Comfrey has been used medicinally for thousands of years to reduce pain and promote healing. Modern peer-reviewed studies are finding that topical comfrey preparations, such as comfrey salve and comfrey cream, are incredibly effective herbal pain relievers.
Common comfrey (Symphytum officianale) and Russian Comfrey (S. uplandicum) are fast-growing leafy plants that are considered invasive in some areas. They spread rapidly, and are incredibly difficult to control because new plants can sprout from even tiny sections of root left in the soil.
They’re popular in permaculture gardening circles because of their ability to pull micro-nutrients from deep in the soil, and the tops are cut and applied in a number of ways as soil amendments.
Whether or not it’s a good idea to plant comfrey in your garden is up for debate, and you’ll need to cut it several times a season to keep it under control. That just means you’ll have plenty of potent medicine to harvest (and a great source of nutrient-rich mulch).
If you don’t have comfrey growing nearby, you can still make comfrey salve with either dried comfrey leaf or comfrey root, both of which can be purchased online. If you’re just hoping to find a ready-made salve and skip the DIY portion, I’d suggest checking on Etsy for small-scale cottage industry salve producers.
Invasive or not, I think it has beautiful flowers (and the bees love comfrey!)
Comfrey’s medicinal benefits are well known, and even if you choose not to grow it for practical reasons, it’s easy enough to purchase dried comfrey leaves or dried roots for herbal remedies (either can be used to make comfrey salve).
I use comfrey salve to treat my chronic low back pain, brought long summer days in the garden and winters hauling a heavy chainsaw around our woodland homestead cutting firewood.
While historically comfrey was taken internally for all manner of issues (including broken bones), it’s now known to be potentially damaging to the liver when consumed, and it’s best avoided. Topically though, comfrey is still in common use for pain relief and minor wounds.
(Always consult your doctor or a clinical herbalist before trying any new herbal remedy, as there’s always the possibility of unintended consequences, allergic reaction, or interactions with other medication. If you’re harvesting wild plant material, make sure you’re 100% confident in your identification and consult multiple sources for your ID. The following is based on my research and experience, but I don’t claim to have any certifications that would qualify me to advise you on your health. Please do your own research and always verify with multiple reputable sources.)
Benefits of Comfrey
Comfrey has been shown to reduce inflammation, reduce pain, and speed skin healing. It contains allantoin, a substance believed to promote healing by stimulating the growth of new cells.
Since it’s potentially toxic taken internally, these days comfrey is only used topically as a herbal salve or cream. Salves are easy to make and require minimal ingredients and equipment.
They’re also simple to use and can store for extended periods (1-2 years) without spoiling or losing potency. Comfrey cream and comfrey ointments also work well, and I’ll cover those later on.
Herbalists commonly recommend comfrey salves for sprains, strains, muscle pain, arthritis, bruises, and fractures.
But what does the science say?
Back Pain
The British Journal of Sports Medicine found that topical comfrey creams were incredibly effective at treating acute back pain. The study found that pain intensity decreased by 95.2% in the comfrey treated group, as opposed to 37.8% in the placebo group.
Most notably, the study found that comfrey is fast-acting, with relief experienced in about an hour!
The study concluded that “comfrey root extract showed a remarkably potent and clinically relevant effect in reducing acute back pain.”
Osteoarthritis
Multiple studies have shown that comfrey salves reduced pain and increased mobility in patients with osteoarthritis.
A study on osteoarthritis of the knee found that pain was reduced by more than 50% with comfrey creams, as opposed to 10-15% with placebo during a 3 week study period. Another similar study confirms these results (but also noted a few cases of a topical skin reaction to comfrey.)
While pain is reduced and mobility increased, yet another study went further and found that though the symptoms are reversed, the actual measurable inflammation and cartilage breakdown within the knee are not improved.
It seems that comfrey may reduce osteoarthritis pain and symptoms, but it’s not actually healing the underlying condition.
Sprains
Comfrey’s pain-relieving effects are helpful in treating the pain associated with joint sprains, and one study found that topical applications of comfrey are as effective as synthetic prescription pain-relieving gels. The study only addressed pain symptoms, however, and didn’t investigate whether comfrey creams helped to heal sprains.
Harvesting comfrey leaves from my garden for a homemade comfrey salve for low back pain.
Precautions for Use
Do not ingest comfrey! Comfrey isn’t for internal use and you should never ingest comfrey in any form. Older herbals recommended consuming comfrey to help with bone healing, but that’s no longer recommended due to the risk of liver poisoning (and death in high enough doses).
