Skin-nourishing Herbal Salve Recipe

How to make it

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• How to Make a Skin-Nourishing Herbal Salve
• Plantain (Plantago major) is considered a weed, but it also contains natural constituents that are wonderful for your skin.
• Violet (Viola odorata) leaves are in the same category (not to mention that the flowers are delicious in salads or syrups!).
• Violet is moisturizing, toning, healing, and great for sore nipples.
• Plantain is good for eczema, acne, minor cuts, stings, insect bites, poison ivy itch, and diaper rash.
• The basis of a skin-nourishing herbal salve is an herbal oil infusion.
• Gather about 4 cups of plantain and violet leaves, making sure to choose ones that are fresh and green looking, with no major brown spots, rotten areas, or major insect damage.
• And make sure that they have not been sprayed with chemicals of any kind.
• Rinse the leaves in cold water to remove any dirt, bugs, etc.
• Drain thoroughly, then gently pat the leaves to remove excess water.
• Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at the lowest temperature for a couple of hours, until the leaves are dry and crispy.
• Put the dried leaves into a glass quart-sized jar, then fill to the top with olive oil (preferably organic).
• Use a chopstick or blunt knife to poke the leaves down into the oil and release any air bubbles.
• Place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the jar and screw the top on tightly.
• Label it with the date.
• Keep the jar in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks.
• It’s a good idea to place a dish under the jar in case of leakage.
• Turn the jar over from time to time to move the oil through the herbs.
• Strain the oil through a sieve, lined with cheesecloth, into a glass measuring cup or top of a double boiler, squeezing out any last bits of oil from the herbs.
• You can throw the cheesecloth and drained herbs into your compost pile.
• Add 1-½ tablespoons of natural beeswax for each ounce of oil (I used unbleached beeswax pastilles).
• Set the glass measuring cup in water (or the double boiler top over a water-filled bottom) and heat over medium heat until the beeswax is just melted.
• Remove from heat.
• Add 1 teaspoon of Vitamin E oil. Stir unti well-mixed.
• Pour into clean containers (I used tin, but you can also use glass jars), and allow to cool.
• This salve can be used for all types of itches, irritations, insect bites, and minor cuts, as mentioned above.
• There are no known contraindications for using plaintain or violet leaves internally or externally, so this salve is safe for use as a nipple cream.