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They might appear messy, but poultices are star actors whenever burns, bites, strains, and other similar injuries occur. Made of mashed herbs and applied externally, this herbal preparation requires very little preparation. In fact, one favorite kind of poultice is made from chewed plantain leaves, a mom’s favorite remedy for bug bites and bee stings. Here’s how to make herbal poultices!
How to Make Herbal Poultices
What you need:
- Herbs
- Warm water*
- Flour and/or herbal powder*
Instructions:
Mash/chop herb into small pieces and moisten with warm water. Add flour/herbal powder, enough to bind. Apply paste to the affected area, wrap with plastic wrap and a compression bandage.
*Exact amounts vary, depending on herbs used.
Other Poultice Combination Ideas…
- Plantain leaves and jewelweed for bites and stings
- Fomfrey and arnica for sprains, bruises, and painful joints
- Comfrey and plantain for bites and burns
- Cayenne and St. John’s wort for nerve and muscle pain
Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons and Richard Adams at Flickr.
If you’ve ever left a doctor’s office with a prescription for antibiotics, and then RIPPED IT UP before you even reached the parking lot (or you’ve taken antibiotics that you NEVER WANTED because you didn’t know what else to do), then you’ll want to check this out.
Your instincts are right. There ARE more natural ways to handle serious infections, cuts, wounds, animal bites, breaks, sprains, and more!
Want to Learn More from Herbalist Cat Ellis?
Cat presented a training session in our Summit Online Course about how to make your own herbal medicines, including different preparation methods and overviews of her favorite 20 herbs. This course provides 30+ training sessions from experts like Cat Ellis, Wardee Harmon, Rick Austin, Wranglerstar, Sharon Peterson, Noah Sanders, Michael Bunker, Scott Hunt, and many more. It's a 45+ hours of content and includes $130+ in bonuses, too!
Read the Entire Herbal Medicine Chest blog series:
Introduction
Herbal Preparations
Herbs
- Herbs for the Circulatory System
- Herbs for the Respiratory System
- Herbs for Injuries and Pain
- Infection-fighting Herbs