Make Your Own Herbal Medicines
(Page 2 of 4)
June/July 2004
by Brook Elliott
Comfrey, for example, has anti-inflammatory and cell-regenerating properties that can make an effective poultice for treating bruises and sprains. A comfrey poultice can be made with fresh or dry leaves — just moisten them and apply as a half-inch-thick layer, placed directly on the affected skin. Bind the poultice in place with a clean cloth.
RELATED CONTENT
true BREW December/January 2000 Steep a cup of tea ...for the health of it. by Marguerite Lamb It's...
Iced Teas December/January 2000 Of the 50 billion cups of tea Americans drink annually, 40 billion ...
Lemon grass is a simple natural remedy used to promote clear skin and aid digestion. Find out how y...
Organic tea ideas that are perfect for sipping on a summer day, including recipes for peppermint-fl...
A good organic fertilizer can be made by pouring water into well-drained buckets filled with grass ...
Comfrey should not be used on deep puncture wounds because the surface can heal too quickly, trapping infection-causing bacteria inside the wound. Used externally, comfrey generally is considered safe.
Tinctures
A tincture is made by soaking fresh or ground herbs in alcohol to extract and preserve the active constituents of the plant. One of the advantages of tinctures is their long shelf life — most will keep for a year or longer.
Many tinctures are intended to be taken internally; often they are diluted with water and then swallowed. However, some tinctures are meant to be applied directly to the skin. For example, calendula flowers make a good first-aid tincture for treating cuts, scrapes and bruises because of the herb's antibacterial properties.
Different tincturing methods can be used, but Cech favors this approach: Begin by grinding the dried herb, or by finely mincing fresh herbs, and placing them in a quart jar. For calendula, dry the flowers and then grind them to a powder. Cover the ground or minced herbs with vodka or pure grain alcohol. If you opt for vodka, use at least 40 proof for dried herbs and 80 proof for fresh herbs; if you use pure grain alcohol, pair it with dried herbs and dilute the alcohol with distilled water at a 1-1 ratio.
Let the mixture sit, covered, for three weeks, and shake the jar daily. (Fresh herbs must remain submerged during this time because exposed plant material can rot.) After three weeks, strain the contents of the jar using a thin, clean cloth and then press the cloth to squeeze out every drop of liquid. Let the separated liquid sit overnight to settle, and then strain it again. Store the resulting herb-infused alcohol in a labeled bottle for future use.
Infused oils
Some herbs have active constituents that will dissolve in vegetable oil. The resulting infused oils can be used directly by massaging them into the skin or as a base for other products such as skin creams, salves and lip balms.
