DISCLAIMER- Please do your own research into plant medicines and be aware of allergies and medical conditions before using any of these plants listed, I would also warn against harvesting wild growing plants from urban areas, as they could be sprayed or contaminated. If you do choose to wild harvest rather than grow yourself, please be sure that you do not decimate the area, and leave enough for the bees, animals and for the plants to regenerate.
I have been thinking back to a day that I entered a large chemist chain store and feeling the wall of perfume hitting me like a thundering wave, add in the bright store lights, the immense amount of advertising and rows and rows of vitamins for everything you can think of, and I thought to myself … this is not health, this is not healing, this … right here … is a marketing and profit driven trash fire with a good dose of greenwashing added, by old hat companies, trying to evolve with the new demand for more natural, sustainable products.
Harsh words? I will not disagree … but oh, what an incredible assault to the senses.
When I think of healing and showing some love to the temple (I am not talking about stones held together with mortar, or churches with carved wooden doors, I am not talking about temples with bells in a dynamic, perfect mind altering rhythm, I am talking about the temple you carry with you, you know the one I mean … right? … if not, go and look at what is reflected back at you in the mirror, feel that rhythm I just spoke about, the one that pumps through your body, I am talking about THAT temple) I think of mixing together honey and saffron with my best antique spoon, I think of digging the roots of soapwort plants out of the moist, wet soil (you see what I did there, sexual energy is healing too), I think of burning sandalwood and inhaling crushed wild lettuce. The last thing I think of, is a plastic package in a soulless chain store.
I grew up in quite a remote place, and at that time, options for shopping were extremely limited, I had always been inventive in my teen years, brewing walnuts to rinse through my dark hair, or mixing together finely ground coffee, and honey to wash my face with (something I still use to this day). As a child, I was always drawn to picking flowers from my parent’s garden and mixing them with water, in little antique glass bottles, making vivid purple, blue and red potions, I just had this innate compulsion to create, to search, to look for ritual in everyday things. Maybe this is what ignited my passion for making as many things from scratch as I can. I also feel it is important to have respect for what we use every day, to know where it comes from, but to also put that energy and intention into it, I know it feels like there is just no time for these rituals, I hear this echoed often, but it also feels like there is a really insidious marketing tool used, to make everyone feel like they have no time for anything, and everything must be “Fast” and convenient, “For people on the go”, it is time for a rejection and push back on this attitude, it doesn’t serve the planet with its limited recourses, and it definitely doesn’t serve us … really ask yourself who this attitude serves … I bet we are on the same page now.
I have been making infused oils for quite some time, which I use for everything from skin, hair and nail care to soothing muscle pain and calming my nerves. I grow the plants in raised garden beds and pots (not only to have the option to move them depending on the sun but also because in suburban living, heavy metals and contaminated or poor soil can be an issue) below I will share with you how I respectfully process these magical plants into healing oils for everyday use.
The plants used in my latest batch of skin healing oil, are yarrow, calendula, dandelion and helichrysum, the oils I make will always depend on the seasons, so I try to make enough to get me through to the next year. I like to pick my yarrow on a hot summer’s day, when all the flowers are open, and the leaves smell pungent when I crush them with my fingers. The same can be said for the dandelion and calendula (flowers only), for the helichrysum, I use the flowers and the leaves. I also like to pick my flowers in the hour of the sun and on a Sunday, again for the association to the sun and healing, but obviously this is not something you have to follow if it does not resonate with you, I also harvest my plants with as much care and respect as possible, I even go as far as making sure to thank the garden for what it has provided for me, I mean, why wouldn’t I? after all the work that has gone into it, and it is a space that is very much alive.
Why choose these plants listed?
Dandelion- This golden beauty named for the leaves resembling the tooth of a lion, has a range of uses and is easy to grow, all they need is a nice sunny position, well drained soil, regular watering and some plant food, and they will take right off, you can also eat the leaves in salads or treat them the same way you would any other leafy vegetable, they are packed with potassium which is helpful given that dandelion is a strong diuretic, and the root is often used as a liver tonic. I personally add dandelion leaves to omelettes and stir fry. I use this handy and often overlooked plant in my infused oils for the antibacterial, cleansing, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties and because it is rich in vitamins A, C, E and K. Warning-This plant is part of the Asteraceae family, if you have allergies to daisies, chrysanthemums, echinacea or any other plant in this family, then steer clear.
