Poultice
By Steven Horne, RH (AHG) & Kimberly Balas, ND

A poultice is a mixture of crushed fresh herbs or dried herbs moistened with water to make a paste. The crushed herbs or paste are applied topically. It is similar to a compress, but plant parts are used rather than liquid extraction.

To make a poultice with fresh herbs, simply crush, chop or mash the fresh plant parts and apply topically. To make a poultice with dried herbs, use a base of mucilaginous herbs like comfrey root, slippery elm or marshmallow and add other herbs to it. Add enough water to form a thick paste.
Apply the paste directly to the skin.

Poultices can be covered with a gauze bandage or other dressing. Change the poultice once or twice daily.
PIS II is a poultice blend in capsules. Simply empty the contents of the capsules and moisten with water or aloe vera juice to make a thick paste. This can also be done with lntestinal Soothe and Build or Bone/Skin Poultice. Activated charcoal also makes a good poultice, but can be rather messy.

Single herbs to consider for poultices include:
Aloe Vera: good for moistening other herb powders in place of water to bind poultice. Cooling, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory.
Calendula: astringent, cooling, drying, styptic, good for deep/ Infected wounds
Comfrey leaf: vulnerary, soothing, absorbs, mild astringent, not for deep wounds
Comfrey root: binding and drawing agent, soothing, moistening
Flaxseed: lubricating, emollient, softening, nutritive, warming.
Goldenseal: astringent, vulnerary, antiseptic, good for ulceration
Lobelia: antipoisonous, stimulates lymphatic drainage, relaxing
Marshmallow: binding, soothing, cooling, moistening
Pine gum: very drawing, pulls slivers, disinfectant, warming, drying and astringent
Plantain: drawing, anti-inflammatory, mildly astringent, antipoisonous, stimulates lymphatic drainage
Psyllium seeds: binding, mildly drawing, absorbs
Slippery Elm: binding and drawing agent, cooling, nutritlve
White Oak bark: astringent, cooling, drying
Yarrow: astringent, drying, stimulating, good for deep/ infected wounds

Non-Herbal Items for Poultices
Clay: drying, drawing and binding
Charcoal: draws toxins
Instant Potato Flakes: Can be mixed with the juice of a fresh herb (plantain juice or fresh plant tincture) for an
instant poultice

Below is a list of suggested products. Those in bold are key products for the health issue explained on this page.
For details and ordering simply copy a product's name in the search box above or click on the bold name.

Therapies: Poultice helps deal with Physical Trauma, one of the root causes of disease.

Herbs: Aloe Vera, Lobelia, Slippery Elm, Yarrow, Golden Seal, Marshmallow, Psyllium and White Oak Bark

Herbal Formulas: Bone/Skin Poultice, PLS II and Intestinal Soothe & Build

Nutrients: Activated Charcoal