3 Categories of Skin Issues, Part 2 - Vinegars

Jamie Jackson MissouriHerbs.com
Originally published in The Essential Herbal Magazine 2017

Vinegars are great for burns and bee, wasp or hornet stings. 
From Susun Weed I learned to roll up burdock leaves like a cigar and put them into a quart jar of raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar overnight or until they soften.  Store them in the vinegar until they break down, which takes a long time. 

For wasps stings, the relief is instant.  You can re-use the wraps as long as there is no bodily fluid on them like puss or blood.  They wrap nicely around the hand, arm and leg and stay in place on their own. 
When they dry out, roll them up, put them back in the vinegar and grab another if necessary. We’ve also used these for sprains and bruises.  

Vinegar is also great for sun burns or when stung by a jelly fish. 
Mix half water and half vinegar in a bowl, dip a towel into the mix, slightly wring it out and lay on the burn.  I suppose that would make a nice burn spray.  When the towel is hot, refresh it by dipping back into the bowl. 
I have found this to work in all cases but one and that was a severe sunburn where the top layer of skin had already started peeling off.  In that case the vinegar caused pain and a thin paper towel soaked in cool water was all that could be tolerated to pull the heat out.  Vinegar infused with rose petals for 6 weeks is wonderful for burns, but if you don’t have that, just use raw apple cider vinegar.  

Every pantry should have a bottle.