Topical Remedies

[Juniper]

I don't think that we've really discussed this all that much over the years. What are some of your go-to topical remedies and if you're comfortable with sharing, for what reason did you start using them?

I think there are four main types I can think of are creams, balms, salves, and lotions.
Lotions and Creams tend to be on the water based side of the skin hydration spectrum while balms and salves are oil based. To varying degrees anyway.
From how I understand it, the order from most water-based to most oil-based is Lotion then Cream then Salve then Balm.

I think there are subcategories like ointments, pastes, and even sprays?

I've been hearing a lot lately about creams like Wild Yam for feminine health benefits, and Magnesium for aches and pains. I've been contemplating trying them for various reason.

[Hawkfeathers]

This works pretty well for me - for a mosquito bite, chew a fresh basil leaf just enough to break it up a little and apply to the bite. Cover with a bandaid or something for a while, and it seems to stop the itch.

[Juniper]

This works pretty well for me - for a mosquito bite, chew a fresh basil leaf just enough to break it up a little and apply to the bite. Cover with a bandaid or something for a while, and it seems to stop the itch.

Oooh I will definitely try that once the little buggers comes out to play, which won't be too long from now heh

[volcaniclastic]

Interesting. I was under the impression 'salve' and 'balm' were synonymous.

I make my own spruce pitch salve that I use in place of polysporin, on open wounds. It's also good for really dry skin in the nose (like if you're getting a lot of nosebleeds from dry air), and it helps a little with eczema. It's also dog safe, though, when my dog was still alive, he'd always try to eat it. He liked the taste, I think.

I mix some lichen with anti-bacterial properties in when I'm infusing the oil, so it's mildly antibiotic. I switch to the medical stuff for serious infections though.

I also use some MSM/THC based cream I purchased for joint pain.

[Corvus]

Something I tend to keep around a lot is a burn cream made with honey, beeswax, aloe, and sesame oil. The oil and honey help with burn healing, aloe soothes, the wax helps with structure and retaining moisture in the wound since drying out is a major problem with burns healing. I used to exclude the wax, but it made a sticky mess. This way it can be made relatively solid which helps with storage. Body heat will still melt it.

In the past I've made a bug bite balm using bee balm, calendula, and sometimes plantain. I'm interested in experimenting with that more to make something more shelf stable. When I had access to a garden I was more able to try out different formulas on the cheap. Having to buy fresh herbs makes things more difficult. Usually I blend things with beeswax or olive oil, depending on what consistency I need as a carrier. For store bought, tiger balm is a household essential.

I started mixing up my own remedies originally because I thought it was academically interesting, and many of them were fairly effective. I started working with herbs as part of my magical practice in college, which has lead to interest in sustainability and home remedies. I've been interested in self sufficiency as there's often things unavailable, and I feel it give me a closer relationship with these spirits and items that I use. Now, my boyfriend asks if I "have a potion" for whatever ails him ever since I proved they work between burn cream and cold remedies, and that's a nice feeling.