bee sting... and plantain

i got my first bee sting a few hours ago. i had NO idea it would hurt so bad. i remembered i had heard about using plantain (Platago major)... pick a leaf, chew it up to release it's juices, and apply it to the sting. almost immediately, the pain subsided - the stinging stopped - the swelling went down. you can keep it in place with a band-aid. i kept mine on for about half hour.

plantain is known to have amazing drawing power. it pulls out poison and draws out infection. it can also be used for cuts or scapes since it has a lot of value in calming skin conditions.

maybe you have seen it growing around your yard or neighborhood... most people think of it as a 'weed' - but it is not. i am happy to have this 'weed' growing in my yard.

face grains

with all the lavender (Lavendula dentata) and rose (rosa spp.) i harvested this spring i figured i would make more face grains. i use blue corn, almonds, oats, white clay, lavender and rose petals. just grind them all up. i love using all natural home made products on my skin. you can read about it on my other site: madretierraskincare.com

mimosa

the mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) is in full bloom with it's bright pink puffs. it has been around for as long as i can remember - but i just learned about it's medicine today.

i gathered some flowers and cut up some bark and started a tincture. put them all in jar, cover with alcohol - shake it up occasionally - and it will sit for 4 to 6 weeks. then strain the plant material.

i found out from kiva rose at herb mentor (herbmentor.com) it is used as a relaxant nervine and uplifting mood effects. the flower is considered to be one of the best "shen tonics" in traditional chinese medicine. shen means spirit/heart  - the spirit of the person, that lives in the heart. disturbed shen can result in anxiety, insomnia, feelings of great grief, broken heartedness and generally disturbed emotional state. i do not study tcm anymore - but i am going to try this one out  :)

arnica & st. john's wort

i just got my package from mountain rose herbs (mountainroseherbs.com) of arnica (Arnica montana) and st. john's wort (Hypericum perforatum). i am infusing them both in olive oil - and then i will make a salve. i am getting together a lot of different oils right now to make a few different salves.

infused arnica oil is beneficial for muscle aches, injured muscles, sprains, bruises, dislocations, swelling due to fractures, trauma to soft tissue, rheumatic pain, and inflammation from insect bites. since arnica oil increases the blood supply to an inflicted area, do not appply it to an open wound because it  will cause more external bleeding

use the oil of st. john's wort for relieving pain and injuries to nerves. it can also ease the pain of sunburn. i read somewhere - but can't find the notes right now - that the medicinal properties actually soak into the skin and help lessen the pain from nerve injuries. i have used it a lot for stiff achy neck muscles and i find it eases the pain rather quickly.

i also started a st. john's wort tincture. the tincture is effective in treating nervousness, depression, and restlessness. it is an excellent medicine for treating disorders of the nervous system, easing stress and apprehension as well as improving your mood.

rose elixer

i have been wanting to make this rose (Rosa spp.) elixer for a while. i got the rose petals from my dad's garden - and although the recipe calls for wild roses.... this is what i got ! the recipe comes from kiva rose (bearmedicineherbals.com).

1 pint jar
 with enough fresh wild rose petals to fill the jar


everclear, vodka or brandy

raw honey

fill the jar with whole or roughly chopped rose petals. add raw honey to coat the petals - about 1/4 of the jar - then fill with alcohol. cover the top with plastic or other non-reactive material before screwing on a regular canning lid. if you skip the plastic, your elixir will eventually start tasting strange and/or eat you metal lid. i used plastic sandwich bags. shake well. let sit for three to six weeks, shaking regularly. you can strain at the end of that time or you can just pour off the amount you want to use a little at a time.

use this externally on burns and wounds. it has the ability to eradicate the pain of burns very quickly and to dramatically speed healing. the honey helps to hold the elixir in place on the skin and contributes to the soothing effect. rose is blood moving, which helps pain relief and quicker healing. it is also anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and astringent, which helps reduce redness, swelling and any possible infection. a drop or two will calm the itch from an insect bite. it also helps rashes from heat, dermatitis, blisters or poison ivy.

it can be used as a liniment (a medicinal liquid that is rubbed into the skin to relieve muscular stiffness and pain) for relaxing sore muscles, and for sharp, shooting sensations related to nerve pain or slipped discs.

internally it is used for any trauma, panic, fear or stressful situation for child, adult or animal. it’s calming, pleasant and blood moving, helping to move someone out of a paralyzing shock or stuck emotion. it acts as a mild nervine, calming without sedating and restoring emotional equilibrium.

i will also dry some of the petals - after they are dry i will grind them up and add them into a skin scrub i make.... i will post on that when i make it  :)

herbal energetics and actions

well... all the herb journaling (herb journaling may 5, 2010) i have been doing for my course through naimh is starting to make sense.

i am starting to get a deeper understanding into herbal medicine and herbal energetics. each herb has a different taste (bitter, sweet, salty, sour, spicy) temperature (hot, cold) and humidity (drying, moisturizing). once i determine the energetics - i can then look up to see what the action is. a few herbal actions are: demulcents (act as a protective barrier on inflamed or irritated tissue) sedatives (sedates and strengthens the nervous system) alteratives (promote detoxification, stimulate digestive organs) immune enhancers (help the body fight infection)... these a just a few herbal actions. so by knowing what the energetics and actions are... and by knowing what the physical dis-ease is - you can then match the plant to the person. 

it is also important to know what a persons consitution is. one of my plants to journal on was valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and i learned a hard lesson. valerian is known to be a sedative. i prepared my valerian as a decoction and sipped it before i went to bed - knowing it would make me sleepy and relaxed. in my journaling - valerian was felt as bitter (taste), heating (temperature) and drying (humidity). i did my journaling and got into bed around 11:00pm.... then it was 1:00... then 3:00. i could not fall asleep - i was figgity and aggitated. the next morning i did some research and found out that since valerian is a warming herb - it works well for people with a 'cold' constitution to promote sleep - but it can have the exact opposite effect on someone with a 'warm' constitution - it can keep them up all night !! it can actually aggravate the system in an already over heated individual. so... i guess i have a 'warm' constitution - who knew ! i am going to be reading more on energetics, actions and constitutions - and how important these three aspects are.

lemon balm

the lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is gorgeous and very healthy right now. i was poking around trying to figure out what to do with it and i came up with a lemon balm salve.

i harvested some lemon balm and i am infusing it in coconut oil. i chopped up some fresh lemon balm then poured melted coconut oil over it. i will let it sit for up to two months - and then make a salve. lemon balm is used for cold sores, skin irritations and general skin conditioning. i'll use the recipe posted previously on salves, although i might use a bit less beeswax since the coconut oil will slightly harden. i have some st. john's wort (Hypericum perforatum) oil here that i purchased that i will add into the oil mixture when i make it. i will also add some calendula (Calendula officinalis) and plantain (Plantago major) oil that i have previously infused. st. john's wort oil speeds healing and reduces pain. calendula oil is an effective wound healer. plantain oil also speeds healing time. all of these herbs are anti-viral and vulnerary herbs. vulnerary herbs are remedies used in healing or treating wounds. the next time i make a salve i will add lavender (Lavandula augustifolia), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) essential oil - just a few drops - this will help to act as a preservative. i am also thinking i will add a few drops of these essential oils next time i make my skin cream for the same reason. i have read that some people use vitamin e or bee propolis extract for the same reason - although i have not researched or done that yet.

i might also make a lemon balm tincture. it is used as a calmative and anti-depression, anti-anxiety herb. its calming and centering effects help with jitters and help to have a healthy attention span. i read that anyone having thyroid issues should stay away from lemon balm. not sure why - just thought i would add that to the post for now.