Topical Benefits of Calendula:
How to Make A Poultice with Fresh or Dried Herbs
Written and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor
The specific herbs used in soothing herbal poultices will affect the exact medicinal properties of each poultice.
Soothing herbal poultices are simple, traditional remedies used topically on the skin to relieve pain, infection, and swelling. They are water-based, which makes them especially choice when oil-based remedies (that hold in moisture and heat) are contraindicated. Herbal oils and salves shouldn’t be applied to weepy skin conditions or bacterial and fungal skin infections because they can hold in moisture and reduce airflow. Additionally, I find that herbal poultices are often more effective topical remedies than oil-based herbal preparations, simply because poultices are more concentrated, as they contain plenty of fresh herbal material.
In general, herbal poultices are beneficial for poison ivy rashes, weepy eczema, hives, insect bites, psoriasis, pimples, boils, fresh sunburns, and fungal and bacterial skin infections. The specific herbs used affect the exact medicinal properties of each poultice.
Ingredients for a soothing herbal poultice: calendula flowers, plantain, violet leaves, clay, water, and essential oils
Poultices are prepared by blending therapeutic plants (fresh or dried) into a green slurry or paste, after which they are applied directly to an afflicted area. The slurry is then covered with a clean, dry cloth or bandaging material, depending on the size of the area being treated. Adding a binder such as clay makes the poultice easier to apply and helps it stay put. Clay has its own skin-healing benefits as well and is especially helpful for drying weepy skin conditions such as poison ivy.
Herbal poultice ingredients are placed in a food processor and blended until the mixture has a pesto-like consistency
As you might surmise, poultices can be a messy business.
A tamer version involves wrapping the moistened herbal material into a loose-weave, permeable cloth and placing it on the area to be treated. The most primitive version of a poultice is the aptly named chew and spit poultice, which is applied, as you might imagine, solely on one’s own body.
Below, you’ll find one of my favorite soothing herbal poultice recipes. Take note that this recipe uses fresh herbs. If you’re working with dried herbs, bring a small amount of water to a boil, turn off the heat, and add a sufficient amount of the dried herbs until the herbs rehydrate and form a thick paste. Stir and let cool for comfort of application.
Soothing Herbal Poultice Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 handful fresh calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis)
- 1 heaping handful fresh violet leaves (Viola sororia and V. odorata)
- 1 heaping handful fresh plantain leaves (Plantago spp.)
- 4-6 ounces very hot water - Not boiling hot.
- 2 tablespoons powdered clay
- 10 drops lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) - Optional.
Directions
- Using a food processor or a blender, combine four ounces of hot water with all other ingredients until the poultice is smooth, with the consistency of pesto.
- You may need to add more herbs, clay, or water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Refrigerate for up to three days, and apply as needed. If using dried herbs, substitute ¼ cup (60 ml) of the dried herb for one handful of fresh herb.
Meet the Green Mastermind Behind Blog Castanea:
JULIET BLANKESPOOR is the founder, primary instructor, and Creative Director of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, an online school serving thousands of students from around the globe. She's a professional plant-human matchmaker and bonafide plant geek, with a degree in botany and over 30 years of experience teaching and writing about herbalism, medicine making, and organic herb cultivation. Juliet’s lifelong captivation with medicinal weeds and herb gardening has birthed many botanical enterprises over the decades, including an herbal nursery and a farm-to-apothecary herbal products business.
These days, she channels her botanical obsession through her writing and photography in her online programs, on her personal blog Castanea, and in her new book, The Healing Garden: Cultivating and Handcrafting Herbal Remedies. Juliet and her family reside in a home overrun with houseplants and books in Asheville, North Carolina.
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Eleanor Busick says:
I am loving your articles and currently trying to save the money to enroll in your classes. I was wondering what clay and where you can get it from? Thank you!
Christine Borosh says:
Any powdered pure cosmetic clay will work. Bentonite clay is probably what you’ll most commonly find, but there are many other options you may come across as well. Powdered clay can be purchased from health food stores or online through companies like Mountain Rose Herbs or Starwest Botanicals.
We’re looking forward to having you join us as a student when the time is right!
Camie Wallace says:
What kind of clay. I am unfamiliar with them. But I do have beninite clay. Will this work???
Sarah Sorci says:
Bentonite clay is typically what I use for topical preparations, and I find it works great! I hope you enjoy this poultice recipe 🙂
Marie Rose Potvin says:
Hello! I am joining your school. On your blog about calendula oil. I made mine differently before I consulted your school. I put my dried flowers , sunflower oil. Put the jar in the dark in my closet. (3 weeks) is it too late to blend it?
Sarah Sorci says:
It’s wonderful to hear that you’ll be joining us as a student, Marie!
I don’t see any reason not to blenderize your herbs and oil after a few weeks of macerating in the closet, if you didn’t do so beforehand. I hope you’re pleased with the final product!
Nancy says:
Thank you! Poultices make so much more sense now!
Sarah Sorci says:
I’m glad to hear that this article was helpful, Nancy!