Sharing my all-purpose salve recipe!

[OldFashionedMama]

After receiving a sweet "Thank you, Mama" from my oldest son after applying some to a scrape tonight, I thought I'd share the recipe with everyone.

4T dried comfrey (1c fresh)
2c fresh plantain (broadleaf or lanceleaf)
2T dried yarrow (or about 1/2c fresh)
1/4c fresh chickweed
1T dried goldenseal (please purchase from a responsible source-never wildcrafted!)
6-10 drops tea tree oil
raw honey
olive oil
beeswax (beads or grated)

Place all herbs in a small saucepot with enough oil to cover 1 inch over the fresh stuff. Simmer gently for 1-2 hours. Place a small colander or large tea strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel and pour the oil through it into a clean pot. Squeeze out as much as you can from the herbs in the cheesecloth until no more oil drips out. Add the tea tree oil, raw honey and the beeswax. At this point, dip a spoon into the oil and leave it on the counter for a few minutes to see what consistency your salve is taking on. If you want it to be thicker, add more beeswax. Quickly pour the salve into small, clean jars while its still liquid. It will solidify in a few hours.

This salve was originally created by me to treat diaper rash with my sons, who had very sensitive skin as babies. It is fantastic for bug bites, cuts and scrapes, burns, and also excellent for perineal healing after childbirth. Because of the intense healing power of the comfrey, do not use this salve on deep wounds (such as those sustained by being sliced by your harvesting knife whilst harvesting said herb). A thin layer of skin will grow over the top of the wound, creating a potential for serious infection.

I can't recommend this enough as a diaper ointment. My daughter gets the occasional rash, especially after eating acidic foods like tomato sauce, and she will start crying when I go to change her in anticipation of the sting from me wiping her. As soon as I apply the salve, she immediately stops crying. My boys were the same way, and they still calm down after getting scraped up outside once I apply the salve. I never seem to be able to harvest enough yarrow, but if you have a bounty of the plant, go ahead and add more to this recipe. I have no doubt that it contributes the most to the pain-relieving aspect.

This salve will stay good for a year or more, probably longer if you're exclusively using dried herbs, but I like to make a new batch every year, as I'm sure it loses potency over time.

I use old baby food jars to keep the salve, but you can find fancy cosmetic jars plenty of places if you like fancy things

[Expeditioner]

Thanks for the recipe. I am definitely going to add it to my notebook. Will attempt to make a batch sometime this week.

[Canadian]

Thanks for sharing.

[NaeKid]

Looks like I have something else to add to my list .. now to find the ingredients ..

[CVORNurse]

Interesting sounding salve. My DD, now 6, was very prone to diaper rashes, wish I had had this then.

[dtompsett]

I'll have to set this aside for future reference to try... we're starting an apiary (keeping honey bees), and will have plenty of fresh honey and beeswax to work with!