ALL THINGS TOPICAL

[Lazy Gardener]

This is a place to post your recipes for salves, ointments, and tinctures: Any thing you put on your skin, nails, or hair that has healing properties. I think it would be helpful to have all the recipes in a single thread instead of scattered throughout multiple years of "new topics". I'm hoping that @Britesea will kick things off with her Plantain ointment.

Edited to add:

All things topical index:

Plantain ointment (Britesea) #2.

Herbal Drawing Salve (Britesea) #6

Poison Ivy Salve

https://thefreerangelife.com/make-poison-ivy-salve/ (Lazy gardener) #9

Chapstick (Hinotori) # 11

Lip gloss (Hinotori) # 13

Body butter (Hinotori) # 14

Lotion (Hinotori) # 15

Sore Muscle Rub (Marianne) #22

Ammonia for Chiggers and turkey mites (Creal Critter and Milk Man's dtr.) #26

ACV for bug bites, nettle stings (Marianne) #27 (Hinotori) #28

Simple whipped body butter (Hinotori) #59

Warming Ginger Cayenne Salve (Marianne) #76

Links to useful information (may or may not have been tried by SS members)

http://www.herbhedgerow.co.uk/20-skincare-herbs-for-treating-eczema/

https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/diy-herbal-salves

https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/rose-petal-salve-recipe/

https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/herbs-directory-culinary-medicinal-zl0z1401zhir#Elderberry

 

[Britesea]

Well, ok, I'll give the recipe, but it's really simple.
1. Cover about 1/3 cup dried plantain leaves (either plantago lanceolata or plantago major) with 1/2 cup of olive oil or other neutral carrier oil. Let it sit for at least a week, but the longer you wait, the more powerful it will be.
2. Strain the oil with a clean cloth ( I use a handkerchief) and squeeze the herb to extract as much good stuff as possible.
3. Heat up about 3 oz of clean beeswax in a pan that you can dedicate to this purpose. When it is melted, pour into a container and set it in a pan of simmering water. Add the plantain oil to the beeswax, stirring gently. The cooler oil will probably cause some of the beeswax to start to harden again, but just keep stirring over the simmering water until it is all combined. Remove from hot water.
4. Add 8-10 drops of tea tree oil to increase the antibacterial properties and to help preserve the salve.
5. Let cool and check the consistency of the salve. If it is too soft, add a touch more melted beeswax; if it is too hard, add a little oil.

This stuff is good for at least a year, and I have been known to use it even if it smells a touch rancid if I need it and don't have any fresh. Use it for any bite or sting, nettle stings, rashes... heck, try it for any kind of skin problem!

I recently ran across a reference to making a salve using cottonwood buds for the same purpose. I would probably make it the same way. It's good to know if you live in cottonwood country and don't have any plantain.

 

[Britesea]

I tried making a Black Drawing Salve, but I think it needs more beeswax. I still dabbed it onto my finger where it feels like I have raspberry thorn embedded, but I can't see it.

Herbal Drawing Salve

Heat 1/3 cup of olive oil in a double boiler and add 1 1/2 tsp dried chopped comfrey and 1 1/2 tsp dried plantain leaves. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain out the herbs and squeeze to extract all the good stuff. Wipe any herbs left behind in the double boiler.
Pour the herbal oil back into the double boiler and add 2 tsp beeswax (I'm going to add at least one more teaspoon). Heat and stir until the beeswax melts. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tbsp each Activated Charcoal Powder and Bentonite Clay, and 15 drops Tea Tree oil. Stir until completely incorporated. Pour into a storage container (it fit nicely in a 1/2 pint wide mouth mason jar) and let harden before sealing.

To Use: Spread the salve over splinters and cover with a bandage. Repeat as needed to remove the splinter. Be careful as the charcoal will stain EVERYTHING.

 

[Britesea]

A Short History of Medicine.

Doctor, I have an ear ache!

2000 BC Here, eat this root.

AD 1000 That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.

AD 1850 That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion
.
AD 1940 That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.

AD 1985 That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic
.
AD 2000 That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root.

Author unknown.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

@rodeogirl, this is a great thread for you too. I know you're good with this stuff. I think @Marianne and @Mini Horses and @HomesteaderWife also have recipes (I could be wrong!) Thanks, @Lazy Gardener and @Britesea for starting a dedicated thread.

 

[CrealCritter]

I don't know about salves, ointments, and tinctures but @milkmansdaughter she did help my with some chiggers/turkey mites last year. https://www.sufficientself.com/threads/chiggers-turkey-mites.15389/

 

[Mini Horses]

I have Bocking 4. Hearsay is that the 14 is bitter & 4 not. Also, 4 has deeper rooting . I just know that my animals love it. I have tasted these but, no 14 to compare.

