Poultices are a staple in our homemade first aid supplies. I like to keep a few homemade comfrey poultices on hand for when we need them and I’m going to show you how you can make them in advance too.
A few years ago our oldest daughter bruised her big toe at dance (pointe ballet). She has no idea how it happened, it looked like someone dropped something heavy on it, the entire toenail was purple and blue.
And it hurt.
You know, the kind of hurt that when someone accidentally bumps it you start doing that silent cry that just won’t stop. Yep, that kind of hurt.
We don’t normally treat bruises in our family, especially since they are usually from a bump or playing paintball. But this one was different than most bruises, so after reading up on bruises, I decided that we needed to try a comfrey poultice.
Fortunately, I just happen to grow comfrey in our garden. So, I headed out to the garden and picked four comfrey leaves and then got to work. I knew that she would need to keep up the comfrey treatment for a few days but I didn’t want to make it each time she needed it.
I decided I would make some small poultices and freeze them. Comfrey is best used fresh, but when it’s a choice between using frozen comfrey poultices regularly or using fresh comfrey poultices irregularly, the choice is easy. The convenience of frozen comfrey poultices outweighs the benefits of fresh comfrey poultices for me.
If you don’t already, I want to encourage you to keep notes on each herb that you learn about. I use an herb profile worksheet for each herb. You can get a copy of this worksheet emailed to you by filling out the form below.
How to Make a Comfrey Poultice
To make a comfrey poultice for the freezer, you’ll need….
- comfrey leaves
- cutting board
- knife
- wide mouth mason jar
- immersion blender
- phyllium husks
- gauze pads
There’s a printable page at the bottom of the post that you can print out and put in your wellness notebook. The printable page has all the instructions and ingredients for making a comfrey poultice.
Once you have the comfrey leaves, rinse them off under cool water.
Roughly chop the leaves and put them in a wide mouth mason jar.
Add enough water to just barely cover them and add a tsp of psyllium husks to thicken it up so that it doesn’t just slide all over the place.
Used an immersion blender to blend it all up and make a paste.
Open up some gauze pads and put a small spoonful of the comfrey poultice on each one. Once they were all full close them up and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours.
When the comfrey poultices are frozen, put them in a freezer container and put them back in the freezer.
When one is needed, we can just pull it out and let the body heat thaw it out.
How to Use a Comfrey Poultice
Whether you’re using a fresh comfrey poultice or a frozen one, once they’re made, you use them exactly the same. You’ll take the poultice and put it on the affected area – bruise, sprain, bee sting, etc.
I like to cover the poultice with a waterproof gauze pad and tape it securely. If the affected area is on a wrist or ankle we usually just wrap the area with a roll of gauze instead of using tape.
Change the poultice several times a day.
Comfrey Safety Precautions
Comfrey has been used for hundreds of years both internally and externally. However, it’s been found that comfrey can cause liver damage when used internally, so don’t take comfrey internally. That also means, don’t use comfrey on an open wound as it can more easily seep into your blood stream.
I realize that there is some controversy over the studies that lead to the recommendation to not use comfrey internally. If you are comfortable using it internally, that’s your business. However, I choose to err on the side of caution, especially when there are other herbs that are safe and can be used for the same concerns that comfrey can be used for.
Don’t use comfrey on small children. Their smaller bodies have a much harder time processing toxins than larger bodies.
It’s best to only use comfrey for 4-6 weeks in one calendar year.
It’s also best to also take some liver supporting herbs while using comfrey, like drinking moringa tea or adding moringa to smoothies. Other liver supporting herbs include valarian, dandelion, burdock root, lemon balm, milk thistle, turmeric, and yellow dock, be sure to do your research before taking medicinal amounts of any herb.
Of course, I think the best place to get your comfrey is to grow it yourself, you can get quality root stock from Buy Comfrey. It’s a super fast growing plant but if you just can’t wait you can order it.
If you’re interested in studying herbs in depth, I highly recommend the courses from The Herbal Academy.
Easy Comfrey Poultice
Comfrey poultices are great for sprains, bruises, insect bites, and many other inflammation issues.
Materials
- comfrey leaves
- psyllium husks
- gauze pads
- water
Tools
Instructions
- Once you have the comfrey leaves, rinse them off under cool water.
- Roughly chop the leaves and put them in a wide mouth mason jar.
- Add enough water to just barely cover them and add a tsp of psyllium husks to thicken it up so that it doesn't just slide all over the place.
- Used an immersion blender to blend it all up and make a paste.
- Open up some gauze pads and put a small spoonful of the comfrey poultice on each one. Once they were all full close them up and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours.
