Lotion For Eczema and Psoriasis

In my Pinterest frenzy I noticed my sister pinning natural cures for eczema and psoriasis. It turns out
Jake's skin is having some issues.

I noticed that I had on hand several of the ingredients used for treatments of these skin disorders. I decided to give it a try.  Here are the ingredients I used:

1 cup chamomile infused olive oil
1/4 cup lavender infused olive oil
1/4 cup comfrey infused olive oil
1 cup dried calendula
1/2 cup melted beeswax
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
8 drops of Tea Tree essential oil
5 drops of Rosemary essential oil
5 drops of Lavender essential oil
4 Vitamin E capsules

Last summer I started getting interested in natural/herbal remedies.  I've made lotion bars, hand lotion, lip balm and other natural products, free from chemicals.  Because of my interest, I always have infused oil on hand.

There is a slow way to infuse oils with healing properties and a fast way.  For this recipe I had to do both.  The three jars you see in the picture are infused oil with lavender, comfrey and chamomile.  These jars have dried herbs in them, along with olive oil.  I keep them on my windowsill, not in direct sunlight.  I shake the jars once a week and when I need it,  they are there.

I did not have infused oil with calendula, but I did have some dried calendula.  So I measure oils out and put that in a pot with the dried calendula.  I let that simmer for 30 minutes.  When the time is up, line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and strain the dried herbs out of the oil.

In a double boiler, melt the beeswax and coconut oil.

Cut the vitamin E capsules open and dump the contents (not the capsule shell) in the infused oil.  Add the essential oils.

Put the infused oil in a bowl and set it on top of a bowl full of ice.  You will use this to cool the oil and whip it at the same time.

Slowly pour in the coconut oil and beeswax, whisking as you go.

As the lotion cools, it will thicken up.

Whisk until the lotion is the consistency of whipped butter.

This recipe made 2 half pint jars.  Use within 6 months.

Disclaimer:  This recipe is not to take the place of medical advice.  I am not trained in herbal medicine.  I've learned what I know from books and the Internet.

Enjoy!

Herbal Salve for Strains, Bruises, Arthritis

One of the things that I have been very interested in learning about is herbal medicine.  Yes, I know that modern day medicine is miraculous and I wouldn't change that.  However, I know the God put the things we need on this earth and our ancestors were wise enough to discover some amazing healing properties in the plant life around us.

I am not a doctor and I do not proclaim that you should follow my advice.  It is up to each individual to make his/her own decisions.  In fact, the FDA does not endorse herbal medicine, although doctors in Europe prescribe many herbs to treat many different ailments.

Here is a fact:  I'm getting old!  I have daily pain in my knees and want to do something about it without having surgery.  In my research, I've discovered that the following herbs are useful in treating inflammation, strains, arthritis, etc.

Calendula:  http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-calendula.htm
Comfrey:  http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-comfrey.htm
Arnica:  http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-arnica.htm

To make my salve I used the following ingredients:

2 cups olive oil
1 cup beeswax
1 cup dried calendula, and comfrey
2 eye drops full of arnica oil
Lavender Essential Oil
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Peppermint Essential Oil
2 Tablespoons glycerin

To begin, I put the olive oil and dried herbs in a sauce pan and let them simmer for a few hours.

The herbs infuse in the oil.  Make sure the heat is on low.......do not the oil get too hot!  After a few hours, strain the herbs out and keep the oil.  When the oil is strained, add the essential oils, glycerin, and arnica oil.  You can add any essential oil that you want.  I used eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender because of their calming effect.  I added tea tree essential oil because of its healing properties:  http://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/tea-tree-oil.asp.

Put the oil in a double boiler or use a measuring cup in a pan full of simmering water.  This will keep it hot as you mix the ingredients together.

Add the melted beeswax and mix.  Pour the mixture into clean, sterilized jars and let it cool.  The mixture will harden as it cools.

Not a great picture, but you can already see the mixture starting to harden. 

This recipe is featured on Chic and Craft Party!