Bug bite garden remedy
Poor Lilu was outside for ten minutes yesterday and got 15 mosquito bites up and down her tiny, chubby little baby legs. Benadryl works fine, but I hate to smear so much of it all over her twice a day.
As part of the story I’ve been working on off and on lately, I’ve been doing a lot of research into more gentle herbal remedies. I had everything I needed for a simple infused oil growing in the garden; why not just try it?
I gathered a basket of half and half comfrey and plantain leaves. If I’d had calendula blossoms I would have added them too; all three are supposedly very good for skin inflammation, rashes, but bites, etc.
I chopped the herbs into a chiffonade, as small as I could.
Then I stuffed them into a quart jar and filled it with oil. Most people recommend olive oil, but the only oil I had was very very high eating quality and I didn’t want to spend a quart of it. I just used some vegetable oil I had.
This jar will sit in a sunny window for 4-6 weeks, when I will strain out the herbs. At that point, the oil can be used straight, but for neatness’ sake I was thinking about making it into a salve by mixing it with beeswax.
We shall see!
June 7th, 2013 at 3:13 pm
Does it work as a preventative?
June 11th, 2013 at 8:16 pm
I have no idea! Maybe, if I put peppermint oil in it? Some citronella-lavender lotion would smell very nice though.