When Topical Remedies Really Work (And When They Don’t)

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Is there a “right” way to use herbs topically?

Most people are familiar with salves, lotions, and creams—including non-herbalists!—but there are so many other ways that herbs can be used topically beyond these popular applications. From herbal baths and compresses to poultices and liniments (and yes, even suppositories!), topical remedies offer powerful, often immediate ways to support the body—that is, of course, if they’re used appropriately.

In this episode, I’ll explore several different ways to work with herbs topically, and when you might choose one herbal preparation over another. You’ll learn why some topical remedies work beautifully while others fall short—and how choosing the right form can make all the difference. 

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Ten different topical herbal preparations—and situations when each of them shines

► One common mistake that will make your herbal oils much less effective

► When to reach for a topical remedy made with water or alcohol instead of oil

► Which topical remedies are best for localized situations, and which can provide whole-body support

► When topical herbal preparations are great on their own—and when they’re best paired with internal remedies and lifestyle support

► and so much more…

I’ll also share details about how to join the free mini course that my friend and co-teacher, Emily Han, and I will be offering next week. This is a free series designed to give you a taste of how we teach and how we think about herbal medicine inside our course Rooted Medicine Circle. If you’re curious to learn more about how to choose the right form of medicine for the situation you’re dealing with, this mini course is for you!

Click here to access the audio-only page.

-- TIMESTAMPS -- 

• 00:00 - Why topical remedies are so great…and why they sometimes don’t work
• 01:57 - What is topical herbal medicine?
• 02:46 - Infused oils
• 04:25 - Salves, creams, and lip balms
• 10:24 - Liniments
• 11:25 - Fomentations and compresses
• 13:34 - Baths and soaks
• 15:53 - Poultices
• 18:34 - Suppositories
• 21:10 - A quick note about DMSO
• 24:18 - When topical remedies truly shine
• 25:28 - When topical remedies don’t work
• 28:18 - Invitation to free Rooted Medicine Circle mini course
• 30:17 - Student spotlight

Transcript of the Topical Remedies Video

Here’s something I’ve noticed after years of teaching herbalism: topical remedies are some of the most misunderstood tools we have.

Sometimes they work beautifully. Almost magically.
And sometimes… they don’t.

Not because the herbs are wrong.
Not because the recipe failed.
But because we’re either choosing the wrong topical remedy—or asking a topical remedy to do work that really belongs to the whole system.

When most people think of topical herbal remedies, they think of salves and creams. A little jar on the counter. Something soothing and familiar.

And while those remedies can be wonderful, working with herbs through the skin is far more expansive—and in many cases, far more effective—than most people realize.

Topical herbal remedies are often the very first medicines people make. Salves and lip balms were actually my very first herbal class over twenty-five years ago, and I was immediately hooked. More than that, I still make and cherish these remedies today. Just in the past week, I’ve made a St. John’s wort lip balm and a cayenne salve. I’ll share more about how I’m using these as medicine in just a bit! 

In today’s episode, I’ll explore when topical herbal remedies really shine—and when they fall short. We’ll look beyond salves and creams to include herbal baths, fomentations, compresses, infused oils, poultices—and yes, even suppositories.

And if you stick with me until the end, I’ll also share a free way you can go deeper into this way of thinking about herbal medicine—especially if you’re ready to move beyond guessing and into real confidence with your remedies.

Not so you use topical remedies for everything—but so you can choose them wisely, with clarity, and with a deeper understanding of how the body actually receives herbal support.

Let’s dive in! 

When we say “topical,” most people think of something that goes on the skin.

And yes—that’s part of it. But topical herbal medicine is broader than that.

It includes:

• the skin itself
• underlying tissues
• the nervous system
• and mucosal surfaces, where absorption can be quite different

Topical medicine is really about how herbs meet the body.

I like to think of it this way: topical medicine is about choosing the right doorway into the body.

Sometimes the skin is the perfect doorway.

Other times, it’s not.

