How to Make an Herbal Compress for Boils

Essential oils derived from herbs are very effective for healing infected pores and boils. They are strongly antibacterial with anti-inflammatory agents that are safe and gentle to use on the skin. By using both moist heat and antiseptic essential oils, the boil is gently encouraged to be released by the body.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups of hot water
• 2 tbsp. sea salt
• 2 tbsp. Epsom salt
• 4 drops chamomile or lavender essential oil
• 2 drops of tea tree essential oil
• 2 drops of lemon essential oil
• basin or bowl
• small flannel cloth
• plastic wrap
• towel

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Instructions

Process

• 1

  Pour the hot water into a glass bowl or basin. In a small dish, add the sea salt and Epsom salts. Add the essential oils to the salts and mix well with the back of a spoon. Add the aromatic salts to the water and stir well.

• 2

  Soak a piece of flannel cloth in the water, saturating well. Wring most of the water from the compress and apply over the boil or infected pore. Cover with plastic wrap and the towel. Replace the compress with a fresh, hot one when the original one has become cool and dry.

• 3

  Leave on for a total of 20 minutes. Repeat three times daily until the infection comes to a head and is released. Once the boil has opened, strict measures should be taken to not let the bacterial infection spread to other parts of the body. Sterile dressings should be applied to the opened boil, and showers taken instead of baths.

• 4

  Apply a few drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil to the sterile dressing before covering the open wound. Change three times daily, as drainage from the boil will continue.