Making an Herbal Oil

Herb-infused oils are easy to make and, depending on the herbs used, encompass a variety of healthful uses -- from healing up scrapes, cuts, bumps and bruises, to reducing scar tissue, to soothing a baby's rashy bum, to eliminating aches and pains.  In this article, I'll teach you how easy it is to make calendula-infused oil using dried calendula flowers and vegetable oil... but first, a little introduction to the benefits of using calendula topically.

Calendula possesses three main actions which give it high esteem as a topical medicinal herb.  First, it is considered a vulnerary, which is a funny way of saying it excels at healing wounds.  Combine this with the herb's anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties and you've got a winning combination.  I use calendula salve topically for a variety of conditions including eczema, burns, scrapes, bumps and bruises as well as diaper rash and other fungal problems like athlete's foot.  Calendula is high in carotenoids (an antioxidant pre-cursor of Vitamin A) and combined with chamomile, calendula excels at reducing the redness and inflammation of rosacea.  OK, so let's learn a "folk" method of making calendula oil.

Ingredients and Kitchen Equipment Needed:

• Blender or Vita-mix
• Spatula
• Quart Glass Jar with Lid
• Dried Calendula Flowers (I prefer just the orange flowers as it makes a deeper orange oil with more carotenoids).
• Organic Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Olive or Sweet Almond oil are nice choices).

Directions:

1. Add calendula flowers to your blender
2. Add some vegetable oil - do not cover the flowers in oil - maybe about 1/2 way (it's best to start out with less oil and add it as you need to).
3. Blend the herbs and oil, stopping to tamp down the flowers and then blend again.
4. Add just enough oil so that the oil and herbs blend together.  It should be thick.
5. Blend for a couple of minutes until the blender container becomes warm (this starts the maceration process).
6. Use the spatula to pour the contents of the blender into a clean glass jar.
7. Put the lid on and place the jar in a paper bag.
8. Set the jar in a warm spot for 2 weeks (I put mine out on the sunny porch in the summertime).
9. Strain through a muslin cloth and bottle.
10. Keep refrigerated to extend the shelf life.  This oil will last a year refrigerated.

Herbal First Aid Kits - Part I

Summertime is here... any for many people that means travel!  Don't leave home without your appropriate First Aid Kit to address issues ranging from emotional upsets to food poisoning to those pesky biting insects. Here are some suggestions for stocking an herbal first aid kit which you can use at home and on the road.  Each family's first aid kit is unique and what you put in your kit depends on your own personal needs.  My top picks for an herbal first aid kit includes items that address the following issues.

Trauma:  Every first aid kit needs something for mental/emotional upsets and jangled nerves.

• Flower Essences.  Rescue Remedy is a well-known Flower Essence formula originally made by Dr. Bach.  Flower Essences are gentle yet effective remedies that are suitable for the whole family (including your pets!).  We recommend Solace and Strength, a formula made by local Herbalist & Medicine Maker, Catherine Abby Rich of Combining Forces, an essence similar to Rescue Remedy.
• Passionflower or Kava Kava.  Both these herbs are extremely helpful for anxiety.  I like tincture best as it works quickly and is easy to carry.  A dropperful or two as needed up can help calm and quiet a worried mind and ease nervousness and angst.

Tummy Upsets: This can range from motion sickness to food poisoning to parasites and all of those are distinct possibilities when traveling, especially when going out of the country.

• Ginger Tea (or Candied Ginger).  Great for nausea.  Ginger is also helpful for aiding with digestion when taken before meals (good for people who run cold and have little digestive fire)... and for dispelling gas and indigestion thereafter.  
• Activated Charcoal and/or Bentonite Clay Capsules. Charcoal and clay both rock at absorbing pathogens within your digestive tract to be carried out.  (Be sure to drink extra water when taking these supplements as they can be binding).  I always carry these in my first aid kit when traveling out of the country, when food poisoning or parasites are a possibility.  Because of their absorbent qualities, these capsules are also helpful for traveler's diarrhea.
• Gut Soothing Herbs. To soothe inflamed mucus membranes of the digestive tract, Slippery Elm Bark is my go to choice of herb (simply add a heaping teaspoon to 4 ounces of water, stir and drink down).  Repeat as necessary up to 4x a day.  Slippery Elm will also help with acid reflux. Other herbs that can help an inflamed gut include Meadowsweet, Marshmallow Root and Fennel Seed.
• Bulk Laxatives.  If constipation is an issue, try adding chia or flax seeds to your diet.  I like to add chia seeds to my water bottle and drink throughout the day.  Psyllium husks are also helpful for constipation.  Drink plenty of water... at least 8 glasses a day.

