It’s summer, and that means many folks are spending a lot of time outdoors, me included. And often times that also means we get itchy from mosquito bites, poison ivy and other rashes and skin irritations. Fortunately, one way to get relief can often be found right in our own backyards.
Common Plantain, Plantago major
Plantain is possibly the most widely distributed medicinal plant in the world, though many folks may not even know its name or its many uses. Plantain has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine qualities that make it quite useful externally. If you have it growing around your place, you can always just pluck a leaf, crush it, and apply it to the affected area of skin to get some relief.
harvest of plantain from our back yard
For the last few years, my wife and I have been making our own anti-itch salve using the natural healing properties of this common backyard ‘weed’. It’s handy to have on hand, and a great natural way to stop those minor itches.
Plantain Anti-itch Salve
But before we can make a salve, we need to infuse the plantain leaves in oil, which can then be used by itself on the skin or to make other products like this salve. You can read about how I do it here: Homemade Plantain Infused Oil. My current favorite oil is sweet almond, but coconut oil and olive oil are also great choices. I like almond oil because it is easily absorbed into the skin, it has a neutral scent, and it has been found to have a calming effect on skin irritations. Of course, if you are allergic to almonds or other nuts you should choose another oil.
plantain infusing in oil
If you use the hot infusion method, you can easily make the infused oil in less than a day. With the cold infusion method it will take several weeks. Once the oil is infused and strained, you can make either a salve or lotion bars with it. You’ll need some beeswax, and some peppermint essential oil, though the EO is optional. You can also make it using a plant-based wax like carnauba, though you’ll need to use less wax that way. To make a salve, I use somewhere around 10% to 15% beeswax (and the rest oil) to thicken it enough to make application easier. For a lotion bar I use about 25% beeswax and 75% of infused oil. The more beeswax you add, the thicker the final mix but beeswax also adds ‘drag’ and too much can be unpleasant on the skin.
I like to add the peppermint essential oil not just because it smells good, but because it has anti-itch properties of its own. As with all essential oils, if you’ve never used peppermint EO on your skin you should test the diluted oil on a small patch of skin (on your upper arm, for instance) to make sure it doesn’t cause a problem. And EO’s should be used sparingly on young children, and not at all on infants.
ingredients for plantain anti-itch salve
The oil and beeswax mixture needs to be heated to melt the beeswax. You can use a double boiler or the microwave to do that. I usually measure out the oil and beeswax in a small glass Pyrex measuring cup and use the microwave, set for 50% power. I heat the mix for 60 seconds then stir a bit, then heat another 60 seconds or so if it hasn’t melted yet. Once the wax is all melted, you can add a few drops of the peppermint EO (if using) and give it all one more good stir before pouring into your containers. You can use any small glass, metal or plastic containers to hold the salve. The four ounce glass canning jars are a nice size to use. We have push up tubes specially made for lotion bars, but you can also use a silicone mold or muffin tins lined with muffin papers. Just make sure to let the salve or lotion bars cool completely before using.
pouring salve in lotion bar tube
Of course, as the saying goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To keep bugs away you can try our Lemon Balm Lavender Bugs Off Spray as a natural insect repellent. But if all your best efforts fail when it come to avoiding the ‘itchies’, this salve is a great natural way to help ease the discomfort.
To see more about how to identify and find plantain, read Saturday Spotlight: Plaintain.
Wow – I had no idea it was that easy to make a salve. A definite must try for me.
Margaret, it is easy for sure!
Plantain is certainly a common weed around here. I’ve never used it for anything though.
I love using plantain. I don’t think it grows around here, so I’ve actually thought of trying to grow in in our yard. Thanks for the tip about the almond oil being easier to absorb. Also, thanks for sharing at Simple Lives Thursday. Hope to see you again this week.
Thanks Angi! Plantain is so common around here I’ve never thought about trying to grow it. I’m guessing it would be easy to get started, and it would likely naturalize itself quite readily.
I have that “weed” everywhere. I love knowing there is a way I can use it. Thank you for sharing on Green Thumb Thursday. I’ve pinned and shared with the world.
Great article! I would love to feature this in a post I am putting together about adding herbal remedies to 72-hour kits. Can I use one of your photos and link back to your site?
Hi Shelle,
Feel free to use my photos and recipe as you described.
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Hi! awesome article. i was wondering if i would be able to add the plantain to an already existing lotion to boost its benefits?i have a lot f inflammation pain and my finace gets a lot of bites in the summer months. i think this will benefit us a lot. would i be able to do the hot infusion method and then add it to the lotion and set in muffin tins? i was thinking of using eucerin paste to make it thicker.
Thanks Amanda. I would think you could add the plantain infused oil to a lotion. It could also be used as-is to rub on the bites. I have some poison ivy rash on my leg right now and I am using the plantain infused almond oil to help ease the itching and calm the rash. It’s good stuff, and so easy to make!
I’t have a sensitivity to wasps. I had to go to my dr for a week old sting that caused enough swelling I couldn’t close my fist. Then I read about plantain. It’s a weed and is in all 50 states. My next sting I grabbed up some flat leaves, chewed them and put it on the sting. No swelling, redness or pain by a couple hours later. Unfortunately I ran into a swarm and luckily got only one sting before getting to the safety of my soap room. Didn’t put plantain on it and I had redness, swelling and pain for over 2 weeks. I’m a believe in this weed and will make lotion bars with it.
Hi. Thank you for the recipe. I’m excited to try it. Can I add a couple of mint leaves to the plantain leaves and infuse them together instead of using the essential oil? Thanks again.
That should give you a bit of mint aroma, though not any anti-itch properties like the EO.