HERBAL SALVES
You can make your own skin soother, lip balm, or a healthy substitute for petroleum jelly with a few simple ingredients. Products that contain petroleum are not a healthy skin application in my opinion.
THE BASIC RECIPE
Warm two ounces of oil on a low heat and add a couple of ounces of beeswax (grated) to the oil to make a basic salve. The wax should be stirred into the warm oil until it melts and is completely blended. Place the blended oil and wax into a shallow glass container. When cooled, it will thicken. Making salve in small batches allows you to store it short-term without the necessity of additional preservative ingredients.
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
Once the beeswax has been blended with your oils, you have the option of adding other ingredients.
* Vitamin E oil greatly benefits the skin. Squeeze the contents of a pierced capsule into the beeswax and oil.
* Select your favorite fragrance and add a few drops of essential oil. Just be sure to carefully read labels as some essential oils are not intended for use in applications on the skin.**
* Around 7 drops of tea tree oil acts as a preservative. The strength of your tea tree oil is important. The strength varies from one product to another and can cause skin irritation in potent doses, so use caution.**
Infuse olive oil (extra virgin) using the heat method and dried goldenrod flowers & leaves. For 3 to 4 hours (or longer) heat the oil and herbs gently in a double boiler. Use approximately 2 cups of oil and 1 cup of herb. Remove the oil from the heat, strain it into a quart canning jar, discard the herbs, adding a cup of coconut oil to the jar, and stir until the coconut oil is melted and blended into the olive oil.
Return this blended oil to the double boiler with a cup of dried plantain and another cup of goldenrod, allowing it to continue to infuse for another 3 to 4 hours or longer.
Allow the jars to cool once the ingredients are blended. This should set up to a nice salve texture. Plantain, a styptic, will help stop bleeding, pain, inflammation and itching. Strains, sore muscles, and sprains are eased by Goldenrod which also has antiseptic properties
IF YOUR SALVE IS TOO HARD OR SOFT
If you find your salve is too hard, it can be warmed and more oil added, mixed and cooled to re-set. Should it prove too soft, warm and add more beeswax. Check the consistency after it has cooled to room temperature.
**PLAN TO SAVE ON INGREDIENTS**
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TAKE NOTE
HOW TO MAKE OIL INFUSIONS
Oils can be infused with your choice of herbs using a cool process or a faster heat method. In both methods, it is best to select a cold-pressed, food grade oil
HOT INFUSION
COLD INFUSION
The constituents of the herbs will be gently extracted by the sun and remain in the oil. Use a clean cloth or paper filter to strain the oil, discarding the used herbs. Place your oil in a clean glass jar or bottle for storage.
Although it will keep for about a year, use your oil fresh for the most benefit.
USING INFUSED OILS
MEDICINALLY, oil infusions are used to apply the beneficial properties of herbs directly to the place of need. For this application, herbs which are soothing to the skin and sore muscles and have a high tannin content are good selections. Goldenrod is a variety of herb that eases muscle aches and pains.
IN THE KITCHEN, there is a wide variety of herbs that can be used to infuse oils: rosemary, peppercorns, oregano and the zest of lemon peels to name a few. You can utilize a pestle and mortar to crush or bruise the dried herbs you select. Chop fresh herbs. Many people like to use decorative bottles with cork closures. As a bread dip, salad dressing or an all-purpose condiment, people enjoy using a healthy, flavorful infused oil.
AS AN INGREDIENT IN SOAP AND TOILETRIES oils infused with your favorite herbs can bring color, medicinal properties and a pleasant smell to your favorite recipes. Herbs such as rosemary, catnip and lavender can be used to infuse a mosquito repelling oil. Oils infused with aromatic herbs can be used to create creams and lotions with a pleasing scent.
There is a scene in THE VISION by Debi Pearlwhere a pregnant woman receives a gift of various herbs and some booklets. Rather than an inappropriate gift, information is an investmentTHE VISION will also provide you with more examples of daily uses for herbs; get your copy today.
Rather than pay retail, I started making my own baby wipes. Even after my kids were all out of diapers, I found it useful to keep these wipes on hand. Whether you are going on a picnic, camping or traveling, these are most helpful to have on hand.
cleaning the container with a vinegar rinse and using distilled or filtered water makes it unnecessary to add preservatives.
This is a bare bones recipe. Many other wipes utilize fragrances, oils, preservatives and lotions. Without using those ingredients, I am still able to have mold-free wipes.
You will need to purchase a roll of Bounty Big Roll, the select-a-size variety. Other brands fall apart when used for wipes. Halve the roll of paper towels into two equal rolls. A long knife with a serrated edge works best for this. Two large buckets of wipes can be made from a single roll of paper towels.
Add a couple tablespoons hypoallergenic bath soap to a couple of cups distilled or filtered water. Once blended, pour the liquids into the bucket.
my babies stayed clean and dry
Place several wipes into a smaller, re-sealable waterproof container. You could use a lidded container or a zippered plastic bag. Use a vinegar and water solution to clean and dry the container between uses.
HOMEMADE LIQUID SOAP
GENTLE ALTERNATIVES TO BABY OILS
This article is written to inform and designed for the benefit of the reader. Use good judgment and discretion when utilizing these methods. Readers bear the responsibility to be informed and reach their own conclusions.<br/>
AVOIDING THE ITCH OF POISON SUMAC, POISON OAK AND POISON IVY
Many individuals have severe allergic reactions to poison sumac, poison oak, and poison ivy. A skin-penetrating oil which binds to cells deep within the dermis, called urushiol, is found in all of these plants. When the stems or leaves are crushed or bruied, the oil is released. Learning to identify the plants will enable you to avoid a painful rash.
POISON OAK
Growing as a shrub, poison oak can often be found growing with oak and pine trees. Commonly, it is found in sandy soils. Deep green leaves are common in the spring and summer months. In the spring, flowers of yellowish green hang in clusters and turn to greenish white berries. The fall foliage of the plant changes color in the fall and can vary from red, yellow, orange or reddish black. Native peoples were known to use the plant to make black dye. In the early spring and winter, there are no leaves. The stems can be up to five feet in length and are colored gray to light brown.
A single stalk supports leaves that grow in groups of three. One leaf grows off of the end of the stalk and the other two are at 90 degree angles. Resembling the white oak tree leaf, the leaves are lobed randomly along the edges and have a rounded tip. While groups of three leaves are most common on a stalk, occasionally there will be groupings of as many as five.
POISON IVY
Most often, poison ivy is seen growing as a vine, but there are shrub varieties. The groups of leaves grow in groups of three, but can be found to have as many as 5 or even 7 per stem. These leaves are sometimes notched, not lobed, and they narrow to a point.
POISON SUMAC
This plant thrives in swampy habitats and can reach heights of 15 to 20 feet. Each leaf has a reddish stem with seven to thirty smooth-edged leaflets.
In the spring, sweet-fragranced flowers bloom that turn to cream-colored berries. The leaves turn yellow and bright red in the fall.
Avoiding contact with the plant is your next line of defense. Cover your skin with garments that shield your arms and legs, wear gloves and wear shoes that cover your feet when you plant to be around plants outdoors. Try not to rub against plants or crush them with your body.
Stay away from piles of burning brush. The urushiol oil becomes airborn when poison ivy, sumak or poison oak are burned and can be taken into the lungs. The result can be a serious lung inflammation with rash that spreads all over the body. The inflammation to the lungs can sometimes be fatal.
SKIN BARRIER CREAMS CAN HELP
Before you come in contact with a plant, some topical creams* can be applied to prevent outbreaks. Several of these have the ingredient bentoquatam which is a type of bentonite clay. By forming a protective barrier on the skin, these over-the-counter claylike lotions keep urushiol from binding with oils in the skin. Apply these to exposed skin before going out.
*These include Hylands Ivy Block Lotion, Ivy Block Lotion, and Enviroderm Ivy Block.
By penetrating the top layer of skin, urushiol is then able to bind to cells deep within the epidermis. Usually, this process takes close to 30 minutes, but it can occur within as little as 3 minutes after exposure. If used before bonding, almost any solvent will remove urushiol oil from the skin.
UPON EXPOSURE
When you've gotten urushiol on your skin (or think you might have), you should rinse the area with plain water immediately.
Find a fine grained soil, similar to what you'd find on a footpath, and use it like a powder on your skin. The soil will help absorb the oil. Gently pat your skin with the soil to neutralize the urushiol. Take care to use a patting motion as rubbing the soil into the skin could spread the oils.
As soon as you are able, wash the exposed area using properly made lye soap and lukewarm or cool water. The better choice is lye soap as it has the ability to clean without stripping the skin of its naturally protective oils. Other soaps remove this protection and can actually speed the skin's allergic response. Remember to carefully clean hands and nails. Urushiol remaining on the hands could transfer to any other skin you touch. Soap your skin a second time and allow the area to dry naturally.
Rubbing alcohol, mineral spirits, and witch hazel are organic solvents that can be utilized. Don't ever use petroleum based products such as kerosene, or gasoline on the skin. Products such as these will damage the skin and make it easier for urushiol to penetrate the skin.
Bath soaks, paste applications, topical liquid applications and poultices are ways to treat the allergic rash reaction to urushiol. The rash isn't spread by scratching unless you have urushiol on your hands. Scratching will however cause the itching to be more severe and increase your discomfort.
BATH APPLICATIONS
A few tablespoons of oatmeal ground in a blender can be added to a warm bath. This is drying to a blistered rash and relieving to the itch. Protect your pipes from clogging by using a strainer or cloth over the drain. Take care when exiting the tube as oatmeal makes the surface slippery.
Another good ingredient for bath soaks is Epsom salts as this will help dry the rash. Follow the instructions on the label.
PASTES FOR THE SKIN
Various ingredients can be utilized to produce pastes that will speed healing, lessen itching and reduce blistering & inflammation.
A common weed called plantain (also known as Plantago Major) reduces, itch, inflammation and pain. This plant speeds healing of the skin. The leaves and stems can be gound into a paste by using your mouth or a blender; then apply the goo to your skin.
The root of Hydrastis Canadensis, also known as Goldenseal root is an anti-inflammatory. This can be ground into a paste and applied to the skin. Aloe vera gel is added to the mixture by some.
Near the growing habitat of most poison ivy patches, you will find jewelweed, or Impatiens aurea. The juice from the leaves and stem are a traditional herbal treatment for plant rashes and other types of dermatitis. The juice has the ability to help neutralize the chemicals from plants that cause skin rashes. If you are in the field and are exposed to poison oak, ivy or even stinging nettle, find a jewelweed plant, slice the stem and rub the inside of the plant against your skin. This stops the discomfort and can prevent rashes in most individuals. Because jewelweed leaves have a high moisture and oil content, they don't lend themselves to drying.
One way to keep jewelweed is to make a strong tea of the chopped leaves, letting it steep until the liquid is dark orange in color. If you don't see the orange color (usually because you've used yellow jewelweed) the liquid won't be as effective. When cooled, strain the liquid and freeze into cubes. Use the jewelweed cubes to rub onto irritated skin to speed healing. In the freezer, these will maintain their potency up to a year. The fresh leaves work well as an ingredient in homemade soap. It is not recommended to make an alcohol tincture using jewelweed as the combination can cause a bad reaction in some individuals.
Three parts of a blend of baking soda and alum can be added to one part water to form a paste. The alum increases the styptic properties of this paste.
SOOTHING LIQUIDS
To relieve the itching and dry the rash a white vinegar compress is helpful. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to 1/2 cup vinegar. Chill this in your refrigerator. Use a cloth moistened in the solution and then place it onto your rash for cooling relief.
Other ingredients to add to this solution:
The juice of a lemon
A cooled tea made from honey suckle leaves
Use a cotton ball dipped into witch hazel to soothe your skin. Use the kind that comes in an alcohol solution as the evaporation of the alcohol will cool your skin.
Hold a cloth soaked in cold milk against your skin. This is more soothing to irritated skin than cold water. It isn't known why this is more effective, but it could be because of the milk fat.
TEA POULTICE
Apply moistened tea bags (green or black) to a skin rash. Tea's tannic acid is an astringent and causes infamed tissue to contract, relieving itching.
ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS
Dab calamine lotion onto the rash. This lotion will help to dry blisters and relieve the itch. Should the lotion prove too runny it can be thickened with cornstarch.
Whichever application(s) you utilize, acting quickly is important. These ideas are presented for only for your information. Using any of these suggestions must be done with good judgment at the risk of the reader.
