This amazing herbal muscle salve is packed with herbs and essential oils to help relieve tired and sore muscles and joints, promote circulation and reduce inflammation. The blend of pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory blend of essential oils is a wonderful addition to this salve.

Herbal Muscle Salve

This deep penetrating anti-inflammatory, and pain reliving salve is great for helping with achy muscles and joints, strains, sprains and more. It can be used on everything from sports injuries, menstrual cramps, stiff necks and other joints and may even help with relieving pain from carpal tunnel. Just avoid using on broken skin.

Before Using this Rub

Before using this rub, you will need to understand a few things.

Essential oils are potent, and need to be diluted. As this rub is being used on your body, you will need to use essential oils that are gentle enough to be applied to your skin – and use in the correct quantities. Be careful to avoid sensitive areas like your eyes.
Be mindful of who will be using the salve when adding essential oils as some people can’t use some oils and some oils can’t be used on young children or pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Some essential oils should not be used on children under 10. Do your research before adding and using any essential oils!
Don’t use on skin with open wounds or cuts.
Test on small area of skin before using. If there’s any irritation, dilute with more carrier oils.
Wash hands well after using.

Making the Infused Oil

To make the Infused Oil, you will need:

¼ cup Helichrysum flowers
¼ cup Gotu Kola
¼ cup Ginger root
¼ cup Arnica
1 ½ cup avocado carrier oil

Add the helichrysum flowers, goto kola, ginger root, and arnica in a glass jar.

Pour the avocado oil into the glass jar to completely cover the herbs. Make sure the oil goes about an inch over the herbs.

Use a double boiler or a pot and a little bit of water to heat the infused oil on your stove. Use a low setting for about 4-6 hours. Allow it to cool.

Or, you can keep the jar of oils and herbs in a dark cupboard for 4-6 weeks if you don’t want to use the heat method above.

Place a coffee filter or a strainer on top of another glass jar and strain the herbs from the oil.

The infused oil is now ready to use.

Supplies Needed for Making the Salve

To make this salve, you will need:

Glass jar
Double boiler or small pot
Strainer, unbleached coffee filter, or cheesecloth
Microwave safe bowl
Spatula
3 x 2-ounce tins

Making Herbal Muscle Salve

To make the salve, you will need:

1 cup infused oil
2-3 tablespoons beeswax pellets
5 drops of wintergreen essential oil
5 drops of copaiba essential oil
5 drops of ginger root essential oil
5 drops of clove essential oil

Combine the beeswax and infused oiling a microwavable jug.

Heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each heating session, until the beeswax has melted. The double boiler method works for this as well.

Gently add the essential oils and stir well.

Pour the oil into your three tin containers.

Allow them to sit uncovered for 4-6 hours or overnight until they harden up.

This homemade herbal muscle salve should last about 6 to 8 months. If it smells rancid or off, it is time to make a new batch.

To Use

Using clean hands, rub a small amount of the salve onto your fingers, then rub it in the intended site.

Notes:

Vitamin E is optional, and is often added to salves as an antioxidant to prevent rancidity, as well as for its amazing skin-healing properties. Add 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil to help preserve your salve even longer!
You can use any type of carrier oil for the infused oil. This recipe uses avocado oil. You can use olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil etc.
If you want this to be a vegan recipe, swap out beeswax pellets for candelilla wax.
I live in a hot climate, so this is made with 3 tablespoons of beeswax to stop it from melting during hot summers, thus making this a harder salve. Use less beeswax if you want a softer balm.

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