Simmer over low heat for

2 hours. Remember to replace the water in bottom pot if it gets low.

Strain out herbs. In separate pan or bowl if using microwave, melt 2

tsp. beeswax and 1 tsp. cocoa butter or lanolin. Add to the infused oiland stir until cool. If you wanted to make this antibacterial, you would

add a few drops of tea tree or thyme when it cools. Put into jars and

label!!!!! Add the date.....

You might think you'll remember what you made, but you won't....lol

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Herbal Infusion Directions

Place your dried plant material in the top of a double boiler and cover with

just enough olive oil (or oil of your choice) to cover. Bring the temperature

up to 120-150 deg. F. and keep it there for 4 hours. Strain throughcheesecloth, squeezing all the oil out of the plant material. Pour this

infused oil over another batch of dried material and repeat the process. Store

in the refrigerator.

Tips:

1. Use only dried plant material. Fresh contains water which will breed

bacteria in your salves.2. Use latex or other type of rubber glove when you squeeze the plant material

to keep from contaminating the oil with bacteria from your hands.

3. Make only what you can use in a week.



4. Don't make the fire too hot, as it will cause the temp to rise too

drastically. Remove from heat when the infused material reaches 120 deg. F.

The temp will continue to rise. When it starts dropping close to the 120 mark again, zap it for a minute with the heat.

5. Keep in mind that once oil starts to heat, the temp goes up drastically.

You don't want to burn the plant material.6. Do not cover the pot. You don't want condensation to build up and drop

back into the oils.

I've had better luck with this method than with the cold infusion on a

windowsill, which always seemed to develop condensation inside the jar which in

turn resulted in bacteria and mold growing in the final oil.

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Making Herb Infused Oil

I am a clinical herbalist (as well as soap and toiletry maker).

I wanted to share a recipe for making superior, therapeutic quality herb infused oil.You can use this oil as is or in what ever recipe. This method works especially well

with resiny herbs such as calendula or St. johnwort. Some active constituents in

herbs are not very easily extracted in oil but come out just fine in alcohol.

This way you get both!I was taught this recipe by the first herbalist I apprenticed with years ago

and have also seen basically the same in James Green's Herbal Medicine Maker's

Handbook.Here goes:

1 part herb by weight (for example 1 0z)1 part grain alcohol (everclear) by volume( 1 fl oz in this case)

Mix the two together in a glass jar and let sit covered for 24 hour,shaking every once in a while

The next day mix the wet herbs with 5-6 parts of oil, about 5-6 fl oz in this case

(for medicinal salves we usually use extra virgin olive, but what ever you want to use isfine)

Pour this into a blender and blend the whole thing on high speed until the sides of

the blender feel warm.Strain the oil through cheesecloth, pressing to get most of the oil out.

Pour the oil in a pot and over very low heat, warm it until all the alcohol is evaporated.

( you can check by holding a match close to the surface of the oil.If it catches fire there is still alcohol there...careful!)

Now you can bottle the oil or used it right away.

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CALENDULA HEALING SALVE

A Stove top Preparation

Uses: Regenerates tissue! Apply to chapped hands all winter. Use for burns, scrapes, or on

diaper area. A

wonderful salve for garden-worked hands.

2-3 cups Calendula Petals (harvest blossoms after dew dries and before noon)

1 cup Olive Oil (is antibacterial and goes rancid more slowly than other oils)

1/4 cup or 2 oz. Beeswax (chips melt more readily)

Optional:

several drops Rose or Lavender Oil (adds nice scent, calming)1 oz. Lanolin (makes salve creamier, but some children react to this)

1/2 oz. Glycerin (makes salve creamier, compare to above recipe to see which you prefer)* Recipe can be increased proportionately for larger quantities

1. Use small gathering baskets to pick moisture-free calendula flowers on a sunny

morning.Take time to enjoy the full rich color, form and delicate scent of the flowers.

As children remove petals

into the stainless pan a sticky flower residue will be their first introduction to the plant'shidden qualities.

2. Add olive oil to the pan and place over the lowest possible heat.Stir rhythmically as the oil heats to avoid “cooking” the petals in over-heated oil.

Small bubbles may form on the bottom of the pan.

This is as “hot” as the oil should get.Stir to distribute warmth throughout the calendula oil.

Continue for a total of 1 to 2 hours.

This task may be divided over two days time if cooled and covered tightly

between beatings.(I often set aside a “little bit” of the petals so that each child may sprinkle

some into the oil when it is their turn to stir.)

Hum or sing stirring the love into the medicine oil.

“Round and round the Earth is turning, turning round and round to morning, and frommorning round to night.”

