Got An Earache? Mullein Oil To The Rescue!

It's almost fall, and you know what that means. One of these mornings, you'll wake up with that oh-so-familiar, terrible, telltale pain of an ear infection. This happened to me recently. I mean, I haven’t had one in years, but the memory of how painful one of these things can be was easily recalled. I immediately dosed myself with a hearty helping of Echinacea and Goldenseal, and while those two well-known herbs are great for fighting infection and boosting the immune system, they don’t do much for the pain of an earache.

Mullein (Verbascum densiflorum) is a fuzzy-leafed, yellow-flowered plant used primarily for fighting coughs and relieving congestion (very good for whooping cough, bronchitis, etc). It is, however, also a potent painkiller, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. Most often, the flowers are used to soothe external pain and swelling (earaches, eczema, rashes, etc.) and the leaves are used for respiratory complaints. I find, however, that the leaves are suitable for pain relief as well.

Normally, I keep a stash of mullein oil in the fridge, but this morning I discovered the bottle was nearly empty. To make a strong, medicinal mullein oil, you need a good two weeks to one month (more on that later). However, every herbalist has down and dirty tricks for quick herbal fixes.

To make a quick batch of pain-relieving mullein oil, get a cup of good-quality, organic olive oil and heat it lightly (just warm it up — don’t cook it) in a small saucepan. Add a handful of dried mullein leaves, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Stir with a wooden spoon, cover, and let sit for at least half an hour.

That’s your bare bones oil and it will keep in the fridge for a few days. For extra virus and bacteria-fighting power, throw in a couple of crushed cloves of garlic and a handful of St. John’s Wort (in a pinch, you can open up five or six capsules of powdered herb if you have it lying around, keeping in mind that fresh or dried whole herbs are always preferable). Adding a quarter teaspoon of vitamin E oil will help keep this mixture fresh for a few months.

While you’ve got your ingredients out, I suggest making a nice strong mullein oil the traditional way. Grab a clean mason jar. Throw in a handful of mullein, St. John’s Wort, Calendula flowers (if you happen to have any, you know, just lying around), and two crushed cloves of garlic. Fill with olive oil, leaving ½ inch of space at the top, and add vitamin E oil as a preservative. Seal and place in a sunny window. Shake daily and let steep for at least two weeks (a month is best). Check the oil every day. If the mullein seems to be soaking up a lot of oil, top off your jar to the ½ inch mark. You want to make sure your herbs are always submerged.

After a month, strain the oil, and store it in amber bottles in a dark, cool place. This oil should keep a good six months to a year. Always smell the oil to check for rancidness before using (this depends on the quality of oil you start with, by the way).

To use: Filter your oil into a small, sterilized dropper bottle (boil the bottle in water for ten minutes, soak the dropper end in hot water for the same amount of time) and add 3-5 drops into the painful ear. Gently close the ear with a cotton ball, and rest for 5-15 minutes. After that, turn the head and let the oil drain out. Sometimes nothing will come out; that’s OK. Address the other ear, if needed.