Herbal Salve Recipes
Do not copy or distribute any portion of this page without the authors written permission. © 1996
| Chickweed
Salve © Millie Fodor |
| 2 part
Chickweed |
| 2 part
Plantain |
| 1 part
Comfrey Leaf |
| Olive oil |
| Beeswax |
| Vitamin E |
Notes - If 1 part equals 1/3 cup
then you will need 12 - 14 ounces of oil and about 1 ounce of
beeswax.
Use this salve to soothe itching
caused by insect bites and rashes, and to aid healing of
minor skin irritations.
Directions for Making
Salve
To make salve, we extract the
beneficial properties of our herbs in oil, then add beeswax to
harden the oil.
My recipes are based on the
Simplers' Method of calculating proportions. These recipes
require you to use parts rather than a specific volume of each
herb. This technique allows you to easily adapt the recipe. If
you want a small amount of salve you can choose one tablespoon as
your part, if you want a large amount of salve you might choose
1/2 - 1 cup as your part. The amount of oil needed is enough to
completely cover the herbs, plus an inch of oil above the level
of the herbs. The tricky part of this is determining exactly how
much beeswax is needed to harden the salve. You can approximate
the proportions based on the following equivalents. One pint of
oil will need about 1 1/2 ounces of beeswax, or one ounce of oil
will need about 1/2 teaspoon of beeswax. There are about 5
teaspoons of beeswax in an ounce.
If you intend to make your salve
using freshly collected plants, you will want to clean them. Do
this by shaking them to remove dirt then spread the herbs out to
allow them to air dry for several hours ( until wilted ) to
reduce the moisture content. Fresh chickweed, for example,
contains a lot of moisture and this water content could cause
your salve to spoil quickly.
To begin your salve, measure the
desired amount of herbs into an enamel or stainless steel pan, or
into a crock pot.
Cover the herbs with oil. Use
enough oil to cover the herbs plus another inch of oil above the
level of herbs.
Heat the herbs and oil over a low
heat for several hours ( about 3 hours). If you are using roots
you should heat the oil longer( about 5 hours). I strongly
encourage you to use a crock pot for heating your oil because it
operates at a controlled low temperature which is less likely to
be a fire hazard. If you don't use a crock pot then use a double
boiler.
After heating, cool your oil for
awhile. Set up a strainer lined with cheesecloth then pour the
oil through to strain. When most of the oil has filtered through
the cheesecloth, pick up the cheesecloth, keeping the herbs
enclosed, and squeeze as much oil as possible from the herbs and
cloth.
Add beeswax to the oil and heat
it until all the wax is melted. To test to see if your salve is
hard enough, put some on a spoon and set it in a cool place for a
few minutes. If your salve is too soft, add more beeswax.
If you are using essential oils or Vitamin E you can blend them in now.
Finally, pour your salve into containers and label.
| St. John's
Wort Salve © Millie Fodor |
| 1 part St. John's Wort |
| 1 part Calendula |
| 1 part Comfrey leaf |
| 1 part Plantain |
| Olive Oil |
| Beeswax . |
| Vitamin E |
Great all purpose salve. Use for
insect bites, itching, wounds, burns and on fungal infections.
| Baby Salve © Millie Fodor |
| 1 part St. John's Wort |
| 2 part Calendula |
| 1 part Comfrey leaf |
| 1 part Comfrey root |
| 1 part Plantain |
| Olive Oil |
| Beeswax . |
|
Vitamin E |
| Goldenseal
Salve © Millie Fodor |
| 1 part Goldenseal Root |
| 1 part Comfrey Root |
| 1 part Calendula |
| 1 part Echinacea |
| 1 part Myrrh |
| Olive Oil |
| Beeswax |
| Vitamin E |
Use this salve to prevent
infection and aid in the healing of wounds.
