I let the pepper ends steep in the isopropyl alcohol until earlier this month to extract the capsaicin. Capsaicin is the same ingredient used in some OTC heat rubs. I strained and added more isopropyl alcohol to cool it down after doing a skin patch test. I may need to add more isopropyl later because it can "warm" more as it sits on the shelf which is why skin patch tests are important. Correctly and clearly labeling is vital.
I got a little over 50 ounces of liniment from the "waste" of the serrano peppers. So basically for the cost of the isopropyl alcohol, I made quite a bit of liniment using the throwaway part of something I had already invested my money and time into.
Clint LOVES this when he has a muscle strain or a sprain. It heats up again in the morning when he showers, so one rub down with it is like two applications.
Family members told me my great-grandmother was a strong Christian and Native American who was shunned by some during the day because she used herbal medicine. Some of those same people came to her for medicine in the evenings when the others could not see. She was quite popular for both her medicinal skills and her gardening abilities. She and my great grandfather ran a florist shop in Churchland, VA called Bailey's Florist.
This is a follow-up to this post.
