Wildcrafted Montana Soaps + Salves : Simply Josephine

Have you ever wished you could capture the essence of Montana in a jar?

Dacia Dailey, a wildcraft herbalist from Eureka, Montana, has done just that.

Originally from Wrangell, a small island in southeast Alaska, Dacia made her way to Montana as an 18 year old fresh off the fishing boat. Driving through Eureka on a road trip, she knew she had to stay.

Having learned wildcrafting and the preparation of natural remedies from an herbalist workshop in high school, she was immediately hooked and has been creating natural soaps and salves ever since.

One of my favorites, her Cottonwood Bud Salve, was one of the first recipes she learned. To me it smells like walking through a lush deciduous grove on the east side of Glacier National Park. It’s perfect for cuts and scrapes or for massaging into dry skin.

Once when cross country skiing among a forest of sub alpine fir (her favorite trees), she imagined the trees were dancing and having fun. It was a magical experience, and she sensed that they wanted to go home with her. “I know it sounds all woowoo…but when humans are in a really open and receptive state in nature, we can pick up on what’s happening with the plants, so I brought home some of their magic.” She infused the conifers in oil for several months using a slow process extraction method found in traditional folk medicine. Once her salve was made, she decided to call it Magical Conifer Balm - and included a hand picked crystal in each jar.

Every evening, as a bedtime ritual, I massage either the Cottonwood Bud Salve or the Magical Conifer Balm (depending on my mood) into my hands and feet. Not only do they soothe my skin and tired joints, they also create a nostalgic atmosphere, reminiscent of wild outdoor spaces, perfect for calming my mind before I drift off to sleep.

Dacia’s favorite part about wildcrafting is being out in the woods, exploring, taking it all in. Herbal medicine making is a rewarding experience, “it feels good to be useful.” She also loves to experiment. “Some things are wonderful and end up getting shared. Some things don’t work out, and back to the earth they go.”

Wildcrafting, berry picking, and wild food gathering are ancestral practices, and Dacia feels very connected to all the women who came before her and who will come after. Reflecting on her Alaskan Native heritage, she feels akin to ravens. Her paternal grandmother, who was of Tlingit and Tahlatan ancestry, was from the Raven Clan. “Whenever I go home to Alaska, I feel very connected to the ravens and wild blueberries. My mom still lives on the beach where I grew up, and the ravens are everywhere, so mischievous and wise.”

Her first realization that plants had healing properties came to her through a family story. When Dacia was a little girl, she was told a story by her grandmother that her great great grandmother had healed woulds by gathering herbs, cooking them down, and mixing them with fat. Her great great grandmother had helped her husband heal a terrible hunting wound with a natural poultice or salve. “I loved this story as a child and often asked my grandmother to tell me more about it.”

 In addition to wildcrafting soaps and salves, Dacia experiments in the sewing room, working with botanical dyes, eco printing fabrics, trying different patterns. In the future, she hopes to learn more about knitting and how to properly operate a chainsaw with confidence. She is inspired by the changing seasons and the color found in nature.

Dacia loves sharing and teaching, and that is why she created her Youtube channel. “It’s so nice to connect with others and share information. None of us really come up with anything on our own. I like teaching classes one herb at a time to a small, intimate group.” Some of the classes she’s taught in the past covered cottonwood buds, arnica, and roses. “I like to inspire people to experiment and find what they like.”

When she’s in her workshop, Dacia listens to podcasts and audible books (true crime is a favorite genre). “I love herbal podcasts and hearing about other makers. However, if I’m listening to music, which I often do, it’s almost always The Grateful Dead.”

Follow Dacia and her shop Simply Josephine on Instagram.

Purchase her wildcrafted soaps and salves below.