Woodland Skin Salve: Herbalism Experiment 2.0

[Elleth]

This is the second of two experiments with herbalism I wanted to try: some kind of salve for the little nicks and scratches one just accumulates in the wild. I was specifically looking for something with decent antiseptic and healing properties. I found *tons* of stuff recommended, but the big ones were comfrey and calendula flower. Olive oil was the commonly recommend carrier, but I wanted to try something more NW Middle Earth appropriate. Flax seed oil was the obvious choice, but grapeseed oil looked interesting as well.

Giving it a go -

mixing-herbal-salve.jpg (161.69 KiB) Viewed 11546 times

And here's the recipes I came up with:

Salve I:
1 cup(ish) olive oil
2 Tbsp Comfrey Leaf
1 Tbsp Calendula Flower
1 Tbsp Echinacea Root
- once infused, mix w/ ¼ cup beeswax

Salve II:
1 cup(ish) Raw Flax Seed Oil
2 Tbsp Comfrey Leaf
1 Tbsp Calendula Flower
1 Tbsp Yarrow Flower
- once infused, mix w/ ¼ cup beeswax

Salve III:
1 cup(ish) Grape Seed Oil
2 Tbsp Comfrey Leaf
1 Tbsp Calendula Flower
1 Tbsp Lavender Flower
- once infused, mix w/ ¼ cup beeswax

Salve IV:
1 cup(ish) Grape Seed Oil
2 Tbsp Comfrey Leaf
1 Tbsp Calendula Flower
1 Tbsp Plantain Leaf
- once infused, mix w/ ¼ cup beeswax

In practice, I multiplied all the herbal ingredients by about 1.5, to get the dry herbs to about half-fill the jar.
Then I set them out to infuse in the sunlight on the kitchen counter:

herbal-skin-salve.jpg (114.4 KiB) Viewed 11546 times

These should be ready in 3-6 weeks. In the meantime, I'll be trying the same recipes in short order over a double boiler, to see how much difference the infusion method makes.



Analysis

Really too soon to say. I think I prefer the grapeseed oil most - it's I think friendliest of the three with little smell.
I do want to do some more research about how "period" it is before relying on it though. Certainly grapes are period: I don't know if there was a good extraction method way back when though.

The lavender I found quite strong, and I'm sure most rangery folk don't want to be smelling like wildflowers. : )
The Yarrow has a nice smell, and I'm especially optimistic about that one for some reason - likewise the plantain. We'll see.

Finally, in reviewing the texts to come up with these recipes, I'm fairly certain I've seen both calendula and plantain on the property: achievement unlocked! Well.. tentatively. I'll confirm this summer. Woo! Yearly goals!


(Also - if this all works, some kind of bug repellent might be next. We've got some nasty bloodsuckers that come out in the first month of spring here. )

[Udwin]

Sweet! I'm really looking forward to the results of this experiment! (there's really nothing for first aid in my pack, and an antiseptic salve (something besides raw honey) should be the bare minimum to carry).

I'd be surprised if you didn't have plantain growing somewhere on your property...I once saw it referred to as 'White Man's Footprint' or something to that effect.

[Greg]

Grapes are definitely Tolkien-accurate...else we'd have no source for laying down bottles of Old Winyards.

Looking forward to hearing about this project, too.

[Ursus]

Awesome experiment. Healing with herbal remedies has always been an obsession of mine. I'm excited to see how this turns out.

[Harper]

I am surprised that you didn't look at honey. It is definitely NW Middle Earth appropriate.

By itself, honey is an outstanding treatment for burns and wounds. It is anti-bacterial/anti-septic, will keep the wound moist while healing and mixes with the liquids from the wound itself to form natural hydrogen peroxide. Honey is even showing promise with things like MRSA, which is beyond most modern antibiotics. It also reduces inflammation and soothes the pain of deep wounds and burns. Honey is probably better than most commercial first aid creams out there.

I use organic raw honey and carry it in my Spice/Herb/Med Kit. It has a thicker consistency and is "spreadable."

Honey can be infused by herbs directly, cut with a carrier oil and/or beeswax. You just have to adjust the amounts by eye until you get the paste to the consistency you are looking for.

I've formally studied herbalism for some years. I write fairly often about things to carry in a spice/herb/med kit on another forum. While I've been reading this site for a couple of years, this is my first post here and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link to it.

Comfrey, yarrow and plantain have all been mentioned here and are very good herbs for your desired use. White Oak bark, Black Walnut leaf and Mullein are also very good.

Comfrey is an excellent herb to use for bone and tissue problems. Among a number of other things, comfrey is a demulcent (soothing; relieves inflammation), a cell proliferant (promotes granulation and formation of epithelial cells responsible for mending and healing the body), an alterative (purifies the blood), a vulnerary (a medieval term for a plant used to heal battle wounds), and a styptic (arrests bleeding). The FDA says it shouldn't be taken internally though.

Yarrow is also named "Soldiers Wound Wort" because it staunches bleeding. It should be avoided during pregnancy and by people taking blood thinners.

Plantain is extremely good for bites/stings. It has a "drawing" action which sucks out the venom. American Indians also used it for snake bite. It is also an outstanding blood cleanser.

While a little off the subject, you may find the following interesting. There is a legend in India which says that when a mongoose is bitten by the deadly cobra, he goes off into the forest to find an antidote to its venom--Plantain. Also, Dr. Herman Boerhaave, (1668-1738), said that Plantain leaves bound to your aching feet would relieve their pain and help you endure the fatigue of long hikes.

Plantain may be more appropriate for "dirty" scrape-type wounds. Yarrow might stop the bleeding too fast and lock micro debris into the wound. Plantain has a drawing quality which will help pull that out.

Plantain is probably on your property. I'm sure that you already know this, but it is worth repeating: make sure that you don't use any that is adjacent to the roadway or where chemicals have been sprayed on the lawn.

Anyway, I hope this helps. Please keep us informed of your progress.

The preceding information was presented for educational purposes. It is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat, heal, cure, etc. Consult a physician for medical problems.

It's a damn shame I feel it necessary to even say this.

[Peter Remling]

I've formally studied herbalism for some years. I write fairly often about things to carry in a spice/herb/med kit on another forum. While I've been reading this site for a couple of years, this is my first post here and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link to it.

This forum is built around learning and sharing, I don't think anyone will contest you linking the other site. I myself have linked other threads on different forums as long as it's done openly and is not an offensive site, feel free.

BTW Glad you're here.

[Elleth]

Derp! I guess I should have used honey. Garlic to for that matter.. I think (confession time) mostly I just wanted to play, and couldn't do something simple. : )

Also.. dang, that bit about yarrow's critical - THANK YOU!
Now that you mention it, I do recall noting it with great big letters in my initial research, but like an idiot didn't transfer the warning to my recipe list, which I used in writing the post. Thank you so much for posting it!

I'd love to hear more about your studies - yes, what's the site you write on?

[Greg]

Well, you've got honey planned to work in your cordials...so that's something.

Getting a great discussion going here; love it!

[Harper]

Thank you for the welcome.

The thread I mentioned is here: http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthrea ... ght=spices

[Peter Remling]

Thank you for the welcome.

The thread I mentioned is here: http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthrea ... ght=spices

Anyway you could copy and paste the thread. The link can only be opened if you're a member of bushcraftusa.