Hi Lotte, Sorry if I didn’t reply to this elsewhere at the time. So for the poultice the herb is going straight on the wound / closed skin etc. With the compress it has been heated (usually) into a tea and then a clean cloth used. So that makes the main defining difference of usage for me – If there is a wound, the skin is open, and I fear an infection getting in, I would use super clean fabric and a compress (where the tea had been boiling hot and allowed to cool enough to use comfortably). If the need is urgent (like out for a walk and get a heel blister..) then I would simply use the leaf and a poultice. I decide based on the herb also – so Moerasanenome – super strong – if needed urgently I wouldn’t hesitate to use that one cold and fresh as a poultice on the skin. It works well. Also if I only have dried herbs to use – then naturally, would make into a tea and compress.
So in summary –
Dried herbs = Compress
Fresh, strong action wound herbs = POultice (or compress).