Jul
9
2010
No flies in mine.
Author: BoompoetOintments are a new interest of mine…. yes, ointments. Like for rashes and bug bites. I’ve decided to see how easy or difficult it might be to make some home remedies and try them out. So far, I’ve made a boric acid ointment that smells of lavender and I’ve made a citronella ointment that sadly does not keep the mosquito’s away. I think that one needs a little something extra.
Recipes are easier than I thought they’d be. A little bees’ wax, some carrier oil (vegetable, corn, or olive), and a few drops of essential oil to taste… or smell rather, and you’re in business. There is some fire involved and there’s some creativity in adding some additional medicinal ingredients, but for the most part, it’s just that simple.
People have made home remedies for centuries… well, since the first homes I would imagine. Folk healing practices are based on cause and effect, trial and error. The witches in Salem were usually only wise old women who knew some local herbs could cure a sore throat. They weren’t evil, just knowledgeable. Today we lack the simplest understanding of the medicinal benefit of the natural world… something I’m hoping my ointments will cure me of.
So far, I’ve only played with a few different recipes, but if you have any suggestions, please feel free to email me or comment. I’d love to hear them. I eventually hope to have a steam distillery set up so I can express my own essential oils… won’t that be fun?
Yeah… I’m a big ol’ dork. But I smell good.
