Instructions to Make Comfrey Oil

Comfrey might grow like a weed and be very hard to get rid of, but it’s also a highly effective healing herb. The sticky leaves can be used like a bandage on minor cuts, and comfrey oil or a comfrey poultice can speed healing and ease inflammation of small cuts and burns, sprains and broken bones. Comfrey is also effective at softening dry skin and hair.

Harvesting Comfrey Leaves

• When making oil from any plant, it’s important to choose leaves when they are their most potent. Comfrey leaves should be harvested in spring. Like any herb, comfrey oils are most potent before the plant has flowered. This is because plants put their energy into producing foliage in the early spring, but when they start getting ready to bloom, less energy goes into the leaves and the oils start to deteriorate.

  Harvest the comfrey leaves in the morning just after the dew has dried. If it has rained recently, do not harvest the comfrey until at least 36 hours after the last rainfall. Choose medium and large leaves from the new growth on the plant. Leave the smaller leaves to harvest at a later date, and don’t take the very largest leaves that are starting to fade.

Making The Oil

• Hang the leaves in a warm, dry place for up to 24 hours. It’s not necessary to dry the leaves completely, but you should wait until the edges feel crisp and crumble easily. Stuff the leaves into a jar almost to the top, then fill the jar with olive oil. Seal the jar, and put it in a cool, dark place. Every few days, open the jar and poke the leaves around to release any air bubbles. Push the leaves down, and top off the oil so the leaves are always covered. After six weeks, you can strain the oil and use it.

Using the Oil

• This comfrey oil can be used in the bath or applied directly to skin and minor cuts. You can also make a salve by mixing 3/4 cup of oil with 1/2 ounce of beeswax. Heat them over a double boiler to melt the wax, and stir well. Then put the salve into a jar to let it cool and harden. Use the salve on minor skin problems like diaper rash or very dry skin. Do not use comfrey on very deep wounds, as it can heal the surface of the wound before the inside is healed, and do not take comfrey internally.