| Black Walnut
Salve © Millie Fodor |
| 2 part Black Walnut |
| 2 part Chaparral |
| 1 part Myrrh |
| 1 part Burdock |
| 1 part Echinacea |
| Olive Oil |
| Beeswax |
| Vitamin E |
| Optional - Tea Tree Oil
- 10 drops per ounce |
This salve is primarily used to
fight fungal infections such as, eczema, ringworm, and athletes
foot.
| Dreamtime
Salve © Millie Fodor |
| 2 part Mugwort |
| 1 part Rosemary |
| 1/2 part Spearmint |
| 1/2 part Calendula |
| 1/2 part Sage |
| 1/4 part Lavender |
| Olive Oil |
| Beeswax |
| Vitamin E |
Apply Dreamtime Salve to your
temples at bedtime to encourage imaginative dreams.
| Eucalyptus
Salve / Chest Rub © Millie Fodor |
| 30 drops Eucalyptus
essential oil |
| 40 drops Camphor
essential oil |
| 15 drops Wintergreen
essential oil |
| 1 ounce Olive Oil |
| 1/2 teaspoon Beeswax |
Melt the beeswax in the olive
oil. Remove from heat and add the essential oils. Stir, pour into
salve container and label.
Eucalyptus salve is used to
relieve respiratory congestion.
Herb
Reference
BURDOCK ROOT - (
Arctium lappa) Blood purifier. Useful for any systemic rash
conditions, such as psoriasis. Antiseptic. Useful for bites,
stings, animal bites and boils. For rashes, use internally and
externally.
Internally, burdock
is also useful for arthritic conditions, rheumatism, and many
types of infections. It is the primary ingredient in ESSIAC TEA,
a Native American cancer formula. Burdock is a plentiful
"weed" in our area that we can harvest.
BLACK WALNUT HULLS -
(Juglans nigra ) Antifungal. Use for athletes foot and other
fungal infections, parasites, abscesses, and boils.
CALENDULA - (
Calendula officinalis ) This species of marigold is often
cultivated in gardens. Calendula helps to soothe inflamed
tissues, reduce pain and aids in quick healing of cuts and
abrasions.
CHAPARRAL - ( Larrea
divaricata ) Antibiotic and antiseptic. Useful against bacteria,
viruses, parasites, and warts. Relieves itching of eczema,
scabies and dandruff. Native Americans used chaparral to treat
cancer.
CHICKWEED - (
Stellaria media ) Cooling, antiseptic herb used to treat
inflammations, relieve itching, blisters, boils, and abscesses.
Fresh plant is edible in salads or as a cooked green. You can
find chickweed growing in your lawn, garden, or meadows.
COMFREY ROOT &
LEAF - ( Symphytum officinale ) Prolific plant that is valuable
in the treatment of all types of skin, bone, and muscle injuries.
Comfrey helps wounds to heal quickly. Use for burns, blisters ,
broken bones, and inflammations. Used both internally and
externally. Comfrey has a soothing effect on any organ it comes
in contact with. Also used for respiratory and digestive system
disorders.
ECHINACEA - (
Echinacea purpurea or E. angustifolia )This herb is the most
widely consumed herb in the world today. It is used internally to
activate the immune system when fighting colds and flu, or almost
any type of infection. Lesser known is the fact that echinacea is
beneficial for many topical applications. Echinacea can be used
to treat infected wounds, psoriasis, and eczema. Echinacea
stimulates the bodies defenses at the sight of the wound and aids
in the development of healthy tissue. Also used as a wash to
remove poison ivy oils from the skin. I prefer to use an alcohol
based echinacea tincture if I need to remove poison ivy oils from
my skin.
The root is the most
powerful part of the plant. If you want to purchase echinacea for
immune stimulation, avoid products that don't contain any root,
or ones that do not list the echinacea species on the label. Two
species, Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia, are
commonly used. Both species are powerful, but it is best to
choose E. purpurea because it is the most abundant species. E.
angustifolia is becoming rare in the wild. Many people cultivate
echinacea in their gardens, commonly known as Purple Coneflower.