3. Allow calendula oil to cool to the point where the calendula petals can be strained from

the oil, pouring it through (unbleached) cheesecloth. Twist cheesecloth full of oily petals



into a bundle and secure with a twist tie or string.

4. Use a wooden spoon to press oil free through the cheesecloth. I find a stainless steelmesh strainer helpful.

The cheesecloth is placed in the mesh strainer over a bowl as children press oil

out of calendula flowers.It takes a fair amount of pressing to remove every precious spoonful of amber-colored

calendula oil.

It is also a wonderful opportunity for the children to be dabbed with the oily cheesecloth

and rub or massage the warm oil into their chapped hands, knees, elbows.

5. In order to blend oil with melted beeswax both must be similar.Return calendula oil to pan to be gently warmed again while beeswax

is melted over a double burner, but not directly over heat as

it is highly flammable.

When wax is melted and close to the temperature of the oil, pour wax into oil.When completely unified remove from heat. Pour into lipped measuring cup and then

into small sterilized jars.Allow children to observe salve “setting up” over the next ten minutes as

they decorate/illustrate labels for their jar.

After cooled and set, cap jars with lids and adhere labels.

Allow to cool another 10 minutes before handling.

Store in cool conditions free from direct sunlight and heat.

End with a song, verse, or gratitude blessing.

EQUIPMENT:• harvest baskets

• stainless steel pan

• spatula• wooden spoon

• stove top or double-burner hot plate

• double boiler for melting beeswax

• cheesecloth (unbleached, if possible)• twist tie or string

• mesh stainless steel strainer and a bowl to fit strainer in

• lipped measuring cup for pouring oil into tiny jars• small, lidded jars such as jelly or honey sample jars. Be sure children's fingers

can reach bottom of jar to remove every precious drop of salve.

Amber or cobalt jars protect salve, but do not allowchildren to see the true color or setting up of salve.

• tiny paper labels and colored pencils for making labels (calendula colored scraps of

painting



paper make nice labels too)

• clear tape for adhering labels

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A Solar Infusion Preparation

Day 1 - Harvest 3 cups moisture-free calendula blossoms after dew dries, before noon.

Hull calendula petals into a harvest basket.Enjoy the sticky, healing residue. Place petals into a sterilized pint glass jar

with tight sealing lid.

Add 1 cup organic olive oil.

Remove air pockets by poking gently with the handle of the wooden spoon or a

chopstick.

Cover with the lid. Place in the sun on a windowsill, or outdoors on a stone in a southern

location.



Sing a song, say a verse or blessing over the calendula petals.

Day 2-14 - Visit the calendula oil daily.Observe, feel warmth in the jar. Turn contents in jar.

Sing a song, verse, or blessing.

Day 14 - Remove oil from its sunny resting place. Strain oil from the calendula using a

woodenspoon, pressing through the unbleached cheesecloth placed in the stainless steel strainer

over a bowl.

(Keep some calendula oil for use after showering or going to the beach. Just pour into a

tiny glass bottle.

Add a drop or two of rose or lavender oil, if desired.

Store oil bottle in a cool location.)

To prepare calendula salve melt 1/4 cup or 2 oz. beeswax in a double burner, gently

warmcalendula oil to a temperature similar to beeswax, and add wax to warm oil. When

blended, stir in several

drops of rose or lavender oil, 1 oz. lanolin, or 1/2 oz. glycerin, if desired.

• Pour warm calendula mixture into tiny, sterile jars.

• Prepare paper labels (using dried pressed calendula petals or colored pencil illustrations,

on calendula-colored painting paper) while children observe salve “setting up” during thecooling

process.

• Adhere labels.• Cover with lids. Take care that children do not handle hot jars for 10 minutes.

• Celebrate with a verse, song, blessing.

• To insure that mold is not given birth in either infusion method it is important thatcalendula is dry when harvested.

Check the infusion for a dark, cloudy formation in bottom of the jar.

Do not use cloudy oils.

Repeat process until successful. If infusing in a sunny window, use cheeseclothinstead of a solid lid to cap infusion. This allows moisture to evaporate from oil

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Salve for Colds and Congestion

Melt shortening, such as Crisco, over low heat until liquefied.

Put a filter of your choice (coffee filter, cheesecloth, etc.)

over a jar and secure it around the edge with a rubber band.

Make sure the filter hangs down into the jar.



Crush some Eucalyptus and Mint leaves to release the oils and put them in the filter.

Pour the melted shortening through the leaves and filter. Let it all drain through.You can repeat this if you wish to make it stronger, but you do not need to put the

shortening over heat again...just pour it through another filter with the crushed leaves in

it.

