Jodie Weston
This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Full Disclosure Here.
For the past six weeks, I have been exploring alternatives to over-the-counter ointments, salves, and beauty products. Not only are these products expensive, but as I have learned time and time again, they don’t always work.
Starting with a basic formula for healing salve that I found on the internet, I decided to make my own all-purpose salve and to test it on various ailments to see how it worked. I added a bit of this, subtracted a bit of that and came up with I call my own Miracle Healing Salve. The funny thing is that when the final results came in, the formula that worked the best as an all-purpose salve was a version included the same blend essential oils I have been using for muscle aches these past ten plus years. Go figure.
Also Read: Preppers Guide
As easy as this Miracle Healing Salve is to make – and it is easy – it just works. I will share some of the uses that I have become ecstatic about but first, the recipe.
Miracle Healing Salve – The Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Cup Coconut Oil (not fractionated)
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 Tbl. Organic Beeswax Pastilles
Containers:
8 each – 2 ounce jars or containers **OR**
4 each – 4 ounce mason jars
To each 2 ounce jar add: (double if you are using 4 ounce Mason jars)
5 drops Lavender essential oil
5 drops Rosemary essential oil
5 drops Peppermint essential oil
a few drops of Vitamin E (optional)
1. Put a pot of water on the stove to simmer. While the water is heating, put the coconut oil, olive oil and beeswax pastilles in a heatproof jar or measuring cup.
2. Set the jar filled with the coconut oil, olive oil, and wax into the water and leave it there until it melts, giving it a stir from time to time. You want a slow, gentle melt so take your time. It could take 15 or 20 minutes depending on the temperature of the water bath.
3. While the ingredients are melting, drop your essential oils into each of the containers. Hint: I have found that it is easier to use a glass medicine dropper than the dropper that comes with the bottle of essential oil. This is optional and a matter of personal preference.
4. Pour the melted oils into each of the smaller jars containing essential oils. There is no need to stir unless you want to since the oils will mix up on their own.
5. Cover the jars with a paper towel or cloth and set them aside for up to 24 hours. Although the salve will start to firm up within minutes, it takes at least 12 hours to complete the firming process. (The purpose of the cover is to keep out dust, bugs and other nasties that may be floating around.)
A Word About the Ingredients
Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer and is antibacterial. Olive oil is chock full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Lavender is a natural antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and antiseptic. It is a master healer that also helps to prevent scarring. Rosemary is also antiseptic and an excellent treatment for muscle aches. Peppermint is an anti-inflammatory and is also antiseptic. Are you seeing a pattern here?
The optional Vitamin E is an antioxidant and is also used as a natural preservative.
10 Ways (So Far) to Use Miracle Healing Salve
These are the ways I have used this salve with success. I am sure there are others that are yet to be discovered but these make a darn good start!
1. Hand and foot moisturizer: An unbelievably emollient hand and foot moisturizer. No more dry hands and feet.
2. Relief for nocturnal foot and muscle cramps (rub on the bottom of your feet and on your calves before going to bed – this really works!)
3. Eliminates symptoms of eczema and psoriasis: With the addition of 5 to 10 drops of Melaleuca oil (tea tree) to a jar of Miracle Salver, the patch of psoriasis on Shelly’s elbow has all but disappeared. In the past he has tried everything including diet changes and prescription drugs. It has taken about 3 weeks for the Miracle Healing Salve to do its thing. Gone are the ugly crusty patches.
4. Antiseptic Ointment for life’s little bumps and bruises: Instead of Neosporin, reach for Miracle Healing Salve to both soothe and heal cuts and scrapes.
5. Promotes healing of scars: Slather the Miracle Salve over new scars and watch them heal in days rather than weeks. You can barely see the scar from my recent surgery. It is no longer tender, red and angry looking.
6. Makeup Remover: Smear on your face the wipe away your makeup with a damp washcloth.
7. Facial moisturizer and serum: Yes, really. You would think it would be greasy but the oils absorb quickly and leave your face with a nice, dewy texture.
8. Cuticle and nail conditioner: No more ragged cuticles or dry, splitting nails. This is a byproduct of being diligent about #2. It just happened without my realizing it.
8. Hair serum: A few drops liquefied in your palms and then smoothed over your hair will leave it shiny and less fly-away.
10. Relieve pet scratching and itching: Tucker the Dog was scratching himself in one spot on his belly so I put a little Miracle salve on the spot and a couple of days later he stopped. Was it the smell, the healing properties or just a coincidence? I don’t know but it worked.
