Let's make a Comfrey and Plantain Leaf poultice together!  These herbs can help to nourish and tone the skin, promote cell regeneration, discourage microbial growth, and support healthy inflammatory response anywhere they are applied.  Herbal poultices and plasters are some of the fastest and easiest methods of herbal first aid, and there are several methods for this kind of application.

Supply List

• Tea Kettle

• Measuring spoons and cups

• Spoon or Spatula

• Reusable Muslin Tea Bag or Cloth

• Water

• Herbs of your choice

Instructions

1. Heat water as if you are going to make tea.

2. While your water heats, add enough herb to your muslin cloth bag to cover the area you wish to support.

3. Once the water has heated,  soak your muslin bag in the hot water, just until it begins to release color into the water.

4. Pull it out and allow it drain and cool a bit before squeezing out the excess water

5. Lastly, apply the muslin bag to the area of skin you wish to support.

The hot water helps to soften your herb fibers and release the nutrients when applied to the skin.   For a simple poultice, I prefer to place my herbs in a reusable muslin bag which I can saturate with the hot water, squeeze out gently, apply, and reapply to the skin over and over until the herbs are thoroughly used up.  Most books suggest keeping it warm which means regularly reheating the herb with your hot water and reapplying it to the skin.  Another benefit of this method is that the excess water squeezed from the bag can slowly accumulate in strength and later be used as an herbal wash.  The herb gets used as much as possible. 

Another way to apply a poultice is the “plaster” method.

Instructions

1. Mix just enough warm to hot water directly to some powdered herbs until it becomes a paste-like consistency.

2. Then either apply the paste directly to the skin or smear the paste on muslin cloth or gauze and wrap the area you wish to support.

I prefer to use these methods if I am mixing clay with herbs as it tends to help hold the poultice together and to the skin.  Herbs alone tend to crumble off of the skin, but clays usually need to be washed away after being allowed to dry.  Adding clay is especially helpful when trying to draw toxins or perhaps a foreign object from a wound like a bee’s stinger, a thorn, or splinter.