comfrey

this is the herb we discussed last night at john reddens practical herb course.
we got up close and personal with comfrey and even had a spa night.
it was blissful.
i am going to talk about its external applications, as it is illegal to prescribe comfrey internally. it has been documented to cause liver damage when taken internally, but really it is in those that have liver disease or are alcoholics.
you have to be cautious when planting comfrey as it will take over! you either need to grow it in a container or keep your eye on it and prune it.

the latin name is symphytum officinale.
symphytos, to unite (as in, broken bones)
one of its main indications is in wound healing; broken bones, bruises, scrapes and tears. it will heal the body in half the normal time. amazing to have on hand for the kiddies! you do need to be cautious of deep wounds as the skin will heal on top before the deep inner wound heals and you can create an abscess. postnatally women use dried comfrey as part of their sitz bath to help the perineum heal quicker.
i had burned my finger just before going to the class (perfect timing!) on the panini press. after rubbing comfrey on my hands, the burn was gone by morning! it is that healing.

it is also amazing for the skin! is helps to tighten the skin, yet keeps it internally moist. there is an astringent quality that helps to remove impurities ie. black heads (yuck) but also puts the moisture back it. we applied this green comfrey sludge to our faces and left it on for a good 30 min. after removal my skin felt so clean and fresh!
all we did was boil some water, add the fresh herb, leaves, stems, flowers and stalks and boil them for about 3 min. we then took out all the herb parts, blended them and once cooled applied to our face, hands and feet. you would apply it to the injured part of the body the same way and then you could wrap the wet herb in cheescloth to help keep the herb in place and to contain the mess! if you did not have the fresh herb, then you would boil the dried herb, the way you would make a tea and then dip a cloth into the water and apply to the skin.

seriously, you don't need fancy creams. this is fantastic. give it a try!