Recipe
Compress with cooled comfrey leaf infusion
- Herb:
- Comfrey Symphytum officinale
- Method:
- Poultice / compress
- Plant part:
- Leaf
About 25 minAdvancedRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Make a weak decoction from dried leaf (see herb card — external use only), strain, and cool.
- Soak a clean cloth and apply to intact skin for 10–15 minutes.
- Do not drink the liquid — pyrrolizidine alkaloids; follow warnings on the herb card and EMA texts.
Extraction
- Water:
- 250 ml
- Herb:
- weak decoction according to the herb card; external use only
- Pour temperature:
- 100 °C
- Boil:
- 5–10 min
- Solvent:
- Water; apply the extract externally once cooled.
- Shelf life:
- Use as soon as possible after preparation; store briefly in a cool place only if prepared cleanly.
- Target compounds:
- Polar fractions in hot water for an external compress; do not interpret this as a concentration for internal use.
Notes
External and short-term only; leaf is not approved for routine internal use in common European frameworks.
Why it works
European texts often focus on comfrey root for assessed traditional external use; leaf material is less standardised. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are the main safety concern with ingestion and prolonged heavy exposure. A short, dilute application to intact skin as a compress is not the same pharmacokinetic route as drinking the decoction — still follow warnings on the herb card and do not drink these preparations.
Literature
- EMA HMPC — Symphytum officinale, radix — The text primarily concerns the root in preparations; the toxicological context of PA parallels caution with the whole plant.
- EFSA — pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food and feed — General framework of PA risks; do not apply it mechanically to home-use doses.
Related
Comfrey — Herb card
Poultice / compress — Processing method detail