by the Seed SistAs
Plantain is a herb of Saturn, the bringer of positive authority, creating boundaries and structure. It protects the mucous membranes which are the tissues located inside the nose, mouth and throat, our own boundary to the world around us. It contains compounds which are healing to the skin and wounds, anti-inflammatory and slightly analgesic too. This herb is the perfect candidate for a bites and stings balm, which doubles up as a wound balm too.
In the Seed SistA’s Plantain Balm Recipe for stings and bites, the plantain is combined with lavender essential oil for its anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects as well as the soothing quality the scent has on the nervous system.
Plantain Oil Recipe
To make plantain oil chose a bright sunny day to harvest your leaves, after the dew has evaporated. Dry the leaves on newspaper overnight so that much of the water content disappears, otherwise you will get rancid oil. Fill a jar with the leaves and cover with organic almond oil. Leave in the oil for a lunar cycle then strain. Bottle the oil and label.
This oil will now keep well in a cool dark space for at least a year if not more, it is a perfect base oil for ointments and creams it can also be used straight away as a simple oil, particularly if you have an insect bite or sting just rub a little bit onto the affected area a few times daily.
Plantain Balm Recipe
Soothing and healing for stings and bites
Makes 6, 15g jars
Ingredients
- 54ml plantain-infused oil
- 27g coco/shea butter
- 13.5g bees wax
- 10 drops of lavender oil
- 6 x 15g jars
Method
- melt all ingredients in a bain-marie
- stir well
- add 10 drops of lavender oil
- pour into jars and leave to cool
- Label and store out of direct sunlight
Use as and when it’s needed.
Keep in a cool dark space where it should keep well for at least a year.
Lovely. Thank you.
I can’t wait to try this my sister and I usually get eaten alive in the summer time.
Thanks Cathy
great – please do let us know how you get on with it – we also make an Elderleaf balm -we call protection from bloodsuckers as an insect repellent
sending much love
Just a couple of things: when you say lavender oil, do you mean essential oil? How many drops? 10 are given under Ingredients and 20 under Method. If it’s essential oil, is it safe to add them when the ingredients are so hot? Don’t they evaporate?
Thank you.
oh thank you Ester for pointing out our mistake! It is 10drops of lavender – we wait a few seconds before putting the essential oil into the hot oil and then as fast as possible pour into jars and put lids on to prevent evaporation – some is always lost but this is the method we have been following for years and the essential oils are still in the set balms