Another reason topical remedies get misunderstood is that we tend to reduce them to just a few forms—usually salves and creams.

But herbalists have always worked with a much wider range of topical applications. Let’s dive into those now.

Infused Oils

First up are infused oils.

Infused oils are often the starting point for many other topical remedies—and they’re far more powerful than they’re sometimes given credit for.

When they’re made well, infused oils can be deeply effective medicines. And that’s an important caveat, because one of the most common mistakes I see is that infused oils are often made too weak. The ratio between the herb and the oil really matters. If there isn’t enough plant material, you end up with something that maybe smells nice but doesn’t offer much in the way of therapeutic support.

At their simplest, infused oils are made by infusing finely cut or powdered herbs into a carrier oil. But even that choice opens up a whole world of consideration. Different carrier oils interact with the skin in different ways—some are heavier and more protective, others are lighter and absorb more quickly. Choosing the right oil is part of the medicine, and it’s a whole exploration in itself.

I honestly use infused oils every single day. Not a day goes by that I don’t reach for one in some way—whether for dry skin, muscle tension, or simply as part of daily body care.

Infused oils are especially nourishing to the skin. They’re not deeply penetrating in the way some other preparations can be, but they’re lasting. They support the surface tissues, help maintain the integrity of the skin, and offer a gentle, steady kind of support that builds over time.

Salves, Creams, and Lip Balms

Next are salves, creams, and lip balms.

Salves, creams, and lip balms all grow out of infused oils—they’re essentially infused oils that have been modified to change how they sit on the skin.

Salves and lip balms are made by thickening an infused oil, usually with a wax like beeswax. This creates a more protective layer on the skin, which makes them especially useful when you want a remedy to stay put. Think dry or cracked skin, chapped lips, irritated patches, or areas that need protection from wind, cold, or frequent washing.

Because salves create a bit of a barrier, they tend to work best for surface-level concerns. They’re wonderful for supporting the skin itself and for delivering herbs slowly and steadily over time. This is one reason salves are such beloved everyday remedies—they’re easy to apply, portable, and forgiving.

I’ll give you a personal example. I just made a cayenne salve, and I’ve been using it on my foot at night because I’ve been dealing with a foot injury and some lingering pain. This has been really helpful because cayenne helps bring circulation to the area, which is especially important when tendons and ligaments are involved, since they don’t naturally get a lot of blood flow. Cayenne also helps reduce pain signaling by affecting substance P, a neurotransmitter involved in how we perceive pain.

Here’s what I do: just before bed, I slather on the salve, then I put on an old sock to keep it in place and protect my bed linens. Then—and this part matters—I wash my hands. Because you do not want to accidentally get cayenne salve in your eyes. Trust me on this one. Within minutes I can feel the warmth of the cayenne salve and it’s been an important part of my healing process!

Creams are a little different. They’re made by combining infused oils and butters with water, creating an emulsion. This changes how the remedy interacts with the skin. Creams tend to feel lighter, absorb more quickly, and often feel more immediately soothing—especially for irritated, inflamed, or heat-prone skin.

I absolutely love my calendula cream and use it every single day. One of the things I appreciate about it is that it’s a powerful way to protect and maintain skin health, so for me it’s part of my beauty regimen. But over the years, I’ve had hundreds of students make this recipe, and I’ve heard countless stories about how this same cream helped resolve acute rashes and other irritating skin conditions. That’s one of the beautiful things about herbal preparations—they can be supportive in more than one way at the same time.

Because creams contain water, they can feel more refreshing and cooling than salves, but they also require more care in both making and storage. They’re often chosen when comfort and quick absorption matter, or when someone doesn’t enjoy the heavier feel of oils or salves.

And just as a quick side note here—because creams contain water, they’re also more prone to microbial growth. Some people choose to use a preservative for this reason, to help inhibit bacteria or mold from developing over time.

