http://www.lesbalm.com/ingredients.htm

Les Balm works because of the synergy between the plants, fungi, and precious oils.
All the ingredients are 100% organic, common foods, effective on all mammals.
Continually nourishing ourselves from the outside, inwards.

Vitamin A, as such is not found in plants: it is manufactured by the human and animal body from pigment substances called carotenes, which are quite common in plants, ie parsley.Vitamin A is essential for night vision, and promotes healthy skin and mucous membrane.

Almond Seed Oil Properties & Uses: Demulcent, emollient, pectoral. For a good, cleansing facial scrub The oil derived from a bitter variety of almond has sedative properties and is sometimes used in cough remedies. Sweet oilive oil makes a soothing ingredient in internal medications and used externally as an emollient.

Bee Pollen Bee bread or bee pollen is a food supplement consisting of pollen that has been packed by worker honeybees into granules, with added honey or nectar.
Like honey and propolis, other well-known honey bee products, the exact chemical composition of pollen gathered depends on which plants the worker bees are gathering the pollen from, and can vary from hour to hour, day to day, week to week, colony to colony, even in the same apiary, and no two samples of bee bread will be exactly identical. Accordingly, chemical and nutritional analyses of bee bread apply only to the specific samples being tested, and cannot be extrapolated to samples gathered in other places or other times.
A recent study of samples of bee bread showed they may contain 188 kinds of fungi and 29 kinds of bacteria. Bee bread is sometimes referred to as ambrosia.
Bee bread is used in naturopathic medicine traditions and as a nutritional supplement, although exposure may trigger allergic or anaphylatic reactions in sensitive people.

Bee colony living in peace and harmony with me on the farm.
I love the hum of the bee colony.

Benzoin - is an organic compound with the formula PhCH(OH)C(O)Ph. It is a hydroxy ketone attached to two phenyl groups. It appears as off-white crystals, with a light camphor-like odor. Benzoin is synthesized from benzaldehyde in the benzoin condensation. It is chiral and it exists as a pair of enantiomers: (R)-benzoin and (S)-benzoin.
Benzoin is not a constituent of benzoin resin obtained from the benzoin tree (Styrax) or tincture of benzoin. The main component in these natural products is benzoic acid. Benzoin was first reported in 1832 by Justus van Liebig and Friedrich Woehler during their research on oil of bitter almond, which is benzaldehyde with traces of hydrocyanic acid. The catalytic synthesis by the benzoin condensation was improved by Nikolay Zinin during his time with Liebig. The main uses of benzoin are as a precursor to benzil, which is a photoinitiator. The conversion proceeds by organic oxidation with, copper(II), nitric acid, or oxone. In one study, this reaction is carried out with atmospheric oxygen and basic alumina in dischloromethane.

Vitamin C is a plant vitamin, occurring to some degree in almost all plants. The body neither makes nor stores vitamin C. Normal body cell functioning requires ascorbic acid, as does the formation of healthy collagen bones, teeth, cartilage, skin, and capillary walls. Vitamin C promotes the body's effective use of other nutrients, such as iron B, A and E vitaminscalcium, and certain amino acids.

Calendula: Common name: Garden marigold, Holigold, Marigold, Mary bud, Pot marigold. Properties & Uses: Antispasmodic, aperient, cholagogue, diaphoretic, vulnerary.

Cannabis Hempseed Oil Common Names: Marijuana, Hemp, Sativa, Indica, Weed. Properties & Uses: analgesic-hyponotic, topical anesthetic, antiasthmatic, antibiotic, antiepileptic and antispasmodic, antidepressant, tranquilizer, antitussive, appetite stimulant, oxytocic, preventive & acodyne for neuralgia (including migraine), aid to psychotherapy, and agent to ease withdrawal from alcohol and opiates.

