Make Your Own Herbal Medicines
(Page 3 of 4)
June/July 2004
by Brook Elliott
Oil infused with St. John's wort, for example, is good for treating bruises, sprains, swellings, hemorrhoids and scars. Both hot- and cold-techniques can be used for infusing oils; with St. John's wort, combine one part fresh flowers and leaves by weight with three parts by volume of oil.
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For the hot method, place the oil and the St. John's wort in a crock pot and maintain a 110- to 120-degree temperature for two weeks. Stir daily, and at the end of the two-week period, strain the oil. For the cold method, combine the oil and herb, and then allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least two weeks, or until the oil has taken on the color and flavor of the leaves. Make sure the leaves remain fully submerged. Putting the infused oil in the sun will help speed the extraction process.
Although generally considered safe, St. John's wort can cause photosensitivity in some people.
Salves and Balms
Infused oils can be thickened into salves and balms, which many people find more convenient and less messy than the oil. Use dedicated pans and spoons to make salves and balms.
To make a salve, add two tablespoons of melted beeswax to each cup of infused oil. Melt beeswax carefully in a double boiler or over a very low flame; beeswax is flammable when overheated. (Look for beeswax online, in health food stores or from beekeepers.) Reheat the oil just enough for the wax to mix well, then let it cool. If the salve is too thick, add more oil; too thin, more wax. Oil-based salves can turn rancid over time. To help prevent this, vitamin E can be added as a preservative. In some cases, the addition of glycerin makes a smoother salve, particularly for skin creams.
All of the above preparations are called "simples" because they involve only one herb. When more than one herb is combined in such a preparation, the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. An example of this is the Basic Balm (see recipe, Page 84); it has greater skin-toning and healing properties than a typical commercial body lotion.
For maximum effectiveness, infuse herbs individually and then combine them; more practically, infuse all the herbs for a single recipe together. Be sure to use either fresh or dried herbs; fresh herbs should be chopped or crushed before measuring.
Teas
Herbal tea is another remedy made by combining multiple herbs, and most medicinal herbal teas are stronger than those sold for drinking like regular tea. To brew a medicinal tea useful for treating upset stomach, particularly as it relates to over-eating, combine equal parts of fresh or dried catnip, peppermint and chamomile. Pour a cup of boiling water over a rounded tablespoon of the herbs and let them steep for at least 15 minutes. Strain, if necessary, and drink, hot or cold. Alternatively, using do-it-yourself tea bags will eliminate the need to strain the tea.
