Herbal Oils for Breast Self-Massage
1.2
Excerpt from: Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way
by Susun S. Weed
read Herbal Oils for Breast Self-Massage 1.1
Using infused herbal oils is an easy and pleasurable way to keep your breasts healthy, prevent and reverse cysts,
dissolve troublesome lumps, and repair abnormal cells. 
Breast skin is thin and absorbent, and breast tissue contains a great deal of fat, which readily absorbs infused herbal oils.
The healing and cancer-preventing actions of herbs easily migrate into olive oil—creating a simple, effective product
for maintaining breast health.
Add beeswax to any herbal oil and you have an ointment. The antiseptic, softening,
moisturizing, and healing properties of beeswax intensify the healing actions of the herbs and carry them deeper into the
breast tissues.
Whether you want to maintain breast health—or have had a diagnosis of cancer—infused
herbal oils and ointments are soothing, safe, and effective allies.
Evergreen oils
Wonderfully fragrant infused oils can be made from all kinds of evergreen needles. (See page 298.) Evergreen oils
are superb for regular breast self-massage, especially for those troubled with painful or lumpy breasts. Evergreens, including
the renowned yew, contain compounds clinically proven to kill cancer cells.
The most powerful in this respect are arbor
vitae (Thuja occidentalis) and cedar (Juniperus virginia). But all evergreens contain antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, and
anti-tumor oils. I make my infused evergreen oil from white pine (Pinus strobus), the most common evergreen in my area; friends
use spruce, cedar, and hemlock.
Infused evergreen oils are generally non irritating (a few women report sensitivity
to spruce needle oil), but essential oils of evergreens can cause a rash. Essential oil of the evergreen tea tree (Melaleuca
species) has been poured into cancers that have ulcerated, causing some to go into remission. This is dangerous and may be
painful; I strongly advise you to seek counsel before you use tea tree, or any essential oil, in this way.
Olive
oil (Olea europea)
The oil pressed from the fruits (olives) and seeds (pits) of these magnificent,
long-lived trees is neither an infused oil nor an essential oil. It is my favorite oil for eating, cooking, and using as a
base for infusing herbs. Virgin or extra virgin oils are great for eating, but have a rich smell which is overpowering in
an infused oil or ointment.
As a base for infused oils, I use the less expensive (and less aromatic) pomace oil—made
by pressing the ground pits after the olives have been squeezed dry. No matter what type you use, fancy or plain, olive oil
will no doubt uphold its ancient and venerable reputation for healing and nourishing skin and scalp.
Plantain
leaf oil (Plantago lancelota, P. majus)
With its brilliant color and its solid reputation as
a breast cancer preventive, plantain oil/ointment is another favorite for breast self massage. Frequent applications of the
jewel-green oil—as many as ten times a day—have been used successfully by women to reverse in situ cancer cells
in the breasts. Plantain oil is very easy to make at home. (The aroma of the finished oil reminds me of salami.) Plantain
ointment is the first first aid I reach for when I itch, when I get a sting, when I need to heal torn muscles, when I want
to draw out thorns, splinters, or infection, and when I need to relieve pain and swelling.
Poke
root oil (Phytolacca americana)
That strange-looking weed with the drooping black berries that
towers over gardens and roadsides throughout much of eastern North America is pokeweed—an old favorite of wise women
dealing with breast lumps and breast cancer. If I felt a suspicious lump, I’d reach for poke root oil. It reduces congestion,
relieves swelling, and literally dissolves growths in the breasts.
Jethro Kloss, author of the classic herbal
Back to Eden, used freshly grated raw poke root poultices to burn away breast cancer. Caution: Fresh poke placed directly
on the skin is strong enough to damage healthy tissues as well as cancerous ones.
The infused oil is also effective
and far safer. A generous amount is gently applied to the lump, covered with a flannel cloth and then with a hot water bottle
(no heating pads), and left on for as long as you’re comfortable. This is repeated at least twice a day. Poke root oil
is too powerful for regular preventive care. Caution: Poke oil can cause a rash on sensitive skin. Ingestion of poke oil can
cause severe intestinal distress.
