Common Fomentation

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Dried mallows (Also known as common mallow (Malva sylvestris); available at herbal supply stores)
• 0.5 ounce Dried chamomile flowers (German or Roman chamomile; available at health food stores or herbal suppliers)
• 1 pint Water (Approximately 2 cups)

Instructions

1. 1Measure out 1 ounce of dried mallows and half an ounce of dried chamomile flowers. Place them in a medium saucepan.
2. 2Add 1 pint (2 cups) of water to the saucepan with the herbs. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
3. 3Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil. Continue boiling for 15 minutes to extract the beneficial properties from the herbs.
4. 4Remove from heat and strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean bowl, discarding the spent herbs. The resulting liquid is your fomentation.
5. 5Allow the liquid to cool to a comfortably warm temperature (test on your wrist first). Soak a clean cloth in the warm liquid and apply to the affected area as a compress, or use as a warm soak. Reapply as needed while the liquid remains warm.