Comfrey varies in constituents based on the strain, and it’s possible that the strains of comfrey consumed in medieval Europe were kept specifically for internal use. Those strains are no longer kept (or if they are, their ID and use aren’t certain). These days it’s impossible to know if some strains are safer than others without individual chemical analysis, and even then it’s not worth the risk.
Skin reactions have been reported in a small number of people in the clinical trials I mention, and there’s always the possibility of an allergy. I’d suggest doing a small patch test before using too much for the first time, just to be sure that you don’t have a reaction. That goes for any topical herbal remedy, not just comfrey salve.
Comfrey is for external use only, which is why a comfrey salve is an excellent way to use it.
Making Comfrey Salve
Making a homemade comfrey salve follows the same process as making any other herbal salve. It all starts with making a herbal infused oil.
The infused oil is then thickened with melted beeswax before pouring into containers to harden.
Making an Infused Oil
Infused oils are best made with dried herbs and a bit of patience. The dried herb material won’t cause the oil to go rancid while infusing, as opposed to wet herb material.
Fill a jar about 2/3rds full with dried comfrey leaves or dried comfrey root. Cover with a neutral oil, such as olive oil, and allow the herbs to infuse into the oil for about 4-6 weeks before straining.
If you’re using fresh herbs, or trying to make comfrey salve in less than 4-6 weeks, try the heat infusion method. Start by chopping the fresh herbs to expose more surface area.
Cutting comfrey leaves to make an infused oil, and eventually a comfrey salve.
Place the fresh or dried herbs in a jar, cover with oil and then place the jar into a double boiler. Gently heat the water in a double boiler, warming the oil, but keeping it under 140 degrees. It’s important that the herbs infuse (not deep fry).
A crockpot set to “keep warm” works well for this, but a small pot of water on very low heat also works.
Allow the fresh or dried herbs to infuse in the double boiler for about 24 hours before straining and continuing with the process.
(Note: If using fresh herbs, make sure the jar is open during the infusion process so that moisture can evaporate from the herb material)
Pouring oil over comfrey leaves to make an infused oil.
Making a Herbal Salve
Once you have a comfrey infused oil, it’s simple to thicken it into a herbal salve.
Salve recipes vary, but I like the consistency when I use a 1 to 8 ratio of oil to beeswax (by weight). I weigh out 8 ounces of herb-infused oil, which is about what you end up with if you pack a wide-mouth pint mason jar with comfrey and cover it with oil.
Once it’s strained out, you should have about 8 ounces of oil. Next, weigh out 1 ounce of beeswax. Using easy melting beeswax pistils makes this process easy, but you can also chop some off a large block of beeswax.
Put the oil and beeswax in a heat-safe bowl or double boiler bowl, and gently melt it over a pot of simmering water (basically, in a double boiler). Once melted, pour the salves into jars or salve tins.
I’m using 2-ounce salve tins, which hold ever so slightly more than 2 ounces. I’m able to get 4 tins of comfrey salve from a single batch.
Allow the salves to cool and firm up for a few hours before using them.
Where to Buy Comfrey Salve
Homemade comfrey salve has its benefits…you know what’s in it, how the comfrey was grown (if you grew it) and it can save money compared to buying prepared comfrey salves. That said, the downside is that the dosage can be variable.
Different strains of comfrey have different medicinal potencies. There are a few named varieties that are grown for their high concentrations of healing compounds, and it’s hard to know the potency of comfrey harvested from your yard.
Most studies using topical comfrey applications used a standardized comfrey salve with 35% comfrey extract, while the dosage of homemade comfrey salve is unknown. I looked for comfrey cream and salves with a standardized dosage and I actually couldn’t find any, not a single one! (If you find one, please let me know in the comments).
I did, however, find two commercially available comfrey preparations, one cream, and one salve. I’ll warn you though, they’re expensive, about $10 an ounce…
- Traumaplant Comfrey Cream ~ Made into an easy-to-apply cream in a tube.
- Herb Pharm Salve ~ Not strictly comfrey, but also contains St. John’s Wort, Calendula, Chickweed, Mullein, Plantain, and Rosemary.
For me, I’m less concerned with standardized dosage than I am with results. If my homemade comfrey salve gets the job done, the dosage is just another number.