To avoid further depletion of wild echinacea plants, try to buy
only cultivated plants or grow your own.
GOLDENSEAL - (
Hydrastis canadensis )Antiseptic and astringent. Used for cuts,
wounds, infections, bites, and stings. Goldenseal is also widely
used internally for the treatment of sinus infections and other
inflammations of the mucus membranes, including the stomach and
intestinal tract. The medicinal part of the plant is the root.
Ohio used to be the
most abundant habitat for goldenseal but over-harvesting has
depleted the wild populations. Goldenseal is now scarce and
should not be harvested from the wild. Try to buy goldenseal
roots that are cultivated or grow your own if you have a rich
woods
MYRRH - ( Commiphora
myrrha )Antiseptic and astringent. Very effective antiseptic used
in salves. Combined with goldenseal, myrrh is good for wounds,
bedsores, abscesses, and hemorrhoids. Internally, myrrh is used
to treat fungal infections, congestion, ulcers, and as a wash for
sore gums.
PLANTAIN - (
Plantago spp.) Astringent, antiseptic, and emollient. Plantain
helps to relieve pain of insect bites and is a wonderful remedy
for cuts, and skin infections. For a quick relief, pick a leaf,
chew it and apply it to the insect bite or sting. Plantain is the
source of psyllium seeds, a bulk laxative found in many over -
the - counter products.
Plantain can be
found in lawns, meadows, and open woods. Plantain is abundant and
can be harvested from the wild.
ST. JOHN'S WORT - (
Hypericum perforatum ) The salve is good for burns, wounds,
bruises, sores, insect bites, fungal infections such as eczema,
and itching. This is my favorite herb to use in salves! St.
John's Wort is used internally for the treatment of depression
and is currently being researched for possible use in the
treatment of AIDS.
St. John's Wort can
be harvested from the wild if you find large patches of it. I
harvest a portion of the flower head and leave a portion on the
plant to produce seed. If you pick one of the yellow flowers and
rub it between your fingers it will stain your fingers red!
Animals develop
photosensitivity when they consume St. John's Wort and there is
some evidence that humans consuming large amounts of the herb may
develop photosensitivity. When using a St. John's Wort Salve
it is best not to use it before long periods of sun exposure.
Essential
Oils
Essential oils are
steam distilled concentrates of the natural oils present in
plants, flowers, roots, and trees. They are 100 % pure and must
be carefully used by the drop.
CAMPHOR -
(Cinnamomum camphora) Used as a congestion clearing inhalant and
muscle liniment.
EUCALYPTUS - (
Eucalyptus globulus) Used for rubbing on sore muscles, as an
inhalant, and chest rub for colds. Decongestant, antibiotic,
antiseptic and antiviral. Used as a topical antiseptic on sores
and fungal infections such as ring worm.
TEA TREE OIL - (
melaleuca alternifolia) Very effective fungicide, antibacterial
and antiseptic. Michael Tierra, calls Tea Tree Oil, "the
first aid kit in a bottle." Use for cuts, pimples, boils,
cold sores, burns, stings, ticks, athletes foot and other fungal
infections.
WINTERGREEN OIL - (
Gualtheria promcumbens) Use as a salve to rub on sore joints and
muscles. Harmful or fatal if taken internally.
Miscellaneous Ingredients
BEESWAX - A
naturally occurring wax produced by bees. Beeswax is used in your
salve to solidify the oil. Softens and protects skin.
VITAMIN E - Vitamin
E also has the ability to preserve fats and aid in the healing of
wounds.
OILS - For salve,
olive oil is the preferred choice of oil because it is less
likely to become rancid. It is better to choose cold pressed oils
because they retain some of the nutrients and enzymes. If you
plan to make a salve to use specifically on your face, then a
light oil is best. Apricot kernel and grapeseed oils are very
light.
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