Knitbone (Comfrey) Salve (2oz Tin)

Comfrey leaf is my favorite to harvest and dry!

This #comfreyleaf was dried from last year and I immersed it into an organic, virgin olive oil this past late summer. 

My intent was to #infuse this oil for 6 weeks. 

That’s the minimum I like to do my infusions for.

But here we are over a year later

But that’s ok!

The longer the better, most of the time, anyways!

Why do I make #comfrey infusions?!

Well, they go into some of our skincare products, because similar to calendula, comfrey makes for a wonderful, #anti-aging, #facial oil-with all the #medicinal benefits of calendula!

But it goes on.

Really, what we use it for in our family is to apply topically for sprains, strains, and especially bruises!

Comfrey is a powerful #woundhealer thanks to its allantoin, saponins, polysaccharides, and other natural plant chemicals!

But we should remember to apply it topically only.

It’s so powerful that it should not be used directly on open wounds. 

It can stimulate healing on the outside and trap microbes inside. 

You don’t want bacteria and other microorganisms inside wounds since they can cause abscesses.

Also- it should be noted that comfrey has a long history of being used internally to treat ailments. 

But there is A LOT of information on comfrey and potential toxicity out there. 

Quite a lot of folks that defend its safely too.

The bottom line is that all varieties of comfrey contain alkaloids that could cause liver damage. 

Especially when taken internally, in high doses, and/or for long periods. 

This is why you should avoid using comfrey root at all since it has ten times more pyrrolizidine alkaloids than the leaves!

Fortunately, for us, these alkaloids are not easily absorbed by the #skin!!

That makes using comfrey oil on your skin safe!

You can use comfrey oil directly on the skin or mixed with other ingredients to make healing #salves!

Please note that comfrey is a powerful medicinal herb and should not be used in daily skincare and is not for everyone (ie pregnant women).

It’s one for those special circumstances when your skin needs some deep therapy and healing!