Chronic skin conditions? Look to the universal healing herb

It is known as the universal healer.  With lovely flowers and heavenly scent, lavender has relaxing properties, but is primarily a skin herb.

 Lavender calms skin irritations because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Applied to itchy, rashy skin, lavender relieves the itch and redness.

Lavender essential oil is added to calendula salve to assist with calming itchy skin

 The antimicrobial qualities of lavender essential oil make it an excellent addition to topicals aimed at healing broken skin. Lavender heals cuts and wounds faster than other antimicrobials because it encourages the growth of new skin cells.

stop the sting! acts as a healer of all open wounds, not just bug bites

 In addition to being an antimicrobial, lavender is an analgesic.  It relieves the pain of cuts, stings, and burns. Lavender essential oil is the only essential oil that can be applied directly to the skin without dilution, and is safe enough for babies.  For safety reasons, follow a .25% dilution for babies 0 to 2 years of age.

Most importantly, a lavender-infused jojoba oil is the best thing for chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema. Lavender soothes the skin and jojoba oil is so similar to our own skin’s molecular structure that it is readily absorbed and doesn’t cause a reaction.

lavender mousse combines lavender-infused jojoba oil with aloe vera to provide a soothing treatment for sensitive skin

 There is a reason for all the hype around lavender. Every medicine cabinet should have the essential oil for first aid purposes. If you have access to the plant, collect the flowers just as they are about to bloom and infuse them in a good skin oil, such as jojoba or olive, for 2 weeks before straining. Your skin will thank you.

See my previous article for directions on infusing a herbal oil.

How to Deal with Bug Bites

The best thing you can do for a bee sting or mosquito bite is to grab a couple leaves of plantain, mush them up (some people chew them up), and apply it to the bite immediately. It takes away the pain and soothes the injury, helping it heal.

The problem is that we can’t find a plantain plant when we need it.

A plantain-infused oil is the next best thing. You can easily infuse plantain leaves into the oil of your choosing. Just stuff as much fresh plantain into a jar, fill it with the oil of your choice, and leave it for 2 weeks, shaking it every so often. If you are using dried plantain, fill the jar only halfway.

Where do you find plantain? It’s a common weed in the Midwest, often found in driveway or sidewalk cracks. Select leaves that are in good shape, and if the leaves are dirty (which they often are because the plant grows so close to the ground), wash them before you pick them and allow them to dry so that you don’t introduce water to the oil.

At Golden Age Wellness I mix plantain oil with yarrow liniment for our Stop the Sting bug bite formula. Yarrow is an herb that has been used for centuries to stop bleeding while it heals open skin. With yarrow included in the formula, Stop the Sting can be used as a general first aid ointment as well as a bug bite reliever. A splash of lavender essential oil enhances the antimicrobial action.

Stop the Sting is sold in a small bottle (10 ml) with a roller ball applicator, so you can take it with you on the go.

Getting a Good Night's Sleep with Valerian

I meet many people in my booth who are struggling with sleep, especially as we approach the winter months.  Getting to sleep and staying asleep is all about how we deal with stress in our waking lives, but there are herbal solutions that can help without becoming addictive.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is the go-to herb for sleep.  It contains gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), one of the main neurotransmitters responsible for sleep regulation, as well as valerenic acid and valerenol which act on GABA receptors in the body.  All of that means that valerian improves the quality of sleep as well as the ability to fall asleep.

 I make Peaceful Slumbers, an oil infused with valerian root, for topical use at bedtime. It helps relax the muscles and calm the nerves in a gentle way. I make it as a roll-on because the root of the plant has a skunky odor which you don’t want to get on your hands.

 Many of my customers report good results with Peaceful Slumbers, but there are those who need a little more help getting or staying asleep. In these cases, a valerian tea, tincture, or capsule is the way to go.   The tea usually combines valerian with other herbs to make it more palatable.  A tincture can be made at home or found in an herbal shop while capsules are usually found at a vitamin store.  Valerian is not addictive, so can be used indefinitely.

 Valerian is not for everyone.  It can have the opposite effect in about five percent of the population, causing agitation rather than relaxation. It can also interact with anti-anxiety or pain medications. Alternatives include passionflower, skullcap, and California poppy.

 If you’re looking for non-drug solutions for sleep, you can look to herbs to help in soothing the nervous system, flipping the switch so that you can feel less stress and get a good night’s rest.