- When the comfrey poultices are frozen, put them in a freezer container and put them back in the freezer.
- When one is needed, we can just pull it out and let the body heat thaw it out.
Notes
How to use a comfrey poultice:
Put a frozen or slightly thawed comfrey poultice on the affected area - bruise, sprain, bee sting, etc.
Cover the poultice with a waterproof gauze pad and tape it securely.
If the affected area is on a wrist or ankle we usually just wrap the area with a roll of gauze instead of using tape.
Change the poultice several times a day.
Tell me, do you use herbal poultices? If so, what do you use and for what?
Jessica Lane says
I’m excited to try growing comfrey again. My dear sweet ducks decimated the last crop of it I had. This time I might put a little fence around it to protect it.
Carol Orris says
I love comfrey! 🙂 I grew some indoors in pots so that we had fresh even in the Winter.
Erin says
Very interesting. I’ll have to try this!
Sue D says
No I have never used herbal poultices but haven’t wanted to learn how to.
Mary C says
I have used comfrey poultices over a year ago. Sadly the frost killed my comfrey last year and the local herbal store didn’t have any in stock. The are so beneficial but also beautiful flowers.
I also use Plantain poultices for the nasty mosquito bites we get. Lemon balm and lemon grass doesn’t deter these black and white ones. I was standing in lemon balm with crushed leaves rubbed on my skin and they were still biting my legs. Luckily my backyard is full of the useful plant.
Angi Schneider says
What a bummer about your comfrey. Plantain is such a wonderful herb, that’s really great that it’s all over your yard!
Mia says
My grandmother was an herbalist. She would grind up ginger root, put it in a cheesecloth bag, and soak it in rubbing alcohol until the extract was a dark gold. She would rub it on bruises. One day my two year old fell against a table and had a hige knot on her head. My grandma rubbed the extract on the spot, the swelling went down, and it NEVER BRUISED. True story!
Nancy says
Not coming from a place that gets deep freezes I may have my info wrong – but I don’t think comfrey can be destroyed by a freeze.
Most people who plant it, plant the special Blocking 14 type because it eliminates the *invasive* qualities of comfrey. A cut root will make more plants so you have to take care not to disturb the root system if you don’t want it to spread wildly but the flowers will not re-seed. The non-Blocking 14 type will reseed all over the place…..
My comfrey dies back to nothing every year in the winter but then comes up with a vengance in the early spring.
Maybe yours will come back!
Nancy says
Bocking 14….sorry
Carol Price says
I live in northern Canada and the temps get lower the -30f and the comphrey is alive and hardy
Angi Schneider says
That’s great to know, thanks for sharing! I can’t even imagine how cold that is….lol
Faye Gates says
No, I have not used herbal poultices. Sounds interesting. I loved to try it.
Debi says
I have not used it in years, but I’d love to grow some and start using it again.
Jeanette Green says
I’ve never used the term poultice. But we use to treat bee stings and cuts or scrapes with a poultice. I’m trying to remember what they used. Maybe it was plantain. My papaw liked to put chewing tobacco on sunburns.
Angi Schneider says
ha! My grandpa did too. So weird but apparently it worked. Plantain is great for bites and scrapes so it probably was that. I’ve seen people just chew it a bit and then stick on the sting to draw the toxin out.
Clare says
I chewed plantain a bit to release the juices before putting it on my young daughter whom had been stung by a wasp. I immediately applied vinegar while I found the plantain then applied a plantain poultice….it worked a treat. 5 mins later she was out playing again like nothing had happen. I’ve since made a balm with it so I can carry it around where ever I go. Comfrey is great for feeding plants too, one of nature’s magic plants 🙂
Angi Schneider says
Plantain is great, isn’t it? We also use comfrey in the garden. I love multipurpose plants!
Donna Danna says
I am just starting to study herbs so no I do not use poultices.
Lisa from Iroquois says
I laid a comfrey leaf directly on my hubby’s leg, treating a bruise from a fall off the chicken coop. He had a bad reaction, the shin was itchy for several days. I guess it needed to be macerated first 🙁
Angi Schneider says
yikes! You never know what will cause a reaction in people. I’m glad it was just itchy skin.
Angelica says
The hairs of the leaves can be irritating.
Anita Knight says
Yes! They’re very fuzzy and could easily agitate delicate (wounded) skin!
Rosemarie Best says
What happens if you ingest comfy?
Angi Schneider says
It’s really hard on the liver. Some herbalist will still recommend ingestion but only under strict guidelines. I don’t have near enough training to ever recommend ingestion at this point in my studies.
Kathi says
I haven’t used an herbal poultice on people, but have used soothing chamomile tea bags on a horse’s swollen eye (insect bite).