Comfrey Salve
Comfrey salve is easy to make at home, using homegrown herbs or by purchasing dried comfrey. Studies show that comfrey is an effective herbal pain reliever when applied topically.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup fresh comfrey leaves
- (or 1 cup dried comfrey leaves)
- (or 1 cup dried comfrey roots)
- Olive Oil to Fill (about 10 ounces)
- 1-ounce beeswax
Instructions
- Place comfrey in a pint mason jar and cover with a carrier oil (like olive oil). Be sure to cover the herb material by at least an inch, and stir to remove air bubbles.
- For the fast infusion method, which is required for fresh herbs, place the jar in a double boiler or crockpot with water. Turn it on very low, and gently heat the mixture keeping it under 140 degrees. Allow the herbs to infuse in the warm oil for 24 hours before straining. (Can be used with fresh or dried herbs.)
- For the slower infusion method (only with dried herbs), allow the herbs to infuse at room temperature for 2-6 weeks before straining.
- Measure the strained herb-infused oil. You should have roughly 8 ounces of oil. For every 8 ounces of oil, add 1-ounce beeswax (by weight).
- Place the herb-infused oil and beeswax into a heatproof bowl and warm gently over a double boiler. Stir to combine and once melted, remove from heat.
- Pour the comfrey salve into salve tins or small jars and allow the mixture to cool for a few hours before using.
Notes
If using fresh herbs, you must quick infuse the oil because the water in fresh herbs will cause the oil to go rancid if slowly infused for 4-6 weeks. Drying the herbs first is also an option, which will allow you to use the slow infuse method if you wish. This remedy can be made with comfrey leaves or comfrey root, or a combination of the two.
Herbal salves keep 1-2 years in a cool dark place.
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More Homemade Herbal Remedies
Looking to stock your home apothecary with more than just comfrey salve? Here are a few more of my favorite homemade herbal remedies:
- Arnica Oil and Salve
- Homemade Herbal Shampoo
- Winter Immune Support Tea Blend
- Reishi Tincture
- Echinacea Tincture
- Elderberry Oxymel
- Willow Bark Aspirin
Disclaimer on Homemade Herbal Remedies
I’ve been foraging wild medicines and treating my family with herbal remedies for the past 20 years, but I’m self-taught. Be aware that I am not a clinical herbalist, and this is based on my own research and personal experience using medicinal plants. I do not claim to have the experience that’d qualify me to advise you on your health, and I’m only providing this as a reference to encourage a broader interest in medicinal plants.
Please use this as a jumping-off point, but always do your own research and verify anything you read with multiple sources.
It’s always possible to have an adverse reaction to any medicinal herb, and plenty of people are allergic to even gentle herbs like chamomile. Always consult your doctor or a certified herbalist before trying any new medicinal plant. Often, they can have unintended reactions in combination with other herbs and supplements, and many herbs have side effects even when they are effective for their intended purpose.
If you are seriously interested in herbal medicine, I’d suggest investing in a course in herbal medicine, and I’d recommend any of the online courses put out by the Herbal Academy of New England. Specifically, the introduction to herbal medicine course and the family herbalist group of courses.
They also have a mushroom course, covering both medicinal and edible mushrooms, and a Botany and Wildcrafting Course. I’ve taken both and they’re informative, inspiring, and artfully presented.
Danna Lee Tomchick Carlson
I love this idea.
I only use topicals. No oral meds ever. This is a awesome thing!! I have a sous vide, which would hold that perfect temp!!
I’m excited to try this.
I just have to find organic or as natural comfrey leaves!🌼☘️🍀🖖🌱🐛
Ronnie Maiden
This looks great. I used to have a garden with a lovely comfrey patch, I wish I’d had this recipe then! Just a hint for those that have blocks of beeswax: an old cheese grater is a wonderful thing to use on this when working with such small amounts. Just gratexwhat you need. 😊
Clyde
Ashley: how is the best way to DRY Comfrey Roots & Leaves. could you let me know on my E-Mail. Thanks.
Ashley Adamant
I would use a dehydrator. They wilt and mold very quickly for some reason, and I’ve tried sun drying them and hanging them to dry. The leaves in particular always seem to mold before they dry. Maybe it’s out humid climate, but I’ve had success sun-drying other herbs without issue. It’s something about comfrey leaves that gives me trouble when I try to dehydrate them outside a dehydrator. (Sent this to you via email too, good luck!)
Eileen O'Brien
Can mineral oil be used in place of olive oil?
