infuse the herbs you want to use into some coconut oil. you can use it as is or melt a little beeswax in there to make it a salve consistency.

yarrow is also nice for skin conditions.

here's a nice little video primer on making an herb infused oil, have fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e095va7iAX0

This post was edited by kaliaman on Tue, Jan 28, 14 at 10:52

A cautionary note: yarrow may also cause skin conditions (allergic reactions are not uncommon).

there are a few people who exhibit allergic symptoms to members of the composite plant family, but reactions to yarrow are rare in my experience and that of other herbalists. and i use yarrow A LOT in my practice and sell tons of yarrow containing salve, never have had even one complaint on it.

beware of warnings from those who think they know a lot but lack experience.

if you are a person with sensitivity to members of this plant family you'd want to leave the burdock and calendula out too as they are members of this same family.

This post was edited by kaliaman on Thu, Jan 30, 14 at 17:03

Any thoughts about plantin?
How many herbs is to many?
Thanks

"Allergy to ragweed and related plants: Yarrow may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family. Members of this family include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many others. If you have allergies, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking yarrow."

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-151-YARROW.aspx?activeIngredientId=151&activeIngredientName=YARROW

solus umbra, you can put as many herbs in there as you want. plantain is an awesome herb, definitely use it if you have it. depending on where you live it can be found green and growing even in winter.

herbalism is the medicine of the people, power to the people!

My husband is suffering from Neurodermatitis on his hand. He was unable to control itching, new lesions emerging. We are against chemicals and medications so we tried herbal remedies, and other natural treatments. A friend who lives in Europe recommended a natural healing cream, and indeed it helped a lot to ease his symptoms. ItâÂÂs called Athos Miracle Cream. My husband said that so far this was the most effective treatment we came across.

Please consider a cream or balm made with St. John's Wort Oil.

I have completely cured myself from an agressive 20 year neurodermatis condition called Lichen Simplex Chronicus, by taking 300-600mg a day of St. John's Wort extract orally, during 5-6 months. The medicinal properties of a cream or balm should be fairly similar to those of the pharmaceutical grade extract, although the percentages of the active ingredients will obviously differ.

Neurodermatitis is often aggravated by the presence of a bacteria called Staphylococcus Aureus whose presence has been confirmed in about 90% of atopic dermatitis cases. St. John's Wort contains a molecule called Hyperforin that is known to act as a powerful anti-microbial agent against SA. A recent study on mice suggests that a toxin released by SA may cause Mast Cells in the skin to degranulate, likely causing the vicious itch/scratch cycle associated with atopic dermatitis.

SJW also contains a second molecule called Hypericin that has powerful anti-inflammatory and skin-repairing properties. SJW was actually used as far back as antiquity to treat minor burns and bruises. Although the actual cause of atopic dermatitis remains unknown, I speculate that damage to the protective skin barrier may be an initiating event that triggers it. Repairing that skin barrier would therefore become a priority, if that is indeed the case. I believe this because all the scarring that was left on my body after 20 years of combat with this disease has now dissappeared - I literally have fresh new skin everywhere the lesions used to be!

The information on SJW, AD and SA can easily be confirmed by typing the appropriate words in your favorite search engine. Please read about potential SJW side-effects and interactions with other medications before trying it out. I personally suffered no ill effects for as long as I have taken SJW, and am thrilled to be free from LSC for over a year now. No other treatment proved to be effective during the 20 years I endured the disease. I am providing a link to a limited clinical study on the effectiveness of a SJW cream on atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Best of luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Clinical trial of St. John's wort cream for atopic dermatitis

I just found this thread surfing around. I'm not into herbals, but for those of you who are and find relief - more power to you and I'm loath to comment one way or another.

Coming out of a hospital stay for a serious medical crisis, I came out with something new to me - an eczema like condition on my chest, legs, and forearms. The dermatologist Rx's aren't as effective on the horrific itch and redness as I'd hoped. But, if your friend is willing to spend $9 and change (at Walmart) for an 8 oz. tube of Gold Bond Eczma Relief lotion, it just may well help. Stopped my horrible itching with the first application; rash, redness are well on the way to going away. All people are different and react to things differently, so I won't make any blanket claims.

If there's an open wound involved and a truly natural treatment is desired, I wouldn't speculate on what to try, but for patchy, dry, uncontrollably itchy skin... one simply wants relief and fast without scratching off the top layer of skin and risking infection.

Turmeric's quite popular but it turns everything orange. I've tried just the powder with water on various skin issues and didn't have any bad reactions.