Comfrey is an amazing herb. This comfrey salve is a must have for your home herbal apothecary.
Comfrey is known to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and decongestant properties. It is also known as one of the herbs to heal broken bones.
I like to have this salve to use on bumps and bruises. Comfrey root salve has been shown to be a bone knit herbal remedy. Comfrey bone healing research shows it helps reduce the time in healing. With kids in taekwondo, and a busy homestead, broken bones, bumps and bruises happen on a regular basis around here.
I usually make a batch of this every three months or so to keep up with demand. You only need some dried comfrey, which you can find at my affiliate partner, and some carrier oil. I used fractionated coconut oil (find it here), but you can use almond, jojoba, hemp seed, or even olive oil for this.
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What you will need to make this comfrey salve:
- 2 grams by weight dried comfrey
- 1 cup oil of choice
- 1 Tablespoon beeswax
Do you have bees? See how to render beeswax for yourself here!
Place dried comfrey into a clean glass jar. You can use a canning jar or any other glass container you have. A glass jar is the best choice due to the heat and the oils.
Cover the herbs with the oil. In a heavy-bottomed pot, add enough water to come up on the sides of the jar. You want the water to be at the same level as the oil in the jar. Do not allow the water to get into the jar. Heat the water to a simmer, then turn the heat down. You will want the water to be at a “just simmering” level, not boiling.
Using a towel or trivet, place the jar of herbs and oils into the water. Cover the jar loosely with a lid to keep the herb’s oils in place. Keep in the simmering water for 45 minutes.
Don’t allow the oil to get too hot. I use a thermometer to make sure it stays under 100°. If necessary, turn the heat down lower. Allow it to cool completely.
For a double infused oil, drain the oil from the herbs. Since the herbs were in oil, they are not good to add to your compost. The oil may not break down. Toss the used herbs in the garbage instead. Weigh out new herbs. Add the new herbs to the infused oil. Place back in simmering water for another 45 minutes. Double infused oil would be most often used for helping broken bones heal.
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Drain the herbs from the oil using strainer or cheesecloth.
Carefully press down on the herbs to ensure all the goodness is infused into the oil.
Put the infused oil back into the barely simmering water and add the beeswax. Allow to slowly melt together. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before use. Label and store in a cool, dry place. Use within six months.
For a fresh comfrey salve recipe:
- pick your comfrey herbs
- place in a 200-degree F oven for 4-6 hours to allow to dry
- remove from oven, weigh out
- follow directions for dried comfrey salve
You want to allow the herbs to dry to remove as much water as possible. The water may cause mold or quicker spoilage of your comfrey herb salve.
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How to make comfrey poultice
Crush or mash about two tablespoons of fresh or dried comfrey leaves in very hot water. Place the mashed ball of hot leaves inside a piece of cheesecloth or a sturdy paper towel and tie the ends together with a rubber band to make a little packet. Place it against the wound.
Use about a quarter sized amount each time. You can apply this 3-4 times a day to help promote healing. Obviously, you can’t remove anything covered by a cast, but you can gently rub under the cast as best as possible.
You DO NOT want to use comfrey salve on open skin, it may cause irritation. This comfrey salve is only for surface wounds that are closed like bruises, sprains, and broken bones.