One common point of confusion I see a lot is around vitamin E. Vitamin E is not a preservative. It can help slow oxidation and keep oils from going rancid for a period of time, but it does not inhibit microbial growth. So it plays a different role entirely.

Lip balms deserve their own mention, because the lips are a unique environment. Like salves, lip balms are made by combining infused oils with beeswax to create a firmer, more protective preparation.

The skin on the lips is thinner, more exposed, and more vulnerable to dryness and cracking than most other areas of the body. Because of that, lip balms really shine when you need frequent, protective application—especially in dry, windy, or cold conditions.

As mentioned, I just made a St. John’s wort lip balm, which is a wonderful protectant from the sun—but it’s also one of the best remedies I know for cold sores. I started to feel that familiar tingle and little bump the other day, which is what prompted me to whip up a batch. As you can imagine, I never love getting cold sores. They're painful, they’re not exactly attractive—and what I love even less is doing a podcast video with one. And I really needed to get this episode recorded! Luckily herbs came to the rescue! Within 24 hours, the cold sore was diminishing. Yay, herbs work!

So to wrap this up: salves, creams, and lip balms are best used when you’re working with surface tissues, dryness, irritation, or minor discomfort—and when consistency matters. They’re wonderful allies for daily care, but they’re not designed to penetrate deeply or address systemic patterns.

And that distinction becomes even more important as we move into other forms of topical medicine.

Liniments

Next let’s move on to a different medium entirely: Liniments!

Liniments are typically alcohol- or vinegar-based preparations, which means they interact with the skin in a different way. Unlike oils, which tend to nourish and support the surface tissues, liniments are more drying and penetrating. They evaporate quickly on the skin but they carry herbs deeper into the tissues.

Because of that, liniments are often chosen for situations involving deep muscle soreness, joint pain, or areas where you want more immediate, penetrating relief rather than long-term surface support.

They’re not usually something you’d reach for with dry or sensitive skin, but they can be incredibly effective when circulation, tension, or deeper discomfort is part of the picture.

Liniments are another good reminder that topical remedies aren’t interchangeable. The base—oil, water, alcohol—matters just as much as the herbs themselves.

Fomentations and Compresses

Then there are fomentations and compresses—one of the most powerful, and often overlooked, forms of topical herbal medicine.

At their core, fomentations and compresses involve applying herbal teas to the body using warmth or cold, usually through a cloth. What makes them different from salves or creams is that they work much more directly with circulation, tissue response, and the nervous system.

Warm fomentations are often used when there’s tension, tightness, stagnation, or pain. The warmth helps relax tissues, encourage blood flow, and invite movement into areas that feel stuck or rigid. This can be especially helpful for sore muscles, joint discomfort, or areas that feel tight and contracted.

Cool compresses, on the other hand, are typically used when there’s heat, swelling, or irritation. They can be soothing and calming, helping to quiet inflammation and ease that hot, reactive feeling in the tissues.

What’s important here is that fomentations and compresses aren’t just about putting herbs on the body—they’re about creating a physiological response. Heat and cold change circulation. They change how tissues receive oxygen and nutrients. And they send strong signals to the nervous system about whether an area needs to soften, calm, or slow down.

This is one reason fomentations and compresses can sometimes feel dramatically effective, even after just a short application. They’re working with the body’s own responses, not just delivering constituents through the skin.

They’re especially useful when you want a more immediate effect, or when a situation calls for something more active than a salve, but still localized and topical. One of my favorite applications for these are simple headaches due to either muscular tension or excessive heat. 

So that’s the rundown on fomentations and compresses. Like many traditional herbal practices, they’re simple, direct, and incredibly effective—yet often forgotten in modern herbalism because they’re not as tidy or convenient as something in a jar.

Baths and Soaks

Next are baths and soaks, which work on the entire body at once.

Unlike salves or fomentations, baths don’t target just one small area. When you immerse the body—or even just the feet or hands—you’re engaging the skin, the muscles, and the nervous system all at the same time. This makes herbal baths one of the most holistic forms of topical medicine—and honestly, I think they’re one of the most underrated.

