Comfrey root oil recipe

Avoid storing comfrey oil in the bathroom or near any heat sources.

How to Use Comfrey Oil

Comfrey oil can be used in various ways to promote skin health and address specific concerns. Turn it on very low, and gently heat the mixture keeping it under 140 degrees. Here are two methods:

Method 1: Using Dried Comfrey Leaves

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup dried comfrey leaves
• 1 cup carrier oil like olive oil or sweet almond oil
• A clean, sterile jar
• Cheesecloth
• Fine mesh strainer

Instructions:

1. Fill your jar about 2/3 full with the dried comfrey leaves.

   To perform the hot infusion method:

   1. Fill a jar about half way full with dried comfrey leaves.  Cover with a carrier oil making sure you cover the herbs completely.  
   2. Then either place a towel on the bottom of a slow cooker and add several inches of water and place the jar in the crock.  You can also fill a pan with water and place the jar on a canning lid to elevate it from the bottom of the pan.  
   3. Gently heat the mixture on low heat for several hours, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
   4. Once the infusion is complete, strain the oil using cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to remove the comfrey leaves.
   
   

   Comfrey Infused Oil: Cold Infusion Method

   The cold infusion method is a slower process that takes advantage of the sun's heat to extract the properties of comfrey.

   uplandicum) are fast-growing leafy plants that are considered invasive in some areas.  They spread rapidly, and are incredibly difficult to control because new plants can sprout from even tiny sections of root left in the soil. 

   They’re popular in permaculture gardening circles because of their ability to pull micro-nutrients from deep in the soil, and the tops are cut and applied in a number of ways as soil amendments.

   Whether or not it’s a good idea to plant comfrey in your garden is up for debate, and you’ll need to cut it several times a season to keep it under control.  That just means you’ll have plenty of potent medicine to harvest(and a great source of nutrient-rich mulch).

   If you don’t have comfrey growing nearby, you can still make comfrey salve with either dried comfrey leaf or comfrey root, both of which can be purchased online.  If you’re just hoping to find a ready-made salve and skip the DIY portion, I’d suggest checking on Etsy for small-scale cottage industry salve producers.

   Comfrey’s medicinal benefits are well known, and even if you choose not to grow it for practical reasons, it’s easy enough to purchase dried comfrey leaves or dried roots for herbal remedies (either can be used to make comfrey salve).

   I use comfrey salve to treat my chronic low back pain, brought long summer days in the garden and winters hauling a heavy chainsaw around our woodland homestead cutting firewood.

   While historically comfrey was taken internally for all manner of issues (including broken bones), it’s now known to be potentially damaging to the liver when consumed, and it’s best avoided.  Topically though, comfrey is still in common use for pain relief and minor wounds.

   (Always consult your doctor or a clinical herbalist before trying any new herbal remedy, as there’s always the possibility of unintended consequences, allergic reaction, or interactions with other medication.  If you’re harvesting wild plant material, make sure you’re 100% confident in your identification and consult multiple sources for your ID.  The following is based on my research and experience, but I don’t claim to have any certifications that would qualify me to advise you on your health.  Please do your own research and always verify with multiple reputable sources.)

   Benefits of Comfrey

   Comfrey has been shown to reduce inflammation, reduce pain, and speed skin healing.  It contains allantoin, a substance believed to promote healing by stimulating the growth of new cells.

   Since it’s potentially toxic taken internally, these days comfrey is only used topically as a herbal salve or cream.  Salves are easy to make and require minimal ingredients and equipment. 

   They’re also simple to use and can store for extended periods (1-2 years) without spoiling or losing potency.  Comfrey cream and comfrey ointments also work well, and I’ll cover those later on. 

   Herbalists commonly recommend comfrey salves for sprains, strains, muscle pain, arthritis, bruises, and fractures. 

   But what does the science say?

   Back Pain

   The British Journal of Sports Medicine found that topical comfrey creams were incredibly effective at treating acute back pain.   The study found that pain intensity decreased by 95.2% in the comfrey treated group, as opposed to 37.8% in the placebo group. 

   Most notably, the study found that comfrey is fast-acting, with relief experienced in about an hour! 

   The study concluded that “comfrey root extract showed a remarkably potent and clinically relevant effect in reducing acute back pain.”

   Osteoarthritis

   Multiple studies have shown that comfrey salves reduced pain and increased mobility in patients with osteoarthritis.

   A study on osteoarthritis of the knee found that pain was reduced by more than 50% with comfrey creams, as opposed to 10-15% with placebo during a 3 week study period.  Another similar study confirms these results (but also noted a few cases of a topical skin reaction to comfrey.)

   While pain is reduced and mobility increased, yet another study went further and found that though the symptoms are reversed, the actual measurable inflammation and cartilage breakdown within the knee are not improved.

   It seems that comfrey may reduce osteoarthritis pain and symptoms, but it’s not actually healing the underlying condition.

   Sprains

   Comfrey’s pain-relieving effects are helpful in treating the pain associated with joint sprains, and one study found that topical applications of comfrey are as effective as synthetic prescription pain-relieving gels.  The study only addressed pain symptoms, however, and didn’t investigate whether comfrey creams helped to heal sprains. 

