HERB - RECIPE: Skin Softening Wash Bags

[Gaylin Walli]

I forgot about these in the list of things I did. These
are probably the easiest thing I make for holiday presents.
You can use them a couple of times each. I've successfully
taken these to weekend camping events. The recipe I usually
make doesn't contain herbs, but they're easily added,
especially to take advantage of some of the antiseptic or
skin protection properties of certain plants.

I plan to make a bunch of these for our Queen's bribe...ahem,
war chest. If you come up with your own combination, I'd love
to hear from you! I'm always interested in new twists on
this recipe. -- Jasmine, jasmine at infoengine.com or g.walli at infoengine.com


SKIN SOFTENING WASH BAGS

Equipment:

   something to grind with, preferably a food processor
   measuring cups and spoons
   a bowl
   3x5 muslin drawstring bags


Possible Ingredients:

   Nut or grain meal. Some good choices include: almonds, sunflower
         seeds, and oatmeal.
   Powdered milk. Some good choices include: powdered cow or goat
         milk and powdered buttermilk.
   Dried herbs, stemmed and sifted. Suggestions: lavender, sage,
         chamomile, peppermint, thyme, or lemon balm.


Ingredient Notes:

   Ground meal and ground nuts have traditionally been used to
treat a variety of skin ailments. In combination with herbs they can
afford relief to many troublesome skin conditions, including sunburn,
leprosy, and exczema. As with all kinds of home rememdies, it's
common sense and a good idea to talk with a trained professional
first before resorting to this kind of a treatment for a susepcted
or known conditionor problem. However, as a nice treat to the body and
senses, I highly recommend this as the perfect way to spend some
time in the bathtub.


Grinding Notes:

   Making ground meal and ground nuts requires a little planning.
The raw measure does not equal the ground measure. That is, you
can't measure out 1.5 cups oatmeal and expect to get 1.5 cups
ground oatmeal. Here's a little guide for the ingredients I use
most often:

     1 cup whole oatmeal = 1/2 cup ground oatmeal
     3/4 cup sunflower seeds = 1/2 cup ground sunflower meal
     50 large, whole almonds = 1/2 cup ground almond meal

I've found that you can sometime find these preground in bulk
at bulk food service stores (in Michigan, I would buy them at
Gordon's Food Service).


Preparation Notes and Suggested Starting Recipe:

   Roughly 7-8 tablespoons of mixture will fit, depending on you
ingredient choices, into a 3x5 drawstring muslin bag. Using this
number, you can calculate the mixture you would like to use
in your bags, in quantity. Here is the mixture for one bag, which
I made up in the last batch I created:

   ~ 3 tablespoons ground oatmeal (groats, not the quick-cooking kind)
   ~ 3 tablespoons ground sunflower seeds (raw, unsalted, unroasted)
   ~ 1 scant Tablespoon buttermilk powder (look in the baking aisle)
   ~ 1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers

Play with the mixture a bit to see what you like best. The first
mix of this I ever made contained simply 1/4 cup ground oatmeal
and 1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds. For a simple, skin nurturing
bath, this is still my favorite mixture. Store these in an airtight
container until you're ready to use them (make sure it's waterproof
or safely stored, too).


Usage Notes:

   I wet these bags down and used them like a bar or soap when I'm
in the bathtub. It's a great treat after a tough day. It's also quite
convenient for a nice little pick-me-up at a camping event. The slight
roughness of the muslin acts as a nice exfoliating agent and the rest
of the ingredients soothe your skin quite nicely.
   The bags I usually buy measure 3"x5" and hold a considerable amount
of mixture. You can use these bags several time before they lose their
"oomph", but beware of a few things. First, milk powder will often
start to fester in the heat of the day. If you plan to make these for
camping events, don't add any milk powder and expect to be able to
use the bag again. Second, if my cats are any indication, felines
REALLY like these little bags. Keep them out of reach of kitty and
you'll be thankful. They make an awful mess when one of your cats
decides to either suck on one or tear it apart to get inside (yes
this is the voice of experience).


Selected Suggested Reading:

Culpepper, Nicholas. _The English physitian: or an astrologo-physical
discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation_. London: Peter Cole, 1652.

   Facsimile copies and various editions of this reference abound.
   Check your local bargain bookstore for copies.

Grieve, Maude. _A Modern Herbal: Vols. 1 & 2_. 1931.

   Both volumes have been bound into one copy that can easily be
   obtained at bargain book stores. This herbal, while out-of-period,
   is America's first modern, researched herbal, often containing
   recipes of neccessity from the time of the War.

Tourles, Stephanie. _The Herbal Body Book_. Pownal, Vermont: Storey Books,
1994. ISBN: 0882668803

   Although non-historical in nature, this is a good place to start
   when creating your own toiletries from scratch. Use this as a
   recipe reference in combination with your period sources.
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