Art of Health Comfrey Ointment

May 3, 2020

Homemade Comfrey Ointment

Meet our comfrey team: Florence, Lily, James & Patrick.

My kids are experts at getting bruises and scrapes. It doesn’t matter which season, inside or outside, they always seem to have the marks to prove a big day of sport & adventure - and rightly so! Their legs and arms chart the play history of the previous few weeks: bumps, scrapes, grazes, stings and on and on.

Comfrey to the rescue!

Plus, no matter how hard I try, I just keep getting older. Every muscle can ache after a hard day in the garden. So, I need something to soothe them too!

Comfrey is amazing for all things skin, muscle, and even bone related. Not only does it contain high amounts of vitamin C and calcium, it also has antibacterial & antiseptic properties, which means it’s the absolute best when it comes to all of those bug bites, bumps, bruises, scrapes, sore muscles and even… broken bones!

BENEFITS OF COMFREY

Contains high amounts of allantoin, which promotes new skin growth.
Reduces inflammation.
Use on bug bites.
Use to rub into sore muscles for a bit of relief, it’s also used for mild pain relief.
Rub onto burns to soothe and reduce inflammation (even sunburn).
It’s also great for when you accidentally touch the handle of your hot cast-iron skillet.
Use on superficial scrapes to help healing.

PLEASE NOTE: It must not be used on infected skin. IT IS ESSENTIAL ALWAYS TO DEAL WITH INFECTION BEFORE HEALING. This is where you will need to consult a qualified master herbalist, like myself or a naturopathic doctor.

With the onset of chapped and dry hands from the over-washing due to the Covid19 outbreak, the stock of my favourite skin ointment has become depleted. So, as I prepare a new batch for my family and friends, I will show you in 4 simple steps how you can become your own self-reliant pharmacist.

This salve is one thing we always keep around, and I love that it only contains three simple ingredients that I can make, grow or forage all on my own, if need be.

Let’s get going!

There are 2 stages:

Make comfrey oil.
Make the ointment.

How to make comfrey oil:

Ingredients for approx 700 mls of comfrey:

100g Dried Comfrey Leaves (approximately 100-150 leaves to do this).
1L Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Firstly, dry your fresh comfrey leaves.

Some options are:

Lay out flat drying in sunlight.
Use a dehydrator.
Proving oven or aga (ensure temp does not exceed 35 degrees celsius). Essentially, dry the leaves until crisp, yet retaining their green colour. This can take at least 7-8 hours.

The next stage of preparation has two options: Quick or Slow.

Option 1. Cold effusion, which takes 6 weeks. Place the dried comfrey leaves and olive oil into a 1.5L kilner jar and allow to effuse over 6 weeks in a warm room. Swirl daily.

Option 2. Warm effusion. Place dried comfrey leaves and olive oil into a large double boiler at a low to medium heat (the oil should never bubble or move - rather heat slowly) & allow to slowly effuse over heat for 3-4 hours.

With either method, the oil will take on a deep green colour. Once the oil is effused, strain through a milk bag or muslin cloth.

Ingredients and directions for ointment:

700mls of comfrey - 70g beeswax pastilles - 50 drops of essential oil of choice (I use lavender).
Dark glass jars or tin containers to store your ointment.
Return 700mls of pure comfrey oil to double boiler and warm gently.
Add in 70g beeswax pastilles and warm over double boiler until wax bead melt (takes approx 10 mins).
Remove from heat & add in your essential oil.
Pour the melted mixture into containers while it is still warm.
Allow the mixture to cool off and harden a bit.
You can now use it!
Cover tightly with a lid and keep in a cool dark place.
Make sure you label it!

There you have it!

That’s all there is to it - super simple!

Your oils should keep for a minimum of a year. I made twenty - 60mls pots. If it’s your first trial of making your own ointment you may wish to half or quarter the ingredients.

Summertime is great to make this salve, as you or your children are likely to need it on more than one occasion. As a herbalist, my focus is on medical dispensary, so you cannot buy this formula from me. The purpose of this blog is to encourage you to make your own.

