A Recipe for Plantain Ointment

I am often found in my garden. Also my kitchen. And the room that serves as my sacred space and apothocary (also known as the playroom). My craft room is a sanctuary for me as well. Apparently I have taken over a good part of the house. My partner has the garage for his pursuits.



I've been recovering from surgery and my garden has gone a bit wild. Which is a good thing, because I found a large amount of Plantain in it. (I'll write more on this at a later time).



I have dishes, pots, pans, mortars and pestles, a coffee grinder and a slow cooker dedicated to my herbal treatments. I'm not sure when the collection began, but its a necessary thing when using herbs becomes an interest.



The slow cooker came down out of its cupboard and 6 handfuls of Plantain leaves were steeped in 6 cups of grapeseed oil for 8 hours on the "Keep Warm" setting.

I strained the lovely green oil and put it into the top of a double boiler. (In the bottom pan there was an inch or so of water simmering on medium low heat.)



To that, I added 3 ounces of pure beeswax. (The proportions I use in salves and ointments are usually 1 ounce of wax to 2 cups / 1 pint of oil. This may need to be adjusted depending on the day, the herbs used, etc).



*Once the wax (slowly) melted, I carefully poured the ointment to be into small sterilized jars, added several drops of Sweetgrass Essential Oil to each jar, then allowed it to cool and screwed on sterilized lids. I label everything I make with its name, the date I made it, and what I use it for.



(*Never leave oil or beeswax unattended on the stove!)



***Disclaimer: Using herbs in any form requires a great deal of research and knowledge.This recipe works well for me, but as with anything, if you choose to try it, please use due diligence. Are you certain the plant you have picked is Plantain? Do you have potential allergies to the herb, the oil, the beeswax or essential oil? If you decided to make this, use sparingly on a small test patch before applying anywhere on your body or on another person.



I purchase my Sweetgrass Essential Oil from a local shop that supports First Nations crafters and suppliers.