Plantain, growing in the garden.
Skin Healer came from my experience with the plants in our garden. One year there was an abundance of plantain growing amongst the herbs, flowers and vegetables. Plantain is considered a weed by some gardeners. My friend David Miles told me it was edible and rich in calcium and minerals. I tried eating it raw - it was a bit chewy and stringy, a good workout for my teeth and jaw. Then I tried it in a stir fry with some other hearty greens and some fresh chopped garlic.
Fast forward a few weeks… I was working in the garden and nicked myself with a garden shear. With a bleeding finger I looked down for something to wrap around the wound until I could clean it out with some soap and water. There was the plantain leaf - wide, flat, easy to wrap and felt cooling on this fiery cut. Later I learned that the Native Americans called the plantain a green bandaid! Pretty cool when that synchronicity happens. That was the start of the making of Skin Healer. I learned how to make botanical oils from several other plants like comfrey, St. John’s wort and calendula flower. Blending these with beeswax and plantain is the basis of this product.
Recently I felt called to add a new Skin Healer to the apothecary. It has all the basics of the original, with the addition of Sea Buckthorn Pulp extract and Patchouli Essential Oil.
Sea Buckthorn is a plant that is native to Europe and Asia but can easily grow in North America into a beautiful bush or tree. The female plant produces the most stunning shiny orange berries. The medicinal uses of Sea Buckthorn go back as far as 618-907 A.D., with references found in Ancient Greek and classic Tibetan medicinal texts. The berries are considered a nutrient-rich superfood; rich in vitamin C, carotene, vitamin E, malic and succini acids, amino acids and other bioactive compounds. It also is a super source of omega fatty acids 3, 6 and 9, plus the rare omega-7 essential fatty acid, which can keep your skin looking firm and lifted. We’re talking about superfood for your skin!
Patchouli essential oil has its own sacred personality and purpose. It works with calming anxiety and depression. It is anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory, and is also used topically as a wound healer.
There are so many plants with multi-dimensional medicinal purposes. I feel honored to be invited into their kingdom to learn about their healing properties and to be able to offer up their gifts.
