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I need to read about kombo butter and kpangnan butter. The first time I’d ever heard of them is from you, Cyn. And, if I make that lovely Pain Ease butter, I’ll NEED them. Haha! There’s that word again! That means SHOPPING!!
I have the essential oils except for the CBD oil. I will also need to get arnica and St. John’s Wort, unless you can point me in the direction of already infused oils.
Now for the questions.. is jojoba wax the oil or is there actually a wax, you know, like those floral waxes you were tempting me with? Is spike lavender different from regular lavender? I’m allergic to lavender, so that one I will need to substitute with something else unless there is a difference. Substitution might still be a good idea though. Trauma oil…are the infused oils equal amounts of each or is there different percentages of each oil used in the combined oil? Is there a specific oil you use for the infusion?
Thanks so much Cyn, for that recipe! I deal with a lot of fibromyalgia pain all the time, so any help is appreciated! And all-natural, homemade help is even better …
Anytime. I have a few recipes like that. Even some for acute pain. Fibro pain sucks. It makes me cranky.
Hmm maybe a healing section might be good.
The oils…let me link you to one of my fave places.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/deerfootherbs. They even do custom orders of you IM them
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Glorybeherbals?ref=s2-header-shopname. New favourite as well.
For those overseas, I have a Greek connection.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageNatureGreece?ref=l2-shopheader-nameAnytime. Deerfoot herbs is spectacular. Seriously, they are awesome. Glorybeherbals is newer to me, but the owner is great. Her hydrosols are top notch. So are her infused oils. Remind me to share the Bruise Juice recipe from Jeanne Rose once I’m home.
OMG! I definitely need Bruise Juice! I am the worlds biggest klutz and am constantly bruised.
Deerfoot looks like a great shop! Glorybeherbals is close(ish), in Kentucky.
Here’s the recipe. It’s from her newsletter.
Bruise Juice
    During my early research, I found in an old herbal, Receipts in Physick and Chirurgery, by Sir Kenelm Digby, 1668, a recipe called “A most precious Ointment for all manner of Aches and Bruises; and also for the Redness of Face.” I proceeded to make this ointment according to the original formula and then made it twice again, slightly enlarging and improving on the formula. It really is a most precious ointment.
 We have used it to relieve the pain of sunburn (and if used throughout the day, even if you skin is fair, it usually prevents sunburn and peeling). We have used it on bruises to make them heal and disappear more quickly and on all the myriad little wounds, cuts, cat scratches and hurts that a child gets during a day. We have used it to cure more quickly a bad case of poison oak, and have even heated it as a massage cream for sore aching muscles.    It is a very handy all-purpose medicine to have in the house. When applied externally, pain immediately disappears and the healing process seems to be hastened.
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Take 2 handfuls each of the fresh botanicals, or 1 handful each of the dried.*Ingredients:
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alfalfa leaf
balm (lemon balm leaf)
bay leaf
benzoin
birch bark
camomile flowers
clary sage
cowslip flower and leaf
dill seed
elder flower
feverfew
hyssop
Jerusalem oak seed
lavender
lemon peel
lovage
marigold flower
marjoram
mint leaf (spearmint)
mugwort
myrtle berries
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pennyroyal
peony leaf and root
primrose
ragweed
rose leaf
rosemary
rue
saffron
sage
sesame seed
smallage
southernwood
St. John’s wort
tansy
thyme
violet flower
white mint (peppermint)
white pond lily root
white willow bark
wintergreen
wormwood       If the botanicals are fresh, stamp them all individually in a stone mortar and cover with a layer of olive oil. When you have gathered all ingredients together, put them into a large enamel pan. Cover them with a thin layer of olive oil (about 2 quarts of oil altogether; you can substitute any other oil or lard for the olive) and add 1 quart of May Wine or any other dry white wine. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 1-3 hours or until the wine has evaporated. DO NOT LET THE HERBS BOIL.Â
Strain through a coarse strainer, then a sieve, then through 3 layers of cheesecloth. This process of straining will take a little time. Finally put it into a clean glass container and let it quietly settle for a couple of weeks. Now decant the clear, beautiful, green oil and throw the dregs away. This all takes time but you will be very satisfied with the result, and this amount of oil will last for a year or more.
*A handful of fresh herbs is about a foot’s length of branches or twigs, approximately the amount that you can enclose in your hand. They should be cut into 1-inch long pieces. A handful of dried herbs is about 1/3 to 1/2 cupful, depending on the size of your hand.
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Now, what I’ve done is choose a few from her list and infuse them. Normally, I include comfrey, plantain, chamomile, marshmallow, calendula, arnica, white willow bark, lavender, and lemon balm.
Yup. I’ll be making my new batch this spring. Once I’m done, I’ll send you some. I made my arnica oil this year and I’m so proud of myself. I hadn’t done it for a few years, and it turned out great.
You want 4, 8, or larger? I’ll make note.
You should be proud! Sounds like you have a true gift for it!
They’ve started selling arnica cream in Target, I’ve noticed. Or, maybe they always sold it and I just never noticed it before. Haha! Since I’ve been into crafting, I take more notice of things like that, though, and actually have some info in my head about it.
I think I’ll start off with a small bottle, in case my goofy allergies decide they don’t like it😝 If I’m putting on a small area, a lot of times I won’t react to things. So, I’ll put on a small bruise and work my way up to, oh, ALL the bruises. Haha
It’s really sad sometimes. I’ll have horrible bruises and not even remember how I got them. Once, years back, I backed into a table really hard and had a black line across the backs of my legs for forever. Suuuuch a klutz!Sometimes I get bruises from who knows what. Poof, they’re there. So I get it. Your legs look like someone’s been beating them.
Infusing oils takes time. Sometimes a crockpot. Sometimes both. Nice thing is, with a little knowledge, some science and skill, infusions can be conquered. Then you can turn them into salves, etc. 😌
I’ve been thinking about trying an infused oil, but have not worked up to it yet. I should just bite the bullet and do it, I know. I’ll need more mason jars though.
Mason jars are awesome. (I have on Last Knights on Netflix and I’m having a huge OMG moment. Can we say, Clive Owens? Morgan Freeman? 😋)
Infusing by slow cooker might be easier for you, since you’ll be able to use the infusions sooner.
Thanks for all the information, Cyn! I could pick your brain for days. There’s so much I want to do, from basic infused oils to complex products. The only infused oil I did was calendula-infused safflower oil, which I’ve included in nearly every lotion I’ve made. The skin-soothing benefits are awesome. It’s a very noticeable difference.
As for containers, I do love canning jars but I’ve got a ton of these bottles that I bought when they were half-off. I bought a case (80), so after shipping I ended up paying about a buck per bottle. When I bought them, infused oils were one of the purposes I had in mind. I also used them at Christmas for packaging bath milks, homemade hot chocolate mix, et cetera. I’ve still got a lot left.
At this point, I just don’t have enough time in the day for everything I want to do. I want to add raised beds on the steep slope of my back yard so I can grow my own herbs and veggies. Something like this would be ideal. My back yard is quite a lot steeper than the yard in the pic, but it gives you a good idea of what I’m dealing with. My front yard is way too shady to be of much use for gardening. I also want to learn to knit. I also want to become an herbalist, not because I want to change careers, just because I want the knowledge. And I want to do it all while work full time in my current career, which I love. I want, want, want, want, is basically what I’m saying.
Perhaps I’m being overly ambitious? 😉
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