Heidi says
My grandma made poultices when I was a child and I thought it was some kind of magic. Now I make them for ear aches, black eyes, scraped knees, bruises, pulled muscles, sore necks, clogged sinuses, ingrown toenails, rashes, and just about anything a family with two kids and a husband that’re always into something and needing me to tend their wounds. And despite the numerous times my methods have worked they always look at it a little skeptically at first, then pure amazement takes over. It’s both annoying and hysterically funny, and leaves me proud of my work, for a minute anyway?
Angi Schneider says
lol…my family does the same thing. One of our son’s is in school in NYC and during our skype call last week he said, “By the way, this elderberry stuff really works. Everyone is getting the flu but me. I feel like I have my own secret potion.” I counted that a win!
Dawn Williams says
I have not use poultices for anything yet, but am excited to learn more. Comfrey is on my list of new things to add to my garden!
Yvette says
We have used comfrey and yarrow for lots of issues. Natural plants for healing work so much better than synthetic meds.
Katy Lamb says
I’m very interested in learning to use poultices and balms. My Great Grandmother was Cherokee and made all kinds of poultices and salves, etc, but I was too young to know to write them down. Wish I had!
jo n says
I haven’t used a poltice yet, I am still learning. I have been wanting to get comfrey plants to grow my own but haven’t found any yet. This would be wonderful. Thank you
Tiffinee says
Never used a poltice before or confrey! Hope I win!!
Diane F says
I’ve taken a Family herbalist course, too, but have not used comfrey yet. I did find at least 10 medicinal and/or edible herbs growing in my garden that I thought were weeds. I especially like plantain which was growing abundantly and I was able to use it right away on my grandsons bee stings.
Angi Schneider says
That’s wonderful! I bet you were so excited to find those treasures.
Holly Johnson says
I’ve never grown comfrey before, but I’d love to try it. Thanks for the chance to win.
Holly Johnson says
Oh, I forgot to comment that I have never used herbal poultices before, but I’m very interested in herbal medicine and would love to get started with the comfrey.
Laura P. says
I hope to try making a poultice with the comfrey!
Thanks~
Amy says
I have never made or used these But I do make salves can’t wait to try this.
Debra Mantooth says
I haven’t used herbal poltices in years ,I use to use mustard politice for pain but really looking forward to using herbal medicine again .I am learning more everyday and cant wait to plant a herb garden this spring.Thank you for the chance to win this.
Colleen says
I have mainly used plantain and yarrow as a poultice, but I know that comfrey works very well, too! It’s one of my very favorite plants. Thanks for the giveaway!
Melissa Stutzman says
I have not used a poultice before but really want to start. I think I will start with comfrey this year.
Deb L says
I’ve never tried a poultice, but have recently started an herbalism class and look forward to trying this.
Joanne Keith says
I grow most herbs…but comfrey I do not have as yet! Plus I’ve never thought of making a poultice…and I don’t know why! Thanks for the info and the chance!
fayme stringer says
I have been reading alot about them, but have not used any yet. Comfrey would be a great stating point!
Katie P says
I haven’t used a comfrey politics in years, but I hope to start growing my own herbs again, now that we’ve settled down again. I remember using one for a sprained ankle, it was amazing.
tess says
I had an herb shop in Wimberley TX back in late 1990s and Comfrey was one of my favorites… Any time someone came with a sprain, I pulled leaves & told them what to do to make a poultice (used honey… sticky, but effective)… a lady came back to tell me how well it had worked for her! Only wish I had comfrey in 2013 in MO when my daughter had a sprained ankle (blood clot to lung from lower extremity)… who would’ve imagined a sprained ankle could cause a blood clot 🙁
Dee Fedor says
This is something I have never done, but want to learn more about. Have wanted to grow Comfrey, but I heard it can not be grown from seed?
Angi Schneider says
The kind that can be grown from seed is very invasive, so you’ll probably want to stay away from that one. Russian Bocking 14 has sterile seeds and is grown from rootstock.
Diana says
Comfrey is one herb I’ve not tried yet in my home remedies. I’d love to get some to grow and begin using. Thanks for the how-to post.
Tami Lewis says
I have only used one …. on a sprained ankle….. but I thought it was great!
Katjo says
I have used both mustard plasters and turmeric poultices. I would love to use comfrey also!
Renee Royal says
Can the poultice be made with dried comfrey? I have some on hand…thank you!
Angi Schneider says
Yes, it can. Thanks for asking.
Sarah says
Where can I get some
Angi Schneider says
You can get a comfrey plant at your local nursery.