No re-seeding, sterile. Have to use root stock to start. It's a prolific plant once established. This is 2nd start for a field of it. First one they ate roots and all! Started these with older, larger root stock crowns. Just ordered a few more crown and some smaller root stock. This is organic stuff. I'll get there, takes time & some expense. These I've potted in 5 gal tubs until they are well established. I'm special fencing to get a patch of it working. It will be about 2 yrs to get "enough", planted & growing well enough for goats and chickens supplemental feed.

Need to "think" where to have that before I set these out. I'm looking at a raised bed type in back yard to start them, leaving a few there as a "mother load"...in ground. Large potting about 30 of them to later transplant at a permanent site. I had about 40 growing and chickens devoured all!! Didn't expect that. It's like 36% protein.

It is & has always been great to help heal and not scar..."knit-bone" is nickname. And the Russians have used it orally for centuries. They say "liver damage" is why we should not eat it. There was a farmer who used it for his flock and when butchered, not ONE had damage. Also, none had liver flukes which had been quite prevalent in that area of the country. Like ALL medicines...there are offsets for use. I want to use it for salves/infused oils. It is reported to greatly help sprains, bruises, not just broken bones, etc. Proof has been that there are chemicals in this plant that are acknowledged to perform such healing.

Things that have been used and worked for a thousand years have now got Big Pharm growling. No $$ in it for them. When you hear the risks for many current drugs, I just shake my head and say "no thanks"....if I needed this med per a doctor, I'd say no.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I'm copying over some of the posts on other threads that have recipes.... Hope you don't mind, @Hinotori

Simple whipped body butter
1/2 cup liquid oil
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup beeswax
1 tsp vitamin E oil
2 TBSP cocoa butter
A few drops of essential oil can be added if desired

*Combine liquid oil, coconut oil, beeswax, and cocoa butter in double boiler.

*Heat on medium stirring occasionally until melted. Pull off heat.

*Add vitamin E oil and essential oils.

*Let cool a few minutes then use wisk attachment on hand mixer to whip until it thick but still pourable.

*Pour into waiting containers. Use a spatula to get out as it starts getting solid fast once it gets to this point.

I filled five, 2 oz containers with this recipe.

 

[Hinotori]

Chapstick

1 part cocoa butter (can use shea butter)
1 part coconut oil
I part beeswax

Optional few drops candy flavor oil and few drops non-alcohol stevia extract

Melt together and stir well. Pour into tubes.

 

[Hinotori]

Expand quote. My replies are in bold

Can you explain the use of water/emulsifier wax. What is the purpose of emulsifying and adding water?

The emulsifier needs dispersed throughout the oil to make the water incorporate. Otherwise it just separates.

Is this so that your final mix is not too "oily"?

Lotion has water in it to make it more creamy and soak in faster. I don't use the body butter because just oil is too much for my skin. The lotion works good for me. It's opposite for my Mom.

I was under the impression that borax can be toxic (a tiny little bit goes a very long way in gardening, and is not even approved for organic gardening unless soil tests show a boron deficiency. I use it in my laundry detergent, but would be hesitant to use it in a lotion.

Borax is pretty safe for mammals as long as you don't eat it, and even then it would take a decent amount to upset your stomach. You can buy premade emulsifier waxes but the ingredients all have cancer concerns.

Are your percentages for the emulsifier wax by weight?

The recipe I found didn't actually say. I use measuring spoons for it since the Vit E and rosemary oil are calculated by volume of ingredients.

How long does this lotion keep?

6 weeks on the counter depending on how liquid. It freezes well. I usually pull out a new jar once a month. I only make it twice a year.

Is my fear of borax irrational?

Don't breathe in a lot of borax dust, actually eat it, or apply a paste of it to your skin and there should be zero issues. It's a tiny amount used. Unless you're actually super sensitive to it, it won't do anything. Even then it would just irritate the skin.

Do you freeze your lotions, salves and ointments to give them a longer shelf life?

This freezes well. Does not separate on thawing.

For Calendula, do you just use petals, and what would be your ratio?

I use whole dried flower heads.

Comfrey... how do you use that? Dry, fresh? Ratio?

Also dried leaves. If I need 2 cups of liquid, I'd use a cup of each plant then pour 3 cups of hot water over to steep. Strain and measure.

I assume I can make an oil infusion with these 2 plants for a general healing salve.

Yes. I generally take a jar and fill it with whatever dried herb and pour almond or olive oil over and let it sit a week. Then I strain and measure out what I need. The Balm of Gilliad takes at least 6 weeks and is best with fresh buds. Make sure there is an air permeable top if using fresh so moisture can escape. I use coffee filters.