This herbal compress is a powerful remedy for bug bites, bee stings, minor cuts, and general inflammation. It’s made with just two herbs, yarrow and plantain, that both grow abundantly in many parts of the world and are easy to forage for.
This is a simple recipe that’s great for itchy skin, swelling, or the aftermath of a bite or sting. This remedy gives quick, cooling relief and promotes healing using just whole herbs and hot water.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Herbal Properties:
Anti-inflammatory
Astringent
Styptic (helps stop bleeding)
Antimicrobial
Vulnerary (wound healing)
First Aid Uses:
Yarrow is one of the best herbs to keep in your herbal first aid kit. It tightens tissues, helps reduce swelling, slows bleeding from minor wounds, and speeds wound healing. It also contains compounds that can help the skin recover faster after insect bites, scrapes, or minor cuts.
Foraging Info:
Yarrow grows wild in most temperate regions around the world. You’ll often find it in fields, roadsides, meadows, and along forest edges. Look for its feathery leaves and small, flat-topped clusters of white flower heads (occasionally pink or yellow).
Plantain (Plantago major Plantago lanceolata))
Herbal Properties:
Cooling
Drawing
Anti-inflammatory
Astringent
Demulcent (moistening)
Antibacterial
First Aid Uses:
Plantain pulls toxins, heat, and irritation out of the skin, making it a great herb for mosquito bites, bee stings, splinters, and poison ivy. It also helps with minor skin infections, soothes itching, and speeds tissue repair. It works fast and is very gentle, even on sensitive skin.
Foraging Info:
Plantain is one of the easiest plants to wildcraft. It grows just about everywhere…sidewalk cracks, lawns, fields, and parking lot edges. Plantago major has broad, rounded leaves, while Plantago lanceolata has narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Both are medicinal and interchangeable in this recipe.
Yarrow & Plantain Cooling Compress
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Yarrow
- 2 Tbsp Plantain Leaf
- 1 cup Hot water
Instructions
- Steep herbs in hot water for 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Soak a clean cotton cloth in the cooled infusion, wring out, and place over the affected area.
- Hold in place for 10–15 minutes. Repeat as needed.