Items replaced by Miracle Healing Salve
Wild Plant Version of Gaye’s Miracle Healing Salve
By Donna Schott
A number of years back, I found Gaye’s recipe for an essential-oil based DIY Miracle Healing Salve that she found effective on everything from cuts and rashes to sore muscles and eczema. I made the recipe, and have been using it ever since as my go-to first aid salve, replacing Neosporin, Cortisone, aloe vera gel, and other relatively pricey products from the local pharmacy.
In a survival or bug-out situation, however, essential oils may not be available. Once your existing stock runs out, it could easily become difficult or impossible to replace them. That’s why knowing a few common wild medicinal plants can be a life-saver.
A whole array of plants with medicinal qualities grow commonly in yards and urban areas, giving you a surprising bounty of raw material to make your own DIY Miracle Healing Salve even without any essential oils.
Using Common Medicinal Backyard Weeds
To help you be able to make your own medicine regardless of essential oil availability, I’ve re-imagined Gaye’s original recipe with some of these common medicinal backyard weeds. I have listed a number of plants for the ingredients that all have similar healing qualities, so finding and using any combination of them will make a potent salve.
If you’re in a survival situation and don’t have coconut oil, you could make a liquid rub with olive oil or any other fat that is safe to spread onto the skin. You could conceivably even process animal fat for this purpose.
The thing I use this stuff for most is mosquito bites, which I get all over my body in the form of itchy red welts. Mosquitos are a scourge during southern summers, and aside from a momentary cooling sensation, nothing I’ve ever bought at the store seems to help the itch.
After rubbing on a generous amount of this wild plant-based miracle salve, on the other hand, I completely forget about the bites after about five minutes. The itch is erased.
I use it in any of the ways I’d use Gaye’s original healing miracle salve: cuts, scrapes, wounds, boils, rashes, you name it! After giving some of it as a gift, I even got feedback that it helped relieve itching associated with menopause. It’s also pet-safe!
Ingredients:
- 3-4 cups coconut oil
- Half a teaspoon of olive oil infused with vitamin E (optional, but adds nutrients and acts as a preservative)
- 5 tablespoons beeswax
- 1-2 cups slightly crushed medicinal leaves and flowers
Medicinal Plants:
Below is a quick listing of the plants that you can use, with some identifying characteristics and images. Look for these in your yard and around your property, and you’re likely to find many of them just beyond your door. They even grow in parking lots!
For details on the medicinal properties of each of these, take a look at this great resource. I’d expect a salve that used any combination of 2-4 of these plants to be effective, but at the risk of overkill, my version uses them all:
1. Common Plantain Leaves (Plantago major)
Common Plantain has nothing to do with the banana plantains you see in stores. It has tough ovoid leaves with distinctive veins and grows in a basal rosette. Tiny flowers form on a stalk.
Once a mainstay in native Indian medicine, homeowners from California to Maine now work all spring and summer trying to vanquish this powerful healing plant from their yards.
It is very similar to the common broadleaf variety, except the leaves are lanceolate instead of ovoid.
2. Narrowleaf Plantain Leaves (Plantago lanceolata)
This cousin of the broadleaf plantain has tough, lance-shaped leaves that grow in a basal rosette near disturbed lots, roadsides, and lawns.
3. Ground Ivy Leaves (Glechoma hederacea)
Ground Ivy is a creeping plant with scalloped leaves and small blue flowers. All parts smell minty when crushed.
The stem is square, not round, and leaves are alternate, meaning the leaf pairs appear in a staggered pattern along the stem.
4. Wood Sorrel Leaves (Oxalis)
Usually mistaken as clovers, wood sorrel leaves have a shamrock-like appearance.
The flowers are small and can be either white, yellow, pink, or purple.
5. Red and White Clover Flowers (Trifolium pratense/Trifolium repens)
For most newbie foragers, this common weed is as easy to identify as a dandelion. The flowers have been prized for centuries for their medicinal qualities.
Step 1: Gather and Crush the Plants
I used about two cups’ worth of total plant material for a liter or so of salve, using approximately equal amounts of each plant with the exception of wood sorrel, which I only used a very small amount of.
You can make a smaller recipe and the amount of plant matter doesn’t have to be precise, just err on the side of too much to ensure your formula is potent enough. Once they are gathered, use a colander to rinse them thoroughly.
Then use a mortar and pestle or other technique to crush them slightly, just enough so that those membranes are broken and the leaves release a bit of juice.
Then I put them into a pot with the coconut oil.
Step 2: Patiently Simmer
Melt the coconut oil at extremely low heat, and make sure you’ve used enough oil that the plant matter is submerged once it melts. Now all you do is simmer, simmer, simmer.
