Herbal Creams

Skin Face Cream

50 Ml Aqueous Cream ( non-petroleum apricot oil cream)

5 ml Herbal preparation

2.5 ml tincture (Kigelia , calendula, plaintain) ( see notes)

1 ML Carrier oil ( rosehip, almond, hemp)

2 ml of Bulbine/ Aloe Vera Fresh Preparation

How to make a Fresh Herb Preparation ( See notes)

Making a skin healing comfrey cream

30 Grams Comfrey

100g Aqueous Cream

Allow the cream and fresh herb to simmer in a double boiler for half an hour until the cream
take the colour of the herb. Do not boil.

Strain cream through a nappy liner to removal leaves

Add half a teaspoon of essential oils per 100 grams cream as nice smelling preservative

Fresh Herb Extract

For this method you will need a liquidizer
Sometimes when making a cream or gel we use an herb that cannot be made into a tincture, so
we need to prepare it for use. Bulbine and aloe vera are two of these. They are gels and need
to be made liquid so that they blend with the other ingredients.
.
150 g herb – washed clean – don’t bother to peel them
50 ml? water (just enough to get the machine working)
Liquidize as fine as you can
Have a dish with a strainer and nappy liner ready, pour the liquid into this and allow to drip
through, it should be ‘gloopy” - a special herbal term!
With this method you have no preservative added so will need to add one of the following. Will keep
up to 3
months in the fridge.

Natural Preservatives
 Ascorbic Acid: vitamin C, is a strong antioxidant, a fighter of cancer,and a key player in
detoxifying
 the body of foreign substances.
 Benzoin: It has antiseptic and preserving properties. Tincture of benzoin is the liquid used in
creams
 and skin tonics.
 Benzoic Acid: A preservative.
 Wheatgerm Oil: An unsaturated oil rich in Vitamin E. It has healing properties, but some
people
 might have a reaction to it - so be careful when using it.
 Alcohol tincture: will act as a preservative.
 Apple Cider Vinegar: You will need to add some preservative as it is not as strong acting as
alcohol
 Do some research and find a preservative that suits you

 Making a tincture
Place chopped or torn herb material in a large glass jar and cover with the alcohol or A C V
mixture. Make
sure the liquid covers all the herb, even if it overflows the jar. Seal the jar and store in a cool
place for 2 -
3 weeks. (If using A C V – for 4 – 6 weeks) Shake the jar once a day or turn over. When ready,
strain
mixture through nappy liner and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible, into a clean,
sterilized dark
glass bottle. Seal, label and date.. See sample label below
 Dosages
As this is a Mother tincture made from fresh herbs we use a standard dosage guideline.
Felter’s Materia Medica Vol. 1 says “It is better to err on the side of insufficient dosage and
trust to
nature, than to overdose to the present or future harm or danger to the patient.”
 Standard dose
Up to 5 ml (1 teaspoon) in approximately 30ml water divided into three doses over the day.
For children under 6 years 1 /4 the adult dosage
For children 6 – 12 years 1 /2 the adult dosage
For the Elderly 1 / 2 the adult dosage
Acute states (short term) it is normal to use a high dosage administered over a short period
of time
Chronic conditions the rule is to administer low dosages over a longer period.
 When administering astringents – take with COLD water.
Mucilage and warming herbs are taken in WARM water.
Do not use a tincture for more than 3 weeks without a break – herbal medication is
accumulative. Take a
break for 2 – 3 weeks then continue if needed.