Making an Herbal Salve

 If  you read this post, then you'll know that my hubby is dealing with an injured knee.

While visiting the friends mentioned in last week's post, the lady of the house offered the use of an herbal healing salve she had had good results with to apply to his knee.  After a couple of days of use, hubby could tell a difference in his pain level and it was at that point that we became very interested in purchasing some for him.  It could be applied in a roller bottle form or in a salve.  Thanks to the generosity of our friends, hubby was sent home with some of both and a recipe to make both.

I made a batch of the salve once we were home and what follows is how I did it ...

(Here's where I have to say that I'm not a doctor, nor do I have any herbal or medical training other than my own personal studies and usage.  As always consult your doctor or someone trained in the usage of herbal treatment.)

I used 3 ingredients ...

 coconut oil  (the brand I used, pictured, is Member's Mark.  I prefer coconut oil to be organic, virgin, cold pressed and unrefined.)  The link, coconut oil, is to what I've used in the past and would use again if I could not find locally what I was looking for.

 beeswax (I used what I had and grated the amount needed.)  I highly recommend that if you have any health issues with your hands, such as arthritis, etc that you use beeswax pellets.  I've included a link to ones I've used in the past and will go back to using for anything that calls for beeswax pellets.

an essential oil herbal blend called Restore 

a container to put your salve in ... I used a wide mouth half-pint jar, but a roll-up tube such as this one or this one, would be better in my opinion.

step 1:  grate beeswax and measure out 2 teaspoons; set aside ... or measure out 2 teaspoons of beeswax pellets and set aside.

 step 2:  set up a double boiler.  You can use a glass heatproof measuring cup that has a handle that will hook over the side of the pan if you don't have an official double boiler.

step 3:  measure and add to double boiler the following:

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons beeswax

stir occasionally as it melts being careful not to slosh any out into the water which could cause water to pop up into mixture.  You don't want water in the mixture you are melting.  The coconut oil will melt quicker than the beeswax.  The stirring is needed in order to mix the oil and beeswax together.

Step 4: When the beeswax and coconut oil are completely melted, set the top part of the double boiler off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, stirring off and on to further blend the beeswax and coconut oil.  Note:  allowing the mixture to cool for this short period of time is necessary in order not to destroy the therapeutic properties of the essential oil  you will add.

When the 5 minutes are over, add the essential oil blend (10-20 drops) and stir in really well to blend essential oil with coconut and beeswax mixture.  Note: if essential oil is not blended well with coconut and beeswax mixture it will separate when cooling.  So ... stir, stir, stir until well blended (for me, it was approximately 2 - 3 minutes of stirring)!

All three ingredients are blended, in the container of choice and cooling.  I put an air tight lid on the container and let it sit for 24 hours.

The final product!  All that's left is labeling and using!  I'll make another batch as hubby continues to use this salve on his knee.  Next time though, I will use beeswax pellets and roll-up tubes!  

One more note:  the method used here is your basic salve making method.  The only thing that would change is the essential oils you added if you wanted to make a different salve.

Tell me what you think, would you like to see more 'how-to' posts in addition to the weekly 'From My Home To Yours' posts?

Until the next time ...  

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry  

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!