Baths aren’t just about what the herbs are doing on the skin. The warmth of the water, the act of immersion, and the slowing down that naturally happens all play a role. Muscles soften. Breathing tends to deepen. The nervous system often shifts out of a heightened, reactive state and into something calmer and more receptive.

Here’s how I personally work with herbal baths.

I’ll make a strong herbal tea using whatever herbs the moment calls for. A favorite blend for me is chamomile, which is profoundly relaxing; calendula, which supports skin health and helps promote lymphatic flow; and yarrow, which can encourage gentle sweating and is a longtime plant ally of mine. I like to emphasize making a strong tea here, because once it goes into the bathwater, it’s being diluted quite a bit.

Then I light a few candles and turn on my current favorite Tori Amos playlist. I often add salt and Epsom salts to the bath as well. Nights I do this are always my best nights of sleep! 

This is why herbal baths can be especially supportive when stress, tension, fatigue, or overwhelm are part of the picture. Even when the original concern feels purely physical, baths often help because they address the nervous system alongside the body.

Soaks don’t have to be full-body to be effective, either. Foot soaks or hand soaks, for example, can still offer surprisingly wide-reaching effects. They’re a wonderful option when full baths aren’t accessible or appealing, but you still want a remedy that works beyond just the surface tissues.

Herbal baths remind us that topical remedies don’t have to be small or localized to be effective. Sometimes the most supportive approach is the one that invites the whole body to participate.

Poultices

Then there are poultices—and honestly, I think these are some of our most effective topical remedies.

A poultice is simply fresh plant material—or sometimes rehydrated dried herbs—applied directly to the body. There’s no oil, no wax, no intermediary layer. It’s the plant itself in direct contact with the tissues.

Because of that, poultices can often work more strongly than salves or creams. You’re delivering the full complexity of the plant right where it’s needed, rather than a diluted or extracted version. When people take the time to apply a generous amount of fresh plant material to a specific area, the results can be surprising—even to experienced herbalists.

The downside, of course, is convenience. Poultices aren’t tidy. They take time. And they often work best with fresh plants, which means they’re not always accessible. But when they are available, they’re well worth the effort.

Poultices are especially helpful for very localized situations—pain, swelling, irritation, or injury—where you want strong, immediate contact between the plant and the tissue. In those moments, a poultice can sometimes outperform a salve simply because it’s more direct and there’s a lot more plant material being used - so in a way, dosage here is showing up in an important way.

Often, it’s helpful to apply gentle heat over a poultice. Heat encourages circulation, which helps bring blood flow—and with it, oxygen and nutrients—to the area. That circulation can make a big difference, especially when tissues are tight, stagnant, or slow to heal.

That said, heat isn’t always appropriate. If you’re working with a hot, inflamed situation—like a bee sting or acute irritation—cooling plants on their own may be exactly what’s needed. In those cases, the plants themselves help draw out heat and calm the tissue, without adding warmth.

And there’s another thing worth mentioning. When you’re able to harvest your own fresh plants, poultices can also be one of the simplest and least expensive remedies we have.

There’s no extraction process, no special equipment, no waiting. It’s fresh plant material, used directly, right when it’s needed.

Of course, not everyone has access to fresh plants all the time—but when you do, this kind of medicine is incredibly immediate and accessible.

Poultices remind us that herbal medicine doesn’t have to be refined or elegant to be effective. Sometimes the most direct approach—plant to body, no frills—is the one that works best.

Suppositories

And then there are suppositories—which work with parts of the body where the sun doesn’t typically shine.

This is a form of topical medicine that people don’t always think of as topical, but it absolutely is. Suppositories are solid preparations—often made with herbs, oils, and butters—that are designed to melt at body temperature and deliver herbs directly to mucosal tissue.

