I second that.

i don't know about home recipes, but it will work. burt's bees makes a "poison ivy soap" with ingredients that include jewelweed and pine tar.

Update: We tried the jewelweed.I had mosquito bite on my knee,that was itching, and my son, had what looked like poison ivy on the underside of his fingers that he said was hurting but not itching. I had a sprig of jewelweed that I had put in a jar with some oil, about a week ago.Just to test it out. I rubbed this on his fingers before school, and I forgot to ask him about it when he got home (but he voiced no complaints). The next day, he still had the spots, but NO pain. I had also rubbed this on my bite, and within about an hr, NO itching.We want to try making the soap and salve now when we get a chance to harvest.
Tammy

TO MAKE A SALVE: WARM ONE CUP OF INFUSED OIL OF CHOICE(DONT BBOIL) IN A SEPERATE POT MELT 1 OZ OF BEESWAX POUR WAX INTO WARMED OIL TO TEST CONSISTANCE PUT A DAB ON A PLATE AND PUT IT IN THE FREEZER FOR A MINUTE TILL ITS COOLED THEN TRY IT ON YOURE SKIN IT HAS A SHELF LIFE OF ONE YEAR

thanks for the recipe.Do you simmer the plant over double boiler,then strain?

Also has anyone tried the jewelweed soap? is it as effective as the salve?

for the infused oil use a 1/3 c of dried plant material , put it in a mason jar or something like that. anyway, add enough good quality olive oil to fully cover the plant material. Then check the jar after several hours to see if the herb has absorbed all the oil. if all the oil has been absorbed add another inch or so. then cover the jar with an unbleached coffee filter and secure it with a rubberband. let the oil infuse in a window sill for 10 days. then strain the plant material and compost it.

how do you harvest jewelweed? What steps do you take to get it ready for making soap? I read you cook it. Is that the whole plant except roots? How long do you cook it? Can it be placed in a blender and used in soap? I wanty to attempt making soap or a salve. Anyone with any information as to the steps to take please notify. I am new to all this but am willing to learn. I bought some soap from a woman who makes the soap. Her soap was not clear like others and there was pieces of the plant throughout the soap. It also lathered well. Please let me know.
Does nayone know how to harvest the plant for seeds. I hahve several plants in flower right now. How long before I see the seed pods everyone keeps talking about? Can these be placed in storage bags in the fridge?

Personally, I prefer to use jewelweed fresh, as I feel the active medicine is in the juices. While I've made an oil, I have yet to experiment with it. What I've found I prefer to use is the tincture mixed in green clay. Add a favorite astringent, whether it be sweetfern, witch hazel, etc. and you have a recipe that will draw out and dry any itchy spot.

Hi Hon, have been using this for decades on my kids and now my grandkids...a few adults as well LOL. Thought I'd add some info...
Jewelweed is seriously invasive which is ok if you use and harvest like I do. I use jars (usually pint jars...16 oz)

I just take out the garden shears and cut a stalk/stem with the leaves and flowers on them (I use it all) and I chop it all up filling the jar a little more than half full (make sure you cut and chop the stems)I use extra virgin olive oil and fill the jar up covering the plant and screw the lid on tight and put it in my medicinal garden for 3-4 weeks to sit in the sun. After that store in a cool dark place.
I do this with other plants too. goldenrod, peppermint, applemint and anything else.... It depends on the need but that is the best way to infuse jewelweed naturally.

Hi, I make soap out of jewelweed-- have used it dried & fresh & on both sides of the oil/water equation. I like making a tea out of the jewelweed (double fisted handful of the whole plant to 1 qt of water, simmered 20-30 minutes until water is dark) & using that as my water for the lye solution. The soap will turn out brown from the tea. If you add the dried jewelweed to the soap, POWDER IT, because it's really really scratchy otherwise, which is not cool with poison ivy. BTW, I've found that splitting fresh jewelweed & applying it neat to my skin BEFORE I garden helps cut down on the amount of poison ivy I end up getting. The cooked jewelweed, however, is what helps the most afterwards.

How to extract juice and soap recipe found on eHow.com --

Extracting jewelweed sap -- Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
Large pot
Water
Blender or juicer
Strainer/cheesecloth
Crushing
1 Pick a handful of leaves and stems off the jewelweed plant.
2 Crush the leaves between your fingers until a small amount of juice results.
3 Spread the juice over your skin and rub in. Repeat.
Boiling
1 Place water in a large pot -- roughly one part jewelweed and five or more parts water is needed. Base the potency of your product on the severity of the rash.
2 Place jewelweed leaves, flowers and stems in the pot and bring to a boil.
3 Let it boil/simmer for 15-30 minutes.
4 Strain the liquid into a container using a mesh filter or cheesecloth. Place in a refrigerator or freezer if not used immediately.
Blending
1 Cut the jewelweed at its base and remove the entire plant from its roots in the ground.
2 Liquefy the jewelweed using a blender, food processor or juicer.
3 Strain it through a mesh filter or cheesecloth and apply to your skin or refrigerate immediately.

Recipe for jewelweed soap --

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
Blooming jewelweed plants
Glycerin soap base
Orange soap coloring
Orange essential oil
Soap mold
Cooking oil spray
1 Gather flowers, leaves and stems from blooming jewelweed plants. Coarsely chop 1 cup of the plant material and add to 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the water turns dark.
2 Strain the infusion through a coffee filter into a heat-proof jar or bowl. Reserve the liquid and add the plant material to your compost heap.
3 Melt 2 cups glycerin soap base in a double boiler. Remove the pan from the heat, and add � cup jewelweed infusion. Stir well to blend thoroughly. Allow the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4 Add two drops of orange soap coloring and seven drops of orange essential oil. Stir very well.
5 Coat your soap mold with a very light layer of cooking oil spray. Pour the liquid into the mold and cool it at room temperature. Remove your jewelweed soap from the mold and enjoy it.

Here is a link that might be useful: jewelweed info

To make an infused oil you should use dried herb so there is no water in it, otherwise it might get moldy while it's soaking in the oil.

Cover the dried herb completely with the oil so no air gets to the herb, open it and check on it every day, shake it up and make sure it is all covered again before you put it away.

Let the herb soak in the oil for a few days to several weeks, then strain and use the infused oil for soap or salves.

Tea does also work for soapmaking and is easier than making herb infused oil, but you need the oil for making salves.

sheryl_ontario- I am in Oliver BC. do you know where to find jewelweed here in BC or in Canada for that matter?

i make jewelweed lotion every year using the plant succus (sap/juice) as the water component. i usually combine jewelweed with plantain and calendula for this purpose.