Burns. First cool the burn with cool water (unless it’s a 3^rd degree burn, then simply cover with a clean sheet or other smooth cloth and keep the person quiet until help arrives). To soothe a burn, try:

• Aloe Vera Gel, Honey or Lavender Essential Oil.  All are soothing and will help prevent infection. (A spray of lavender essential oil dilute in distilled water makes a great after-sun spray for sunburns.  Add up to 30 drops of essential oil to one ounce of water.  I like to keep mine refrigerated.).

Abcesses, Bug Bites.  Here we want a drawing agent to pull out venum, toxins, pus, etc.

• Clay or Slippery Elm Powder both work well here. Make a paste of the clay or slippery elm powder by adding water and apply to the area.  Clay and Slippery Elm powder have a multitude of uses and are handy to keep on hand for topical application as well as internal disharmony.  Tips:  Clay paste with the addition of a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil will ease the itch and reduce the swelling of poison oak!  

Bumps, Bruises, Swellings, Rashes.

• Herbs that promote wound healing include Comfrey, Calendula, St. John's Wort, Yarrow and Plantain.  (Don't use Comfrey on a deep wound). For ease of use, infuse the herbs and oil and add beeswax to make an herbal salve.
• Arnica Homeopathically.  Arnica tablets and gel are wonderful for reducing swellings and bruising.
• Calendula cream, salve or oil is an excellent aid in healing rashes including mild eczema and diaper rash.

Next month we'll discuss herbal strategies for Pain, Sore Muscles, Headaches and more.  Stay tuned!

Herb of the Month: Mugwort

Mugwort is a powerful herbal ally for women's reproductive systems, and for bellies belonging to all of us, no matter what our gender or age is!

Mugwort has been used by many as an emmenagogue, meaning to stimulate menstruation, taken by those with irregular or suppressed menses. It has been suggested that mugwort stimulates the uterus, which agrees with some of the other uses of mugwort: as a tonic during labor and to relieve menstrual cramps. It has also been used for epilepsy, colds, fevers, bronchitis, colic, sciatica, kidney ailments, and as an appetite stimulent and nerve tonic. The volatile oil in the leaves make a good remedy for indigestion, upset stomachs, and other stomach ailments. Research shows it may lower blood sugar.

Mugwort has long been used to promote vivid, lucid, and prophetic dreams. It can be taken as a tea or smoked before bedtime, branches can be hung near the bed, or the crushed leaves and flowers can be put in a sachel or pillow to place on or near the bed.

In addition to its use with dreams, mugwort is associated with psychic powers in general. It is also used for protection, by hanging the plant over doorways either in whole branches or crushing the leaves and flowers to put in a sachel, often along with other herbs. Mugwort is sometimes ritually smoked, usually in combination with other herbs, and it has a nice smell, which makes a good herb for smudging. Mugwort is considered a sacred herb of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, the hunt, and chastity, which gives it its scientific name. Because of this the plant is also associated with the Moon and young women.

Latin Name: Artemesia vulgaris or Artemesia Californica (native)

Family: Asteraceace

Used as: tea, tincture, smudge, herb pillows, etc.

Herb of the Month: Cozy Chamomile

Herb of the Month: 

Chamomile   

German chamomile has been taken for digestive problems since at least the 1st century AD. Gentle and efficacious, it is very suitable for children. The herb is valuable for pain, indigestion, acidity, gas, gastritis, bloating, and colic. It is also used for hiatus hernia, peptic ulcer, Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome. German chamomile, which contains spiroether and bisabolol, very strong antispasmodics, relax tense, aching muscles and eases menstrual pain.  It also appears to have relaxing action on the smooth muscle lining of the digestive tract.

Chamomile means "earth apple" which is easy to understand when we accidentally trample the flowers and underfoot and suddenly smell the welcome fragrance of apples rising from the earth. In the same way, Spanish speaking peoples often use the name Manzanilla, literally meaning "little apple."