Poke root tincture can be used instead of poke root oil. The properties are quite
similar, though the oil is absorbed better and may be considerably more effective.
Red Clover blossom
oil (Trifolium pratense)
The infused oil of red clover blossoms is a remarkable skin softener.
It melts away lumps, counters cancer, and helps the lymph system reabsorb unneeded cells. Combine it with internal use of
red clover blossom infusion for an even better chance of eliminating abnormal cells and preventing breast cancer recurrence.
It’s gentle enough for regular use in breast self massage.
St. Joan’s Wort blossom oil
(Hypericum perforatum)
The vermillion red oil of the flowers or flowering tops of St. Joan’s
(St. John’s) wort is mild enough to be used regularly to promote breast health, yet powerful enough to seem positively
miraculous as it repairs damage to the skin and nerves of the breasts. I consider it an indispensable ally for all women.
In addition to using it for breast massage, I favor it for assistance in healing the armpit and breast area after surgery,
reducing skin damage from radiation, and relieving nerve and muscle pain. Its antiviral powers pass through the skin and into
nerve endings, preventing and checking a wide variety of skin problems, including virulent hospital-bred infections such as
shingles.
I find St. Joan’s wort oil an exceptionally useful ally for women dealing with nerve damage caused
by removal of axillary lymph nodes. Frequent applications restore sensation, promote good lymphatic circulation, help prevent
lymphedema, and offer prompt and long-lasting relief from pain.
Women who apply St. Joan’s wort oil before
and after radiation treatments report that their skin stays healthy and flexible even after dozens of treatments.
In addition to preventing radiation burns, this oil prevents sunburn, too. It’s the only sunscreen I use to protect
my skin, which gets plently of sun. And it’s a superior healer of sunburn, as well.
St. Joan’s wort
oil is an invaluable ally for those with sciatica pain, leg and foot cramps, ba ck pain, neckaches, arthritis pain, bursitis,
or any other ache. I use it externally (along with 25 drops of the tincture internally) as often as every 10 to15 minutes
when dealing with the acute phase of a cramped, spasmed muscle. For long-term pain, I use oil and tincture as frequently as
needed, sometimes as often as ten times a day.
St. Joan’s wort oil is also the best remedy I’ve found
to relieve the pain and promote rapid healing of nerves and skin troubled by shingles, cold sores, mouth and anal fissures,
genital herpes, and chicken pox. Hourly applications of oil, plus 25 drops of tincture taken internally at the same time,
is not excessive in the initial, acute stages of these problems. As symptoms abate, I use fewer applications. In chronic conditions,
I use the oil and tincture four times a day. Used as a scalp oil during chemotherapy, St. Joan’s wort encourages rapid
regrowth of healthy hair.
Yarrow flower oil (Achillea millefolium)
Yarrow
flowers and leaves infused in oil make a sparkling green oil that promotes fluid flow in the breasts and inhibits bacterial
growth. Women have noted that consistent use of yarrow oil seems to prevent the growth of new blood vessels that cancerous
tumors need for growth. Yarrow is also a wonderful ally for relieving swollen, tender breasts and nipples. As it may irritate
the skin slightly, I use yarrow only as needed.
Yarrow is a plant imbued with a reputation for psychic powers and
energy healing. The aroma of the oil is said to give power to the heart and strength to the vulnerable. Sleep with yarrow,
and you’ll have a dream of the future.
Yellow Dock root oil (Rumex crispus, R. obtusifolia)
This dark yellow, orange, or burnt-sienna-colored oil is a classic remedy against all hard swellings, tumors, growths,
and scabby eruptions. It softens tissues and helps the body reabsorb lumps. The ointment excels as an ally for those dealing
with skin ulcers (bed sores), burns from radiation, or mouth sores from chemotherapy. Yellow dock has been known to resolve
worrisome nipple discharges. Yellow dock oil does not recommend itself for regular use; I reserve it for occasional intense
use.
Excerpt from: Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way
by Susun S. Weed