I left mine on for about three hours, but it might be better to leave it on even longer to ease out more of those active chemicals from the plants. The oil should turn a nice green color.
After a few hours or more of simmering, strain the liquid out. There may be some plant matter that finds its way through, which is fine. I didn’t have cheese cloth, but it would have helped to keep some of that extra plant material out of my final product. I like to really try to squeeze the plants to get out as much of the oil as I can.
Step 3: Cool Down
Now just let it cool for about 24 hours. It should keep fresh for a long time – I’d say up to a year or longer in the fridge.
If you’re going to refrigerate yours, just rub your fingers on the salve until the warmth from the friction softens it enough to be applied.
Wild plant-based healing salve is cheaper, fun to make, and is even stronger and more effective (in my experience) than the myriad over-the-counter products it replaces. See what plants you find in your yard, and make a salve that renders store-bought first aid ointments obsolete!
Author Bio: Eric is a nature-loving writer, experience junkie, and former Boy Scout who never forgot that time-honored Scout Motto: Be prepared. Aside from camping and survival, he loves writing about travel, history, and anything he finds strange and unique!
If you enjoyed this article, consider following our Facebook page.
The Final Word
You have not heard the last of this. In addition to this DIY Miracle Healing Salve, I have made batches of Tea Tree Skin Ointment and Lemon Salve. These are themes of the basic formula that were put together to take advantage of the specific properties of oils used in their formulation. I am also experimenting with an infusions of dried oregano and olive oil.
As with all things at Backdoor Survival, I am testing first posting later. Stay tuned!
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to email updates. When you do, you will receive a free, downloadable copy of my e-Book, The Emergency Food Buyer’s Guide.
You can also vote for Backdoor Survival daily at Top Prepper Websites!
Bargain Bin: Here are some links to items used to create your custom-crafted Miracle Healing Salve.
White Plastic Jar with Dome Lid 2 Oz (12 Per Bag): I often chose to use these small ointment jars rather than Mason jars for my salve. I also have similar jars in the 1 ounce size.
Ball Jar Crystal Jelly Jars with Lids and Bands, Quilted, 4-Ounce, Set of 12: Sometimes I use plastic and sometimes I use mason jars. Honestly? It is a matter of personal preference.
Beeswax Organic Pastilles, Yellow, 100% Pure 16 Oz: I ordered the white pastilles but have since learned that the natural yellow pastilles are better. That said, the difference may not be discernable – just be sure that what you purchase is cosmetic grade.
Glass Droppers, Pack of 6: I bought a package of these and loved them. When I went to re-order, I accidentally ordered plastic instead glass droppers. Learn from my mistake. The price is the same go get the glass ones.
Spark Naturals Essential Oils: These is what you need for the Miracle Salve: Lavender essential oil, Rosemary essential oil, and Peppermint essential oil. Enjoy a 10% discount on your Spark Naturals order with code BACKDOORSURVIVAL at checkout.
NOW Foods Essential Oils : My salves were made using essential oils from Spark Naturals. My sniff test tells me they are stronger and more pure smelling. For healing purposes, I feel they are superior. On the other hand, NOW Foods has decent essential oils at a budget price: NOW Foods Rosemary Oil, NOW Foods Peppermint Oil and Now Foods Lavender Oil.
Coconut Oil: Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions is my preferred coconut oil. I love it so much I purchased a 5 gallon tub. Really, I did! I find it very silky to work with and love the taste when used in cooking. Note that no refrigeration is required and although it solid at room temperature, it melts at 76 degrees. The Nutiva brand from Amazon or Costco works well too.
Kirkland Signature Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Liters (Product of Italy): If you have a Costco close by, get it their. Otherwise, you can use this or any other quality extra virgin olive oil.
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: I first became interested in aromatherapy and essential oils in the early 90s which was before they really became mainstream. I read every book I could get my hands on and dabbled at creating synergy’s (a combination of two or more oils that create a chemical compound that is greater than the some of its individual components). My bible then, and even now, is this book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amazon has a feature called Shop Amazon – Most Wished For Items. This is an easy tool for finding products that people are ‘wishing” for and in this way you know what the top products are. All you need to do is select the category from the left hand side of the screen.
The Amazon Top Most Wished For and Best Selling Outdoor Items
Emergency Preparedness Items from Amazon.com
Shop Amazon Tactical – Great Selection of Optics, Knives, Cases, Equipment
Amazon Gift Cards
Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
219 Responses to “DIY Miracle Healing Salve”
Gaye… I have found with the recipes I have put together.. that the amount of beeswax is always variable depending on your environment.. But you do need a bit more for fractionated oil..