Even for those largely unfamiliar with herbs, the distinctive sweet scent of Chamomile is often both familiar and comforting. This plant is many people's first and perhaps only introduction to herbalism, often from a cup of honey-sweetened and belly-calming tea from their grandmother.

Just as it soothes and heals internally, Chamomile is also a first-rate external application for almost any case of inflammation, irritation, swelling and even potential infection. It finds its way into many formulas for eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other common inflammatory skin conditions.

Steams, baths and infused oil are other effective ways of utilizing the calming, decongestive and healing properties of the herb. It can be used as a warm compress or saline eyewash to reduce inflammation, possible infection and pain in the treatment of styes, conjunctivitis, pink eye and similar maladies.  

Latin: Matricaria recutita (German) or Anthemis nobilis (Roman)

Common Names: Chamomile, Camamyle, Manzanilla, Scented Mayweed.

Taste / qualities: Bitter and spicy   

Actions: anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, relaxant, carminative, mild bitter, antiallergenic.

   

Queen of Hungary Water

"This is one of the world's finest cosmetic formulas. It combines gentle common herbs in a masterful way, it's easy to make, and it's a versatile formula that serves many purposes. The Gypsies used it as a hair rinse, mouthwash, headache remedy, aftershave, footbath, and who knows what else! I have seen this formula sold in department stores in exotic little bottles for a fancy price. You can make it for the cost of a few herbs and a bottle of vinegar." 

-- Rosemary Gladstar 

6 parts lemon balm  

4 parts chamomile  

4 parts roses  

3 parts calendula  

3 parts comfrey leaf  

1 part lemon peel  

1 part rosemary  

1 part sage  

Vinegar (apple cider or wine)  

Rose water or witch hazel  

Essential oil of lavender or rose (optional)

1. Place the herbs in a widemouthed jar.  

2. Fill the jar with enough vinegar that it rises an inch or two above the herb mixture. 3. Cover tightly and let it sit in a warm spot for 2 to 3 weeks. 4. Strain out the herbs. To each cup of herbal vinegar, add 2/3 to 1 cup of rose water or witch hazel. Add a drop or two of essential oil, if desired. 5. Rebottle. This product does not need to be refrigerated and will keep indefinitely.

Recipe courtesy of Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health 

Herb of the Month: Calendula

Calendula flowers are a garden staple in the Bay Area, their sunny orange flowers coming into bloom as the rainclouds clear.  Beyond being simply beautiful, however, calendula is a powerful plant ally for skin, lymph, and inflammatory conditions of the digestive system, such as gastritis, peptic ulcers, and colitis.    Internally, Calendula is a wonderful plant to assist with detoxification, and is often used to treat toxic-buildup that leads to infection and systemic skin disorders, such as eczema and acne.  It helps cleanse the liver, as well, and this action combined with its gentle yet strong lymph-draining qualities has led to its reputation as a powerful purifier.  Less well known, however, is that it can also be used as a calming and nourishing mouthwash after tooth-extraction or mouth surgery. Externally, Calendula is renowned as a skin-beautifier and healer.  It is often used infused in oils or as a salve or in creams to tonify, nourish, and protect skin as well as being used in first-aid for burns, rashes, and other red or inflammed skin conditions.     Calendula  Latin: Calendula officianalis Common Names: Calendula, Pot Marigold, Summer's Bride, Butterwort. Taste / qualities: slightly bitter, pungent, drying, gently cooling Actions: anti-inflammatory; relieves muscle spasms;    astringent; prevents hemorrhaging; heals wounds; antiseptic; detoxifying; mildly estrogenic.     Infused Calendula Oil     1c     Calendula petals, dried 1c     Organic Almond Oil Pint-Sized Mason Jar Paper Towels Cheesecloth Strainer 1. First fill your bone dry half pint jar half way with dried calendula blossoms. Just put them in loosely packed.    2. Pour almond oil over the flowers to fill the jar, leaving 1/4 inch space at the top. 3. Stir to release any air bubbles. 4. Cover the jar with paper towel secured with mason jar ring or a rubber band. Covering your oil in this way will allow any extra water in the plant material to evaporate while it is infusing. Water content on the plant material or jar can lead to mold in your oil. 5. Stir these oils every day for a week, smelling it each day and observing the oil and the plant material. Make sure all the plant material is under the oil each day. Exposed plant material can also cause mold. 6. After this first week you need not stir your oil, but continue to make daily or every other day observations. Heat and exposure to oxygen can cause your oil to go rancid and water content can lead to mold, so you will want to watch this preparation carefully. 7. Allow your oil to infuse for about 3 weeks, continuing to observe the color of the oil and the flowers. When the flowers become translucent the oil has completely saturated them, and the oil is ready to strain. 8. Strain your oils through cheesecloth, squeezing as much oil as possible from the flowers or leaves. You can compost the flowers, leaves and cheesecloth. 9. Store your finished oil in a capped jar with very little air space at the top.  This will help your oil stay fresh for as long as possible.