Because mucosal tissue absorbs differently than skin, suppositories allow herbs to act in a very direct, localized way. They bypass digestion entirely, which can be helpful when oral dosing isn’t appropriate, or when you want the medicine to stay focused on a specific area.

Herbal suppositories have traditionally been used for things like hemorrhoids, rectal irritation, pelvic discomfort, vaginal dryness, or tissue that needs soothing, moistening, or gentle support. In these situations, suppositories can be surprisingly effective, because they bring the herbs right to the tissues involved—rather than asking the whole system to do the work.

Like other topical remedies, suppositories are about matching the form to the need. They’re not meant to replace internal remedies when systemic support is required, but they can be a very appropriate choice when the issue is local and direct support is needed.

Including suppositories in our understanding of topical herbal medicine helps broaden the definition beyond “things we rub on the skin.” It reminds us that topical work is really about choosing the most appropriate point of contact with the body—whether that’s skin, tissue, or mucosa.

And it’s another reminder that some of the most powerful topical remedies never make it into a cute jar.

A Quick Note About DMSO

Before we wrap up, I want to briefly address something that comes up from time to time—DMSO.

I’ve had a few people ask whether I’ll do a full episode on it, especially since it’s often described as a topical substance that can carry things very deeply into the body. And that description is actually part of why it deserves real caution.

DMSO is not an herb, and it doesn’t behave like herbal topical remedies. One of its defining features is that it penetrates extremely deeply and can carry other substances—whatever happens to be on the skin—directly into the bloodstream. That includes things you don’t want moving into the body, like environmental chemicals, residues, or contaminants.

From an herbalist’s perspective, this puts DMSO in a very different category. Herbal topical remedies tend to work with the body’s tissues, circulation, and signaling systems in a more moderated way. Even the more penetrating preparations—like liniments or fomentations—still have natural limits and feedback built into them.

DMSO bypasses many of those safeguards.

That doesn’t mean people haven’t experimented with it, or that there isn’t a complicated history there. But it does mean that it doesn’t fit within the way I teach herbal medicine—especially when we’re talking about home use, safety, and building a long-term relationship with plants.

Now, that’s my perspective—but there’s also research worth looking at.

A study published in the journal Molecules compared DMSO with water and alcohol as solvents across a range of medicinal plants. The researchers looked at how well each solvent extracted different groups of compounds, including phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidants, pigments, and minerals, using both fresh or frozen plants and dried herbs.

What they found was interesting.

DMSO did extract certain compounds very efficiently—but mostly when working with fresh or frozen plant material. When dried herbs were used, DMSO did not outperform water or alcohol. In many cases, water and alcohol—especially a combination of the two—performed just as well or better for extracting compounds that are most relevant to herbal medicine.

The researchers ultimately concluded that drying herbs and extracting them with around fifty percent alcohol was one of the most effective and practical approaches overall.¹

So all of that together is why DMSO isn’t something I recommend or teach as a topical remedy—both because of safety concerns, and because water and alcohol, which are time-tested, work extremely well.

For me, herbal discernment is about knowing not just what can be used, but what should be used—and when a tool is simply too blunt or too risky for the job.

And that really brings us back to the heart of today’s episode: choosing the right doorway into the body, with intention and care.

When Topical Remedies Truly Shine

Okay, let’s recap a bit…So when do topical remedies truly shine?

They tend to work best when the issue is acute and localized—when something is happening right there in the tissues. Situations involving inflammation, soreness, tension, or irritation are often a great fit for topical care.

Think sore muscles, minor injuries, joint discomfort, skin irritation, or localized pain—places where you can bring the remedy directly to the area that needs support.

Topical remedies are also incredibly supportive for the nervous system. Touch matters. Warmth matters. Even the simple act of applying a remedy can be calming and regulating. That physical interaction with the body is part of the medicine.

One of the reasons topical remedies can feel so effective is because they work right where the issue lives. They interact directly with local tissues, influence circulation and lymphatic movement, and send signals through the nervous system.

When the problem is right there—and the remedy meets it right where it lives—topical medicine can feel almost miraculous.

