How to Make an Herbal Healing Salve

People all over the world use herbal salves for various healing purposes. Different salves serve different purposes, such as soothing babies' bottoms from diaper rash, moisturizing gardeners' dry hands or healing minor scrapes, cuts and burns. The purpose for the salve you want to make determines the herbs you use to make it. Comfrey and calendula, for example, heal minor surface wounds, while chamomile and lavender soothe sore muscles.

Things You'll Need

• 2 ounces dried herbs
• 1 cup olive, sesame or coconut oil (plus a little extra)
• Frying pan with a cover
• Saucepan
• 1/2 ounce solid beeswax beads or shavings (plus a little extra)
• 1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil
• Metal teaspoon

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Instructions

• 1

  Rub herbs between your palms to bruise them. If your herbs include any combination of roots, leaves and flowers, separate those parts into different piles. You may put different types of herbs together in the same pile; you are only separating the parts of the plant.

• 2

  Pour the olive, sesame or coconut oil and the bruised herbs into the frying pan, starting with the roots, adding the leaves next and then the flowers. Cover the pan and heat the herbs over a low heat until all parts of the plant are crispy (about 30 minutes to 1 hour). Keep the heat low enough, cooking the herbs or bringing the oil to a simmer.

• 3

  Melt the beeswax in the saucepan over a low heat.

• 4

  Pour melted beeswax into the frying pan with the herbs and oil.

• 5

  Stir in the vitamin E oil.

• 6

  Remove a teaspoon of the mixture and blow on it until it hardens. Test the cooled salve with your finger by dabbing a bit from the teaspoon onto your skin and rubbing it in. If the salve is too hard to rub in, add another teaspoon of olive, sesame or coconut oil. If the salve is too runny, add another pinch of beeswax. Repeat the testing process until the salve rubs smoothly and completely into the skin.

• 7

  Pour the salve into the glass jar immediately after you get it to the desired consistency, as it will quickly start to harden as it continues to cool to room temperature. If the salve hardens too much to pour, reheat it until it returns to a liquid. Seal the lid on the jar tightly.