23 Comments
User's avatar
Hope's avatar

I just made my own salve with an oil if infused last summer. I put chickweed, yarrow, plantain and purple clover in the oil and used 1:1:1 beeswax, infused oil and shea butter. I also added myrrh, lavender and spikenard essential oils. The intent was for skin healing and I feel like I achieved my goal. It has been very effective for bug bites and irritations. I’m excited to try another one.

Expand full comment
Ashley Adamant's avatar

Sounds like a good one!

Expand full comment
Martin's avatar

wow sounds like you have got into the swing of it!

Expand full comment
Martin's avatar

What a great resource you have generously given us.

I have made beeswax, coconut and olive oil skin cream for years, which is really great for dry skin and Sclerosis which I seem to be prone to, but with this cream it seems to disappear in a few days.

Thanks you so very much for all these great recipes I will get around to making some of them eventually!!!

Now for a yucky question, have you ever used fresh human urine in skin care?!

I have not, but have been told about it for years by many different people.

It is apparently very good for hand callouses and dries out cuts, and being sterile also helps stop infection! A well known cure in bush medicine and for tradesmen, but not much talked about due to it's yuck factor!

Expand full comment
Ashley Adamant's avatar

This is one I actually don't know anything about. Not that I'm opposed to much in terms of yuck factor, so long as it works. I just personally don't have any good information (for or against) here.

Expand full comment
Martin's avatar

plenty of info on the net, even urine therapy where people swear that by drinking it they have overcome many illnesses- not something I have tried but they must be desperate is all I can think!

Expand full comment
Sarah Donoghue's avatar

I believe that urea is a common ingredient in many over the counter skin care creams. People have probably used it without being specifically aware. It softens skin and lightens pigmentation, so may be a useful addition to (personal!) "anti-ageing" formulations

Expand full comment
Ashley Adamant's avatar

Good to Know!

Expand full comment
Martin's avatar

Yes I forgot to mention that I use a urea based product called Heal Balm, by "Dermal Therapy" which is fantastic, but it is a bit different from dipping your hand in a bowl of human urine!

Expand full comment
Gabriele's avatar

There’s nothing ‘yuck’ about urine! It’s great for curing foot nail fungus. My mom used to tell me that during the war soldiers were told to pee on their toes to treat and prevent athletes foot. She always said that things were much easier for the guys. She treated a fungal nail herself by collecting her urine during the day, soaking it before bed, and after drying it she would put on an old sock. Cured it in a matter of a few weeks

Expand full comment
Laura Wenzel's avatar

Thanks for this! I wish there was a medicinal use for creeping bellflower, it's all over the place

Expand full comment
1782Farm.com / Simples & Worts's avatar

Great Job, Ashley, on this article!

We love it.

This herbal practice is on our hit list for helping herbal makers take the next step in pursuing commercial profitability. One area of need is help for our community members on packaing for compliance.

Expand full comment
Amanda Aaron 🇨🇦's avatar

I picked a good handful of jewelweed leaves tonight! I will dry and make a salve. Hopefully I can get it ready before Christmas and mail it out as some presents. I plan to add dry lavender too to infuse in the oil.

Expand full comment
Ashley Adamant's avatar

Nice!

Expand full comment
Bogdan Chugunov's avatar

Amazing images, beautiful suggestions. Same time people have to love to do something themselves , have time to do that as well have an access to really raw materials. Not many residing in cities have such options.

I would recommend for active outdoorsmen and countryside grown kids to have bee propolis extract w/alcohol handy. It covers skin cuts with immediate antibacterial film that kills 99% of bacteria and such film remains for days unless washed with a soap

Expand full comment
Marta Goertzen's avatar

Last year my calendula great great! I made a skin salve with some and lots of lip balm with the rest. Plus I gave a lot out as gifts.

I did do a small batch of dandelion salve too but find I don't use it nearly as much as the calendula.

Great list, there are more salves I want to try making this summer too.

Expand full comment
Sarah Donoghue's avatar

Superb "go to" resource Ashley. I haven't used tallow to make a salve before, so I feel a project coming on! Thank you for so generously sharing your knowledge.

Expand full comment
Deslie Ellis's avatar

I make comfrey salve

Nd dome others.

Expand full comment
Nancy H. Paré's avatar

Any suggestions for how to use/eat pursulane?

Thanks,

Nancy

Expand full comment
Mira Dessy's avatar

I'm just now learning how to identify some of the herbs in my area. I've bookmarked this to remember how to use them to make salves. Thank you.

Expand full comment
Shannon Rose's avatar

Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing all this fabulous information.

Expand full comment
Gabriele's avatar

I make an antibiotic salve with comfrey, yarrow, bee balm, calendula, and chamomile. It’s used like one would use Neosporin but works better. We also use it for bug bites and eczema. And hubby uses it on his shaved head to prevent razor rashes. I sell it locally and customers have reported using it successfully on acne as well.

I also make a Balm of Gilead 3.0. I use equal amounts of cottonwood bud infused oil, comfrey infused oil, and castor oil. It works really well for joint and muscle pain.

Then I make a devil’s club salve for joint and muscle pain as well.

And a calendula salve is now part of my stock.

Working on a chamomile salve to treat episiotomy scars.

Expand full comment
DebbyM's avatar

I love this!! I would like to find out which herb or combination of plants works well for eczema. My husband has spots that look like cigarette burns, and they are worse in winter than summer.

Expand full comment