Napiers - Herb and Plant Remidies

440 grams of oil (sunflower, sweet almond or olive oil – depending how rich you want your ointment to be)
110 grams of beeswax (wax is usually a 1/4 the weight of the oil)
25 grams of dried chickweed (around 2 tablespoons if fresh, crush a little first)
25 grams of dried lavender
25 grams of dried marigold petals

Gently warm the oil and the herbs in a bain marie (double boiler) on a low heat. Stir often. If it starts to bubble, keep an eye on it and keep it below boiling. After half an hour remove it from the heat and pour the mixture through a clean muslin cloth (or sieve) to separate the oil from the herbs. Throw away the herbs. Now melt the beeswax in the bain marie and add the oil, stirring until completely mixed. Pour the mixture into clean ointment tins or shallow jars. Leave to cool. Label and enjoy!

Other herbs you could try in an ointment include starflower (borage), viola tricolor, chamomile, cleavers, marshmallow leaf and red clover!

We may be nearly 150 years old but we’re trying to keep up with the times!