Our health and wellness extends far beyond the diet, so I love to make these simple, natural remedies free from parabens and other nasties, so that I’m not adding to the toxic load on the body. Sometimes there are things that are hard to avoid – such pollution, bus fumes and the like, but at least we can be mindful of what we put in (or on) our body - e.g., organic and natural clothing rather than synthetic. What we put on our skin is particularly important - as it’s our largest organ after all!
As I’m concluding this blog, my daughter has just come in to tell me about her fall, for which her father lathered this very ointment. And all is well again. She smells great too!
I wish you all the best. Have a lovely time experimenting and playing with this wonderful herb and ancient method of healing.
Now, it’s time to go soothe some aching muscles and pretend I’m still 20.

Keep an eye out for our next blog installment if you would like to find out how to use some herb-infused oils!

I’m here for you if you have any queries, or if you would like to simply let me know how your ointment turned out leave a message in comments below:

Note: Comfrey is not recommended for use in pregnant women, even externally. Always consult with a licensed herbalist before utilizing this or any other herb.

I look forward to seeing you all soon - Anny xxx — I look forward to seeing you all soon - *Anny xxx*

Healthy Recipes Blog: Pea Soup, by Anny O’Neill from the Art of Health.

Family Fun Recipes: Pea Soup

April 27, 2020

When you have a large family, necessity is the master of creation. And from this, my pea soup was born. It’s so simple that I’m almost shy to share it!

The Art of Simple Cooking.

The philosophy of simplicity is an intrinsic aspect of my work, especially when embarking upon unravelling a clients digestive unease, or beginning the process of reversing chronic degenerative issues.

Western living is synonymous with too much of everything. Too much food & processing & too many ingredients.

Digestion

Focusing on which foods we should or shouldn’t eat, is somewhat misleading. More often than not, a person does not have an issue with specific foods, rather - the challenge is that their system is not able to deal with the complexities of the meal, or the processing. For example, some foods need “acid” to be digested, others “alkaline”. If you combine food groups that require a different pH for optimum digestion (such as meat and potatoes in equal amounts), there will usually be some kind of digestive discomfort. It’s all about getting the right combinations & balance.

Processing

It may be that the foods you are eating are just too overly processed. Freezing is my favourite process / storage - because it does not affect the enzymatic reactions in food (I’ll post more on this at a later date), and it does a great job at preserving the nutrient content.

So, at the Art of Health, we simplify, simplify, simplify…

PEA SOUP

This soup, made by James aged 7-years, is super easy, really tasty & highly nutritious. Of course you can make much fancier versions, but this is made as quick as a cup of well made tea.

Ideal for hungry children!

Ingredients

900g-1KG fresh frozen petite pois.
1L veg stock (I use veg bullion stock by marigold).
Seasoning: black pepper.
Fistful of fresh mint leaves.

Boil up peas in stock. After 5-10 mins simmering, turn off heat. Add in mint and blitz with stick blender.

And that’s it!

It’s a favourite fast food with hunks of nice bread on a cold wet Saturday lunch time after a morning of sport. Drizzle a little olive oil in Zorro type style of “Z”. Place a little mint leaf on top and voilà.

Have a peasful lunch.... have a ha-pea day.

Chef James making Anny’s Pea Soup for his family’s evening meal.

Once this base soup suits your system (i.e., you don’t feel bloated, tired or gassy / belching), then you can add in and layer up on the flavour profile. I have lots of ideas on variations of this beautiful soup, including asparagus & spinach (thank you Anna for inspiring these flavours).

In the summer we grow our own peas. The reason this simple soup has a well deserved place in this summer series of recipes is due to it’s nutritious punch, especially when home-grown:

Peas are full of plant-based protein. Protein is essential in building strong bones, muscles and healthy tissue. It is also a building block for a multitude of enzymes the body uses to produce energy, transport nutrients, carry oxygen and complete thousands of other tasks. Peas also contain all essential amino acids.
Peas are easy to digest and full of fibre (which your bowel likes in order to form healthy stools), while helping create the right environment for good bacteria growth, AKA the microbiome.
Low allergen food. Very few people react to peas, especially with the addition of fresh mint, which has natural digestive properties (reducing wind and bloating).
Muscle-building and repairs damaged muscles.
A high plant-based protein diet keeps you fuller for longer & promotes appetite control and weight-loss.
Low to no processing of foods means higher nutrient retention.