Yesterday I got a phone call from a friend asking about pain relief alternatives in the herbal world. She is allergic to Arnica. I suggested mild solutions: chamomile, blueberries. But she said: “No, we were walking around in your garden and you said Oh!!! XXXXX is the best!” And it came to me right away: Willow Bark Oil. Willow bark is the basis for aspirin—and the oil is a wonderful thing to have around all of the time. You could think of it as nature’s Ben Gay? Yes, I think so. Anyway, I made willow bark oil with Sandra Lory at Mandala Botanicals back in 2014. We harvested the willow bark (beautiful picture below from Wild Foods and Medicines) and used olive oil. But it had been a while so I was thinking: “What types of willow trees are there? Are there variations on the oil I’ve not thought about? Known about?” So…I went poking around and the below-listed is a fine site to visit for LOTS of good info. What I have below is only a snippet. Enjoy!

Harvesting and Preparation (from http://wildfoodsandmedicines.com/willow/)

“While all willows are medicinal, the medicine strength can vary depending on species and where the plants grow. I am careful to harvest willow in an uncontaminated area and give the bark a taste and smell test. I want it to smell a bit like wintergreen and taste wickedly bitter like an aspirin tablet with a tart Vitamin C after kick. This is the good stuff. Many herbalists have their favorite variety of willow, and once they find a stand, they go back to it to harvest year after year. It is useful to develop a relationship with a specific stand and watch how it changes over the years due to your foraging and changes in the environment.

Willow bark and the small branches are the most potent part of the plant and can be harvested in spring or fall. I prefer harvesting in February and March when the twigs are growing fast and the buds are swelling. If you are harvesting from a large willow tree, cut the newer branches then peel the bark and large twigs with a knife. Small twigs can be easily cut with garden scissors or clippers.

To make willow oil, cut the bark and stems into small pieces and place them in a double boiler. Cover completely with extra virgin olive oil or another oil of your choice and heat very gently for several days, turning the oil on and off so that it does not boil. Strain with a piece of muslin cloth, then place the oil in a glass jar. It will last about a year in a cool dark place.

To make willow tincture, place fresh cut bark and twigs in a glass jar and cover with vodka or brandy. Cover with a lid and let sit for at least 2 weeks. Shake the jar every few days and make sure the herb is under the liquid. Strain and bottle in a glass jar. If you are using dried willow, bark I recommend measuring the weight of the herb. For every ounce of dried willow, use 5 ounces of vodka or brandy (by volume). Place in a jar and let sit 2 weeks as above. The dosage is 30-60 drops. Tincture will last 7-9 years.

To dry willow bark and stem, place it in baskets, paper bags, or a food dehydrator on a very low setting. Store in a cool dark place. The tea is very bitter, even for brave souls with flexible palates. It is best mixed with other herbs or taken quickly as a tincture or capsules. Up to an ounce of herb can be boiled in about a quart of water and taken throughout the day. You can also powder willow bark and twigs in a coffee grinder and fill “oo” capsules. Take 4-10 capsules per day.

Willow leaves can also be harvested for medicine in spring through summer and dried in baskets or paper bags. For tea, use 1 heaping tablespoon per cup of hot water and steep 15 minutes. Drink 3-6 cups a day. For a pain-relieving bath, try several large handfuls of dried willow leaf in a pot of boiled water. Steep 15 minutes and strain into a bath.

Willow is a richly storied plant that has been valued as an anti-inflammatory, pain reliever, fever reducer, and bitter tonic for thousands of years. Its use was documented in 4,000-year-old tablets from ancient Sumeria and it was perhaps the most important of 700 medicines mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus from Egypt in 1534. In China, Europe, and the Americas, it maintained mythic status for countless generations.”

Making Willow Bark Oil: Pain Relief