Nettle root tincture
50 g nettle roots
500 ml fruit or wine brandy
Nettle roots can be dug up from late fall to spring. Brush off any soil and sand under running water. Cut the roots into small pieces and fill a screw-top jar two-thirds full.
Then pour in fruit or wine brandy and let it steep for at least 4 weeks. Then strain the tincture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and pour into a dark glass jar.
In folk medicine, the tincture is taken to strengthen the immune system and relieve irritable bladder and prostate problems. To do this, take 10 drops three times daily, either directly or diluted in water.
When massaged into the scalp, it is said to strengthen hair growth.
When rubbed onto painful areas in cases of rheumatism, it promotes blood circulation.
Root vinegar hair tonic
Thoroughly wash and finely chop 50g of nettle roots, and fill a screw-top jar two-thirds full. Pour in 500ml of organic apple cider vinegar, seal the jar, and let stand for 4 weeks.
Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and pour into a dark glass.
This hair tonic promotes hair growth, relieves itchy scalp and dandruff, and softens hair. Regularly massage a little of it, pure or diluted, into your scalp.
Nettle ointment
about 40 g dried or 80 g fresh nettle herb, 1/4 l hemp or olive oil, 30 g beeswax or 20 g wool fat (lanolin) and 15 g beeswax
Place the crushed nettle leaves in a glass jar and pour the oil over them. Place in a pot of water and heat to 60 to 70 degrees Celsius. Let it infuse for at least 2 hours.
Then strain the oil through cheesecloth. Add the crushed beeswax (or beeswax and wool fat) and heat it again in a water bath to 70 degrees Celsius. Stir clockwise until everything is dissolved.
Quickly pour into clean ointment jars and let cool with the lid open. Only then seal.
The ointment has a shelf life of about one year when stored in a cool, dark place. It helps with eczema, acne, and other skin problems such as insect bites, burns, hives, and fungal infections.
It's rich in silica, chlorophyll, and flavonoids. When applied to sensitive skin, it may cause a slight tingling sensation, but this quickly subsides.
