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Herbal Salves and Ointments

Natural Skin Care — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:36:01 +0000

When most people think of using herbal remedies, they think in terms of swallowing supplement pills. And while this is a very common way to use herbs for various reasons, there is another lesser known use for them too. Herbs can be used to create topical salves, ointments, and packs which are applied to the body on the outside, and help to speed healing, ease pain, and reduce swelling.

To make herbal salves and ointments, you must start by purchasing high quality herbs. The best kind of herbal supplements to buy, are those which are ground powder or flakes of the actual herb, packed into gel caps. Any kind of herbal supplement which is in hard pill form will not be dissolved easily – in external applications or within your body either. These also tend to have only a small amount of actual herb in them, mixed with many other misc ingredients that may or may not be good for you.

Buying the whole, ground or powdered herb in gelcap form makes it easier for your body to readily absorb and use the herbs when you swallow them. It also makes creating ointments quite simple and easy.

All you have to do is pull the gelatin capsule apart – it’s just two pieces that easily pull apart – then shake the herb powder onto a plate or container of some sort. Then you simply mix a liquid substance with the powdered herb, and you have a ready to use ointment or salve.

The liquid you choose to mix in can vary based on what you have on hand. Petroleum jelly is fine if it’s a good quality, but many commercial versions have additives you wouldn’t want absorbed into your skin. So make sure you buy good petroleum jelly whenever possible. Pure aloe vera gel should be your first choice if you have it on hand, and mineral oil or vinegar often works fine too.

One of the best herbal salves I know of is simple GoldenSeal salve. Open a capsule of goldenseal root, and dump it out onto a small dish. Smear a small glob of petroleum jelly into the powdered herb until mixed well and not too dry. Then rub that salve onto affected areas as needed.

Mixing the goldenseal powder with aloe vera normally stimulates healing even faster, because the aloe vera is able to penetrate all layers of the skin. By doing so, it carries the combined healing power of itself and the goldenseal deep within to start repairing damage more quickly.

This salve is excellent to use for healing cuts and abrasions quickly, usually without leaving any scars. It will make your skin a greenish yellow color, but it washes off easily with regular soap and water. For acne blemishes, add enough tea tree oil to goldenseal powder to make a paste. Apply it to blemishes and let dry, then rise off.

GoldenSeal is an herb many herbalists keep on hand at all times to use for fighting infections for instance, but this herb is also a natural source of insulin, so you must be careful when giving it to diabetics or hypoglycemics. In some cases it can’t be used by them at all, and when this is the case, it can be substituted with Myrhh. Golden Seal can also be mixed with Licorice to help counter the insulin lowering properties.

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Post tags: goldenseal, Herbs, natural skin care

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Where the Lilies Bloom

Natural Skin Care — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 14:15:22 +0000

One of my favorite old movies is Where The Lilies Bloom. The plot goes like this: Three Appalachian children are left orphaned when their father dies. The children keep his death a secret so the family won’t be split up. They support themselves by wildcrafting.

I doubt most of us live in an area as pristine as the children in the movie, so you may want to brush up on your wildcrafting strategies before you head out on your first great adventure.

Foraging for wild herbs is known as wildcrafting. It can be a lot of fun to spend the day traipsing through the woods looking for plants in their natural environment. Of course, since many medicinal herbs such as Echinacea, goldenseal, and ginseng have become scarce in the wild, herbalists feel you should leave the few remaining specimens alone and grow them yourself or buy them.

The extracts of wildcrafted herbs aren’t standardized simply because their environment is not standard. These are the types of herbs our ancestors used for medicine, but you can still find places whee herbs grow naturally. Whereas organic herbs are grown under very standardized environments, plants growing alongside of a busy road will have absorbed more than their fair share of car exhaust . . . and whatever toxins happen to be in the environment.

If you know what you’re doing and where to look, you can harvest loads of herbs not far from your front door. Of course if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s better — and healthier — to learn how to recognize herbs first. If you do go wildcrafting, take your herbs from an area where there’s not much automobile traffic so that it’s free of exhaust fumes and other toxins. Only gather what you need from plants that are fully grown.

Of course making your own herbal skin care products is time consuming and finding a source for wildcrafted natural skin care products is even more difficult. Luckily I found a great resource. Need something a bit more healing than wax and perfume on your lips? Try Dr.Hauschka Skin Care Lip Care Stick — you won’t find these ingredients in a tube of ChapStick®–Castor Seed Oil, Rose Hip Extract , Jojoba Oil, Lanolin, Beeswax, Carrot extract, Shea Butter, and the list goes on.

Most people know of St. John’s Wort as a mood remedy, but it is also a great burn remedy and good for stretch marks. St. John’s Wort Oil has a distinctive red color. It’s made from wildcrafted Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s Wort) blossoms and infused in organic olive oil. I’ll be writing more about this oil and why I’m using it in a later article, but so far so good with this one.

