~EXTERNAL PREPARATIONS~

The human body can absorb herbal compounds through the skin, so there are a wide variety of methods and formulas that have been developed that take advantage of this fact. There are two basic kinds of preparations that can be used externally: Water Therapy and Surface Therapy.

The best and most pleasant way of absorbing herbal compounds through the skin is by bathing in a full body bath with 1pt of infusion or decoction added to the water. Alternatively, you can also take a foot or hand bath, in which case you would use the preparations in undiluted form.

Any herb that can be taken internally can also be used in a bath. There are many herbs and they can be used on their own or in combination to make different kinds of baths. Instead of preparing an infusion of the herb beforehand, a handful of it can be placed in a muslin bag, which is then suspended for the hot water tap so that the water flows through it.

Described below are some of the ways that herbs can be used on the surface of the skin.

Ointments or salves are semi-solid preparations that can be applied to the skin. Depending on the purpose for which they are designed there are innumberable ways of making ointments; they can vary in texture from very greasy to a thick paste, depending on what base is used and what compounds are mixed together.
The simplest way to prepare an ointment is by using petroleum jelly as a base. While this has the disadvantage of being an inorganic base, it also has a number of advantages. Petroleum jelly is easy to handle so a simple ointment can be made very quickly. Besides this, it has the advantage of not being absorbed itself by the skin.
The basic method for a petroleum jelly ointment is to simmer two tablespoonfuls of a herb in 7oz of petroleum jelly for about 10 minutes. A single herb, or a mixture of fresh or dried roots, leaves or flowers can be used.
In more traditional ointments, instead of using petroleum jelly a combination of oils is used that acts as a vehicle for the remedies and helps them to be absorbed through the skin, plus hardening agents to create the texture desired.

1. Make 1pt of the appropriate water extract (infusion or decoction), strain off the liquid for use in step 4.
2. Measure out the fat and oil for the base (lard is good as a fat)
3. Pour3fl.oz of olive or almond oil into the pan. Mix the fat and oil together.
4. Add the strained herbal extract and stir into the base.
5. Simmer until the water has completely evaporated and the extract hs become incorporated into the oil. You might find it easier to use a double boiler to prevent burning. Be careful not to overheat the mixture and watch particularly for the point when all the water has evaporated and the bubbling stops. If additional thickeners (such as beeswax) need to be incorporated, they can be added at this point and melted with the base, heating slowly and stirring until blended.
6. If a perishable base is used (such as lard) a drop of tincture of benzoin should be added for each 1oz of base.
7. Pour the mixture into a container.

Compress A compress or formentation is an excellent way to apply a remedy to the sking to accelerate the healing process. To make a compress, us a clean cloth - made either of linen, gauze, cotton wool or cotton - and soak it in a hot infusion or decoction. Place this as hot as hot as possible upon the affected area. As heat enhances the action of the herbs, either change the compress when it cools down or cover the cloth with plastic or waxed paper and place on it a hot-water bottle, which is changed when necessary. All the vulnerary herbs make good compress, as do stimulants and diaphoretics in many situations.

Poultices The action of a pooultice is very similar to that of a compress, but instead of using a liquid extract, the solid plant material is used for a poultice. Either fresh or dried herbs can be used to make a poultice. With the fresh plant you apply the bruised leaves or root material either directly to the skin or place them between thin gauze. Dried herbs must be made into a paste by adding wither hot water or apple cider vinegar until the right consistency is obtained. To keep the poultice warm, you can use the same method as for the compress and place a hot-water bottle on it.
When you are applying the herb directly to the skin, it is often helpful first to cover the skin with a small amount of oil, as this will protect it and make removing the poultice easier.
Poultices can be made for warming and stimulating herbs, from vulneraries, astringents and also from emollients, which are demulcents that are soothing and softening on the skin.

Liniments are specifically formulated to be easily absorbed through the skin, as they are used in massages that aim at the stimulation of muscles and ligaments. They must be used externally, never internally. To carry the herbal components to the muscles and ligaments, liniments are usually made of a mixture of the herb with alcohol or occasionally with apple cider vinegar, sometimes with an addition of herbal oils.

Oils Herbal oils can be used in two forms, depending on the mode of extraction. First of all there are the pure essential ols, which are extracted from the herb by a complex and careful process of distillation. Only an expert can make these at home, so thankfully, they can be found in any Health Store. The second way of extracting oils is much simpler and resembles the method of cold infusion. Instead of infusing the herb in water, it is put into an oil, this way a solution of the essential oil is obtained in the oilbase.
The best oils to use are pure plant oils such as olive, sunflower or almond oil, but any good pressed vegetable oil can be used and these are preferable to mineral oils.

1. Cut the herb finely.
2. Cover with oil and put in a clear glass container.
3. Place container in the sun or leave in a warm place for two to three weeks, shaking the container daily.
4. After that time, filter the liquid into a dark glass container and store the extracted oil.

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