Do you know what jewelweed is? I didn’t until this year. Jewelweed is a common plant known for its skin-soothing properties, particularly effective for treating poison ivy, insect bites, rashes, and other skin irritations. I’ve lived at a property with poison ivy, poison oak, stinging nettle, and all kinds of skin irritating plants for 8 years…and I’m just now finding this out! Man! I could have saved myself from feeling miserable a few times after I accidently brushed up against a patch of that itchy junk! Oh well, better late than never!
A couple of months ago, my son, Elias, came to me after being stung by a hornet or something similar. It was not a bee sting. It was huge, red, and super swollen for a couple of days. When he finally asked for help after day 3 (teenage boys, am I right?!) I was shocked that it was still so swollen, itchy, and bothering him so much. He’s not the kid to complain about much at all, so I knew this was really bothering him. I finally gave him some antihistamine ( I was holding out in case it went away on it’s own) and an ice pack. I went about my normal business in the yard (this is important for the story) and later that day it looked and felt exactly the same! Oddly enough, later that day, I started scratching my arms profusely. I didn’t see any bumps so I thought it was stinging nettle and would just go away in a few hours. I was wrong. The next morning I woke up with poison ivy all over my arms. Ugh! Not again! I already had it earlier in the summer and it lasted forever and spread all over my body.
Desperate and itchy, I stared at all of my products on my bathroom vanity that I use for poison ivy and I just felt like I wanted to find something that would work better. A routine that didn’t involve using 4 different products at least 3 times a day, bandaging up all of my pus seeping blisters, and sleeping in long sleeved shirts in 100 degree weather. I had remembered my friend Ashley telling me earlier in the year when I first got into a big poison ivy patch, to look for jewelweed in my yard to use. I told her I didn’t think we had any. Honestly though, it might not have been in bloom earlier in the summer so I really couldn’t find it.
I decided to whip out my phone and pull up a google picture of jewelweed and go on a nature walk around my property, after all, Ashley is a really smart cookie and she lives on land that is really similar to mine.
Guess what I found hidden in the back of our tree lined property?! Jewelweed! Beautiful and abundant jewelweed! I was in shock! It was really pretty! ‘This is a weed?’ I thought. It’s so cute that I wanted to save some seeds to sprinkle around my yard. Time to get this beautiful weed back to my house and start making something amazing!
I’ll show you a step-by-step guide so you can make your own awesome jewelweed spray.
Ingredients:
- Fresh jewelweed (if fresh isn’t available, you can use dried)
- Distilled water
- Witch hazel (optional for added astringency)
- Vitamin E oil (optional, acts as a preservative and skin soother)
- Lavender essential oil
- Spray bottle
Equipment:
- Large pot
- Strainer or cheesecloth
- Blender (optional)
- Funnel
Instructions:
- Harvest or Source Jewelweed:
- Jewelweed is often found in moist, shady areas, especially near poison ivy. Harvest fresh jewelweed by cutting the stem about 4-5 inches above the ground. If you can’t find fresh, dried jewelweed can be purchased online.
- Note: Ensure you properly identify the plant before harvesting. It has succulent stems and orange or yellow flowers.
2. Wash the Jewelweed:
- Rinse the jewelweed thoroughly under cool water to remove any dirt or insects.
3. Chop or Crush the Plant:
- Chop the stems and leaves into smaller pieces. You can also lightly crush the plant to release more of its beneficial juices. Don’t use the flowers. I just had to use them for this picture because they are so darn pretty!
4. Prepare the Infusion:
- Place the chopped jewelweed in a large pot. Use enough to fill at least half the pot.
- Pour distilled water into the pot, covering the jewelweed.
5. Simmer:
- Bring the water and jewelweed to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the water takes on a deep, orange-brown color. Avoid boiling, as this can destroy the plant’s beneficial properties.
6. Strain the Liquid:
- After simmering, strain the jewelweed infusion using a fine strainer or cheesecloth to remove the plant matter.
- Press the plant matter to extract as much liquid as possible.
*Optional Additions:
- Add ¼ cup of witch hazel to the strained liquid to help preserve it and add an astringent quality to the spray.
- If you’d like extra skin-soothing benefits and to prolong shelf life, you can add a few drops of vitamin E oil.
- The smell of this spray is not my favorite. I added a few drops of lavender essential oil to help it smell better plus lavender is skin soothing as well.
7. Cool and Bottle:
- Allow the mixture to cool completely.
- Use a funnel to pour the liquid into a clean spray bottle.
* Storage:
- Store the spray in the fridge to keep it fresh longer, usually lasting 1-2 weeks. If you added witch hazel and vitamin E, it may last up to a month.
How to Use Jewelweed Spray:
- Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac:
- Spray directly on the affected areas as soon as possible after contact with these plants. Jewelweed contains compounds that neutralize urushiol, the irritating oil from poison ivy and similar plants.
2. Insect Bites and Stings:
- Apply the spray to soothe itching and reduce swelling from mosquito bites, bee stings, and other insect bites.
3. Skin Rashes & Irritations:
- Use it on rashes caused by other plants, soaps, or skin irritants. Jewelweed’s anti-inflammatory properties help calm skin.
4. Sunburn Relief:
- Jewelweed is cooling and soothing on sunburned skin. The spray can help alleviate the burning sensation and promote healing.
5. Minor Cuts and Scrapes:
- Spray on minor cuts and scrapes to reduce irritation and promote faster healing due to the plant’s antimicrobial properties.
Additional Tips:
- You can freeze extra jewelweed infusion in ice cube trays to extend its shelf life. Simply thaw a cube when needed for future sprays.
- Jewelweed grows abundantly in many areas, so harvest sustainably by only taking what you need and leaving enough for the plant to regenerate.
This simple, natural spray is a powerful addition to any home remedy kit for skin healing and relief!
I know you’re wondering if Elias got relief from his hornet sting with this spray, and the answer is a resounding yes! He sprayed it on a couple times a day, coming back to the counter to spray it without me even reminding him, because he felt so much relief. I used it on the poison ivy bumps on my arms and it literally went away within a couple of days and hardly itched at all. My whole family really couldn’t believe it worked so well! I was thinking it was all in my head, but we’ve used it on a lot of different things since then and the kids keep asking for it. I’m excited to keep this recipe in my arsenal of home remedies.
Next year I think I want to try my hand at making it into a salve, just for fun. I’ll start with this recipe from Kate at https://kateable.com/. She has a lot of knowledge on all things related to essential oils and herbs.
Have you made this jewelweed spray? How did it work for you?