Using Plantain for bug bites.......Simple Herbal Remedies Day One

Good Monday Morning to you!

I hope your weekend was wonderful. Mine was full of time with kids, time with friends, and lots of fun, so we are starting this week off on a good vibe here around The Welcoming House.

And what a wonderful week we have ahead of here on the Blog! This week I have chosen to cover a little more in depth some of the basic ways that I use herbs to help with healing in my family. For those of you just joining us, I have actually written one book on the subject, Growing your Own Medicine,
that was released back in March of this year 
to a very happy readership.

I have always been fascinated by the natural healing of the world around us, and the more that I have studied, the more that I have been amazed at what remedies lie around us that we are no longer aware of. From edible weeds and flowers, to how to cultivate many different kinds of herbs that originated in the wilds, the study just keeps leading me deeper and deeper into information that has had a profound impact on how I treat my family through some of the most common maladies known to mankind.

Today I am going to share with you how a common weed can have an enormous impact on your family in the way of bug repellent and an itch relief from bites.

This picture is of a common weed named Plantain.

As soon as I began to do research into this, I was astounded not only by its properties, but also by how prolific it is. It is a rare city, state, or country that plantain does not exist in. For us, it has propagated a nice little patch all through the front yard, which was wonderful for harvesting
for our needs.

Today I am going to show you step by step how to make a simple infused Plantain oil that when put on mosquito bites, takes the itch away immediately, and begins to relieve the swelling within minutes. Since there seem to be tons of mosquitos this year, this is a great and simple remedy to have on hand for your children. Mine will actually bring it to me asking to have it put on after they have been out playing in the yard, all because they know how well it works.

First, take a 2 cup glass measuring cup, and pack it as full of leaves as you can get. Take this inside and wash thoroughly. If you spray your lawn for bugs or weeds, this is not something you can make at home, because your plantain will be totally toxic to you. Try finding it in rural ditches or lots that have been abandoned.

Next, chop the well washed leaves into pieces and put into a heavy bottomed stock pan. Top with one cup coconut oil.

Turn on low and melt coconut oil, stirring well to wilt the plantain. Use a wooden spoon for best results.

In a solid quart canning jar, using a funnel, transfer the contents of the pan into the jar. I use a spatula to make sure that I get every last scrap I can, because the plantain has released a lot of juice while it has been wilting on low heat.

Next, get about 1/2 cup of lavender leaves, and add into the jar on top of the plantain. The lavender is for pain relief and is also a topical antiseptic for bites. Kids scratch and infection can happen, so this is to help keep the bites clean while they heal.

Top off the rest of the jar with extra virgin olive oil. Cap tightly, and place in a warm and sunny place for two weeks. Shake this when you think about it, to continue drawing out good healing gel from the plantain leaves.

At the end of two weeks, strain out the leaf material, and bottle up the Bug Bite Relief oil. Believe me, this stuff comes in handy, and works VERY well. :)

How long is it good for once the leaves are strained out?
If kept in a dark cupboard, this will last a good six months. You would most likely use it up before the oil begins to change. You can also add a tincture of benzoin as a preservative if you wanted, and that can be purchased at most health food stores.

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Another thing that plantain is good for is immediate relief from a bee sting. All you have to do is grab a couple leaves, chew them up, and put them directly on the sting. It will not only relieve the pain, it will heal the sting much more quickly, with far less swelling.

As with any herb or weed, make sure you don't have allergies first by rubbing a swatch on the inside of your elbow and leave it for a time. If no redness or rash appears, then you are good to go.

Hope this is something new for you to try. I have been very happy with the results, and hope that some of you pin this for future reference. You can find my Pinterest button over to the right of the screen right next to where you can sign up for receiving my blog posts via email.

Have a wonderful day and check back tomorrow for another post on how to use Hyssop in your Simple Herbal Remedies medicine chest!


If you are looking for a good place to purchase lavender, may I recommend Bulk Herb Store? They have fantastic products, and have a wonderful program for supporting bloggers like myself. Just click on the button below to go to their site and see their amazing products!
See you tomorrow as we talk about Hyssop 
and Healing your family!

Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

Shared with Walking Redeemed Wednesday Link up,
and the Homestead Barn Hop