How to prepare and store homeopathic ointments

¶ … homeopathic ointments is easy, and one can manage to prepare them in their kitchen provided they have the correct ingredients and equipment. The main ingredients for preparing the ointments are base oil, which can be either seed oil, vegetable oil, sunflower, Almond, or sesame oils (Schneider, Klein, Stolt, & Oberbaum, 2005). One can also use olive oil, but they should know that it makes a heavier ointment. Lanolin can be used if one wants to make a heavier stickier ointment.

However, this is optional, and one can opt to use beeswax and base oil, which would result in a lighter ointment. If you want a heavier ointment, you can increase the amount of beeswax. The equipment one needs for preparing the ointments are: • Double boiler or water bath. • Spoons • Grater • Rubber scraper • Blender or food liquidizer • Glass jars for storage All homeopathic ointments start with a basic ointment, which can either have lanolin or without lanolin.

Basic Ointment with or without Lanolin The ingredients for making a basic ointment with lanolin are: • 1 ounce base oil e.g. sunflower oil • 1/4 ounce grated beeswax • 2 tablespoons anhydrous lanolin • 1/2 teaspoon homeopathic tincture To make the ointment, one would start by boiling the lanolin and oil together using a water bath. Oil and lanolin should not be boiled directly because they can splatter or ignite. The water bath method ensures that they mixture is heated up well without any risk on the one preparing.

Once the oil and lanolin have melted and mixed add the grated beeswax. In order to determine if the consistency is as expected, one can perform the spoon test. The test entails taking a teaspoon of the mixture and placing it in the freezer for about five minutes. If the mixture is too hard, you add more oil, too soft add beeswax (Birnesser, Oberbaum, Klein, & Weiser, 2004).

Once you get the required consistency remove from the heat, add the mother tincture slowly and while beating the mixture using a whisk or spoon. Let the mixture cool before putting it in jars. Do not place the jar lids on the jars until the mixture has completely cooled to ensure condensation does not occur. When making a basic ointment without lanolin, the procedure is the same only that one will melt the oil and beeswax together instead of oil and lanolin.

The amount of oil used will increase by one ounce. Preparing Emulsified Cream The ingredients are: • 1 ounce base oil • 1 1/2 ounce beeswax • 6 ounces distilled water • 1/2 homeopathic tincture The wax and oil are melted over a water bath until they are melt and mix. Remove from heat and place in freezer to cool until the mixture begins to coat the container sides. The distilled water is heated to lukewarm and removed from the heat. Add the homeopathic tincture to the water.

Place the water in a liquidizer or a blender on high speed and trickle the wax and oil mixture into it. Observe for emulsification which occurs quickly. When emulsification occurs, stop pouring the wax and oil mix because separation can occur. The cream is then placed in jars and lids placed when completely cool. Ointment.