Ashley Adamant
You can use just about any oil you’d like in this recipe (olive, almond, etc). I actually had to look up what mineral oil is, because I’ve never used it, but apparently it is an oil that is used on skin, so yes, it should be fine in this recipe. I’m not sure about the consistency, so you may have to play around with the amount of bees wax. (For example, if you use coconut oil instead then you use ever so slightly less beeswax for the same consistency since coconut oil is solid at room temperature)
VS
Comfrey is truly magical in my opinion . I have been making balm tubes of it for years . Meadow foam seed oil is excellent to use as well, for it has a long shelf life . Coconut oil is my second choice .
Spring is almost here so I can hardly wait to see our comfrey plants come alive . They are very hardy plants that can survive -30 plus winters.
Thank you for the excellent article on comfrey !
Daniel Fontenot
We have plenty of comfrey in our garden. How could l make a comfrey police to apply to my strained thigh and buttock muscles.
Administrator
Here is a great article from The Herbal Academy on how to make an herbal poultice.
https://theherbalacademy.com/how-to-make-a-poultice-with-herbs/
Rox
Making more, almost out. Family loves it, and yeah, I think it works better than hemp CBD salves for my low back pain. It’s awesome!
Kathy Krallman
Just wondering how long you infuse in crock pot on low?I
I’ve been doing the double boiler. Picked up crock at garage sale.thought I’d use that instead.
Kind Regards
Kathy jo
Administrator
You want to infuse the oil for 24 hours if using a crock pot.
Lolly
Hello! Thanks for the recipe here. Just wanted to ask how much a cup of dried root is in grams? Apparently conversion isn’t standardised so it depends on what is put in the cup. Thanks very much.
Administrator
While it is true that you would normally want to weigh out the root in order to get a more accurate measurement, it is not necessary when making an infused oil. The amounts of herb in an infused oil recipe do not need to be exact. You can even get a container and fill it 2/3 of the way full of your root and then fill the jar with oil.
Kevin
Hey Ashley,
Trying the comfrey salve thing. I dug fresh roots, and so followed the non dried method. My question is the liquid in my pint jar got a bit over 140 in the crock pot so I shut it down for a bit.
Should I just cycle the pot on and off as needed, and is a static temperature crucially important ?
Thanks, kevin
Administrator
It’s not crucial that you keep it at a static temperature so much as you want it to be below 140. Do you have a setting on your crock pot to keep it warm?
Mona Z
Hi i love this but i do have a question since its hard for me to actually find or grow actual comfrey here where i am from in florida. Can this still be potent if I would have Comfrey tncture and use that instead of infused oil, is it do-able and would it have same potent? If so how much of tncture should I use, first time making something with comfrey.
Please and thank you for response.
Admin
I personally would use dried comfrey:https://www.amazon.com/Starwest-Botanicals-Organic-Comfrey-Sifted/dp/B003AYEHGG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=dried+comfrey&qid=1572562269&sr=8-5&linkCode=sl1&tag=selfrelianc0e-20&linkId=474b7611a8f3d3c03f32dc066dc9ffb1&language=en_US
With tinctures, you need to make sure all the water is cooked out of your salve, otherwise, it’ll mold. I’ve never made this recipe with a tincture, so I’m not really sure how much you should add.
Catharine bird
I make a comfrey calendula cream that my whole family uses. I will use shea butter instead of my neighbour’s beeswax for the vegan friends that I supply. That’s a great article you wrote, and I like the citations you give in your answers!
Shivaun
I have semi dried (in the hot water cupboard) and also did a fresh leaf batch in the hot water cupboard of comfrey infused oil.. what are the chances the fresh leaf infused oil goes rancid? Is this a common thing to happen??
Also, if I want to add calendula oil to it too, would you recommend just doing half and half of each infused oil??
Admin
Yes, fresh plant material may leach water content into the oil causing it to spoil quicker than if you had used dried herbs. It’s not the end of the world, you can still use it, just be aware that it won’t stay potent as long. Yes, you can use half calendula in with your comfrey or whatever ratio you desire.
Krista
My comfrey leaves are so prickly. I just crushed them up to infuse into oil and I can still feel the prickles. Will they end up in the salve and make it itchy? I plan to strain through a cheesecloth.
Thanks
Ashley Adamant
Mine wasn’t prickly at all, and the leaves I used were quite prickly. I didn’t have an issue with it.
