How to Make Cleavers Oil Salve for Lymphatic Support
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In early spring when the green “weeds” start popping up, one I find that is often overlooked in cleavers (Galium aparine). Other names its commonly known by is goose grass and sticky Willy, being affectionately named because it is “sticky” and will cling to clothes or itself when squeezed in your hand. It’s an incredible plant and I aim to share why you should consider adding it to your herbal apothecary arsenal.
If you are unable to find cleavers or would prefer to purchase it rather than make it, both cleavers oil and cleavers salve are available in my online farm store HERE.
Just like all plants in the spring, once you start foraging, you will begin to notice God’s grand design. Everything is available in nature if we’re just still long enough to look and LISTEN. Many times we get stuck on the pHarma cures for our bodies or what the “experts” tell us we need, and we don’t pay attention to what’s in front of us. Just like the need for oranges to prevent scurvy, when there’s so many gifts right in front of us that provide MORE vitamin C in a very bioavailable form in our climate. We fail to look, listen, and see what’s right in front of us.
For me, cleavers herbal application sticks to lymphatic support and drainage and anti-inflammatory effects. There are many more claims, but for me and my family, this is what we use it for and it is what I will speak of. The old adage “clingy cleavers cleanse” will forever stick with me, because it’s what they do. In the spring, some focus on spring cleaning of their homes while they really should also be spring cleaning their bodies. After a long winter, cleavers provide the cleansing effect our bodies need to begin detoxing and rebuilding our immune systems for the next season.
How to Identify Cleavers
I find cleavers quite easy to identify once you see and touch them, you’ll always recognize them. The plants grow in bunches with green, rubbery, weak, square stems and whorls of green leaves in groups of usually 6 or 8 that look kinda like fingers. They’re distinct and hard to confuse with anything else. You will also notice little velcro-like downward facing hairs on the stems that give them that sticky “clinging” feeling to them.
Grab them by hand and give them a gently squeeze and they will cling to your clothes and themselves pretty readily. If you have geese, they will eat them like mad…. at least mine did. They loved the stuff!
I find them near the edges of tree lines and even underneath large pine tree canopies sticking out and reaching for the sun. You will also see them in ditches, along buildings where soil has been disturbed, and under decks and such. Later in the spring the cleaver plants get small white flowers and VERY CLINGY little seed burrs.
How to Make an Infused Oil With Cleavers
Making an infused oil with cleavers is super easy. You can use either dried or fresh cleavers, my preference being fresh as I find the effectiveness and potency of the oil is far superior when fresh is used.
The downside is, a fresh infusion does take some babysitting and watching, so dried may be the direction you want to go. Because I’m a super nice person, I’ll tell you how I do both :D
Fresh Cleavers Oil Infusion
Start by picking fresh cleavers, preferably early in the morning before the morning sun has touched them for maximum potency. Rinse and dry with a towel as well as you can.
I like to add cleavers to a pint or quart canning jar and pack it quite tightly with the stems and leaves. This gets me the maximum potency I can get in an infused oil. I don’t weigh it, but I do pack it pretty tight in there.
Cover the cleavers with oil of choice. I prefer olive oil because my skin likes it, it’s not super expensive or hard to find, and I enjoy using it in cooking and recipes, like a vinagrette. You can use WHATEVER carrier oil you prefer when making an infused oil or salve/balm.
Place the jar in a makeshift double boiler or slow cooker, lined with a towel and filled with water up to about the halfway mark on the jar. Heat on low heat, not letting the olive oil go about 115F. I aim for VERY LOW and VERY SLOW, so keeping at 115F or around there is sufficient. Boiling temperatures have shown to denature the effects of cleavers, so I aim to keep it veryyyyyy cool to preserve them the best I can while also having enough heat on it to promote infusion and water evaporation.
Allow the infusion to heat for 24-48 hours, if not even longer with the jar uncovered. This allows for any water to evaporate during the infusion process. This method isn’t agreeable for everyone, as some will tell you it will mold and whatnot. But it is a method I learned a while ago and has served me very well!
When the oil infusion is done, strain the cleavers out and store in a vacuum sealed jar, bottle, or whatever you prefer. I like to store my cleavers infused oil in dropper bottles so I have it handy to dispense for massage or for troublesome areas needing lymphatic system support. I will also take some of that oil and turn it into a salve, a recipe that will be given in the recipe card portion of this blog post at the bottom.
Dried Cleavers Oil Infusion
Start by harvesting fresh cleavers, rinsing them well, and leaving to dry on a towel. You can choose to leave the cleavers on your kitchen counter to dry out, which only takes a couple days, put them in the sun (I don’t really care to do this), or in your dehydrator. You can even put them in your car with the windows cracked on a hot day. Just depends how redneck you are.