Calendula- One of the most well known plant medicines used in skin care, and also very easy to grow, just be aware that this plant is very prone to powdery mildew so when watering try to keep the leaves and flowers dry (also do not over water and keep in a sunny position) if you do find that your calendula has powdery mildew, I have had great success with spraying the whole plant with a half milk half water solution, this is a natural fungicide I highly recommend, as you really want to keep commercial sprays well away from your healing plants. Calendula is just beautiful to look at, and I can’t tell you how excited I get waking up in the morning to see how many flowers have opened (If you keep cutting the flower heads as they open, it will encourage the plant to keep producing, I get an incredible amount of flowers from my plants), even the ancient Romans would make a broth with calendula, that they said would uplift the spirits. In skincare this plant is used for dry cracked skin, sunburn, bites from insects and for the treatment of cuts, it is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, can assist with the calming of muscle spasms and also acne, and that is just the topical treatments! Warning-This plant is part of the Asteraceae family, if you have allergies to daisies, chrysanthemums, echinacea or any other plant in this family, then steer clear.
Yarrow- This is one of my personal favourites, I grow a lot of yarrow and fell in love with this plant during my study of the Egtved girl, an enigmatic young woman who died and was buried during the bronze age. Found in her grave, was a sprig of yarrow, just imagine that over 3400 years ago, someone picked this wild medicinal flower, and placed it in the carved out oak tree, that would be the final resting place for her body. Yarrow has many uses, but the one that shines brightest to me, is its ability to staunch bleeding (I also make powders by grinding up dry yarrow plant in a mortar and pestle, and using this powder to stop the bleeding for cuts and wounds, along with tinctures for colds/flu, and controlling bleeding that I will cover in another post) yarrow was so respected as an emergency aid to stop bleeding, that it was carried by roman soldiers, who called it herba militaris, or woundwort (a useful tip for identifying healing plants, is that if it has “wort” on the end of its name, it means that it has a use), I add yarrow infused oils to my skincare for its anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, and anti-bacterial properties. Yarrow can also minimise fine lines, pores and makes the skin feel soft. Avoid using in large amounts over a prolonged period as it can cause photosensitivity in some people. Warning-This plant is part of the Asteraceae family, if you have allergies to daisies, chrysanthemums, echinacea or any other plant in this family, then steer clear.
Helichrysum- Also called curry plant (not to be confused the curry leaf) this pungent smelling plant fills me with happiness, helichrysum coming from the Greek word Helios for sun and Chrysos for gold, has many uses from relieving coughs, colds and headaches, by inhaling its distinctive perfume, to wound healing, and aiding in aches and pains. I use this plant in my oils for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties along with its ability to clear blemishes and keep skin soft and youthful.
Once I have harvested all my plants, I break them up into smaller pieces (especially the dandelion flowers as they will form into little fluffy balls) and I let them dry, usually wrapped in paper towel in an open ceramic container, wet plant material can turn your infused oils rancid and mouldy. Once all my plants are dry, I repurpose and sterilise jars by boiling them in a pot of water, making sure I place the jars in the cold water in the pot, not boiling first or they may break.
Once the jars have been cleaned and dried, I add half dry plant matter to half oil, making sure that all the leaves and flowers are completely submerged. I like to use organic jojoba oil as it has the longest shelf life (sweet almond oil has the shortest), I also use rosehip and boab oils, they are all absorbed into the skin nicely, without sitting on the top, they also all have their own healing properties. I will let this sit in a dark place for 3-4 months, shaking the jar occasionally during this time and checking for signs of mould.
Once they have been infusing long enough (you can choose to infuse this same oil a second or even third time if you wish) I will strain off the oil in an old stocking or cheesecloth (keep the plant matter for votive bee wax candles, I will be covering this in the next post) add some pure vitamin E oil ( I use about ¼ tsp for every 50mls) as this is a natural preservative. Pour into dark glass jars or dropper bottles, it really helps to have a little funnel for this part. Label and date your infused oils and blend them depending on their use. I also like to add 24k gold leaf to my face oils, and sometimes a little bit of sandalwood oil, but if you are using something like helichrysum, this will perfume your oil more than enough.
I will be explaining how to use the plant material discarded from the infused oils, to make votive bee wax candles, in my next post, which you can find here how to make votive bee wax candles in eggshell moulds Please subscribe to be notified when new posts are added.
As always, slow down, re-evaluate and take care of yourself.
