The Kitchen Herbwife
Introduction & Photos by Moonshadow
Introduction

Making your own infused oils, salves, creams and other topical applications can be a most rewarding experience, not to mention medicinally beneficial and therapeutic. It isn't as hard as many people think and can be done with a few simple ingrediants that are easy to obtain.

The beauty of homemade salves, creams and oils is you can be sure that no untoward chemicals or nasty preservatives have gone into them. If you grow your own herbs, its certainly a wonderful way of using the bounty you can harvest from your garden. Sarah's wonderful article below sets out how to make basic infused oils, salves and creams. There is also a table of 19 herbs that can be turned into oils, along with their medicinal and magical uses.
Making Infused Oils, Salves & Creams
Main Article by Sarah J Head (Ygraine)

Infused Oils

Infused oils are very simple to make as long as you have time and patience!

Ingredients:

4 oz fresh or dried herb
Enough sunflower oil to cover
2oz of leaves (around 8 fluid ounces)
Either a double saucepan or a stainless steel pot with a lid small enough to place inside another saucepan.
Water

Method:

Place half of the herb inside the inner pan and cover with the sunflower oil. Replace the lid firmly and place inside the other saucepan which is about half filled with water. Heat the external saucepan so that the water gently boils. Do not let the pan boil dry! Boil for about 2 hours, then remove the inner pan and strain off the oil, squeezing the herb if you can to remove as much oil as possible. Place the rest of the herb inside the inner pan and pour over the oil from the first infusion. Replace the lid firmly and heat the oil in the outer pan for a further two hours. Strain the oil into a heated glass bottle or jar and cap with a screw top lid. If using fresh herb, let the infused oil sit for about three days to make sure any water content separates out. Decant oil. If water drops are left in the infused oil it will go off more quickly. Label the oil with the name and date that you made it.
Salve

To make a salve, grate up some beeswax into the hot infused oil until it melts. (About 1oz to 8oz of oil) Test on the back of a wooden spoon to see whether it is of a suitable consistency and pour into small jars and seal. Salve should thicken on cooling.

Cream

The basic recipe for a cream is:

1oz base cream (eg Aqueous cream)
1 tsp infused oil (e.g. marigold or St John's wort)
2 tsp tincture (e.g. rose petal or comfrey)
4 drops of essential oil (e.g. lavender)

First add the infused oil to the base cream and stir until it is all absorbed. Then add the tincture and stir again, then add the drops of essential oil and stir again. Spoon into small jars with screw top lids and use.
Properties of Herbal Oils
Herb
Medicinal Use
Magical Use
Angelica
(Angelica archangelica)

Use as a skin lotion for itching, wounds and rheumatism, a warming herb. Powerful purification herb sacred to Summer Solstice using energy of the sun and of fire. Can purify the person, sacred and personal space. Add to bath to clear negativity and to strengthen and heal the spirit. Also used as herb of protection, use oil to seal doors and windows against negative influences. Use oil also to anoint blue candles for healing.
Calendula
(Calendula officinalis)

 Cracked skin, cuts, chilblains, sunburn, acne, tired feet, inflammations, eczema. Use at all festivals to honour the sun, rituals of divination or consecration of divinatory tools.
Chickweed
(Stellaria media)

 Use to soothe eczema or other itchy conditions. Use to acknowledge the return of life to the earth in Spring.
Comfrey
(Symphytum officinale)

 Use to heal broken bones, sprains and damaged tissues (do not place directly on broken skin). Use for healing and protection.
Dandelion
(Taraxacum officinale)

 Use to massage swollen and aching breasts. Summer herb, use for vitality.
Elderflower
(Echibacea aungustifolia)

 Cooling herb, use on inflamed joints. Use for dryad and fairy contacts between Beltane and Litha.
Lovage
(Levisticum officinale)

 Use in combination with calendula, St John's wort & marshmallow for tissue lubrication. When added to the bath, brings physical cleansing and revitalisations, add to purification bath before rituals.
Marshmallow
(Althaea officinalis)

 Use to lubricate and sooth tissues. Has many connections with love, can be used in tantric magic or in a Great Rite salve.
Meadowsweet
(Spiraea ulmaria)

 Rub into inflamed joints or other areas to reduce pain. Use to honour the Summer Goddess, use oil for anointing.
Mugwort
(Artemisia vulgaris)

 Rub into inflamed joints or other areas to reduce pain (N B Do not use on people with allergies). Use in women's rituals to honour the Goddess especially between Ostara and Lughnasadh. Aids in transitional period between childbearing and crone years.
Patchouli
(Pogostemon patchouli)

 Used in far east for colds, headaches, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and halitosis, also used against snakebite. Not recommended for internal use as can cause loss of appetite, insomnia and nervous conditions. Repels moths. Use to connect to earth. Helps overcome the anger of others, calms strife, draws peace and helps settle arguments. Promotes prosperity, confidence, personal strength. Enhances sexuality and sensuality.
Plantain
(Plantago major)

 Drawing herb, use to draw splinters, glass, bee stings etc, use as knit-bone in place of comfrey, use to heal old wounds, bruising. "Mother of herbs", sacred to the East, inwardly powerful, herb of protection, healing, snake repelling, strength, useful for journeying and pathworking.
Rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinalis)

 Use as massage oil for reducing arthritic pain. A rite of passage herb used at birth, marriage and death.
St John's Wort
(Hypericum perforatum)

 Apply to bruises, wounds, varicose veins, burns, ulcers, anywhere with minor nerve damage e.g. shingles, sciatica. Cleansing herb and repels negativity. Use in bath for purification. Repels negativity, use in rites of purification and exorcism.
Southernwood
(Artemisia abrotanum)

 Repels insects Sacred to the Maiden Goddess, similar in properties to Wormwood. Use for rites of love, protection, fidelity and lust.
Tansy
(Tanacetum vulgare)

Repels insects Tansy celebrates the renewal of the God at Ostara. Use for ritual purification to cleanse people, tools and working area.
Vervain
(Verbena officinalis)

 Use in poultice for wounds and burns. Use this herb with great respect! One of the main components of the Cauldron of Ceridwen. Use at Samhain to celebrate the two aspects of the Goddess' womb - the dormant seed and the wisdom of the souls of the ancestors. Use to cleanse, purify and raise vibrations. Use in ritual bath to detoxify physical body and refine the aura prior to ritual. Use to anoint the third eye chakra and to consecrate tools used for divination.
Wormwood
(Artemisia absinthium)

 Use oil to treat gout and rheumatism. Use with equal parts of groundsel and fresh elderflowers to make oil for bruising and inflammation. Sacred to the Maiden Goddess, use at Imbolc and during women's rites. Can be used to banish negativity.
Yarrow
(Achillea milefolium)

 Use for bruising, old wounds, stagnant blood. Herb sacred to the Horned God and the male principle, sacred herb of midsummer. Use for extra healing power at the Solstice.

Disclaimer - Herbal remedies can be dangerous under certain circumstances therefore you should always seek medical advice before starting any treatment, especially if you are pregnant, breast feeding or suffer from any known illness which could be adversely affected by self treatment. You should always inform your GP of any self treatment before taking any other prescribed medication.

Moonshadows Realm and its site contributors do not claim to be qualified herbal practitioners or aromatherapists therefore cannot provide you with any medical assistance regarding the consumption or use of any of the information, recipes and products on this site.