formulating remedies from the earth

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By: Sophie Parienti
Sophie Parienti's journey into the world of art, media, and communication began with her foundational education in France. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the prestigious ...
Edited date: November 7, 2022Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

interview with joan siegal

Have you ever picked up a product off the shelf and wondered where it came from? Most products are created by a formulator in a lab, but not Puremedy. I was fortunate to come across this company in a health food store, while travling to Los Angeles. When I find intriguing products, my initial impusle is to experience them first and to immediately find out more about who is behind the scene.

Impressed by this still fairly small but rapidly growing company, I inquired about their recipes formulated hundreds of years ago in the mountains of Quebec by a healer from the Metis community (a blend of French and Indigenous cultures). I was intrigued how the medicine found its way into Joan Siegel’s family in the mid-1800’s, and how Joan’s ancestors have carried this treasure through time, making it for families, friends and even a few local doctors.  

Puremedy, Inc. is a natural products company that manufactures and sells very unique skin healing salves. Each salve contains 100% food-grade ingredients and can even be ingested for various ailments aside from their topical use. These products are unique because their benefits cross over with significant implications into the medical world.

Sophie Parienti : How did this medicine come into your family?

Joan Siegal : My great grandfather, Joseph, got a severe third degree burn on his foot when he was a small child. The burn became infected and turned gangrenous, making it a potentially life threatening wound. The town doctor wanted to amputate his leg immediately, but a friend gave him this natural pine salve to use instead. It healed the burn and the infection without a scar!  om that point on, they were great believers in this “miracle” salve. They made it regularly for family and friends. Before Joseph passed away, he wrote out several recipes in French so it could be passed on to future generations. I have a framed copy of this in my office, dated 1904. I look at it every day. It gives me inspiration and reminds me to stay connected to my ancestors.

SP: How does this connection to your ancestors affect you?

Joan Siegal : Well, it’s very emotional for me. I believe my ancestors are also some of my guides. They come through very clearly every day, and I feel like they’re a big part of the success of the company. Since I was a small child they’ve been guiding me, and now at the age of 49 it’s very easy for me to “hear” them. My mom passed away one year before I started the company. We were very close. She was my best friend, and our communication has been very easy and natural since her passing. I believe she filters information and guidance through many sources and communicates it to me in a way that’s very easy for me to understand. She has a very loving and compassionate presence. She is also intelligent and very emphatic in her belief about this salve. Her guidance comes to me in dreams and also throughout the day in various forms. I’ve learned to grow the business and make daily decisions almost entirely by listening and “following simple instructions.” I’m beyond grateful for her guidance and continued presence in my life.

SP : Wow that’s amazing. Joan, I was immediately drawn to these products at the Santa Monica Coop in Los Angeles, they seemed to almost speak to me. Why is that?

Joan Seigal : Many healers often say the same thing. We often hear our salves have a palpable healing energy, and if you are tuned in you can really feel their power. I’ve been told by Medical Intuitives that the salve carries a very high healing vibration and actually creates a physical portal for guides to do more hands on work with us here in this dimension. They’ve told me that the vitality comes from the actual tree resin, which works to activate and enhance the effect of the other ingredients. It’s very interesting the way they all work together.

SP : Why did you wait until 2005 to start the company?

Joan Seigal : Well I knew from the time I was a small child that this would be my life’s work. My grandfather taught me all about this medicine. From the time I was about 3-and-a-half I remember making the salve with my grandfather in the kitchen. He taught me everything from exactly how to make it, when to add each ingredient, at which temperature, and even how to harvest all of the ingredients. He was my teacher, and I learned everything that I could from him before his passing.

In college, I earned a business finance degree and tried to start the company when I graduated in 1987. But there wasn’t an opening in our consciousness for a natural alternative to antibiotics. Even health food stores were still selling topical antibiotic creams. I was guided to get some business experience, so I spent 13 years in Private Wealth Management. In the early 2000’s, I started hearing about MRSA and other life-threatening types of bacteria that often outsmart antibiotics and unfortunately kill thousands of people every year. So I knew the time was right. I quit my cushy job, took a job waiting tables at night and started my company during the day. My first account was at the Agape book store, where I was a spiritual practitioner and a member for many years. I thought that was a good sign!

SP : So you’re saying your salve is a natural antibiotic? 

Joan Siegal : No, because that would be a medical claim and we’re not allowed to make medical claims. However, we did conduct an in-vitro study that shows the Original healing salve does kill all tested micro-organisms including MRSA. The micro-biologist who conducted this study told me that our salve is actually better than an antibiotic because of the way that it works; it doesn’t allow for bacteria to mutate and create superbugs. Instead, he said, it traps and kills the microorganisms and increases blood circulation, allowing the body to heal itself naturally. In fact, the study shows it kills a broad spectrum of microbes from gram positive to gram negative bacteria, as well as candida and mold. As an example, it kills Streptococcus bacteria, which could explain why we’ve heard such great testimonials from people who eat it for Strep throat and from people who use it for the “flesh-eating” skin disease. It is currently being tested for its possible benefits for wound care as well as the benefits of increasing blood circulation.

SP: I’m interested in your daily guidance. What does that mean and how does it show up?

Joan Siegal : Well, as an example, yesterday I really wanted to take an earlier flight home from Portland back to LA. But my guidance was really clear that I was supposed to take this 5:30 flight. I happened to sit next to a man who is vice chairman of a company that manages 6.3 billion dollars-worth of pine forest all over the world, and we’re already talking about a potential partnership. The woman sitting in front of us on the flight listened to our conversation. She heard the passion in my voice and offered her expertise, which is designing and implementing double-blind wound care studies, while working with regional hospitals and insurance companies to pay for them. The reason I was in Portland in the first place was to look for forest land. And for the past few years, I’ve been searching for an affordable way to conduct very expensive human clinical studies. So on this one flight, as a result “listening to simple instructions,” both contacts were easily made. I’m just continually awed, and deeply grateful for the assistance I get from the Universe, because I know I could never do all of this on my own.

SP: That’s really incredible, Joan. That must feel amazing?

Joan Siegal : Thanks, Sophie. Yes, I’ve learned that when I surrender and follow my intuition, that’s when miracles happen.

SP: Where can our readers find Puremedy products?

 Joan Siegal : Our line is sold in over 1000 natural health food stores in the US and Canada, including Whole Foods, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, coops, and some doctors’ offices. The company is now growing very quickly, so you shouldn’t have to go far. Puremedy is growing very quickly, doubling in size every year. I feel very blessed because until recently I haven’t had a marketing budget, so Puremedy is finding it’s way to people who need it by word of mouth. 

SP:  What’s next for Puremedy?
 
Joan: I will be spending more time in the Pacific Northwest forming alliances with various Research Institutions. Our next step is to design and publish human clinical studies to prove its effectiveness for wound care and infection management. It’s a very exciting time for us!  
 
Yogi Times’ team tested The Original Salve and other products from the Pure Remedy line and we decided to include them in the Yogi Times Boutique selection of Health and Beauty products. Find them here.

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