Herbal oil and Salve for skin

I'm excited to share this with you today!  I learned this technique from Grandma Ruthie about 10 years ago.  I had no idea at the time that I would have a child with extreme chemical sensitivity. (She can't even ware a band aid because she reacts to the adhesive)  It has been SO great to be able to treat her scrapes and scratches with something natural.

Oil infusions are infusions are exceptionally useful for burns,  sunburns, chapped and dry skin, skin infections, and ear drops and on wounds as salves.  For a salve, the oil is made thick by adding a bit of beeswax.

Don't worry, You can use either dried herbs or fresh.  When using dried herbs you need to grind them as fine as possible.  Place the herbs in to a glass baking dish and cover with oil.  Olive oil works really well because it doesn't go rancid like other oils can.  Stir the mixture to make sure the herbs are covered.  You may leave them in the sun for two weeks or bake them in the oven on the lowest heat for 8 hours.   When your preparation is ready, strain through a cloth.

To make from Fresh herbs, place herbs in a Mason jar and cover with just enough oil to leave no part of the plant exposed to air.  Let it sit in the sun for two weeks.  Then press through a cloth and toss out the herbs.  Let the decanted oil sit.  After a day, the water naturally present in the herbs will settle to the bottom. Pour off the oil and discard the water.

A Salve is really just an oil that has been hardened with beeswax!  Make the oil infusion, then put it into a glass or stainless pan.  Heat it gently on the stove.  Add chopped beeswax to the oil.  2 oz for ever cup.   A perfect salve should stay hard for a few seconds as you press your fingertip on it, then suddenly soften from your body heat.

Oils work better for things like dry skin or a sunburn because they will cover a large area easily.  Salves work best for wounds or any time you want it to stay put in one place.

I was trying to show here just how soft the salve is.  By the time I took the picture it was already melting off my finger.

The two recipes pictured here are:

Herbal oil for skin infection

1 quart olive oil
1 oz usnea
1 oz acacia
1 oz echinacea root or seed
1 oz garlic
1 oz sage

If your wondering.... yep, it does smell "savory".  Best to use it when you are not going to be out and about.



Salve for wounds

1 quart olive oil
1 oz echinacea root
1 oz cryptolepsis root
2 oz juniper
1 oz wild geranium
1 oz acacia leaf
1/2 oz powdered worm wood
1/2 oz usnea
4 oz beeswax
1/2 teaspoon vitamin E
1/4 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil

*make sure to pour out the salve into heat safe containers while it is still warm.

I was a little intimidated the first time I tried this.   I quickly found out that it is easy and fun.  Now I am addicted to making new formulas for soothing, moisturizing, love, and relaxing.....