Pike Herb Company 58 Tunnel Road Pottsville, PA 17901

Preparing Herbal Poultices

For making poultices, you can use fresh or dried herbs. Fresh herbs can be bruised and applied directly to the skin, or if the skin is particularly sensitive, the poultice can be placed between layers of gauze.

When using dried herbs they must be moistened first. Make a paste by adding hot water or apple cider vinegar to the dried plant material. Keep the poultice warm. You may want to cover the skin with a thin layer of oil as this protects the skin and may make removing the poultice easier.

In a compress, an infusion or decoction is made first and a piece of clean cloth or gauze is soaked in the resultant liquid. The cloth or gauze is applied to the affected area as hot as can be tolerated. You can cover the compress with plastic wrap, to keep it hot longer, and change it when it cools off.