Jodie Weston
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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!
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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
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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.
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219 Responses to “DIY Miracle Healing Salve”
Thank you for the recipe! I am looking to make something for my brother who is having extreme issues with his hands (probably caused from the conditions that he works in – extreme moisture, then extreme dryness, and very dirty – he’s an asbestos abatement worker). He has a spot covering almost his whole palm which is extremely dry and cracked , to the point that it bleeds. It has been there for months. My question is- would this recipe be appropriate? Even as an open wound? It seems like the peppermint might burn a bit?
I would definitely give it a try. The peppermint essential oil should not burn because this is not a strong dilution. I don’t know the science behind it but something about the combination of these three oils allows the sum of them together to work as though there were a lot more oil in the salve than there is.
In addition to the salve, you might try to my Healing Body Butter which includes Shea butter. I only recently made this up and find it to be extremely emollient. I am using it instead of hand cream. It goes on as though it is going to be greasy but it absorbs almost immediately and is not at all sticky. I keep jars in my pocket, purse, backpack, pretty much everywhere. Here is a link: //www.backdoorsurvival.com/how-to-make-an-awesome-healing-body-butter/.
By the way, I have another article featuring lavender, peppermint, and rosemary coming up on Tuesday so you will want to watch for it. I am hoping to include printable copies of the recipes.
I am getting reports that some folks are getting a blank page instead of the article. If you see this, will you kindly let me know?
I can see the page, Gaye.
Do you have another suggestion for lavender? I really hate the smell of it. I know I could leave it out, but it does have useful properties, so I thought I’d ask. Thanks!
I did want to think about this before responding so I apologize for the delay. I would try geranium essential oil. It is very mild, smells a bit like roses but is not overpowering, and has some terrific therapeutic qualities. As a matter of fact, both geranium and marjoram are my list to feature next in a uses and tips article.
Here are some of the qualities of geranium: //www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-geranium-essential-oil.html
Hope this helps.
I use Dr. Bronner’s coconut oil to cook with, would this be a good coconut oil to use for the mixture? Also, along the lines of olive oil, can you just use the Bertoli’s from the Grocery store?(As long as it is EVOO)
Yes to both questions.
Made my first batch of your salve a month ago and now I understand why you call it “Miracle Healing Salve”! Already it has helped eradicate some stubborn toenail fungus, moisturizes my hands and feet and seems to be diminishing age spots, and best of all it has helped heal an overworked sore and swollen wrist! The only thing I did differently was I added four drops of Frankincense. Thanks for this and your other essential oil information and recipes. Also appreciate all your other articles.
Norma,I am thinking on using this salve for dealing with toenail fungus and also add the Frankincense as you mentioned. How often did you apply the salve?
This is Gaye. For toenail fungus I suggest adding some Melaleuca (tea tree) oil which is a powerful anti-fungal. Use the same number of drops as the other oils.
Thanks Gaye, an excellent suggestion. I still am wondering how often to apply this salve.
At least 2 times a day (morning and night) and more often if convenient. A nail fungus can be difficult to get rid of so do have patience. Even with meds, it can take a few months.
Thanks Gaye, I’m still full of questions, should I work the salve all around and under the nail? And, would you suggest 5 drops per 2 oz jars? Thanks ever so much.
I apply the salve twice daily, rubbing it into the affected nail (I also use it as a moisturizer on my feet). I also 2-3 times per week soak my feet in a warm basin of water to which 6-10 drops of either tea tree or oregano essential oil have been added, then scrub well with a tea tree soap. You must keep this up until all the fungus is gone. I have made the mistake of stopping when it was nearly gone and it came back. It doesn’t get rid of it I don’t think but rather it keeps it from spreading so the object is to keep it from spreading until it is gone because of the nail having grown out to the part where there is no fungus. One thing I have learned recently is you must be sure to use a good quality essential oil or it will not be useful in this application. I use the Spark brand and it seems to work well. Hope this helps!
Gaye,
I am so excited that I stumbled across your website! I have recently tried EO’s and I am impressed with the natural qualities that they possess. I have chronic back pain and I can’t wait to try your healing salve! I would not consider myself a die hard prepper, but I do have a bug out bag prepared just in case. 🙂 This is one more item that I can add to my collection that i felt would be needed in case of emergency.
Cindy
Awesome! Thanks so much! I’ll contact spark naturals & keep an eye out for your post on the samples. I also wonder if I can use the jarred -already melted beeswax I have & -remelt to mix in EOs as well as the coconut & olive oils?
Do you know if that would still work?
It should as long as it is 100% beeswax. You might have to play with the amounts a bit but that is easy enough to do. Good luck.
BTW, my sample jars arrived this week so I should be making up the samples soon. I need to get some mailing envelopes and figure out the postage as well.
Hi are you selling these to the public? If so I would like to purchase one of yours to see how well it works for me and my hibby before venturing into making my own batch. Thanks so much! Pls email me
I just sent you an email but thought I would post a response here as well.
I wish I could sell some to you but as of right now, I am not set up to do so. It is all I can do to keep my website going and have a couple of hours of down time to relax at night. Trust me, you are not the first person to ask about this.
That said, I do appreciate that to gather all of the ingredients (beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil, jars) can be a big undertaking if you are unsure whether it will work. Plus, you need to add your essential oils, of course.
So here is the deal. I am going to see if I can acquire some sample sized “Base Salve” from Spark Naturals that I can send out. All you would need to do is purchase the oils (and the three used are not costly at all) and then you can make your own Miracle Healing Salve without going through the rigmarole of creating the base. This will save you both time and money.
As soon as I am set to do this, I will post a note on the blog as well as in these comments so everyone will know about it.
Finally, I just learned that today, Spark Naturals is having a free shipping sale for orders that have salves as part of the order. You might want to take advantage and purchase some base salve, lavender, peppermint, and rosemary and make your own salve that way. If you decided to do that, you still get a 15% discount using code BACKDOORSURVIVAL at checkout. Here is a link: //www.sparknaturals.com/?id=377
Good luck and please do stay in touch.
Awesome! Thanks so much! I’ll contact spark naturals & keep an eye out for your post on the samples. I also wonder if I can use the jarred -already melted beeswax I have & -remelt to mix in EOs as well as the coconut & olive oils?
Do you know if that would still work
To make it more healing I would suggest making an infusion with herbs into the oil. In the spring poplar buds (i.e. balm of gilead) is perfect. Any poplar type tree works or willow type tree. The buds in the spring have the resin and once infused add antibacterial and pain relief qualities to the product. I also use chickweed and plantain weed and infuse that too. Plantain will reduce swelling and redness and instantly take the sting or itch out of any bug bite. Both plantain and chickweed aid in cell regeneration so it works with helping cuts and burns to heal faster. You can also try infusing calendula and comfrey as well. I just stick to balm of gilead, chickweed and plantain as I have a good source of them locally and can pick them all within 2 blocks of my house. I make enough balm to last me the year and use it for everything! I put in essential oils of lavender, rosemary and mint along with tea tree oil and lots of vitamin E. Read up on how to infuse herbs into the oil.
I found this on Pinterest estate as a post by either a man or your husband. His post was about Psoriasis and he added Bergamot to the Miracle Salve. Do you add that and the Mellaleuca oil for Psoriasis?