Amber
You stated to infuse the dried comfrey and oil for 2-6 weeks. How do you know when it’s ready?
Administrator
It’s actually 4 to 6 weeks. I would only stop the infusion at 4 weeks if you need to use it right away and don’t have time to wait the full 6 weeks. The longer you can infuse it, the better.
Beth
I’ve had my comfrey in a jar with olive oil for seven months. I forgot about it. Is it too late for me to use it?
Administrator
I would just check it. If it smells ok and you don’t see any mold growing, it should be fine. I have done this many times.
Tom Craig
I have made comfrey salve twice with your recipe using the dried leaves 6 week infusion method to make the infused oil. each time I made it , after pouring out the combined beeswax/infused oil into the jar and letting it cool II have noticed that there are 2 distinct layers ,I m assuming that they are the beeswax and the infused oil Ia there a way to avoid this? It seems that you are either getting a layer of beeswax with an infused oil layer underneath or vice versa. Help me understand what is going on here and should I be concerned about it?
Administrator
I have never experienced anything like that before when making a salve. What kind of oil are you using for your infusion? And are you heating the oil and beeswax together to melt the beeswax?
Tom Craig
Following your formula as close as possible. Mixed dried comfrey leaves with olive oil and let infuse slowly over 4-6 weeks. heated infused oil in double burner and melted beeswax completely. Poured in clean jars and let them set. Its not terribly noticeable but if you are looking for it is , it is easy to see. The first batch might have been stronger because there was a distinct greenish layer and a more buff colored one. Seems to work for pain etc but just to be sure i have been digging deep when taking salve out so as to get both layers
Administrator
That is certainly strange. It sounds like you did everything right. I am not sure why it would have done that. You didn’t happen to get water in there by accident?
Robin Coventry
when I made comfrey sauve the olive oil and the and bees wax separated into layers. Is that typical???
Administrator
I have never had that happen before with olive oil and beeswax.
Luke
You mentioned don’t let the oil get over 140 degrees but is this 140 degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius?
Thank you!
Administrator
Sorry about that. That would be 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You definitely don’t want to infuse oils at 140 degrees Celsius. That would be equal to 284 degrees Fahrenheit and remember you’re wanting to gently infuse the herbs in warm oil, not fry them.
Sandi
Thank you so much for this informative page! Is this salve safe to use for pregnant women?
Administrator
No, comfrey is one of the herbs that is not considered safe for use during pregnancy. Anytime you are using an herb, you always want to make sure that you research the contraindications for that herb to see if it is contraindicated for certain conditions or medications that you might be taking or check with your physician.
Sandi
Thank you, I had indeed researched that after my question 😊
Administrator
You’re very welcome. It’s always a good idea to do your own research and get confirmation.
Beckah
I just made this with crockpot infusion of wet leaves for 24 hours, I put some of that on my husband because he is healing broken bones and then I heated and put in the beeswax and it was like magic! It made a smooth nice salve that is not drippy, he can apply at will. Thank you very much!
Administrator
You’re very welcome. So glad you liked the recipe.
Paula Key
My husband and I are planning to make the comfrey salve using our crockpot. We assume that the lid stays off of the crockpot during the 24 hour period of time, is this correct? Using the “keep warm” temperature, will we need to keep track of the temperature using a thermometer? And will it be necessary to add water to the crockpot in the 24 hour period of time? Thank You.
Administrator
Yes, especially if you are using fresh herbs with an open jar. You want any excess moisture to evaporate. It should be ok especially on the keep warm setting but I would definitely check on it occasionally to be sure.
Lynda Tramacchi
Do you have a recipe for comfrey cream rather than salve?
Administrator
Comfrey cream involves the addition of water to the recipe which then requires a preservative of some kind. Jan Berry at The Nerdy Farm Wife has some great information on making creams and lotions.
Steve S.
Thank you for publishing articles about comfrey online. . . . .
— For how many weeks or months can you continue to use comfrey poultices / tincture/ salve on a daily basis, without any negative consequences? . . . . .
— If you recommend “taking a break” from the use of comfrey after a certain period of time, for how many days or weeks should you stop using it? . . . . .
Thanks
Administrator
It looks like there is differing views on this. I have seen where it is recommended for use for up to 3 weeks. Another source says to not use it for more than 10 days in a row and for no more than 4 to 6 weeks total in a calendar year. I would just recommend that you do some research on it and figure out what you’re most comfortable with.