Noel says
I used comfrey poultices for child birthing mothers, if they tore, or were badly bruised.
Worked wonderously, so don’t heed the caution about putting on broken skin. That liver
scare of using comfrey internally, was somewhat refuted years ago. Safe used in moderation.
I have healed (Overnight!), a severe strained ankle, (had me in crutches, and was told I would
not be able to put any weight on it for a few weeks) by putting a poultice on it, and
wrapping overnight. Next day, I was out and about, without crutches. Love knitbone!
Angi Schneider says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Noel. I appreciate you point of view. Because I’m not a certified herbalist or health care practitioner, I feel it’s prudent for me to give generally accepted warnings about herbs. Of course, people need to do their own research and do what’s best for their families. We love comfrey too, it’s such a great herb.
JJ says
If you really research comfrey you will see the so called dangerous alkaloids are only found in the new leaves, not the mature ones. It has been ingested for hundreds of years.
Angi Schneider says
Hi JJ, I realize that. However, there are herbal things I’m comfortable doing with my family based on my research, that I’m not comfortable recommending that others do without the help of a knowledgeable herbalist – ingesting comfrey is one of those things. Thanks for your input.
Mary says
I have one question, I have a CAM with specialty in Medicinal Herbs. IF comfrey has info the can cause Liver damage and you recommend not ingesting it or even putting it on a open wound ; Why put it on Skin it will absorb and get into blood steam anyway ?
Angi Schneider says
Hi Mary, I appreciate your question and if you are comfortable using and recommending comfrey to be used on open wounds and internally in your practice, than by all means continue to do so. The vast majority of readers of my site do not have the level of herbal training that you do so whenever I share about herbs that have questionable toxicity I err on the side of caution. There is a difference between ingesting an herb and using a herbal poultice as far as amounts of chemical compounds that will get into our blood stream and come in contact with our liver. I hope you noticed that I still recommend liver supporting herbs when using comfrey as a poultice because as you state, some of the compounds will be absorbed into the blood stream. I realize that this is a hot topic among herbalist and I certainly don’t want to add fuel to the fire, however, I also don’t want to lead those who come across this one article on making a comfrey poultice to misuse or overuse comfrey and cause damage to their body because I neglected to list common safty precautions. Writing online is different than having a private conversation or consultation with someone. I hope this answers your question.
Joy Pearce says
Comfrey can be used in the garden, good for compost bins, and for putting in the bottom of hanging baskets, pot plants, and yes havest the older leaves, looks nice when in flower.
Angi Schneider says
Thanks for the tips, Joy. I hadn’t thought of using it in the bottom of potted and hanging plants.
Janet says
You mention the possible effects of taking comfrey internally. I found that a lot of people are not aware of a hybridized version of comfrey that is safe to use internally. Here’s a link to an article on it. that I thought I’d pass along. http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/June08/wisewoman.htm
Angi Schneider says
Thanks for the link to the article, Janet. I always think it’s good for people to do their own research and make decisions they are comfortable with. The more information, the better.
That being said, the comfrey that is mentioned in my article on growing is the cultivated comfrey. However, I would still caution that if there are other herbs that will give the same benefits without the possibility of causing liver damage, those are the herbs that should be used. The thing about liver damage is that it’s silent until it’s irreversible. Many alcoholics believe their liver is just fine….until one day it isn’t. There are no warning signs that someone is slowly damaging their liver. Because of this, I would never recommend that someone use comfrey, any comfrey, internally unless they do so under the supervision of a trained herbalist, for very specific issues, and for a limited amount of time. I realize that Susan Weed is a very respected in the herbal community, I have respect for some of the work she has done to educate people, however, I disagree with her on the unlimited, preventative usage of comfrey. There are many other herbs that can be used in this way that are just as effective as comfrey.
I do appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and provide the link to additional information about using comfrey internally.
Mark & Linda says
Angi, thank you SO much for this post. Using gauze, freezing and using an immersion blender were genus! (Other blenders do not work as well – I’ve tried.) A couple tips for your readers: 1) You can use slippery elm bark as your binding agent. (We learned this from master herbalist Richard Schultze) It works great for poultices and you can find it online in a powdered form. It can also be taken internally and is a wonderful soothing agent for things like Crohn’s disease. We have made poultices with slippery elm that did not require any external bandaging. The poultice just sticks until it dries all the way through, at which point it falls off. Very cool. 2) Consider using the Comfrey poultices for external hemorrhoids and during recovery from an excisional hemorrhoidectomy. A good percentage of the population will experience these and Comfrey works wonders..
Angi Schneider says
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and tips! I love that we can all learn from each other. Now, to go find some slippery elm bark…lol