I made jewelweed salve yesterday. As I was trimming out all the Virginia Creeper that had taken hold on my house, and trimming some dead wood out of the crepe myrtle, I decided to pull up some of the jewelweed that we allow to grow there. I got more than three wheel barrow loads of trimmings removed so the jewelweed seemed like a good reward for my labor.
I had prepared for making the salve the week before by purchasing a liter of olive oil. So I twisted the jewelweed stems and leaves and placed them in a saucepan, then covered those with olive oil.
I let this very slowly and barely simmer for about 6 hours. I let it go that long mainly because I was busy but you could let it simmer for just 2 hours and still get a good extraction when the plants are so juicy.
Then I strained the plant material and added 1/3 cup of beeswax pastilles to every cup of oil.
I had 2 cups of oil exactly when I was done, so I added 2/3 cup beeswax. Then I poured that mixture into my clean containers and let them cool completely before adding the lids.
You can add other essential oils or plant oils to salves made this way. Some add oils that have a good fragrance like lavender. I don’t mind the fragrance of jewelweed so I don’t add anything else.
Jewelweed salve is great for poison ivy, it gives relief from the itching and speeds up the healing process. It’s healing properties are pretty amazing. You can use it for bee stings and other insect bites or plant rashes to heal and relive itching.
If you’re ever out and know that you are exposed to poison ivy, there is probably jewelweed growing nearby, so be sure you can identify it, pick a stem of it and squeeze the juice from the stem or leaves onto the area you think was exposed to the poison ivy and rub it in gently.
Then get thee to the soap (preferably lye soap) and water and wash that urushiol from the ivy off yourself! You can reapply the jewelweed numerous times.
