DIY Yarrow Salve: The Perfect Herbal First Aid Salve
Learn about the benefits of yarrow, how to make your own yarrow salve, and why you should always keep this powerful herbal first aid salve in your cabinet!
Ahh, yarrow. One of my favorites! It’s a staple in our house. Got bit by a ton of bugs? Yarrow salve. You scraped your knee outside? Yarrow salve. Poison ivy? Yarrow salve.
I first started looking into yarrow 2 years ago while researching healing herbs for postpartum care. I added it to my postpartum herbal bath tea after reading about how wonderful it is on wounds.
It grows all over North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and Africa. Many consider it to be an aggressive weed, and according to Edible Wild Food, ‘You’ll see yarrow along roadsides, in fields, waste areas, canyon bottoms, subalpine zones and even on lawns.’
If you follow my Instagram stories, you may remember me mentioning that I got excited, thinking that yarrow grew along the fence line of our property by our mailbox. My friend identified it as poison hemlock, which was used in ancient Greece to poison prisoners.
There are quite a few yarrow look-alikes that you’ll need to look out for, from Queen Anne’s Lace to Wild Fennel.
The leaves are edible and can be consumed raw or cooked, and though it’s nutritious, it’s not recommended that you consume it in large quantities.
It should also be noted, that the common white variety is the one you want to grow if you’re looking to use it medicinally. According to Happy DIY Home, “If you want to grow yarrow for health purposes, you’ll need to grow the common white variety. The ornamental cultivars don’t contain the same plant compounds that make yarrow medicinal.”
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Pregnant women are urged to avoid yarrow unless guided by a certified, professional herbalist or practitioner.
What’s So Great About Yarrow?
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When used topically, yarrow is said to help heal wounds. It’s been used throughout history on boils, sores, cuts, piles, burns, and rashes.
It aids in clotting and decreases the risk for infection due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. As a hot tea (which can be made using the leaves and flowers), It’s also used to treat colds and more specifically – fever! Herbalist, Matthew Wood calls it a “master of fever.” And according to Herbal Academy, this is due to yarrow’s ability to regulate blood flow, coupled with its diaphoretic action.
Essentially, it stimulates circulation, opens pores, and stimulates sweating which helps your body cool down.
More Potential Benefits of Yarrow:
- Regulating your period (when consumed as a tea)
- Reducing Inflammation
- Reducing Anxiety
- Treating the symptoms of Mastitis
- Blood Clotting
How To Make Yarrow Salve
Yarrow Salve Ingredients
- 1/2 cup yarrow-infused carrier oil (I used almond oil)
- 2 tbsp grated beeswax (I usually prefer yellow block beeswax, but this time I opted for white pellets out of convenience)
- Small jelly jar
Directions:
1. Infuse your carrier oil with yarrow using the slow, solar infusion process, or heat infusion
For solar infusion, simply add some yarrow and your carrier oil to a mason jar and store in a sunny window on your kitchen counter for a minimum of 2 weeks. I let mine infuse for almost 2 months. The longer you allow the oil to infuse, the more potent it will be.
For heat infusion, you can use a crockpot, stove top or double boiler. Simply heat the herbs and oil up and simmer for a few hours.
After your oil has been infused, strain it through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth.
2. In a double boiler on the stove, slowly melt 2 tbsp of beeswax and 1/2 cup of yarrow-infused oil
Heat until fully melted.
3. Once melted, remove from heat and pour into a small mason jar
Allow it to cool and you’re done!
Do you make your own herbal salves? Have you used yarrow before? What do you like to use it for? Let me know in the comments below! Let’s talk herbs!
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Question–when you soar-infuse the oil with yarrow, are you putting the whole plant in the oil? Leaves and flowers? Dried or fresh? I’m afraid I might be overcomplicating this. {smile} Thanks!
What parts of yarrow do you add to the oil to make salve and how much?
Hi! What could be used as a vegan alternative to beeswax?
Do you use flowers and leaves or just leaves? I have found that your salve recipes you don’t say what part of the plant to use. Unless I missed it!
Do you use the flowers or the leaves or both? Is it necessary to dry the yarro before infusing the oil?