Heal Better

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This blog excerpt was taken from our store: Healthy & Grounded. To read the entire article please click here.

Generations before pharmaceuticals, salves and balms were made with natural ingredients to effectively treat inflammation and soothe injured skin.

With the 20th century came the mass production of brand-name, over-the-counter remedies. Formulas for ointments and skin care began to be infused with petroleum by-products and other harmful materials such as paraffin, phthalates, chemical additives, and mineral oil.

As the toxic load of such ingredients becomes better recognized, more and more people are returning to organic care products and methods of healing. With this in mind, The Brown Bear has created its own signature anti-inflammatory salve, made by hand with tamanu oil and small batches of locally-sourced wild plantain.

Handcrafted anti-inflammatory salve in a bamboo jar with wooden lid, made with tamanu oil and locally sourced wild plantain, displayed on a bathroom counter.

Not to be confused with the tropical banana-like fruit, herbal plantain is a green plant that grows wild in fields and forests across North America. Its leaves can be eaten in salads and other dishes, but it has historically been harvested for medicinal purposes. As an herb, plantain boasts a wide range of healing properties.

Vintage botanical illustration of ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and greater plantain (Plantago major), traditional medicinal herbs used for anti-inflammatory healing.

Plantain is:

Anti-microbial
Anti-inflammatory
Astringent
Anti-histamine

Throughout history, plantain has been used in a variety of tinctures by monastic and folkmhealers around the world. In salve and mucilaginous form, it was known to treat rashes, poison ivy, stings, and other skin-related ailments. As a testament to its efficacy, North American Indigenous tribes used plantain to treat snakebites.

Hands opening a bamboo jar of handmade anti-inflammatory salve, revealing a smooth herbal balm made with tamanu oil and wild plantain.

Tamanu oil has ancient Polynesian roots and is derived from the nuts of the tamanu tree. With powerful wound and scar-healing properties, it is also a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. Tamanu oil regenerates skin cells and helps with hydration and collagen production.

The complete ingredient list of The Brown Bear Anti-Inflammatory Salve includes: plantain-infused olive oil, tamanu oil, beeswax, lavender essential oil, tea tree essential oil.