Leave it alone and let it cool completely. Now you have a salve to rub on your

chest or directly under your nose to help with colds and congestion.

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Echinacea Salve for Wounds

1 teaspoon Echinacea powder (can be found at herbal/natural stores)

small amount of water

Instructions: Add very small amounts of water to Echinacea powder mixing untilthere is a thick paste. Spread the desired amount of paste over the wound and

allow it to stay on several hours or overnight. Wipe off with a wet warm cloth.

A clinical study of 4500 patients with inflammatory skin conditions has shownthat 85% were cured with a topical Echinacea salve (Wacker & Hilbig, 1978).

Therefore, Echinacea may be wonderful for building up our immune systems,

but it is also great for healing wounds and skin regeneration.

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Simple Comfrey Salve Recipe

Comfrey salve is a must-have for any herbal first aid kit! We use it almost every daychapped lips and elbows, dry noses, cuts, scrapes, burns, even as an under eye cream!

Here's a super simple recipe for comfrey salve recipe that you can make right in your

kitchen.

This salve also makes great gifts for friends and family. I like to put up big batches to

give out at the holidays.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups good quality olive oil

~ 1 ounce (about two tablespoons) fresh comfrey leaves (or 1/2 ounce dried)



~ 1 ounce (about two tablespoons) fresh lavender flowers (or 1/2 ounce dried)

~ 1 ounce (about two tablespoons) fresh calendula flowers (or 1/2 ounce dried)

~ 1/2 cup beeswax

INSTRUCTIONS

~ Gently warm the olive oil and the herbs in the top of a double boiler for about 30minutes.

Stir frequently. It should bubble a bit at the edges, but not throughout the mixture.

~ Strain out the oil by pouring through a strainer.

~ Discard herbs and reserve oil.

~ Melt your beeswax in the top of the double boiler.

~ Add the strained oil and stir until completely blended.

~ Pour the mixture into jars or salve tins.

~ Once it is cool, label and date your creation.

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Dr. Corson's Yarrow Salve Recipe

Yarrow is one of my favorite medicinal plants. My teacher, Patsy Clark, of BittersweetCultural Center (Rochester, IN) taught me to make a very effective salve for cuts,

abrasions,

and minor burns. It is great for paper-cuts, quickly taking the pain away,and preventing infection.

This salve is antibacterial, analgesic, and anti-styptic (stops bleeding).

Therefore, it is my #1 choice for all abrasions, cutting down the pain dramaticallywithin 5 to 10 minutes and minimizing chances of infection. There are multiple

antibacterial compounds in this aromatic lawn and garden perennial, which have

been named (see Kathy Keville’s excellent book, The Encyclopedia of Medicinaland Culinary Herbs).

My husband and I are both physicians, and this is what we and all our reach for first, for scrapes, lacerations, burns, and paper-cuts.

To make yarrow salve:



1. Wild, white yarrow (not the golden yarrow or other hybrid colors)

Gather the leaves (flowers in full bloom can also be used), and dry in the shadeor indoors (never in sunlight, which degrades the chemistry once it is separated

from the earth). Dry for minimum of 5-7 days, longer is fine. Store in clean paper

bags (not plastic, as this will promote growth of fungi, with any stored herb)

2. Melt 4 cups of olive oil and 1/2 cup of pure beeswax on a stovetop, or if funds

are tight 4 cups of Crisco instead (no need for the beeswax to solidify it at roomtemperature).; smaller batches are simply scaled down from these proportions,

using about a 1/8 ratio of beeswax to olive oil

3. Add as much dried yarrow leaf (and flowers if included) as you can immerse in theoil, stirring gently with a wooden spoon on simmer. Avoid "french-frying" or blackening

or browning of the leaves. Simmer 15-20 minutes on low, stirring. The medicinal aroma

will be prominent, and the color of the oil will turn green or golden green.

4. Cool approximately 15 minutes to allow safer handling. Strain through a fine

metal-screen sieve into a 4-cup glass measure, then pour from that into clean,small glass jars, e.g. baby food or tiny jelly jars.

5. LABEL each jar with "yarrow salve" (Achillea millefolium), and the date.

Store in refrigerator. Will last for over a year if refrigerated.These make great gifts for friends and family.

6. Use liberally with a band-aid or other sterile dressing, to cover the wound,keeping in the salve and keeping clothes protected from the oil.

I have had excellent success even with a nasty 2nd degree burn of the palm of the hand,

healing with no scarring. A low dose of Codeine was only needed for the first day, because the yarrow’s analgesic properties were so helpful, being applied 3 times a day

until healed.

general healing balm

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