Medicinal Parts Rootstock, leaves

Description Comfrey is a perennial plant common in moist meadows and other moist places in the U.S. and Europe.

Properties anodyne, astringent, demulcent, emollient, expectorant, hemostatic, refrigerant, vulnerary.

Comfrey is truly one of natures miracle cures. The root produces a high amount of a gummy material called mucilage, and the root and leaf are both high in allantoin, a substance that helps with cell proliferation. Comfrey is excellent for reducing the swelling around a fracture, thereby allowing the union to take place with greater facility. And according to herbalist John Gerard, A salve concocted from the fresh herb will certainly tend to promote the healing of bruised and broken parts.

My midwife first introduced me to Comfrey after the birth of my first child. To put it mildly, it was not an easy delivery. All of those little joys after childbirth were making me very uncomfortable. You know, the tearing, bruising, stitches, etc. The midwife instructed me to steep Comfrey leaves in hot water and add it to my sitz bath. The results were phenomenal. It relieved the discomfort almost instantaneously.

Today, any time I attend a baby shower, I make up a gift basket stocked with comfrey. I wrap a generous handful of comfrey leaves in cheesecloth, then tie it closed with a ribbon. The packets can then be tossed directly into a pot of water to steep. Recipients always think Im a bit odd at first, but usually I receive a heartfelt thank you note a couple of weeks after the baby is born. This is one gift any mother-to-be will appreciate.

Comfrey is not always easy to find. If you dont have a health food or herb supplier in your area, please visit us at

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First, let me remind you that the best overall skin care product you can use is olive oil. Weather you suffer from dry or itchy skin, or just wish to improve the appearance and texture of your skin, you would be hard pressed to do better than pure, extra virgin olive oil. This can be applied straight from the bottle, and can be used on any part of the skin including the face.

The curative properties of Olive Oil, both internal and external are nothing short of miraculous and I would like to share with you a recent experience that serves as a reminder to me how some of the most common elements surrounding us often remain overlooked.

My neighbor and I happen to share the same birthday. She is a widow whose children and grandchildren often come to visit. As our birthdays approached, I made her up a bottle of my favorite after-bath oil made primarily with olive oil as a gift. Unfortunately for my neighbor, I ran into her daughter first, who had suffered a severe exposure to Poison Ivy. In all honestly, it was undoubtedly the worst case of poison ivy I had ever seen. Her legs were almost completely covered in an angry, purple rash. In a number of areas, the rash was crusting and developing a greenish tinge. The itching was so intense that even after two weeks she was still on sleep medication as well as the prescription strength antihistamines and ointments.

I gave the oil to her and sincerely hoped it would help to alleviate her suffering. Im pleased to report that five days later, my neighbor called, overjoyed. Not only had the oil relieved the itching, but also the crusty, green scabs were gone and the huge purple blotches had begun to fade.

The oil I mentioned is extremely simple to prepare and is an excellent curative for virtually any skin irritation including eczema and psoriasis.

After-Bath Oil
Please remember that while a lesser grade of olive oil can be used for everyday purposes, if you are attempting to treat a serious skin condition, the extra virgin is made from the first press of the olive and retains the most important curative properties that you are searching for.

3 parts extra virgin olive oil
1 part sweet almond oil
1 part apricot kernel oil

Blend the oils together, and if desired, add several drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance. This can be applied to the skin at any time. For all-over skin conditioning, apply the oil immediately after your bath or shower, then pat dry.
A special note for women who shave their legs This oil treatment will completely eliminate any itching or dry flaking skin after shaving. It is simply the best after-bath oil you will ever try.

Please check back next week when we will be discussing herbal treatments for many common irritants such as bee stings, nettles, burns and more.

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