Looking for a couple"herbal" recipes for this winter

[HeatherLynn]

ok I made a pretty effective salve for itching and for chest rub. And they work really well. Happy with how this went and how easy it was. Now I want something for my dads hands AND for healing cuts and various wounds. My mom is forever tripping or getting into some tangle and she is older and does not heal as quickly. I would like something natural that she can use to help this process. My dads hands crack very badly and nothing seems to help. Doctor prescribes stuff and nada. I was thinking using coconut oil and beeswax as a base and maybe adding oils in that might help the healing process and maybe prevent this. The doctor can't even say whats causing it. My dad refuses to do wax treatments anymore which did help, so I am looking for something. It gets so bad they bleed during the winter. Got anything you use that might help with this? Wanna share how to make it?

 

[newfoundland]

Keeping hands covered when it is cold or wet helps to maintain a temperature that reduces the likelihood of cracking. I think your base sounds fine to make an emollient which will soften and protect against water. Two things I would recommend for healing are comfrey and honey. Honey is a wonderful healer, you can even apply it neat on a dressing to an open wound and it will keep it free of infection and speed healing. Creams made from these will be suitable for both mum and dad.

 

[Mattemma]

Check out the ingredients in Super Kids Salve and Burts Bees stuff.You can make your own if you do not want to buy. I think the salve has more healing stuff in it. I have my dh using it,because he get the cracking skin too.

 

[HeatherLynn]

Good to know. Maybe I will just buy him some. My dad is wary of my "new age hippie plant stuff". Ummmm Dad its just lavender oil for pitties sake. He would trust something from the store more.

I will still check out the ingredients because I am cheaper than cheap and I have no issues making my own lol. Good to have on hand. Worst comes to worst he empties his jar I will just refill it with my stuff. Between mom and the kids my stuff will go to good use.

 

[GatsbysGirl]

If you find a good one let me know. My hands are forever dry and cracked, no matter what I do for them. And I am perfectly fine with "new age hippie stuff"

And could you give me the recipe for the anti itching stuff?

 

[HeatherLynn]

My dad is a diet controlled diabetic ( I don't understand totally but he has due to something in the army) Anywho he does not heal fast though. He will hide in his room with all these creams on his hands in terrible pain but he won't stop going. Whenever he is outside he has a pair of cotton gloves on and then his regular gloves go over that. He is so careful with them but they still crack. I am just hoping to provide some relief this year. I am looking at what swansons has right now because i was already putting an order in there. I will probably buy him a few different things and he can test them out and tell me what worked best.

 

[cassie]

A really good salve for cracked dry skin can be found in the equine section of the livestock supply. I forget what it is called. It comes in a square can like BagBalm does, but the can is red, not green. It might be called something like Corona. The stuff in the red can I got for a man who worked with my husband whose hands were in terrible shape. His doctor kept prescribing creams and lotions that didn't work at all. This stuff healed his hands right up.

Something else to try is an udder cream. These are formulated for treating dry chapped teats of dairy cows. You can find some that are greaseless and soak right into the skin. They are very effective.

 

[leesbunny]

I also have to agree with the udder balm salve. It is always my go to in the winter.

 

[cassie]

Udder balm is good, but I personally prefer the newer udder creams they are a lot less messy. As for the old fashioned udder balm, my mother used to put it on her sore cracked feet before going to bed. She then put on socks so she wouldn't get the bed messy. Udder balm also works on baby's bottoms for diaper rash.

 

[newfoundland]

I like the sound of udder balm. I think the consistency of the cream has a lot to do with it's effectiveness. Some creams are just too light and they disappear into the skin too readily. You need really heavy duty stuff for cracked skin, and it needs to remain on the surface as well as soaking in. That greasy barrier is really important to protect and waterproof the skin. Diabetics do heal more slowly and need to protect open wounds from infection. Anything containing seaweed is also very effective for healing and preventing infection. Would your dad try those little gel filled hand warmers inside his gloves I wonder?