Grow Your Own Drugs: A Year With James Wong. James Wong

handfuls fresh herb Robert (about 6–8 whole plants)

       2–6 sprigs fresh rosemary, each about 15–20cm long

       8 tsp manuka honey

       To make the cream:

       16g beeswax

       8g emulsifying wax

       80ml olive oil

       6 drops benzoin or compound benzoin tincture

      1 Place the herb Robert and rosemary in a large mortar with the manuka honey, and pound to a paste. Allow to sit for 10 minutes while the sugar in the honey draws the active ingredients out of the plants. Place the sweet paste in clean muslin and squeeze out the juice into a small bowl.

      2 Take 1½ tablespoons of the sweetened juice and put into a small pan. Heat quickly until it steams but doesn’t boil, then turn off the heat immediately. This process greatly increases its shelf life.

      3 Melt the waxes in the olive oil in a glass heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water, then remove from the heat. Pour the warmed plant juice into the bowl with the melted waxes and oil, then add the compound benzoin tincture and whisk together. Continue whisking while it cools slightly to stop ingredients separating, then put in a wide-mouthed jar and refrigerate.

      USE Apply to affected area 3–4 times a day as needed.

      STORAGE Will keep for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

      Oat and Chamomile Bath Bag for Eczema

       A soothing bath treat that will help soften and moisturize all skin types, though it’s particularly useful for dermatitis, eczema and other irritated, itchy skin conditions.

       8 tbsp oats

       3g dried chamomile flowers

      Cut a 25–30cm square of muslin and lay flat. In a bowl, mix the oats and chamomile flowers together. Tip into the middle of the muslin. Gather the corners of the muslin and secure into a ball with string.

      USE Run a full bath, climb in, and soak the bag in the water for a few minutes. Then rub the bag directly on your skin as a gentle exfoliator – avoid damaged skin if using for eczema. Once finished, drop the ball into the bath and squeeze (the water will look a little milky). Remain in the bath for a further 10 minutes. Use twice weekly to treat eczema.

      Lemongrass Insect Repellent

       Fresh lemongrass is easier to find than fresh citronella grass (which you can buy only from specialist nurseries). It works in a similar way as a potent natural insect repellent, with the added benefit of antibacterial and antifungal properties. Here, I’ve mixed it with a couple of other aromatic insecticidal plants for a modern take on a traditional South-East Asian bug-repellent oil, with a sweet spicy fragrance that smells wonderful to anyone but insects.

       10 lemongrass sticks

       4 tsp scented pelargonium ‘Citronella’ leaves (about 15 leaves)

       4 tsp whole cloves

       400ml sunflower oil, to cover