Homemade Liniment

A homemade liniment can help relieve sore and painful muscles caused by strains and sprains. Homemade liniment ingredients include a carrier oil and essential oils. The essential oils provide muscle relaxation and pain relief; the carrier oils safely dilute the essential oils for skin applications and create a liniment that can be easily massaged into the skin.

Materials

• You will need a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, a carrier oil, essential oils and a cosmetic wax to create homemade liniment. Some of these products are available in grocery and health food stores; internet retailers also supply the necessary ingredients.

  Carrier oil will make up the bulk of your liniment recipe and may include almond oil, avocado oil, evening primrose oil, jojoba oil or tamanu oil. These are safe for skin applications, and a few, such as evening primrose, have anti-inflammatory properties. Any oil you choose should be unrefined organic oil.

  Essential oils in your liniment include menthol essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, sweet majoram essential oil and vetiver essential oil. Menthol and eucalyptus oils have heating and cooling properties that will help ease sore muscles and reduce inflammation; sweet majoram and vetiver oils may help to relieve pain and stiffness associated with tense muscles while promoting relaxation.

  Cosmetic wax will make up the smallest portion of your liniment. It will slightly thicken the mixture and help blend the oils. Beeswax, or a vegetable emulsifying wax, is soft and may incorporate well into the mixture.

Making the Liniment

• Pour one cup of the carrier oil into the glass jar and then add five tsp of menthol and one tsp each of eucalyptus, vetiver and sweet marjoram essential oils. Blend the oils together with a metal or glass stirring utensil and then add one tsp of melted wax to the mixture while you continue to stir. Place a secure lid on the glass jar and shake the jar well. Store the jar in a cool, dark place and shake the jar each time before you use the liniment.

Cautions

• Menthol and eucalyptus oils are extremely strong essential oils that may cause allergic reactions. If you have never used menthol or eucalyptus on your skin, dilute a drop of the essential oils in a tbsp of carrier oil and perform a patch test on your skin. Use the liniment sparingly, and contact your physician if you continue to experience muscle soreness or pain.