Once dry, add the dried cleavers to a jar. When using dried, aim to fill about half the jar with dried cleavers, packing gently but not aggressively pummeling them in there. Cover in your favorite carrier oil, mine being olive oil.
Allow the jar to sit at room temperature near a sunny window for 6-8 weeks. You can also use an oil infusion machine like the LEVO Lux I have which has been a wonderful addition to my apothecary tools! Using an infusion machine like I have allows you to set certain temperatures for certain amounts of times and drain and have infused oils to stock your shelves in a fraction of the time.
Once infusion time is complete, strain the oil and store vacuum sealed, in bottles, or make into salves.
Potential Cleavers Benefits
Cleavers are known most as an alterative and a lymphagogue. An alterative has been best defined as something that restores the body and helps open pathways of toxin and waste elimination, through things like your kidneys, liver, skin, and lungs – the main pathways. That’s a broad definition but it kinda encompasses what it does.
Cleavers work as an alterative through our lymphatic system. Understanding just what your lymphatic system is and does helps understand why cleavers are so amazing to have first thing in the spring. Your lymphatic system helps with fluid balance and is the primary force behind your immune system. The organs involved in this body system are the spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow, and thymus and are quite the intricate network.
Ever heard of your white blood cells? Your main defense in the body? Those are in your “lymph fluid” and whenever a lymph node gets swollen, it’s could be a sign of an infection somewhere in your body, usually near the site of the infection.
Cleavers can work to stimulate or support the lymphatic system. So, when it’s overloaded, cleavers can potentially help you cleanse. Think after a long winter, when we’re inside a lot because of the cold and we’re not getting much fresh air. Things get stagnant. Our immune systems get worn down. Cleavers can help us build it back up!
Other Ways to Utilize Cleavers
Liquid Extract: steep the fresh herbs in filtered water in your refrigerator for about 2 days. You get the nutritional and health benefits of cleavers along with a refreshing somewhat cucumber flavor
Tincture
Cold Infusion Water
Concentrated Succus / “Preserved Juice” (Juiced cleavers with grain alcohol)
Massaged Oil or Salve onto places where lymph nodes are located
Equipment You Might Want:
- Mason Jar
- Small Saucepan
- Fine Mesh Strainer
Ingredients:
- Cleavers (Galium aparine)
- Olive Oil
Step 1: Make the Oil Infusion
Start by positively identifying cleavers and harvesting, taking only what you need.
Wash and dry on a towel. Decide if you’re making a fresh or dried cleavers oil infusion. See above blog post on both methods to choose what will work best for you.
Cover cleavers completely in oil and infuse using the method of your choice.
After infusing time is complete, strain and store in a sealed mason jar for up to 1 year for best potency.
Step 2: Make the Salve
Measure out 1 ounce beeswax and 9 ounces cleavers infused oil.
Over a double boiler on low heat, stir frequently to melt the beeswax.
Once beeswax is completely melted, pour into glass jars or tins, allow to cool and harden completely before covering with a lid and storing.
Shelf life is around 1-2 years, but aim to use within 1 year for best potency.
To use:
Apply cleavers salve to wherever the potential effects of cleavers will be desired. Massage over lymph node areas.
Equipment
- mason jar
- Small Saucepan
Ingredients
- 9 oz Cleavers infused oil
- 1 oz beeswax
Instructions
Step 1:Â Make the Oil Infusion
- Start by positively identifying cleavers and harvesting, taking only what you need.
- Wash and dry on a towel. Decide if you’re making a fresh or dried cleavers oil infusion. See above blog post on both methods to choose what will work best for you.
- Cover cleavers completely in oil and infuse using the method of your choice.
- After infusing time is complete, strain and store in a sealed mason jar for up to 1 year for best potency. The oil can be used as is and applied to places as needed or made into a salve in the next step.
Step 2:Â Make the Salve
- Measure out 1 ounce beeswax and 9 ounces cleavers infused oil.
- Over a double boiler on low heat, stir frequently to melt the beeswax.
- Once beeswax is completely melted, pour into glass jars or tins, allow to cool and harden completely before covering with a lid and storing.
- Shelf life is around 1-2 years, but aim to use within 1 year for best potency.
To use:
- Apply cleavers salve to wherever the potential effects of cleavers will be desired. Massage over lymph node areas.
Notes
References:
Hoffmann, David. (2003). Medical herbalism: the science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
Noveille, Agatha. (2016). 3 Ways to Use Cleavers for Spring Cleansing. Herbal Academy: https://www.theherbalacademy.com
