Comfrey
Comfrey is a herb used externally best known for healing wounds and broken bones. It is high in Calcium and Vitamin C and simulates healing activity.
Externally, it is said to be anti-inflammatory and speed wound healing due to its natural concentration of allantoin.
To increase your healing rate, use a comfrey poultice and apply throughout the day.
How To Make A Poultice With Fresh Herbs
Determine which herbs you would like to use, and estimate how much you will need. The amount of herbs to use depends on the size of the area that needs to be covered, so just give it your best guess.
Take the herbs you have chosen and chop them into small pieces on a cutting board. Transfer the herbs to a mortar and pestle, and crush the chopped herbs until they become a pulp. The end result needn’t be silky smooth – the main thing is to start the juices flowing. As you chop and mash, the herbs will release their natural juices and the leaves will become softer. Herbs may also be chopped using a blender instead of a cutting board and mortar and pestle.
Spread the crushed herbs onto the desired area of the skin. How thick to apply the herbs is up to you, but do make sure that the poultice is applied evenly across the area.
Wrap the area with a layer of gauze or muslin to hold the paste in place. You might even wish to apply a layer of plastic wrap to the outside of the finished poultice, which will help insure that the juices don’t make a mess.
How To Make A Poultice With Dried Herbs
Making a dried herb poultice is even less work than using fresh herbs, because there is less chopping and mashing involved. It’s a tradeoff, though, because fresh herbs are usually stronger than dried and have a more complex make up. Dried herbs will still work well, though, and it’s nice to know you can still make a poultice even when fresh herbs aren’t available.
Take desired dried herbs and combine with just enough hot water to moisten them. For roots, it’s best to use a powdered form. Simply add hot or cold water a little at a time to create a thick paste.
Spread the paste evenly over the desired area.
Wrap with gauze or muslin.