Herbology II

Herbal Oils

Ok lovelies, here's the low-down on herbal oils. These are for external uses: skin irritations, cuts, bites, earaches, bruises, etc. So don't try to put them on your favorite salad! Oils can keep up to a year if they are stored in a cool dark place, preferably in a dark bottle. Oils will keep longer if you use dried herbs, than if you use fresh.

General directions:

Bruise herbs by rubbing (fresh or dried) between palms to break it down and release all the good stuff (the active ingredients). If you pulled them right out of your garden, let them wilt for a day or so they have less water content and stay longer in oil.

• Placed bruised herbs in a glass jar

• Pour sesame or olive oil over herbs to 1 inch over the top.

• Cover tightly with lid and put in in a dark cool place

• Shake shake shake it every day for two weeks for about one minute to mix well.

• Strain oil through a cheesecloth and discard herbs.

• Add a vitamin E (400 IU) capsule as a preservative after straining.

The quick method is to basically cook the herbs in the oil over low heat for 20 minutes. I think this might be a little less potent but it sure is faster.

Some good combinations are chamomile, calendula, lavender, rose, yarrow, plaintain, comfrey or mullein.

Herbal Salves

Salves are made by adding an herbal oil to beeswax in proper-like proportions to make a firm salve. Herbal salves are used externally to heal cuts, scraps, skin irritations etc. I like a nice mild salve just for winter chappies.

• Mix 1-1/2 oz. dried/powdered herbs or 3 oz. fresh herbs with 1 cup olive or sesame oil in a non-reactive pan (non-reactive = stainless steel, glass, porcelain).

• Simmer on low for 20 minutes.

• At the same time, melt ½ oz. beeswax in another pan or double boiler.

• Pour herbal oil over beeswax. Mix together.

• Add 1/8 teaspoon vitamin E oil as a preservative.

• Test for hardness: dip teaspoon into oil and place in the fridge until it gets hard, about 3-5 minutes. If it’s too hard, reheat gently and add more oil, too soft, more beeswax.

• Pour it into a small container with a lid.

Helpful herbs and essentials to add on in: calendula, comfrey, mullein, lemon balm, yarrow, plantain, echinacea, lavender, frankincense (I love the smell of frankincense and it's good for acne, rashes, and more), chickweed, etc.

Guess what everyone I know is getting for Christmas? Salves, baby. So you can see from here, is not a big stretch to lip balms. Just make sure the herbs/oils you use are safe for ingestion. I know you aren’t chomping on your chapstick but it let’s just say, licking your lips adds up. Vanilla, cinnamon, and honey make nice additions for your pucker slicker.

And if you haven't yet, check out http://www.MountainRoseHerbs.com. They have wonderful products and are a great company.