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Creating Herbal Salves And Ointments
When most people think of using herbal remedies, they think in terms of
swallowing supplement pills. While this is a very common way to use herbs for
various reasons, there is another lesser known use for them too. Herbs can be
used to create topical salves, ointments and packs which are applied to the
body on the outside and help to speed healing, ease pain and reduce swelling.
To make herbal salves and ointments, you must start by purchasing high quality
herbs. The best kind of herbal supplements to buy are those which are ground
powder or flakes of the actual herb, packed into gel caps. Any kind of herbal
supplement which is in hard pill form will not be dissolved easily - in
external applications or within your body either. These also tend to have only
a small amount of actual herb in them, mixed with many other miscellaneous
ingredients that may or may not be good for you.
Buying the whole, ground or powdered herb in gel cap form makes it easier for
your body to readily absorb and use the herbs when you swallow them. It also
makes creating ointments quite simple and easy.
All you have to do is pull the gelatin capsule apart - it's just two pieces
that easily pull apart - then shake the herb powder onto a plate or container
of some sort. Then, you simply mix a liquid substance with the powdered herb
and you have a ready to use ointment or salve.
The liquid you choose to mix in can vary, depending upon on what you have on
hand. Petroleum jelly is fine, if it's a good quality, but many commercial
versions have additives you wouldn't want absorbed into your skin. So, make
sure you buy good petroleum jelly, whenever possible. Pure aloe vera gel
should be your first choice, if you have it on hand. Mineral oil or vinegar
often works fine too.
One of the best herbal salves I know of is simple GoldenSeal salve. Open a
capsule of goldenseal root and dump it out onto a small dish. Smear a small
portion of petroleum jelly into the powdered herb until mixed well and not too
dry. Then rub that salve onto affected areas as needed.
Mixing the goldenseal powder with aloe vera normally stimulates healing even
faster, because the aloe vera is able to penetrate all layers of the skin. By
doing so, it carries the combined healing power of itself and the goldenseal
deep within to start repairing damage more quickly.
This salve is excellent to use for healing cuts and abrasions quickly, usually
without leaving any scars. It will make your skin a greenish yellow color, but
it washes off easily with regular soap and water.
Case Study:
A young boy of about 8 years old tripped and fell flat on his face at school.
The surface he fell on to was rough concrete, and the young boy had a very
severe, deep, wide scrape from his forehead to the tip of his nose. The school
nurse believed it would take weeks to heal, and the boy would be scarred for
life.
The boy's mother mixed up fresh goldenseal salve using petroleum jelly, gently
cleaned the scrape as best she could, then put a thick coat of the salve over
the scraped areas of the boy's face. She left it on him overnight, then
cleaned his face the next morning. The boy's face was 90% healed from that
first night's treatment. The school nurse was in shock when she saw him the
next day, never having seen anyone heal from something this fast before. In
less than one week, all evidence of the massive scrap on the boy's face was
gone. And there was never a scar.
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