The Comfrey is a large, beautiful plant that propagates quickly. Its stems are a bit prickly to handle with no gloves, and she boasts large, gorgeous leaves. So, she’s nice to look at. Plus, an easy to care for plant you can harvest from often and easily. The best part about the Comfrey though are its medicinal properties!
Native Americans used Comfrey as a sacred healing plant. They drank it as a tea and used it topically. And it was utilized as a food source during the potato famine. However, Comfrey for human consumption has been banned in the United States by the FDA since 2001. It is also prohibited for use in ingredients for topical medications that treat open wounds. However, it is still used in skin screams. Most notably anti-aging and itch creams. And, it’s safe to assume it is still used privately by those who want to ingest it for health purposes. However, due to some instances of liver problems it was taken off the market as an edible vegetation. There isn’t a lot I can find on the actual incidents of this. However, it’s the FDA.
Note: It is LEGAL to sell it as a cream, sell it fresh for making your own oils, grow it, keep it and use it in topical creams as an additional ingredient. So we aren’t breaking the law over here.
In our home, I make Comfrey oils and salves for face cream and also to treat itchy skin and athlete's foot. My boyfriend works long, muddy hours as an underground electrical drill operator. And his feet really bother him after the summer season begins. He has been using it for a while now and it keeps his feet free of redness, rawness and irritation. I use it nightly for anti-aging properties. And I credit it as one of the reasons I have happily maintained a relatively youthful appearance into my 40s. Despite my history of addiction, sun exposure and simply living a bit of a tough life. It actually has a ton of topical benefits! And, because it is banned for sale for food, we will stick to those benefits.
Some of the benefits for topical application to the face:
- Boosts Collagen and Elastin
- It contains a lot of allantois, which are proven to reduce and prevent wrinkles
- The rosmarinic acids in Comfrey works as an anti-inflammatory to reduce puffiness
- Deeply moisturizes the skin
- It contains tannic acid and silica, which have been shown to rebuild cartilage and collagen
Amazingly, it also has topics benefits for other parts of the body:
- An effective treatment for conditions like gout
- Massaged on the skin topically, it can help with joint pain related to arthritis
- It has properties that reduce and heal soft tissue injuries like bruises
- It is a powerful antioxidant that can help protect skin from further damage
- Stretch mark reduction when applied daily (Do not use during pregnancy)
- Reduces the appearance of scars
- Reduce the symptoms of psoriasis
Of course, because it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which can cause liver damage, ingesting it is not recommended.
I have my own plants and make my own oils, however you can actually buy the dried leaves ready for crafting on amazon. As well as pre-made creams like Trauma Plant. And it is a main ingredient in itch and healing creams like Dr. Saymans Healing Salve. In fact, you can find it in nearly every topical form including essential oil!
Overall, it really is a staple beauty and skin care item in my family. Just be sure to use as directed and don’t eat it!
Be Blessed