   Precautions for Use

   Do not ingest comfrey! Comfrey isn’t for internal use and you should never ingest comfrey in any form.  Older herbals recommended consuming comfrey to help with bone healing, but that’s no longer recommended due to the risk of liver poisoning (and death in high enough doses).  

   Comfrey varies in constituents based on the strain, and it’s possible that the strains of comfrey consumed in medieval Europe were kept specifically for internal use.  Those strains are no longer kept (or if they are, their ID and use aren’t certain).  These days it’s impossible to know if some strains are safer than others without individual chemical analysis, and even then it’s not worth the risk.

   Skin reactions have been reported in a small number of people in the clinical trials I mention, and there’s always the possibility of an allergy.  I’d suggest doing a small patch test before using too much for the first time, just to be sure that you don’t have a reaction.  That goes for any topical herbal remedy, not just comfrey salve. 

   Comfrey is for external use only, which is why a comfrey salve is an excellent way to use it.  

   Making Comfrey Salve

   Making a homemade comfrey salve follows the same process as making any other herbal salve.  It all starts with making a herbal infused oil.

   The infused oil is then thickened with melted beeswax before pouring into containers to harden.

   Making an Infused Oil

   Infused oils are best made with dried herbs and a bit of patience.  The dried herb material won’t cause the oil to go rancid while infusing, as opposed to wet herb material.

   Fill a jar about 2/3rds full with dried comfrey leaves or dried comfrey root.  Cover with a neutral oil, such as olive oil, and allow the herbs to infuse into the oil for about 4-6 weeks before straining.

   If you’re using fresh herbs, or trying to make comfrey salve in less than 4-6 weeks, try the heat infusion method.  Start by chopping the fresh herbs to expose more surface area.

   Place the fresh or dried herbs in a jar, cover with oil and then place the jar into a double boiler.  Gently heat the water in a double boiler, warming the oil, but keeping it under 140 degrees.  It’s important that the herbs infuse (not deep fry).

   A crockpot set to “keep warm” works well for this, but a small pot of water on very low heat also works. 

   Allow the fresh or dried herbs to infuse in the double boiler for about 24 hours before straining and continuing with the process.

   (Note: If using fresh herbs, make sure the jar is open during the infusion process so that moisture can evaporate from the herb material)

   Making a Herbal Salve

   Once you have a comfrey infused oil, it’s simple to thicken it into a herbal salve.  

   Salve recipes vary, but I like the consistency when I use a 1 to 8 ratio of oil to beeswax (by weight).  I weigh out 8 ounces of herb-infused oil, which is about what you end up with if you pack a wide-mouth pint mason jar with comfrey and cover it with oil. 

   Once it’s strained out, you should have about 8 ounces of oil.  Next, weigh out 1 ounce of beeswax.  Using easy melting beeswax pistils makes this process easy, but you can also chop some off a large block of beeswax.

   Put the oil and beeswax in a heat-safe bowl or double boiler bowl, and gently melt it over a pot of simmering water (basically, in a double boiler).  Once melted, pour the salves into jars or salve tins. 

   I’m using 2-ounce salve tins, which hold ever so slightly more than 2 ounces.  I’m able to get 4 tins of comfrey salve from a single batch.   

   Allow the salves to cool and firm up for a few hours before using them.

   Where to Buy Comfrey Salve

   Homemade comfrey salve has its benefits…you know what’s in it, how the comfrey was grown (if you grew it) and it can save money compared to buying prepared comfrey salves.  That said, the downside is that the dosage can be variable. 

   Different strains of comfrey have different medicinal potencies.  There are a few named varieties that are grown for their high concentrations of healing compounds, and it’s hard to know the potency of comfrey harvested from your yard. 

   Most studies using topical comfrey applications used a standardized comfrey salve with 35% comfrey extract, while the dosage of homemade comfrey salve is unknown.  I looked for comfrey cream and salves with a standardized dosage and I actually couldn’t find any, not a single one!  (If you find one, please let me know in the comments).

   I did, however, find two commercially available comfrey preparations, one cream, and one salve.  I’ll warn you though, they’re expensive, about $10 an ounce…

   • Traumaplant Comfrey Cream ~ Made into an easy-to-apply cream in a tube.
   • Herb Pharm Salve ~ Not strictly comfrey, but also contains St.

     John’s Wort, Calendula, Chickweed, Mullein, Plantain, and Rosemary.

   For me, I’m less concerned with standardized dosage than I am with results.  If my homemade comfrey salve gets the job done, the dosage is just another number.  

   Comfrey Salve

   Ashley Adamant

   Comfrey salve is easy to make at home, using homegrown herbs or by purchasing dried comfrey.

   The only thing the two plants have in common is their name, so while you could make oil from wild comfrey, it wouldn’t have the same benefits. This means that the keratin in the skin is softened, and the outermost layers of cells are able to shed more easily, leading to brighter skin.

2. Contains tannins. Allow the herbs to infuse in the warm oil for 24 hours before straining.

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