Meet the Herbs in our Diaper Balm Salve!

September 19, 2018

When your baby’s irritated, you want nothing more than to make them feel better.

Our Diaper Balm is an all-natural salve to provide quick and effective relief. Made with 96% certified organic and cruelty-free ingredients, it is safe for newborns and compatible with all diapers, including cloth diapers, as it does not contain zinc oxide or petroleum.

We thought we’d take a moment to explain and pay tribute to the wonderful soothing herbs in our salve. Here they are, along with their many functions:

As the name suggests, Oregon grape is native to the American west. It’s a shrub with evergreen leaves that turn red in the fall, and in the spring it produces small yellow flowers that bloom in clusters on terminal spikes. These later turn into purple berries that can be made into jam, jellies, or juice. The bitter tasting yellow root contains the alkaloid berberine, and has traditionally been used for its antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties. It has also traditionally been considered a “blood purifier” and liver tonic, as it stimulates bile production and clears up skin conditions. The root is also used to make a yellow dye.

Yarrow is an aromatic herb that grows in meadows and is native to a number of areas including North America. In New Mexico and southern Colorado it is called plumajillo (Spanish for ‘little feather’) for its leaf shape and texture. It has alternate, wooly gray-green fern-like leaves, and its tiny, white flowers each have 4-6 ray petals that grow in flat-topped clusters. Historically, the leaves and flowers have been used on wounds to quickly stop bleeding, and on rashes, and chapped skin. It is also said that the smell repels mosquitoes.

You may recognize Myrrh as one of the gifts brought by the Three Wise Men in the nativity story. It is a gum resin that was also used by the ancient Egyptians to embalm bodies. It has traditionally been thought that myrrh constituents are antibacterial and antifungal. Known for its antiseptic and disinfectant properties, is has commonly been used as a wash on cuts, burns and skin infections.

Finally, calendula may be a familiar herb, as it’s used as a soothing agent in many natural products. It is an easily planted annual with orange and yellow flowers and alternate leaves. The unusual curlicue seedpods easily reseed themselves. This herb has been used for generations to stop bleeding, wash wounds, and soothe rashes and chapped skin. It is thought to help relieve muscle cramps, painful swellings, hemorrhoids, and insect bites. The orange and yellow petals of this edible flower are even a colorful addition to salads!

Photo by: Aaron Colussi

Meet the Herbs in our Diaper Balm Salve!

September 19, 2018

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