But fractionated oil in my opinion it is not as nourishing for the skin.. But for people that are prone to breakouts, it is a necessity..
As far as Pure Olive oil is concerned, it is actually a blend of either extra virgin or virgin olive oil and olive oils that are refined. It is used mainly when extracted olive oil is of poor quality.. I wouldn’t recommend it as a first choice.. But if your budget is tight it can be substituted.. And for most people it will work just fine.. But if you develop blackheads etc.. go back to EVOO.. Remember your skin is the judge of what works for you.. No two people are the same..
Light Olive oil is never to be used on your skin.. It can be 95% other types of oils, including canola, which is actually rapeseed oil which no one should ever use.. (for cooking either IMHO).
Stick to the cold-pressed extra virgin.. It is the very best for your skin.. For cooking the Pure is just fine..
Trisa
Amen on the canola. Talk about the public being brainwashed.
Many of the readers here on Backdoor Survival are on fixed incomes so I always like to provide budget friendly options. But I agree, EVOO rocks!
One more thing: I am having excellent results with PURE olive oil which is considerably less expensive than extra virgin. I get it at Costco.
What is the difference between Pure Olive Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
True extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is extracted from olives using only pressure, a process known as cold pressing. It comes from the first pressing of the olives, and is considered the finest, having the freshest, fruitiest flavor.
On the other hand, pure olive oil may be heat processed. It is lighter in color, has less aroma, and a higher smoke point when used in cooking and frying. It is my understanding that EVOO has more antioxidants than pure olive oil because the heat used in the extraction process for pure olive oil disperses the antioxidants.
I have used both in my salves but prefer pure olive oil because it has almost no smell and it is significantly less expensive. I would rather put my money into high quality essential oils and coconut oil. At the end of the day, it is a matter of preference and budget. The healing qualities of the salves, in my own testing, seem the same.
Gaye… I keep my coconut oil on the counter next to my stove (since I also use it for cooking)..
And it stays in a liquid state.. You could also put it in the center of the stove top for awhile if
you know you are going to be using it soon…
About the fractionated coconut oil.. It does work the same, and some like it better because they say it’s non-comedogenic (doesn’t plug the pores).. But unless you have problems with breakouts, I feel the all natural product is better for nourishing the skin.. (and certainly better
for you than the processed vegetable oils many people use for cooking)
Hope this was helpful.. And as always keep up the good work..
Trisa
Very helpful – thank you. I had a couple of emails from readers that said their salve made with fractionated coconut oil did not harden up and stayed liquid. Do you find you need to add more beeswax?
I am hesitant to use (and recommend) the fractionated coconut oil because of the cost but I really need to try it myself to see what happens.
Yes it does. Thank you so much, Gaye!
Karen – I was just thinking this morning that there has to be a better way to scoop out the rock solid coconut oil than to use a melon ball gizmo. We keep our home pretty cool and the coconut oil is like a brick. I was thinking about setting it next to the fireplace for an hour or so to soften it.
At the end of the day, I don’t think it matters whether the coconut oil is melted or not. Just be aware that the fractionated (liquid) form of coconut oil is not what I am using here. I do not believe it will work in the same way!
When I make salve, I measure the olive oil in a cup (say its one cup) then add the coconut oil (solid) until the oil rises to the two cup mark. I then melt the hold thing in a water bath. Does that make sense?
— Gaye
I make soaps and use coconut oil scooped from a 5 gallon bucket. I found one of those old, cheap, solid, but wide ice cream scoops they used to give out as promotional’s back in the 70’s-80’s. It works PERFECTLY to scoop up large quantities without bending.
If you can’t find one of those, any metal and sturdy ice cream scoop will work faster than a melon baller without bending like a normal kitchen spoon.
I have found using a regular table knife like the kind you get in a silverware set works great for scooping out coconut oil. You place the coconut oil in a measuring cup by scraping the oil on the edge of the measuring cup. I use the same technique to measure ghee (clarified butter).
Hi, Gaye. Love Backdoor Survival! Just getting started on all things prepping and you are my “go-to” person for helpful info! I have a “wonderment” ( as my Grandma used to say) about measuring the coconut oil. Do you measure a cup of solid oil or do you measure a cup of melted oil? Thanks for everything you do, especially for newbies like me. Karen
It does matter. Measure it in solid state, difficult as that may be. You’ll wind up with too much if you melt it before you measure it. I was curious about this, too so I melted my solid measurement to see how much would be in the cup and it was considerably less.
Try this: if you need 1\2 cup oil, put 1\2 cup of water in your measuring cup and add enough SOLID oil to bring the water level up to 1 cup. You will have 1\2 cup of coconut oil even if its in several chunks.
