Antiviral Salve with Infused Oils of Cottonwood and Saint John's Wort
I learned to make this wonderful salve from local green witch, Julie Charette Nunn (http://www.crowsdaughter.com/green-witch-school/). It is a favorite at home and also with my friends, and is so easy to make. The secret to success is to pick the Cottonwood Buds and Saint John's Wort flowers at their peak, which seems to require a bit of luck and good timing.
Luck was with me one bright sunny cold day in February while cross country skiing at Cabin Creek near Snoqualmie Pass. A recent storm had fallen a beautiful cottonwood tree on the side of the trail and all her still unopened buds were close to the ground where I could pick trouble free for the better part of an hour. My sidekick was asleep in the pulka as I counted my blessings and thanked the earth for such a wonderful and unexpected gift of medicine. The tiny buds were found just at that perfect moment before opening when squeezing yields bursts of sticky red resin that smells like an intoxicating mixture of honeycomb, flowers and comfort. The sun had softened them perfectly. Upon returning home I placed the buds in a quart mason jar and topped off with organic olive oil and a breathable lid. The batch I used today was from 2016.
For the Saint John's Wort I am lucky enough that my grandma has a large field that grows glorious amounts of Saint John's Wort. We walked together in the late summer morning before the heat of the day to pick these flowers at just their perfect point of ripeness. Again, I was looking for a bright red sticky resinous liquid upon squeezing the buds just before opening. I picked whole sprays of flowers (most half open) to process later after letting them wilt in the sun to remove some water content. Also, I like to sit and pick the flowers off the branches in a more leisurely way at home, rather than out in the heat of summer. Once the flowers were picked off I placed them in a pint jar and covered with organic olive oil and a breathable lid. The batch I used today again was from 2016.
Making the Salve
Today I made two different batches because I wanted a smaller batch with essential oil of Lemon Balm to have stronger antiviral properties, and one larger batch without so the smells from the wildcrafted buds would predominate. The basic recipe is 1 cup infused oil to 1 oz beeswax.
For the first batch, I melted 1 oz of beeswax in a double boiler then added 1/2 cup of each infused oil. Once all was melted, I took it off the burner and added 30 drops of essential oil of Lemon Balm and poured into clean 2 oz glass jars. This made about 4 and 2/3 jars worth.
For the second batch, I melted 2 oz of beeswax in a double boiler then added 1/2 cup of infused oil of Saint John's Wort and 1-1/2 cups of infused oil of Cottonwood Buds. When melted I took it off the burner and poured into waiting 2 oz glass jars. This made about 9.5 jars worth.
Notes
- I used jars with metal lids because I have had trouble with plastic lids cracking and breaking. Also, I detest plastic.
- The half empty jars are just fine, because those are the ones I keep for me, and the rest go out as gifts.
- The Cottonwood Bud oil is preservative so no need for vitamin E in this recipe.
- Please pick responsibly and be 100% sure of your plant ID before using for food or medicine.
- I am a home herbalist and none of what I write should be construed as medical advice.
More Information on the Preparations
These salves are incredibly versatile with anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiviral properties. They can be used topically for a range of skin problems including dry skin, sunburn, minor scratches, bug bites, burns, bumps and bruises. The lemon balm was added to make a stronger salve for herpes and shingles outbreaks. These salves are not meant for treatment of open wounds.