Cannahis Hempseed Oil is pressed from the Shelled hemp seed. Usually 30% is removed so as not to render the rest of the seed unusable as animal (cattle) feed. The Cannabis Hemp Seed Oil in this product is from Canada: Certified Organic.
Shelled hemp seeds can be enjoyed right out of the can, or as a super-nutritious condiment on yogurt, salads, soups, cereals, ice cream, I encourage you to be ingenious. Hemp seeds are most nutritious when consumed raw, as they are a rich source of protein (33%), vitamin E, minerals, essential fatty acids (Omegas-3 & -6), and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Processed mechanically by a cold-shelling process to remove the hemp seeds’ hard shells, yielding these tasty, tissue cell building, cholesterol reducing, hempnuts.

...Hemp Seed Oil is enormously beneficial to your skin. It contains an amazing level of essential fatty acids, including Linoleic acid (Vitamin F), Gamma Linoliec acid, & Omega 3 fatty acids. Hemp seed oil promotes good skin health. makes an excellent bath oil.

You can buy numerous products containing Cannabis Hemp Seed at any Nutritional Health Food Store, or visit Hemp Traders, or Manitoba Harvest.

Chickweed; Common Names: Adder's Mouth, Indian Chickweed, Satin Flower, Starwort, Stitchwrot, Tongue-Grass, Winterweed. Grows everywhere, considered by most as a spring weed, growing fast with barbs that attach to everything. Dogs love the taste of Chickweed.

Citric Acid Citric acid is used as one of the active ingredients in the production of antiviral tissues. Citrate is an inhibitor of phosphofructokinase, which helps regulate the rate of glycolysis (and subsequently the citric acid cycle) in the cell.
Citrate, the conjugate base of citric acid is one of a series of compounds involved in the physiological oxidation of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and water.
This series of chemical reactions is central to nearly all metabolic reactions, and is the source of two-thirds of the food-derived energy in higher organisms. Hans Adolf Krebs received the 1953 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery. The series of reactions is known by various names, including the "citric acid cycle", the "Krebs cycle" or "Szent-Györgyi — Krebs cycle", and the "tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle".
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks. In biochemistry, the conjugate base of citric acid, citrate, is important as an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, and therefore occurs in the metabolism of virtually all living things. It can also be used as an environmentally benign cleaning agent. It can cause severe irritation to the skin and possible minor skin burns.
Citric acid exists in greater than trace amounts in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most notably citrus fruits. Lemons and limes have particularly high concentrations of the acid; it can constitute as much as 8% of the dry weight of these fruits (about 47 g/L in the juices[2]). The concentrations of citric acid in citrus fruits range from 0.005 mol/L for oranges and grapefruits to 0.30 mol/L in lemons and limes. Within species, these values vary depending on the cultivar and the circumstances in which the fruit was grown.

Comfrey: Common name: Blackwort, bruisewort, gum plant, healing herb, knitback, salsify, slippery root, wallwort. Properties & Uses: Anodyne, astringent, demulcent, emollient, expectorant, hemostatic, refrigerant, vulnerary.

Cordyceps sinensis Fungi (Cordyceps - Caterpillar fungus, dong chong xia cao) Several types of mushrooms, (C. sinensis, C. militaris, C. pruinosa, C. ophioglossoides) have a history of medicinal use spanning millennia in China. Cordyceps are parasitic, and produce fruitbodies from the insects they infect.Cordycepin, was isolated from C. sinensis and C. militaris. Limited clinical data supports the use of cordyceps for fatigue, bronchitis and coughs. Cordyceps may improve exercise performance in healthy older subjects. [Sidebar: I personally enjoy the taste of this delicious fungi, and add a tablespoon to top salads, soups. This Fungi is expensive, causing it to be less common.]

Cordyceps sinensis Medicinal Mushroom
Cordyceps sinensis is an unusual mushroom that parasitizes caterpillar larvae of moths, found in the mountains of Tibet and China, and then sends a long, club-like mushroom up above ground level. The mycelium is more commonly used than the mushroom due to the growing scarcity of the mushroom in the wild and the higher purity of organically grown mycelium. In addition to polysaccharides, cordyceps also contains high levels of cordycepic acid and nucleosides, such as cordycepin and adenosine. The mycelium of cordyceps is particularly good at producing arabinoxylanes when grown on brown rice, so our cordyceps powder is also very rich in arabinoxylanes. Researchers have found cordyceps to have a wide-range of uses including immune system stimulation, reducing cholesterol levels and the treatment of asthma, arrhythmia and cancer*. Cordyceps has become very popular in sports nutrition due to claims by Olympic athletes that it increases their physical endurance.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol) occurs in both plant and animal tissue more abundantly in the former. Antioxidant, it asts in the body to protect red bood cells, vitamin A, and unsaturated fatty acids from oxidation damage. Helps maintain healtrhy membrane tissue, necessary for fertility.Generally, found in whole grains and their oils, green leaves, and seeds.