Herb of the Month: Milky Oats

Milky Oats come into their own across the rolling hills of the Bay Area in May, their tiny  pale green pennants waving at us in sunny spots along the trail.  Later, when the oats become dry, we tend to call this plant oatstraw.  Oatstraw has many similar qualities to Milky Oats -- and yet, medicinally and energetically, there's something special about this herb when its full of white milky sap, as it is right now.    

"Milky Oats' most remarkable actions tend to be seen in exhaustion. It is a profound restorative for the nervous and endocrine systems which are so easily depleted by a stressful lifestyle and bad diet. It's no replacement for proper nutritional therapy but an excellent therapeutic agent for the process of healing. It seems to directly provide a special sort of 'nerve food' for the body, to rebuild the nervous apparatus in a way that is both nutritional and yet more."

 -- Kiva Rose,  

Bear Medicine Herbals

Milky oats are a very helpful nutritive tonic any time there is mental and physical exhaustion as well as common symptoms of exhaustion such as an inability to focus, mood swings, decreased sexual desire, and anxiety.   

Milky Oats: 

Latin Name: Avena sativa

Common Names: Milky Oats, Wild Oats, Catgrass

Taste: Sweet

Actions: Nervous and endocrine resorative, relaxant and stimulant nervine, antispasmodic

   

Avena Dreams Cordial    

2.25c  Milky Oats /  Oatstraw
3c       Brandy, or to cover by 2"
1c       Rose Honey
1/2c    Rose Water

1. Let Oats steep in brandy for one month or one moon-cycle.  

2. Strain out oats and add rose water and honey.

3. Enjoy!

(Recipe courtesy of The Herbal Kitchen by Kami McBride)

Herb of the Month: Nettles

  

Nettles are an herbalist's best friend.  This small, inconspicuous looking plant has surprised many a hiker with its zippy sting, but perhaps what's more surprising is how powerful a healer it is.    

In springtime, this plant is often used as a nourishing tonic and blood cleanser; it helps to restore the health and vibrancy of the adrenal glands, normalizes hormone function and circulatory systems, and is a  powerful ally for the kidneys, digestion, and respiration.  It's very high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and is often used as an iron tonic during pregnancy.  In fact, herbalist Matt Wood says that this little mint-like plant "helps all protein pathways in the body -- digestion, immune response, liver metabolism, skin reactions, and kidney elimination."   

It is this relationship with proteins that makes Nettle a very good herb for people with allergies, as it is known to reduce the allergic response and also to eliminate mucus on membranes resulting from allergies (however, its not a quick-fix: in order for nettles to work in this way, its best to take them daily, beginning a couple of weeks before your allergies usually begin to effect you).   

Nettles can be taken as a tea, in tincture, and cooked and eaten as a wonderful healing food (the leaves loose their sting when cooked).       

Creamed Nettles

1 lb nettle tops  

4 Tbsp butter  

1/4 tsp salt  

1/4 tsp pepper  

1/2 cup cream

1 medium onion, minced 1/4 cup snipped chives  

2 cloves garlic, minced

Place nettles in a medium-sized saucepan (you might want to wear gloves for this).  

Pour in just enough water to cover; add 2 tablespoons of the butter, salt, and pepper. Simmer until tender.   

Strain; discard the nettles and return the juice to the pan.   

Mix in the cream, onion, chives, garlic, and 2

tablespoons of the butter.  

Bring to a simmer over low heat, then serve and enjoy!  

(Recipe courtesy of A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook)