- Make a thick paste with the desired herb, clay or charcoal and water.
- Apply directly to the wound or place between two layers of cloth and apply the cloth to the wound (depending on the cloth and the wound). Leave for 20 minutes to 3 hours as needed and repeat as necessary.
Tips
Spider Bites:
Alternating activated charcoal and baking soda poultices on a spider bite – We alternated these two every 3 hours for the first 24 hours, at which time the bite was noticeably better. At this point, we switched to alternating bentonite clay and plantain poultices for another two days until the redness was completely gone. The doctor was not sure what type of spider bite it was and we weren’t able to catch the spider to bring with us. It had cleared by the time we went back for a follow-up so we never knew for sure.
Onion poultice for illness:
There are many remedies that I would use that are not recommended for children, but one easy remedy that seems to work incredibly well is an onion poultice on the feet. This one was recommended by my Amish friend and while I don’t do it unless it is really needed (because it smells and is a lot of work), it hasn’t failed me yet. It is made by slicing or dicing an onion and lightly sautéing with a tablespoon of water just until the water evaporates. Then, placing a slice or paste of the onion between two layers of cloth. I apply this to the feet and wrap in waterproof cloth/plastic and cover with socks. I leave this on for half an hour and repeat every 3 hours as needed until the illness is gone. This can also be applied to the chest or back for coughing and congestion. A friend used a smaller version of this over the ear (being very careful not to get anything in the ear and to have cloth between the onion and the ear) for an ear infection with success.
Insect Bites:
Plantain poultices directly on the skin are great for bee stings and insect bites. In the summer when plantain is growing all over our yard, I use fresh, but I also keep dried plantain on hand in the winter because it is so inexpensive and useful. This poultice is also said to be helpful for boils, though I haven’t tried this myself.
Cabbage for Mastitis:
I got mastitis for the first time when our last baby was about a year old and we were traveling. I didn’t have my usual remedies with me, so I used what I could find in the small town where we were staying. Organic cabbage leaf poultices helped with the pain but to step things up, I added garlic as well. I would place a cabbage leaf directly on the sore area, then place 2 sliced garlic cloves and then a piece of cloth and then my bra. I was able to avoid antibiotics.
Garlic for Warts:
Another one that my friend suggested but that I’ve never tried is using a fresh garlic poultice for removal of warts. She said she made a paste of fresh garlic and applied just enough to cover the wart but not the healthy skin around it. She then covered with a bandage and left on for several hours a day until the wart was gone.
Clay for Splinters and Boils:
Bentonite clay and other healing clays are often used in a poultice to draw out splinters or to help resolve a boil. I have personally tried this for a particularly stubborn splinter and was able to get it out much more easily. This is made by making a thick paste of water and clay and applying directly to skin and then putting the cloth over the clay.
Salt or Magnesium Poultices:
My friend also recommended salt or epsom salt poultices for drawing out infections or abscesses. We used this recently when my daughter skinner her toe outside and got a big scab. We cleaned the area well, but there was a tiny rock that had gotten into her toe. A few days later, her toe was swollen and hurting. While we waited to get in to the doctor, I applied poultices of epsom salt and baking soda (between layers of gauze) and we cleaned it gently. After a few hours, it popped on its own before it had to be lanced by the doctor, and about a tablespoon of pus came out. I would not consider this an alternative to medical care, especially for abscesses like this, but rather a remedy until it can be looked at by a doctor to make sure the infection has not spread. She did not need any further treatment.