If you use your method to measure your solid coconut oil you will have drops of water in your miracle salve. This may cause the salve to spoil. The drops of water will settle to the bottom of ea container over time.
Gaye.. I have to say that after trolling the internet for a long time and making literally dozens of recipes, with varying success rates.. I found your “Miracle”.. This was so simple and effective that I just can’t believe it.. I’ve tried it on everything and everyone I could find.. And it IS truly a miracle..
I just can’t thank you enough for the easiest and best recipe I have found.. (and cost effective too, after purchasing so many different herbs and oils etc. for less effective recipes.)
BTW.. I have also made this with jojoba oil and also moringa oil and also Argan oil in place of the Olive oil, and they all turned out great.. (you have to add a little more beeswax with the moringa)..
I have been using the Miracle as a face cream as you suggested, but I substitute for the peppermint 3 drops of lemon essential oil to brighten the skin.. (which I need to keep the age spots away).. Works beautifully..
Let us know how your other experiments turn out.. Keep up the good work and Thanks again sooooo much..
Trisa
Trisa. Where do you get Moringa oil. I grow Moringa trees to make powder out of their leaves, but I have never seen Moringa oil, nor have I ever heard of it.
John,
How wonderful that you can grow your own trees.. And able to make your own powder..
You should be able to make your own oil as well.. There is info on doing that on the internet. You should look into it..
But to answer your question, you can pick it up on Amazon or E Bay.. I purchase the Dr. Adorable brand because it is Pure cold-pressed Oil and a good quality..
Trisa
I read your recipe for Miracle Salve and decided to try it. I used Kirkland coconut oil, Kirkland organic olive oil and beeswax candles. I melted the candle to measure the wax. I didn’t know how to measure the wax any other way. When I mixed the three together, the wax melted but congealed and would not mix with the oils.
This is my first adventure with making salve or anything else.
Please tell me what I did wrong. I want to be successful at this.
Also, I am going to order the beeswax pellets online, so how many pellets do you use or, how many pellets make a tablespoon?
Diane
Diane – My guess is that the candle included additives other than beeswax or, perhaps more likely, the melted wax too much, quantity wise. If you want to try using a candle again, grate the candle first then measure out a tablespoon of the grated wax for your salve.
On the other hand, the pellets are 100% beeswax. They measure our just like you would measure sugar or flour (they are very small). If you purchase a chunk of beeswax, you would grate it first then measure out your tablespoon.
Regarding the salve you made that did not mix with the oils: try whipping it up into a whipped salve using a hand mixer. That should blend everything together and make it fluffy and usable.
If you have any additional questions, let me know.
Gail; I STARTED DAPPLEING IN DOING THIS TO , I MAKED A HAND CREAM BUT ,WORKS FOR SEVERAL THINGS. IT.S ON DIY TO ;BABY LOTION, COCONUT OIL, DOLLAR GENERAL VIT.E CREAM IN JARS,AND YOUR OILS ETC. SO EASY LOOKS LIKE FROSTING,MY HAIR IS FINE AND I RUB IN AND WASH OUT AND GOT THE DRYNESS OUT FINAILLY, !!!!!!!!!!! MY HUBBY LIKES IT AND GAVE KIDS SOME TOO AND BOTH LIKE . IT MAKES ABOUT MEDIUM SMALL BOWL..THE ORGINAL BATCH CALLED FOR WASELINE BUT DIDN’T USE, I PUT COCOA BUTTER CREAM IN.I BUY FROM BULK A. AND MOUNTAIN ROSE TOO.I;M GOING TO MAKE MORE AND TRY YOUR’S TO MAKE THAT WASH LIGUID UP AND IT’S GREAT! DAWN IS GREAT GOR SO MUCH STUFF.THANK.!DEB
Can you use Avacado Oil instead of Olive Oil?
Jessica – I don’t see why not. Avocado oil is a high quality, nourishing oil plus it is silky smooth. I considered adding some Jojoba oil as well – for the same reason. Be sure to come back and let us know how it turns out.
— Gaye
It turned out heavenly! I haven’t tried it with the olive oil so don’t know how it compares, but the recipe I whipped up with avocado oil is just amazing. Thank you for posting the recipe! It absorbs beautifully and makes my skin silky soft, even after washing my hands. I made an extra-large batch and am giving out jars for gifts. So far, everyone loves it. Thank you!
Jessica – That is wonderful. I just made up a batch without using any EOs so that I can add them on the fly, depending on my mood and what ails me.
Avocados are dangerous to dogs….. so don’t use it where they can lick it….