It's been a while since I did one of my hokey tutorials, and I felt the burning need to do one.....

The main reason for this salve is the wonderful hormonal changes that being middle-aged can bring....  It is actually Dr Schultes' formula for hormonal regulation for women, but with a twist....

I've been reading up on some older herbalist practices along with newer research on salves.  It would seem that these topical ointments may have better absorption into the body than herbs in the forms of tictures or teas.  The main issue, in my opinion, is which method extracts the herbs the best into the oil?

The formula I used is heavy on the roots, and I've made a Wild Yam salve in the past that seems pretty good to me, so I thought that I'd give it a try with this one....

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Women's Formula

4 Tbsp Wild Yam root

4 Tbsp Chaste Berries

4 Tbsp Angelica Root

2 Tbsp Hops

2 Tbsp Damiana

Enough olive oil to cover and beeswax to firm.

Essential Oils... I used Tea Tree and Rosemary as this is a pretty strong smelling blend of herbs.  I also add Grapefruit seed extract.  (5 drops of each per 2 oz of salve)

1.  Combine the Wild Yam, Chaste berries, and Angelica root in a mason jar.  Boil some water for tea and pour, gently over the herbs to just barely moisten them.  Allow them to sit for about 30 minutes.  Put the whole jar into a crockpot on top of a folded towel (I use a cotton pot holder).  Put some water in the crockpot so that the herb jar is in a water bath of sorts.  It doesn't have to be high up the jar, just don't have it too hot so that the oil in the herbs boils, and try not to let the water run dry.

2.  Cover the herb mixture with the olive oil.  Keep in your crock pot overnight, making sure the water doesn't run dry.

3.  The next day add the Hops and Damiana... stir it around and top off the oil if needed.  Allow this to stay in the crockpot for at least another 2 or 3 days.

Your herbs will be dark and used up looking.

4.  Strain the oil from the herbs.

5.  Add beeswax to the oil and allow it to melt over a double boiler.

6.  Put your drops of essential oils and grapefruit seed extract (a preservative) into the jar/jars you intend to use. 

7.  Pour the liquid salve into the jars very carefully.  Allow to cool over several hours.