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Preparations for External Use

Most herbal constituents are absorbed readily through the skin and the following preparations are designed to enhance this pathway into the body. The easiest way of course to use herbs externally is to apply them directly to the skin as we do when we rub a dock leaf on to a nettle sting.

Juice

The fresh juice of many remedies can be applied directly to the skin. Aloe vera juice, for example can be rubbed on to the skin to soothe burns, bites, and stings. The juice of dock leaves is famous for relieving nettle stings. Greater celandine is a very effective treatment for warts. Just pick a stem and it will immediately start to ooze brilliant tangerine-yellow sap. Cover the wart in the juice every day for three weeks and the wart will disappear.

Ointments and Creams

Ointments and creams can be applied to the skin not only to treat skin problems but also to relieve less superficial problems such as inflamed joints and headaches. Any herb fresh or dried can be included in an ointment using this simple recipe:

1 Melt 50gm (2oz) of beeswax with 450mls (¾ pint) of olive oil in a pyrex bowl over a low heat in a double boiler.

2 Add as much herb as possible to the oil and leave to macerate on the heat for a few hours. After this time the constituents will have been taken up by the oil and the mixture can then be poured through a piece of muslin placed over a jug and then squeezed to extract as much of the oil as possible. The herb can then be discarded.

3 When the oil is still warm it can be poured into clean ointment jars where it will quickly solidify. Seal with an airtight lid and label clearly. Store in a cool, dark place.

Creams can be made up easily by stirring tinctures, infusions, decoctions or a few drops of essential oil into a cream base such as aqueous cream. 2–3 drops of chamomile oil mixed into 2oz (50gm) of cream works well on many types of eczema.

Compresses

A clean cloth or flannel can be soaked in a strong hot or cold infusion or a decoction, a dilute tincture or water with a few drops of diluted essential oil, then wrung out and applied to the affected part. This can help relieve symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain and colic, backache, boils and painful joints. The treatment needs to repeated several times for good effect.

Poultices

These are similar to compresses but involve using the herb itself rather than an extract of the herb.

1 Place the herb, fresh or dried between two pieces of gauze. If you use fresh leaves, stems or roots, they need to be bruised before being applied. If the herbs are dry, add a little hot water to powdered or finely chopped herbs to make a paste.

2 Use a light cotton bandage to bind the gauze poultice to the affected part and keep it warm with a hot water bottle. Replace after 4 hours and apply about 3 times a day in total.

Some herbs, such as cabbage leaves, can be applied directly to the skin. They need to be softened first by removing any hard stalks or ribs and immersing them briefly in hot water to prevent any discomfort to the skin. Once applied they can be secured in place by a light bandage and left overnight.

Liniments

A rubbing oil or liniment consists of extracts of herbs in an oil or tincture, or a mixture of both. The oils can be infused oils or essential oils diluted in a base such as sesame oil. They are used in massage to relax or stimulate muscles and ligaments, or to soothe away pain from inflammation or injury. They are intended to be absorbed by the skin to reach the affected part, and so they often contain stimulating essential oils such as ginger or black pepper and are therefore not suitable for use on delicate baby skins.

Oils

Essential oils need to be used with care especially with children and babies. They can be used diluted in a base oil such as sesame oil (1–2 drops of oil per 5ml of base oil) for massage and to add to the bath. They can be used in burners to permeate the atmosphere or in inhalations for a variety of symptoms such as colds, catarrh, coughs, insomnia and anxiety.

While essential oils are extracted from aromatic plants professionally by steam distillation, infused oils can be prepared easily at home.

1 Place finely chopped, preferably fresh herbs (make sure they are not wet) in a jar with a tight fitting lid, cover them with an oil such as almond, coconut, olive or sesame, pouring it up to the top of the jar, and then stir well.

2 Add the lid, label the jar with the name of the herb and the date, then leave the jar on a sunny windowsill to macerate for about 2 to 4 weeks. Be aware that if there is moisture on the plant or in the jar, or it is left too long, the oil may go mouldy.

The oil will gradually take up the constituents of the plant; you can see this in action when you macerate St John's wort flowers in oil. In a matter of minutes, the oil will turn a deep red colour. St John's wort oil is a very useful remedy for healing cuts and sores, and when massaged over the affected part, it can relieve painful nerve conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia and shingles. After 2–4 weeks filter the oil through muslin into a clean jug, squeezing hard to extract as much oil as possible from the flowers. Then pour into an airtight, dark bottle, label it with the name and date of the oil, and store in a cool dark place to retain its therapeutic value for a maximum length of time.

Herbal Baths

A fragrant hot bath makes a very pleasant and simple way to take herbs. There are various ways of adding herbs to bath water; you can use dilute essential oils (1 drop of essential oil per drop of base oil such as sesame oil) and add them to the bath water; hang a muslin bag containing fresh or dried aromatic herbs under the hot tap as you draw the bath; or pour a pint (600ml) of a strong herbal infusion (double the standard dose described on page 79) into the water. Soak in the warm bath for 10-20 minutes.

When herbs are used in this way, the essential oils from the plants are taken in via the pores of the skin which are opened up by the warmth of the water. The oils are also carried on the steam which is simultaneously inhaled via nose and mouth into the lungs, and from there into the bloodstream. From the nose messages are carried from the oils via nerve pathways to the brain. In this way herbal medicines are assimilated quickly and directly, bypassing the lengthy process of digestion involved when herbs are taken by mouth. They are particularly useful for relaxing and soothing the nervous system and for easing mental and emotional strain.

Lavender, lemon balm, basil, holy basil, rose and chamomile are not only wonderfully fragrant but also relaxing, calming tension and anxiety and helping to ensure restful sleep. Chamomile is excellent for fractious children, particularly when they are unwell, for not only does it possess antimicrobial properties but also it helps induce sleep – nature's best way to ward off infection and enable self-healing. Rosemary baths, while also relaxing, have a stimulating edge as they enhance blood flow to the head and promote alertness and concentration.

Herbal sitz baths can be very useful for soothing the pain and irritation of cystitis, vaginal infections or haemorrhoids. Simply fill a large, shallow bowl with about a litre (1.75 pints) of strained, strong infusion, enough to reach the necessary areas, sit in it and relax for 10–15 minutes!

Hand and Foot Baths

Mustard foot baths were used historically for all afflictions of cold and damp climates, from colds and flu to poor circulation and arthritis. The ancient tradition of hand and foot baths was made popular by the famous French herbalist, Maurice Messegue, who has written several books on herbal therapy based simply on this form of treatment. He recommends foot baths for 8 minutes in the evening and hand baths for 8 minutes in the morning. According to Messegue, the hands and feet are highly sensitive areas of the skin, rich in nerve endings and, despite some thickening of the skin from use, the constituents pass easily from the skin into the body. To try this, add 1tablespoon of mustard powder to a bowl of hot water, test the temperature and then sit with your feet in it for 8–10 minutes.

Shelf Life

The way herbs are prepared and stored is important as it will affect the length of time that plants will maintain their therapeutic components and therefore their beneficial effects. Powders have the shortest “shelf life,” which means the amount of time they can be stored on your shelves, and generally should be kept in dark, air tight containers and for no more than 6–9 months. Because they tend to oxidise and thereby deteriorate relatively rapidly, powders are often made into capsules and tablets to extend their shelf life; some are given protective coatings. Powders can also be combined with pastes and herbal extracts to extend their shelf life. Tablets will keep for longer, although they should be stored similarly away from direct sunlight. Herbal tinctures and glycerites will keep up to 3 years.

Stored properly, herbal tinctures will keep up to 3 years.