healing oils

[bookwormom]

drats, our neighbor came by with his two Rottweilers and one of them went straight to where I was so happy to have some real lush plantain, and peed on them in three places so I can not harvest that batch.
since we get so many scratches and scrapes I like to keep plantain oil handy. for topical uses take the broadleaf plantain, chop it up and cover with good alive oil. Let it stand from at least the full moon to the new moon. Plantain promotes fast healing. you could also use elder flowers.
the narrow leaf plantain is a good addition to a cough tea, with coltsfoot and thyme. The coltsfoot is supposed to suppress the cough, the plantain to loosen up phlegm.

[CarolAnn]

Thanks for the info on the oil!

I've only used store-bought oils, but it would be fabulous to do my own!

Helichrysium (not commercial straw flower, the wild kind) has an extremely valuable healing oil. They call it "Life everlasting" in Arkansas, because the small white flower dries so easily, but they also could call it that for the medicinal value! I don't know how they extract this plant, but it's over $100 an ounce for the oil!

[bookwormom]

I would mazerate it like other herb/oil preparation. I hope I spelled that correctly. you know, put in a jar, cover with good oil and let set for several weeks. I would like to make St. Johns wort oil, too. Old standby, I still have a little bit left from what I last made at home. I hope the St.Johns wort I sowed will bloom, so far it is not making an attempt. Maybe it did not like the weather. It turns ruby red. I have heard of life ever lasting, but not as a plant. have to look in Peterson's field guide of medicinal plants and see if it grows here.