DIY Natural Poultice Do It Yourself
You may be wondering what a poultice is and why you would be using it. The fact is, you have probably already used a poultice in your daily life but you may not realize it because you are calling it something else. A poultice is a pack or salve that helps with healing of sore muscles, skin issues, or forms of pain.
Simple Tips For Preparing a Natural Poultice
This application is fairly easy, depending on how long you want to extract the benefits. Creating a natural poultice is also easy if you know the right steps. Here are a few of the basics to know for preparing your first natural poultice.
Time is Everything for Your Poultice Base
The first thing you need to do is decide how long you will be using the poultice on the affected area. This is important because you will either be using a flour-based paste for the poultice or a cheesecloth like application filled with the mixture you will be using. If you plan on keeping the poultice on the area for a longer period of time then you may want to go with the cheesecloth application in order to hold everything together in the concentrated area. If you will only be using the poultice for an hour or less then the flour like paste may be ideal. Once you have decided this, you can move to the next step of making the mixture for the poultice.
Check Herbal Interactions
You already know that different herbs help with different issues, but you may not be aware that some will have bad interactions for your skin. For example, you do not want to mix a mint and a capsaicin application. The combined menthol and heat can cause burns to the skin and may cause increased irritation and issues with the infected area. Instead, choose one or the other and only add additional herbs that are not part of the mint or pepper families and have a more mild application such as chamomile for soothing.
Prepare the Area Properly
Once you have mixed your poultice and either created a paste using an organic unbleached flour or cheesecloth then you need to prepare the area. Make sure the area is clean and free of any debris. You need to prepare the area as you would for any over the counter medicated application or cleansing. This will help keep the area clean and help the poultice to begin working as soon as possible.
By taking these basic steps in mind, you can create an effective poultice for your needs. Remember, do not reuse the poultice. You will need to make a fresh one for each application in order to reduce chances of infection or irritation from bacteria.