Plant Healers for Skin: Crafting Infused Oils & Salves
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Spend an afternoon learning the art and practice of topical herbal support with longtime herbalist Kerri Kiernan of River Prairie Apothecary.
There are many salve recipes available online—but working successfully with herbs involves more than following a recipe. Together, we’ll explore how to choose and prepare plants, capture their beneficial properties in oil, avoid common mistakes, and transform an infused oil into a beautiful, useful salve.
Kerri will demonstrate simple and accessible oil-infusion methods using three abundant, beginner-friendly herbs. We’ll discuss each plant’s specific actions, identification, safe use, and sustainable harvesting, along with the practical details that help an herbal preparation turn out well.
Then we’ll move from learning to making. With encouraging, hands-on guidance, participants will transform an herbal oil into a soothing salve suitable for supporting dry or irritated skin and life’s everyday minor bumps.
All materials are provided, and no previous herbal experience is necessary. You’ll leave with:
• Your own infused oil to finish at home
• Your own handmade herbal salve to start using right away
• A deeper understanding of infused oils and topical herbs
• Practical knowledge you can use at home
• Greater confidence working directly with healing plants
This is more than a make-and-take craft project. It is an opportunity to learn alongside an experienced herbalist, ask questions as they arise, and understand the reasoning behind each step.
Saturday, August 15, 2026
1:00–4:00 p.m.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison
$100 / $85 for Olbrich members
Registration deadline: August 8
There are many salve recipes available online—but working successfully with herbs involves more than following a recipe. Together, we’ll explore how to choose and prepare plants, capture their beneficial properties in oil, avoid common mistakes, and transform an infused oil into a beautiful, useful salve.
Kerri will demonstrate simple and accessible oil-infusion methods using three abundant, beginner-friendly herbs. We’ll discuss each plant’s specific actions, identification, safe use, and sustainable harvesting, along with the practical details that help an herbal preparation turn out well.
Then we’ll move from learning to making. With encouraging, hands-on guidance, participants will transform an herbal oil into a soothing salve suitable for supporting dry or irritated skin and life’s everyday minor bumps.
All materials are provided, and no previous herbal experience is necessary. You’ll leave with:
• Your own infused oil to finish at home
• Your own handmade herbal salve to start using right away
• A deeper understanding of infused oils and topical herbs
• Practical knowledge you can use at home
• Greater confidence working directly with healing plants
This is more than a make-and-take craft project. It is an opportunity to learn alongside an experienced herbalist, ask questions as they arise, and understand the reasoning behind each step.
Saturday, August 15, 2026
1:00–4:00 p.m.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison
$100 / $85 for Olbrich members
Registration deadline: August 8
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Where is it happening?
Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3300 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704-5808, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherRiver Prairie Apothecary
