If you’ve ever tangled with poison ivy or been the unfortunate dinner guest of summer mosquitos, chances are you’ve been desperate for relief. And while I love the outdoors and try to enjoy the sunshine often, sometimes skin irritation happens. Jewelweed salve is a popular folk remedy to help with poison ivy and other skin issues and it’s easy to make!
Jewelweed is a wild-growing plant that’s been trusted for generations to soothe skin irritations, calm eczema, and keep bug bites at bay. While it’s best fresh, you can also preserve some of the benefits in a DIY salve.
What Is Jewelweed?
Jewelweed, (aka Impatiens capensis or touch-me-not) is a flowering plant. You’ll often find it growing in moist, shaded areas across North America. It prefers growing near water sources, like creeks or forested trails, often right alongside its infamous neighbor, poison ivy. It has distinctive orange flowers and seed pods that “explode,” making it a favorite of kids and foragers alike.
This plant isn’t just fun to find, it’s also packed with powerful natural compounds. Jewelweed has lawsone, a molecule researchers believe competes with urushiol (the rash-inducing oil in poison ivy) for binding sites on the skin. Some research shows that if you rub jewelweed on the skin immediately after a run in with poison ivy it can stop the rash before it starts. Lawsone can effectively blocks urushiol, reducing or preventing a rash altogether. Jewelweed also has saponins, which may act like natural soap and help cleanse the skin.
While there aren’t a ton of studies on using jewelweed, it does have a long history of traditional use.
Traditional and Modern Uses of Jewelweed
Indigenous North American tribes traditionally used mashed jewelweed plants as a poultice for poison ivy rashes, burns, cuts, sprains, and insect bites. And modern research back this up. Freshly mashed jewelweed is a go-to for many when it comes to stopping poison ivy in it’s tracks. Studies show jewelweed soap can also help reduce poison ivy severity if used right away. Soap in general though is good at breaking up the oils in poison ivy that causes rash.
Beyond poison plants, jewelweed helps calm irritated skin, easing eczema, and offering gentle anti-inflammatory support. If you’re planning on going outside this summer, it can be helpful to have on hand!
If you get into poison ivy, the best option is to use fresh jewelweed right away. However, it’s not always apparant that you’ve been in poison ivy until after the fact! In these cases a DIY jewelweed salve can be a great way to soothe or help prevent the rash. It also works well on bites and irritated skin. Here’s how to make jewelweed salve!
DIY Jewelweed Salve Recipe
This diy salve calms skin irritations and is perfect for summer bug season or when poison ivy strikes.
Yield: 9 ounces
Oil Infusion
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Put the jewelweed into the pint size Mason jar. You want enough plant material so that the jar is about half full.
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Cover the jewelweed completely with olive oil or coconut oil.
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Fill a pot halfway with water and place a cotton cloth (like a washcloth) at the bottom. Put the jar on top of the cloth (this helps keep the jar from breaking).
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Turn the heat to medium low and bring the water to a simmer. Reduce the heat if needed so that the water is very hot, but not boiling. Heat the jar in the water bath on low heat for about 3 hours.
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Once the jewelweed infused oil is done, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth. Give it a good squeeze to get the most out of it.
Make the Salve
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Add 1 cup of the herb infused oil and the beeswax into the top of a double boiler and gently heat until the wax is melted.
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Remove from the heat and stir in the essential oils and vitamin E if using.
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Pour into small tins or glass jars and allow to cool completely.
- Add some plantain herb leaves into the oil too for extra skin soothing properties.
- Store in a cool, dark place. This should last for about 6 months if stored properly, but toss it if it starts to look or smell off.
Since dried jewelweed loses some of its beneficial properties, I use it fresh in this salve. However, oil infused with fresh plants is more prone to growing mold. By doing a heated infusion with the jar lid off this allows some of the extra moisture to evaporate.
How to Use Jewelweed Salve
Jewelweed salve works well on the following:
- Poison ivy or poison oak rashes (best used right after exposure)
- Mosquito bites and bug bites
- Eczema and irritated skin
Where to Find Jewelweed?
You can find jewelweed growing in almost every state in the US (except the dessert). It prefers moist or wet soil so look near streams or damp woodland edges. It usually grows conveniently right next to poison ivy! If you decide to go foraging, be sure to positively identify the plant you’re looking for and only forage from uncontaminated areas. Right next to highways and conventional farm fields are not great places to get plants.
The plants start to grow in the late spring and develop colorful flowers in mid to late summer. You can use just the leaves and stems, but the flowers make it easier to identify for beginners. Here’s more on how to identify it.
Foraging fresh jewelweed is simple if you know where to look:
- Look for juicy stems and oval, toothed leaves.
- The flowers are trumpet-shaped and usually orange with red speckles.
- Try touching a seed pod—they’ll spring open (hence the name “touch-me-not”).
And be sure to leave plenty behind for the pollinators and wildlife!
Final Thoughts on Jewelweed Salve
Jewelweed is a really fun and beautiful plant to work with. Whether you’re battling poison ivy, nursing stubborn eczema, or simply want a diy anti-itch balm that actually works, this humble wildflower is a great option. So next time you’re out hiking or rambling in the woods keep an eye out for these bright orange flowers!
Have you ever used jewelweed before? Share your experience in the comments!
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