Echinacea: Common names: Kansas niggerhead, narrow-heaved purple conflower, Sampson root. Properties and Uses: Antiseptic, depurative, digestive. Echinacea is one of the "blood-purifying" plants.

Goldenseal: Common names: Eye balm, eye root, ground raspberry, Indian plant, jaundice root, orangeroot, tumeric root, yellow puccoon, yellowroot. Properties & Uses: Antiperiodic, antiseptic, astringent, diuretic, laxative, tonic.

Grape Seed Oil -Cosmetics Grape seed oil is a preferred cosmetic ingredient for control of skin moisturization. A light, thin oil, grape seed oil leaves a glossy film over the skin when used as a carrier oil for essential oils in aromatherapy. It contains more linoleic acid than many other carrier oils. Grape seed oil is also used as a lubricant for shaving. Potential medicinal benefits. Although grape seeds contain antioxidants and other biologically active compounds, the cold-pressed grape seed oil contains negligible amounts due to their insolubility in lipids. For instance, sufficiently high amounts of resveratrol occur in grape seed for it to be extracted commercially, yet it is almost entirely absent in the grape seed oil. There may however be health benefits from the oil itself. A 1993 study supports the claim that grape seed oil increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C or "good cholesterol") levels and reduces LDL levels.

...Grape Seed Oil is an excellent base for your bath. It is light in weight, distributes nicely in the bath water, and has good skin penetration. Grape seed oil leaves your body soft and smooth after a bath or massage, without leaving a greasy feeling

Jojoba Oil: Jojoba oil is the liquid wax produced in the seed of the jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) plant, a shrub native to southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico. The oil makes up approximately 50% of the jojoba seed by weight.Jojoba oil is a mixture of wax esters, 36 to 46 carbon atoms in length. Each molecule consists of a fatty acid and a fatty alcohol joined by an ester bond. 98% of the fatty acid molecules are unsaturated at the 9th carbon-carbon bond (omega-9) The approximate percentages of fatty acids in jojoba oil are as follows: Jojoba oil is used as a replacement for whale oil and its derivatives, such as cetyl alcohol. The ban on importing whale oil to the US in 1971 led to the discovery that jojoba oil is "in many regards superior to sperm oil for applications in the cosmetics and other industries."Jojoba oil is a fungicide, and can be used for controlling mildew Like olestra, jojoba oil is edible but non-caloric and non-digestible, meaning the oil will pass through the intestines unchanged and can cause an unpleasant result called steatorrhea.

...Jojoba Oil has an extemely long shelf life. Technically speaking, it is a liquid wax, pressed from the Jojoba bean. It is the oil which is most like the skin's natural oils. It is known to have anti-iflammatory properties. Jojoba oil is considered a "dry" oil, with a non-slippery feel, making it especially great as an ingredient in foot oils.

Lavender Oil
Lavender Flower: Properties & Uses: Antispasmodic, carminative, cholagogue, diuretic, sedative, stimulant, stomachic, tonic.

Lecithin: There are studies that show soy-derived lecithin has significant effects on lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing HDL ("good cholesterol") levels in the blood stabilizes fermentation. Lecithin is a generic term to designate any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, and in egg yolk. Lecithin can easily be extracted from readily available sources such as soy beans.

Maitake: Medicinal Mushroom Powder
Maitake, Grifola frondosa, is a medicinal polypore that is also a choice edible being composed of a bracket of soft, over-lapping, fan-shaped fronds. It is best known for its anti-tumor and immune-stimulating properties due to the high levels of beta-glucans found in this mushroom. Researchers have found maitake to help regulate blood glucose levels, reduce cholesterol levels and serve as an adapogen helping the body deal with stress. In addition to beta-glucans, maitake also contains other polysaccharides, arabinoxylanes on rice-grown mycelium and ergothioneine, a strong antioxidant. Maitake Fungi is a common Asian dinner table mushroom, available in Asian Markets.