I’ve written about comfrey before. If you’ve never used it, you’re really missing out on a wonderful herb. MJ’s Herbals Calendula Salve uses St. John’s wort extracted and concentrated into a base of organic olive oil, beeswax, and vitamin E.

I love this formula because it can replace those smelly muscle rubs. I use emu oil all the time and it’s great for arthritis or sore muscles. Take a hot shower and rub it on before bed. You’ll wake up with no stiffness or soreness.

If you want to learn more about herbs before you go wildcrafting, I suggest you check out Learning Herbs. It’s a whole community of herb geeks that like to learn about herbs and they even offer a free e-course. Happy wildcrafting!

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The Marigold Connection

Natural Skin Care — Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:12 +0000

Back in 2008, the competition was steep, but in the end one herb stood out. Calendula— commonly known as the marigold—was chosen as the International Herb Association’s herb of the year. Not a more deserving herb in my opinion.

Calendula preparations have a long history of uses as anti-inflammatories and astringents. Calendula has been used in tinctures, ointments, and washes for centuries to heal bruises, burns, cuts and minor infections.

One of the most popular uses of Calendula is as a salve or cream ingredient because it decreases the inflammation of burns, rashes sprains, stings, and varicose veins. It’s gentle enough to be used as a tea to remedy thrush in children’s mouths.

Scientific studies have been conducted and it’s been proven that there is an increase of glycoprotein, nucleoprotein, and collagen at wound sites; also, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic properties.

Calendula is said to be the poor man’s saffron. Besides adding color and flavor to foods, tincture of calendula helps inflammatory problems of the digestive system such as gastritis, peptic ulcers, regional ileitis and colitis. Calendula has long been considered a detoxifying herb, and helps to treat the toxicity that underlies many fevers and infections and systemic skin disorders such as eczema and acne.

Other uses include:

A healing mouthwash for gums after tooth extraction
Rub the petals of a calendula flower into a bee or wasp sting,to reduce pain and reduce swelling
Infusion of Calendula helps reduce menstrual pain and regulate bleeding
Infusion of Calendula can also be an effective douche for yeast infections

Consider using Calendula if you have a skin inflammation. It has so many beneficial uses I’m sure you can find a way to put it to good use.

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Herbs That Can Help With the Aging Process

Natural Skin Care — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:06:42 +0000

Nobody likes the thought of aging and many people look for products that can help them slow down the aging process. If you are one of those people, have you ever thought about using herbs to assist with keeping you looking and feeling younger?

There are some herbs that people use to assist with aging and many of them have been quite effective. Some herbs can assist with the digestive process by helping the body to digest well and flush out wastes from your system. Some herbs will also stimulate blood circulation which also assists with digestion and also helps to keep your skin looking good.

Aging isn’t the only thing that causes your skin to start showing some fine lines and wrinkles. Stress is also a contributing factor to those lines and wrinkles and if you have lived a very stressful life, then there is a good chance that you will have your fair share of lines. There are many herbs available that can help to relax your mind and body, leaving you feeling less stressed. These herbs can certainly help with the aging process by leaving your body and mind feeling relaxed which can then have a positive effect on your skin.

Which Herbs Can Help With Aging Skin?

To help with the body’s digestive system, the herbs ginger, turmeric and bilberry are often used. Ginger helps to stimulate blood flow to your digestive organs and can also help with many stomach problems. Turmeric is great for protecting the liver which helps to detoxify the body.

To help improve the circulatory system you can use herbs such as Hawthorn Berry, Ginger, Cayenne and Motherwort. Hawthorn Berry helps lower blood pressure and dilates the coronary blood vessels. Cayenne improves circulation, aids digestion and helps to cleanse the body.

Motherwort has excellent circulation properties. For reducing stress try some Siberian Ginseng, Maitake, Gotu Kola or Wild Yam. Siberian Ginseng increases immunity to stress and the body’s recovery time when dealing with stress.

Maitake is from the Chinese mushroom and can help to adapt to stress. Gotu Kola helps to reduce anxiety, boost immunity and helps a person to cope better with stress. Wild Yam is a muscle relaxer.

Then there are some herbs that have great properties for healthy looking skin, such as Red Clover, Aloe Vera and Wolfberry fruits. Red Clover helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and helps to give a healthier looking skin.

Aloe Vera has skin soothing and anti-aging properties, which is why it is often found in skin care products. Wolfberry fruits contain vitamin c, amino acids, minerals, proteins and antioxidants, as well as anti-aging properties helping to keep the skin looking younger.

Of course, when trying to maintain healthy skin it is important to eat a healthy, nutritious diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables as they will help to cleanse your body and keep your body and skin healthy. Drinking lots of water will also keep your skin from becoming dehydrated as dehydrated skin can look older and saggy, so lots of water in the diet can help your skin to stay taught and smooth.

There is no stopping the aging process, it is going to hit us at some stage, but if you eat healthy, live healthy and even use some of these amazing herb, then you can keep looking younger for much longer.

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