Store in a clean, dry glass jar. These three roots share the berberine alkaloid, which is a powerful astringent and antimicrobial. These herbs must be ordered from ethical sources, such as organically grown, as the wildharvested variety contributes to their precarious status as endangered plants. Goldenseal especially has been overharvested to a point of extinction from its natural habitat to meet the huge consumer demand. Using organically grown herbs gives the environment an opportunity to replenish and grow strong again, ensuring that these valuable plants are not lost to us.
Honey is another option and an old remedy for protecting and drying the umbilical stump.
Traditional midwives praise honey for its natural antibiotic properties, as well as being nutritive and healing for the skin. Apply honey to the umbilical site following the birth and thereafter several times a day. Continue your chosen remedy even after the stump drops off for a few days, to protect while the healing process is fully completed. This once routine practice of removing the male infant's foreskin from his penis is happily being questioned more widely. In fact, The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer advocates routine circumcision.