Eczema

Herbs

Chickweed: The fresh juice of this plant can soothe itching. Simply squeeze a few leaves between the finger and tumb, and rub gently on the skin.

Red Clover: Although often not welcome in the garden becasue of its invasive habit, red clover looks pretty in a plot where it can easily be restrianed.

Blue Flag: This iris has delicate lilac-blue flowers and strange plain straplike leaves. When crushed the leaves have a sweet scent. Caution: Excessive doses can cause nausea and diarrhea

Fumitory: The tiny pink flowers of fumitory are said to look like smoke, hense its latin name Fumaria.

Gathering:

Red clover flowers when they bloom. Pick aerial parts of fumuitory and chickweed when required and dig up blue flag rhizome* in autumn

Remedies

Chickweed cream

Hear a large handful of aerial parts of chickweed in three tablespoons of base cream untill the cream truns green. Strain into a jar and aplly as needed. This is a good general moisturizer. Pot marigold creams, washes and oils are also useful for treaking skin affected by eczema.

Clensing Tea

Make a tea with two teaspoons of red clover flowers and a handful of aeiral parts of fummitory. Drink three times a day for at least a month. To improve digestion make a decotion with 1/2 teaspoon of blue flag rhizome. Drink one cup daily for a month.

*Rhizome: a root like creeping underground for some plants which usually sends out roots below and leafy shoots above