Marshmallow, Marshmallow Root (althaea officinalis L.), a mucilage used for various inflammitory diseases including bronchitis and peptic ulcers.

Olive Seed Oil - Properties & Uses: Leaves: antiseptic, astringent, febrifuge tranquilizer. Oil: Cholagogue, demulcent, emollient, laxative. One of its most common uses is as a base for liniments and ointments.

Osha Root, Porter's lovage, Porter's licorice-root, lovage, wild lovage, Porter's wild lovage, loveroot, Porter's ligusticum, bear medicine, bear root, Colorado cough root, Indian root, Indian parsley, wild parsley, mountain ginseng, mountain carrot, nipo, empress of the dark forest, chuchupate, chuchupati, chuchupaste, chuchupatle, guariaca, hierba del cochino or yerba de cochino, raíz del cochino, washía (tarahumara). In the Jicarilla language, osha is called ha’ich’idéé. The White Mountain Apache call it '"Ha 'il chii' gah".Osha or oshá (Ligusticum porteri) is a perennial herb used for its medicinal and spiritual properties. Osha grows in parts of the Rocky Mountains and northern Mexico, especially in the southwestern United States. toxicity
Osha root or Ligusticum wallichii (Ligusticum) root can be steeped in ethanol (whisky, vodka, etc.) for at least a month. The resulting tincture is an effective, albeit pungent, liniment for sore muscles that can be stored (in a cool place) indefinitely. Osha root can "treat almost everything."Osha has been clinically verified to possess anti-viral properties (what and is very effective for treating cold and flu systems of the upper respiratory tract, and other viral infections of the respiratory system. The plant is also a powerful stimulant if consumed to excess. Osha root is typically chewed, then spit out after the medicinal components have been extracted by the chewing action. Osha root is also used internally in small amounts to treat fever, stomach ache, and heartburn. Osha root can be made into a poultice to treat brown recluse spider bites.
Osha has been sensationalized as an herbal remedy to the extent that the plants are seriously threatened in many areas due to overharvesting. Since osha defies cultivation outside of its habitat, commercial osha root is almost entirely harvested from wild stands of the plant.
Osha is commonly used by the Apaches and other native tribes. According to White Mountain Apache elders, they would use it as a snake and insect repellent: It has a strong smell. Apaches use this herb to aid in the curing of common colds, sore throats, cough, sinusitis, and other side effects of the winter season.
In many Native American cultures osha is called "bear root" or "bear medicine", according to the ethnobotanist Shawn Sigstedt, who lived and studied with the Navajo. In Navajo folklore, a story is told of the brown bear's affinity for the Osha roots. The bear would eat the roots and the rub some of them over its fur. The Navajo, credit the bear with leading them to powerful medicine.

Plantain: Common Names: Lance-leaf plantain, buckhorn, chimney-sweeps, English plantain, headsman, ribgrass, ribwort, ripplegrass, snake plantain, soldier's herb. Properties and Uses: Astrigent, demulcent, expectorant, hemostatic. Plantain grows in most habitats, often considered a weed.

Reishi Fungi Medicinal Mushrooms, Statins and anticholesterol activity, Cognitive activities Antihormone activity, Anti-inflammatory activity, Effect on blood sugar, Vitamin D and antioxi Epidemiological studies Immunotherapeutic and anticancer activities,dants. Medicinal mushrooms are mushrooms, or mushroom extracts, that are used or studied as possible treatments for diseases. Shiitake, maitake, and reishi, have a history of medicinal use spanning millennia in parts of Asia. Medicinal mushroom research has indicated possible cardiovascular, anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic activities. Currently, several mushroom [For those who food shop in Asian markets, this is a common dinner table Mushroom.]

Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, is a hard woody conk with a shiny reddish upper surface belonging to the polypore family. The mycelium or mushroom is most commonly used as a tea or as a powder sprinkled on food or encapsulated. Reishi has been traditionally used to help the body fight cancer, stimulate the immune system and increase vitality. The constituents of reishi that have received the most attention are 1,3 beta-D-glucans and triterpenes; however, it also contains other polysaccharides, ergosterol, polyphenols and adenosine . When reishi mycelium is grown on brown rice, the powdered mycelium also contains arabinoxylanes. Reishi has also been reported to inhibit cholesterol synthesis and histamine release, reduce hypertension, protect the liver, give relief from asthma and allergies and have antioxidant properties.

Shiitake Fungi Medicinal Mushrooms Immunotherapeutic and anticancer activities, Epidemiological studies, Statins and anticholesterol activity, Cognitive activities, Antiviral,extracts PSK, PSP, lentinan,and schizophyllan, are used in some parts of Asia as chemotherapy adjuvants.Research with most other extracts, are on cell lines, animals, or limited clinical trials antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial activities, Antihormone activity, Anti-inflammatory activity, Effect on blood sugar, Vitamin D and antioxidants Medicinal mushrooms are mushrooms, or mushroom extracts, that are used or studied as possible treatments for diseases. Shiitake, maitake, and reishi, have a history of medicinal use spanning millennia in parts of Asia. Medicinal mushroom research has indicated possible cardiovascular, anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic activities. Currently, several mushroom extracts PSK, PSP, lentinan,and schizophyllan, are used in some parts of Asia as chemotherapy adjuvants.Research with most other extracts, are on cell lines, animals, or limited clinical trials / Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes) are edible mushrooms that have been reported to have health benefits, including cancer-preventing properties.In laboratory research a shiitake extract has inhibited the growth of tumor cells through induction of apoptosis.Both a water extract and fresh juice of shiitake have demonstrated antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi in vitro. [For those who food shop in Asian markets, this is a common table Mushroom.]

Shiitake Mushroom Medicinal Mushroom
Shiitake, Lentinula edodes, is not only a medicinal mushroom but is also an excellent gourmet edible. Both the mycelium and the mushroom are commonly used medicinally. The main constituents of shiitake are polysaccharides, but it also contains ergosterol and ergothioneine, a potent antioxidant. Research indicates shiitake is useful for fighting cancer, immune stimulation, cholesterol reduction and the treatment of HIV.

Turkey Tail Mushrooms - Trametes versicolor (Coriolus versicolor, turkey tail, yun-zhī, kawaratake) Trametes versicolor is a common mushroom with global distribution, known for aggressive growth patterns. Two extracts, polysaccharide-K (PSK) and polysaccharide peptide (PSP), are made from Trametes versicolor and purified through fermentation methods.

"PSP may have positive effects upon immune parameters, percent body fat and disease progression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer based upon one randomized and blinded controlled clinical trial. PSK may have positive effects upon disease and survival outcomes based upon the preponderance of findings from randomized controlled studies; however, the lack of blinding in these trials is a cause of concern." Immunotherapeutic and anticancer activities, Epidemiological studies, Statins and anticholesterol activity, Cognitive activities, Antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial activities, Antihormone activity, Anti-inflammatory activity, Effect on blood sugar, Vitamin D and antioxidants. Medicinal mushrooms are mushrooms, or mushroom extracts, that are used or studied as possible treatments for diseases. Shiitake, maitake, and reishi, have a history of medicinal use spanning millennia in parts of Asia. Medicinal mushroom research has indicated possible cardiovascular, anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic activities. Currently, several mushroom extracts PSK, PSP, lentinan, and schizophyllan, are used in some parts of Asia as chemotherapy adjuvants.Research with most other extracts, are on cell lines, animals, or limited clinical trials [For those who food shop in Asian markets, this is a common table Mushroom.]

Turkey Tail Medicinal Mushroom Powder
Turkey Tail (Coriolus versicolor) is a small polypore composed of overlapping thin, fibrous bracket mushrooms that can be found covering large areas of logs. Turkey tail has been extensively researched in cancer studies having very positive results for several types of cancer including lung, breast, cervical, stomach, liver, and prostate . When used in conjunction with chemotherapy, turkey tail has been shown to significantly reduce side effects.