Herbal salves are wonderful, all-natural solutions for skin care, healing, and soothing a wide range of skin conditions. Whether you are dealing with dry skin, cuts, burns, or even insect bites, a homemade herbal salve can be your go-to remedy. These salves are easy to make at home with just a few ingredients and can be customized to suit your specific needs by using different herbs and oils.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about making your own herbal salve, from choosing the right herbs to the step-by-step process of making a salve at home.

What Is an Herbal Salve?

An herbal salve is a soothing ointment made by infusing herbs into oils and combining the mixture with beeswax to create a semi-solid balm. Salves are used topically to treat various skin conditions like dryness, rashes, cuts, burns, and insect bites. They provide a protective barrier on the skin and deliver the healing properties of herbs directly to the affected area.

Benefits of Making Herbal Salves

• Natural ingredients: You control exactly what goes into your salve, avoiding synthetic chemicals.
• Customizable: Choose herbs and essential oils that cater to your specific skin needs.
• Cost-effective: Homemade salves are often much cheaper than store-bought products.
• Versatile: Herbal salves can be used to treat a wide variety of skin conditions.

Choosing Herbs for Your Salve

Before starting, it’s important to choose the right herbs for your salve based on your needs. Here are some common herbs and their benefits:

• Calendula: Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, promotes healing of cuts, scrapes, and burns.
• Lavender: Soothing, promotes relaxation, reduces inflammation and itching.
• Comfrey: Speeds up healing, especially for bruises, sprains, and fractures.
• Plantain: Helps with insect bites, minor cuts, and rashes.
• Arnica: Relieves pain, reduces bruising, and inflammation.
• St. John’s Wort: Soothes nerve pain, treats minor burns and wounds.
• Chamomile: Calming, anti-inflammatory, soothes irritated skin.

Ingredients for Herbal Salve

To make a basic herbal salve, you will need the following ingredients:

• Dried herbs of your choice (like calendula, lavender, or comfrey)
• Carrier oil (olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, or jojoba oil)
• Beeswax (or a plant-based wax alternative like candelilla wax if vegan)
• Optional essential oils for added therapeutic benefits (like tea tree, lavender, or peppermint oil)
• Vitamin E oil (optional, acts as a natural preservative)

Tools You’ll Need

• Double boiler (or a heat-safe bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water)
• Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth for straining the infused oil
• Small glass jars or tins for storing the finished salve
• A stirring spoon or wooden stick

How to Make an Herbal Salve

Step 1: Infuse the Oil with Herbs

The first step in making an herbal salve is to create an oil infusion with your chosen herbs. This process extracts the healing properties of the herbs into the carrier oil.

Method 1: Slow Infusion (Preferred Method)

1. Prepare the herbs: Take about 1/2 to 1 cup of dried herbs. Crush the herbs gently to release their natural oils.
2. Combine with oil: Place the dried herbs in a clean, dry jar. Pour enough carrier oil over the herbs to fully submerge them. Olive oil is a great base, but you can also use coconut or jojoba oil.
3. Infuse: Seal the jar tightly and leave it in a warm, sunny spot for 4-6 weeks, shaking the jar gently every few days.
4. Strain the oil: After the infusion time, strain the oil through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer to remove the herbs. Make sure to squeeze out as much oil as possible.

Method 2: Quick Infusion (For Immediate Use)

1. Heat the oil and herbs: Place the dried herbs and carrier oil in a double boiler. Use about 1 cup of oil to 1/2 cup of dried herbs. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 2-3 hours, making sure the oil doesn’t overheat or burn.
2. Strain the oil: Once infused, strain the oil as described in Method 1.

Step 2: Combine the Infused Oil with Beeswax

Now that you have your herb-infused oil, it’s time to turn it into a salve by adding beeswax.

1. Melt the beeswax: In a double boiler, add the strained herb-infused oil and beeswax. For every 1 cup of infused oil, use about 1/4 cup of beeswax (more if you prefer a firmer salve).
2. Stir until melted: Heat the mixture on low and stir until the beeswax is fully melted and combined with the oil.

Step 3: Add Essential Oils (Optional)

If you want to add essential oils for extra benefits, do so at this stage.

1. Remove from heat: Once the oil and beeswax are fully melted and combined, remove the mixture from heat.
2. Add essential oils: Add 10-15 drops of essential oil per cup of salve mixture (lavender, tea tree, and peppermint are great options).
3. Optional: Add vitamin E: You can also add a few drops of vitamin E oil as a natural preservative and skin healer.

Step 4: Pour into Containers

While the mixture is still warm and in liquid form, quickly pour it into clean, dry glass jars or tins.

1. Fill the jars: Carefully pour the melted salve mixture into your containers, leaving a little space at the top.
2. Let it cool: Allow the salve to cool and solidify completely before putting on the lids. This usually takes a couple of hours.

Step 5: Label and Store

Once your salve has cooled, label the jars with the type of salve and the date made. Store the salve in a cool, dark place. Properly stored herbal salves can last up to a year or more.

How to Use Your Herbal Salve

To use the salve, simply scoop out a small amount with clean fingers and apply it directly to the affected area of your skin. Massage it gently into the skin until it is absorbed.

• For dry skin: Apply to any dry, rough areas like elbows, knees, or hands.
• For cuts and scrapes: Gently massage the salve into minor cuts, scrapes, or burns to promote healing.
• For inflammation: Use salves infused with anti-inflammatory herbs like lavender and chamomile to reduce swelling and irritation.

Customizing Your Herbal Salve

You can customize your salve depending on your needs:

• For sore muscles: Add arnica and peppermint essential oil.
• For eczema: Use chamomile and calendula with a base of shea butter.
• For bug bites: Try plantain and tea tree oil to relieve itching and reduce inflammation.

Conclusion

Making your own herbal salve is a rewarding and practical way to incorporate natural healing into your skin care routine. Not only are these salves effective and free from harmful chemicals, but they can also be customized to suit your specific needs. Whether you’re looking to heal dry skin, soothe inflammation, or promote healing, an herbal salve is a great addition to any natural skin care regimen.