Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is a member of the Boraginaceae family, related to borage and forget-me-nots. This herb has large, rough, hairy, and lance-shaped leaves, black roots, and a scorpioid inflorescence of whitish, pink, or purple bell-shaped flowers that have a slight heliotrope-like curl typical of this family. Comfrey is native to Eurasia but is now naturalized around the world in temperate northern latitudes. It grows thick, clump-forming perennial roots that penetrate deep into soil, so much so that it can be difficult to eradicate once it’s established (and is even considered a weed in some regions).

Comfrey leafComfrey has a long history of use as a medicinal herb, mostly in topical applications to promote skin and wound healing. Its generic name Symphytum comes from the Greek term “symphytis,” meaning “growing together,” and “phyton,” meaning “plant,” a reference to its astringent properties and ability to firm, unite, and heal tissue. Its mucilage content moisturizes and soothes, while a compound it contains called allantoin promotes new cell proliferation. Because it’s so effective at healing tissue, it may generate the top layer of tissue first before the inner damaged tissue underneath fully heals, which doesn’t allow effective drainage, opening the potential for abscesses or infections. Therefore, comfrey is not recommended for deep wounds.

Comfrey also contains other anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and astringent substances such as rosmarinic acid and tannins. It’s a common immediate go-to for wounds, and can help stop bleeding, reduce pain, and tighten and tone tissue. Historically it has been used to help heal bruises, pulled muscles and ligaments, fractures, sprains, strains, and osteoarthritis. Ointments, creams, poultices, and liniments are made from fresh or dried comfrey leaf or root for these wounds and injuries.

A note of caution: Although comfrey has been cultivated as a food crop, it contains compounds called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) that may cause liver damage if taken internally. These toxins can also be absorbed through the skin, so even topical products should be used for a limited time, and should not be used on broken skin or puncture wounds. The roots contain up to 16 times the amount of these alkaloids as the leaves, so use with extra caution; however, the PAs tend to degrade once the plant is dried.

There are many factors to consider in determining the safety of herbs, such as the quality of scientific research conducted on them and the dosage and frequency of taking the herb. As such, the controversy of using comfrey internally continues to be debated among herbalists, but we suggest erring on the side of caution and do not recommend it without doing some research yourself or consulting with a medical professional.

You can find dried comfrey leaves and root in our bulk herbs department. It can be incorporated into body care recipes such as salves, oils, creams, liniments for external use.

Here’s a recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs for a basic comfrey-infused oil:

Comfrey Infused OilComfrey oil

Makes about 8 ounces of infused oil. *Measurements are by weight

Ingredients

  • 1/2 ounce organic comfrey leaf
  • 1/2 ounce organic comfrey root
  • 1/2 ounce organic grain alcohol
  • 8 ounces organic olive oil (or carrier oil of choice)

Directions

  1. Using a blender or coffee grinder, grind herb into coarse powder.
  2. Transfer ground herbs into air tight jar with lid.
  3. Pour alcohol into jar with ground herbs.
  4. Put lid on and shake to disperse the alcohol through herb material—it should look and feel like damp sand.
  5. Set aside for at least 24 hours to allow the herbs to macerate in alcohol.
  6. Put damp herb material into a standing blender.
  7. Add approximately 8 oz. of carrier oil. Add more as necessary to cover well and ensure herbs are moving around in blender.
  8. Blend until blender jar is warm to the touch, about 5 minutes.
  9. Strain using fine muslin of cheesecloth to remove small particulates.
  10. Oil should keep a year or more when stored in cool, dark, dry place.

Pro tip:  You can also make this herbal oil into a salve! Learn how here!