Chickweed Ointment

Nine days is enough, surely, for chickweed oil to infuse.

I sieved the herb through muslin, then pressed it with a potato ricer (like a giant garlic press). The exhausted plant material was crispy, like the fried "seaweed" you get from Chinese restaurants. That must have been the whole point of the prolonged infusion time. There was absolutely no water left in the mix. I had always heard that you should infuse the herb in oil, strain it, then separate the oil from any moisture produced by the plant as the watery part could go mouldy. The process produced a very rich dark green oil which can be used as it is, but it's easier to apply as an ointment.

Before and after: the "light and fruity" olive oil I started with, next to the finished Chickweed oil.


A rough guide to making ointment is 10 parts oil to 1 part beeswax. I had around 280ml of oil which was heated gently in a small pan with 28 grams of beeswax. As it's easy to overheat oil, this can also be done in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. I managed to fill 10 x 30ml brown jars with the ointment, plus one clear 15ml jar just to show the colour.

What Maud Grieve has to say about Chickweed (Stellaria media):
"Demulcent , refrigerant. It is held in great repute among herbalists, used mostly in the form of an ointment".

This means that it is cooling and soothing, which accounts for its use on ulcers, external abscesses, piles and sores. I most often use a chickweed based cream for the treatment of eczema. A cream will be more cooling than an ointment as the evaporation of the water in it will take heat away from the area that it's applied to.

The addition of a few drops of Lavender essential oil to the ointment will help with itching and soreness by reducing inflammation. I would use this for small or uncomplicated outbreaks of mild eczema. If the problem is more serious or widespread, or if treating a small child, I would recommend visiting a health professional.