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Simple tool to break down beeswax blocks
I'm here to help the salve makers here save some money. Who doesn't like that? We all know that bricks cost less than pastilles, but bricks of beeswax are not fun to deal with. My husband encouraged me to get some beeswax (a good price) at the craft sale so I can get by for a while. We will talk to some beekeepers about…
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Jewelweed Identification
I noticed that we didn't appear to have a post for people to be able to identify jewelweed. I had someone ask me, just today, about just this subject. This site gives an excellent summary along with good pictures pointing out what to look for.
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Cottonwood buds
The electric company is cutting down a huge cottonwood tree in my neighbor's yard. It's just a couple of feet from MY yard, and they're working from my yard. I mourn the big tree. But I'm hoping I can harvest a bunch of cottonwood buds to make medicine. I know they'll haul off the limbs and brush but they can't get them…
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I bought Grandpa's Wormwood Ointment
This ointment is made at Altona, Manitoba, and from what I understand, has been a longstanding salve made & sold in the area. I imagine that it would be fairly easy to replicate. I saw some bear balm products at the store as well, make by someone else, but the price is so high. Hopefully, I am able to source the…
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Spruce pitch in cottonwood bud salve
I read a story where a person got a deep gash (to the bone), while hiking. They used acorn husks/shells made into a tea (cooled) as an astringent to clean & dry out the gash somewhat & start to draw the edges together. Someone then suggested to them to put white spruce pitch on it to heal it completely. They hesitated…
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Cottonwood Salve Makes a Great Gift
I often make cottonwood salve and package it in small tins for gifts. You can use any species of cottonwood bud, and winter is the best time to collect the sticky buds from fallen limbs. Winter storms often bring down more than enough for my projects! I learned to make it straight from John Gallagher, of Learning Herbs and…
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Making a lotion
I've been using a chickweed/plantain salve, and more recently a chickweed tincture for toning my face. When I put the tincture on my cheeks, the fumes from it irritate my eyes, so I was wondering if a lotion could be made from the tincture and the salve? Or if the salve should have been an oil without beeswax to mix well?
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Making Salve
There are lots of recipes out there for salves - comfrey salve, arnica salve, yarrow salve, plantain salve. Why not make a comfrey, yarrow, plantain salve? You know? Blend them all together am make a multi-purpose salve? Is there a draw back or two herbs that you would don't want to combine?
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Homemade pain salve
Finally got around to making my arnica oil salve. Have has it infusing for over 2 months now. Melted down my beeswax (Thank you to my cousin and his bees for providing me with plenty,) mixed with my oil and poured about half of it into small pots. Have been wanting to try a stick style for ease of application. Just…
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Black Drawing Salve
I have a few recipes for black drawing salve. They all include infused oils like St. John's Wort, calendula, hyssop and others. Has anyone tried using tinctures? Do you think it would work? I have a larger variety of tinctures than I do oils.
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Jewelweed Salve
Yes, today is a day of discovery. I have often wondered what jewelweed was. I saw it today (but no poison ivy right in that spot, lol). I hope to go back & make a salve with what I harvest. Does anyone else have experience using it or making a salve to use? Any tips? I hear fresh is best with this plant.
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Herbs did what doctors couldn't
My mother is in her 80s and developed a painful, bleeding rash on both arms. She went to her doctor, a dermatologist and a hematologist. No one could figure out what it was or do anything to help her. I haven't seen her in over a year because of covid and found out what was going on after she was suffering almost 6 months.…