Here’s When Topical Remedies Don’t Work—or Simply Aren’t Enough

This is where discernment really comes in.

Topical remedies often fall short when we’re dealing with issues that are chronic or systemic in nature—things like long-standing hormonal or digestive patterns, or inflammation rooted in stress, lifestyle, or deeper imbalance.

In these situations, topical remedies can still play an important role. A salve, cream, or wash might soothe the skin, reduce irritation, or make someone feel more comfortable in their body. But on their own, they usually aren’t enough to resolve what’s happening underneath.

And that’s not a failure.

This isn’t a failure of topical medicine—it’s a mismatch between the tool and the task.

Acne is a good example. Topical remedies can calm inflammation, support healing, and help the skin feel less reactive. But acne often has deeper roots—hormonal shifts, digestive patterns, stress, or systemic inflammation. In those cases, topical care works best as part of a broader approach that also includes internal support and lifestyle considerations.

Rosacea is another condition where people often focus entirely on external treatment. Gentle topical remedies can absolutely help soothe the skin and reduce irritation, but rosacea frequently reflects deeper patterns—such as inflammation, nervous system reactivity, or digestive imbalance. When those internal pieces aren’t addressed, topical care alone tends to hit a limit.

When we expect topical remedies to fully resolve issues that require systemic care, we can end up disappointed—or confused about why “the herbs didn’t work.” But when we understand the role topical medicine is meant to play, it becomes a powerful complement rather than a frustrating dead end.

All of this really points to something bigger.

Becoming an herbalist isn’t about simply collecting more and more recipes. It’s about learning discernment—developing the ability to recognize which form of medicine belongs in a given moment.

Sometimes that means reaching for a topical remedy. Sometimes it means supporting the body internally. And very often, it means using both together in a way that makes sense for the person and the situation.

That kind of decision-making doesn’t come from memorizing formulas or following rigid rules. It grows from understanding bodies, noticing patterns, paying attention to timing, and working within context. Over time, you begin to see how different forms of medicine complement one another—and how choosing the right form can make all the difference.

Conclusion

As we wrap up, I want to zoom out for a moment.

Everything we’ve talked about today—infused oils, salves, liniments, baths, poultices, suppositories—it all comes back to one core skill: learning how to choose the right form of medicine for the situation in front of you.

That’s the heart of herbalism. And it’s something that develops over time, with practice, reflection, and support.

Inside Rooted Medicine Circle, we spend months exploring exactly this—learning how to work confidently with a wide range of herbal preparations, and more importantly, how to decide when to use each one. It’s a deep, immersive course designed to help people move beyond guessing and into real discernment.

But before enrollment opens for the full Rooted Medicine Circle, we offer something a little smaller—a way to get a feel for this approach and see if it resonates with you.

Next week, my friend and co-teacher, Emily Han and I will be opening access to the Rooted Medicine Circle Mini Course. This is a free series designed to give you a taste of how we teach and how we think about herbal medicine inside Rooted Medicine Circle.

The mini course includes:

• a webinar called How to Avoid Common Herbal Pitfalls So That You Can Make Powerful Remedies That Heal
• a live class on advanced tea making
• and a guided exercise focused on taking your herbal practice to the next level by moving beyond simple recipes and into real connection with plants

This invitation is a way to explore whether this way of learning herbalism feels like the right fit for you.

If that sounds interesting, you can join the waitlist for the Rooted Medicine Mini Course here. Everyone on the waitlist will get access as soon as it opens.

Thanks so much for spending this time with me today. I hope this episode helped you see topical herbal remedies with a little more clarity—and a lot more confidence.

Citations

1. Burdejova, Lenka, et al. “Differentiation of Medicinal Plants According to Solvents, Processing, Origin, and Season by Means of Multivariate Analysis of Spectroscopic and Liquid Chromatography Data.” Molecules, vol. 28, no. 10, May 2023, p. 4075. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104075.