Herbal Salves Oils Butters Balms

1 Healing Harvest Homestead
Herbal Salves, Oils, and Balms

for Health and Pleasure
Everything You Need to Know to Create Your Own
Herbal Salves and Balms Plus 22 Easy Medicinal and
Beauty Recipes Using Plants, Oils, and Butters
By Heidi Villegas

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Copyright 2018, Heidi Villegas and Healing Harvest Homestead. All rights reserved.
Do not reproduce or share without permission. All material, images, and text are
protected as copyrighted property and should not be sold, posted, or published
elsewhere without express permission from the author. Small quotes (no more than
two sentences) may be used, as long as a link back to
www.healingharvesthomestead.com is provided. Thank you for respecting the author’s
time and effort.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and in no manner, stated or implied, is any

statement made in this text meant to diagnose, cure, prevent or treat any illness.
Please seek medical attention if you have health concerns. In addition, please seek
advice from a medical doctor before using essential oils and herbs.
The author claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or
damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, as a result of the use,
application, or interpretation of the material contained herein.
Also, you are responsible for researching the herbs and essential oils used in these
preparations to make sure they will be good for you. Natural health is up to the
individual, so always do additional research. Too, if you are pregnant, elderly, have a
compromised immune system, are taking medications, or are nursing, seek advice from
your physician before using herbs or essential oils. These statements have not been
evaluated by the FDA.
Affiliate Disclosure: There may be affiliate links here and there in this publication, which
means if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no
extra cost to you.  

Introduction
I’m Heidi Villegas, and I write at my blog, Healing Harvest Homestead

(www.healingharvesthomestead.com). You’ll find all kinds of information about using herbs and
essential oils; making your own items for your body, home, and homestead; our gardening
efforts; raising chickens & goats; and being prepared for emergencies of all kinds. You can find
out more about me there!
I’ve been working with herbs and essential oils for many years, and I love plants! I believe plants
heal, whether they are in herbal form or essential oils. Having had some health issues, I know
that for me, the natural way to do things is best.
Once I learned about the toxins in body care products and over the counter medications lining
market shelves, I decided then and there that I would make my own. It’s been a process of
many years, with lots of experiments. At this current time, I am able to say that Mr. V. and I have
not had to use any over the counter medications and very few body care products for several
years. It’s my goal to reduce our purchase of all these products to zero!
I wrote this book so you will have some useful information about using herbs and essential oils
to create your own body care and medicinal salves, infused oils, body butters, and different
kinds of balms. You’ll find out my favorite herbs and oils to use for different kinds of
preparations, and step by step instructions so you’ll be successful every time.
I’ve separated the recipes into two sections: A Medicinal Salve section and a Basic Body Care
section. This way, you’ll be able to easily find the perfect recipe to try.
It’s a simple, yet comprehensive book for you if you want to learn how to make your own herbal
salves, infused oils, butters, and balms….and still be able to use your own creative license to
make these preparations unique to you!
Note: Many of these recipes can be found on my blog with detailed directions and lots of
pictures. Feel free to visit www.healingharvesthomestead.com and do a search for “salve.”
Blessings,
Heidi
P.S. If you find you enjoy this book, you may also be interested in my other eBooks on the
website. I’d love for you to check out the shop!

Introduction 5
Herbs for Making Your Body Products 9
Where to Get Your Herbs and Essential Oils 15
Herbs: 15
Essential Oils: 15
Fresh Herbs? Or Dried? How to Dry Your Herbs 17
Hanging Them: 17
Screen Drying: 17
Using a Dehydrator: 18
Using an Oven: 18
What are the Best Oils to Use in Making Body Products? 19
My Favorite Oils & Butters to Use in Making Body Products List: 20
Other Useful Oils & Butters: 22
How to Make an Herbal Infused Oil 26
The Slow Way: 26
The Quick Way: 28
For Both Methods: 28
About the Beeswax 30
Salves, Balms, & Ointments: What’s the Difference? 31
Ointments: 31
Salves: 31
Balms: 31
Adding Additional Ingredients: 32
How to Make a Basic Salve 33
Storing Your Salve: 34
A Note About Measuring: Volume vs. Weight 34
Tips for Making Great Salves: 35
Medicinal Herbal Salves: The Recipes 36
Lavender Salve 38
Herbal Healing Salve 39

Antibacterial Salve 40
(How to Make Your Own Neosporin) 40
Arnica Salve 41
Skin Support Salve (Calendula Salve) 42
Cold Sore Relief Salve 43
Vapor Rub Salve—A Natural Congestion Fighter 46
Joint and Back Pain Support Salve 48
Sore Muscle Rub 50
Anti-Itch Salve 52
Black Drawing Salve 54
Salves and Balms for Beauty and Fun: The Recipes 56
Natural Deodorants: 57
The Most Basic Deodorant Recipe 57
Favorite Deodorant Recipe 58
A More Fancy Deodorant Recipe: Mango, Spearmint & Lime Deodorant 60
Lotion Bars & Balms 61
Basic Lotion Bar Recipe 63
Cocoa-Tangerine Lotion Bars 64
Bug BE-GONE Stick 65
Special Beauty Recipes 66
Mocha Tightening Eye Cream with Caffeine 67
Cream Body Butter 68
End of the Day Refreshing Foot Salve 69
Floral Beauty Salves 71
Chamomile & Lavender Beauty Salve 71
Rose Petal Salve 72
How to Create Your Own Salves, Butters, and Balms 74
** Choose Your Herbs 74
** Choose Your Oils & Butters 75
** Think About Other Ingredients 75
** Now Just Experiment! 75
** Keep a Notebook 76

Conclusion 77
Resources 78
Black Drawing Salve is one that should be in everyone’s first aid kit!

Herbs for Making Your Body Products
Herbs that can be safely used to enhance the benefits of your salves, oils,
butters, and body balms grow all around us! You might have some growing
in your own garden right now, or perhaps they grow in nearby areas. There
are so many plants that can be used to create useful medicinal or beauty
products. In fact, if you can eat a plant, it is probable that it can be used in
your herbal body care creations.
Like herbs and flowers, essential oils can also be used to enhance the
actions of the products you create. These concentrated volatile oils can be
combined in a product along with herbs for a synergistic product with some
remarkable healing and supportive powers. I’m always amazed at how my
herbal salves out-perform the common store-bought ones.
Here is a list of some of the plants and essential oils you can use for your
own herbal salves, and many are used in the recipes here. There are many
more you can use, too, so be sure to do some of your own research for
other herbs you might like to try.
ARNICA: Arnica montana is a fabulous herb for making oil infusions. It’s
used primarily for helping with bruising and surface inflammation and pain.
Arnica should not be taken internally unless under the advice of a medical
practitioner or experienced herbalist.
CALENDULA: One of my favorite flowers to use in making all kinds of

herbal products, Calendula is incredibly soothing and healing to the skin
because it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It may help
certain skin conditions such as eczema. Calendula is thought to help skin
regenerate more quickly after injury because it helps promote the repairing

of skin cells. It’s safe for using on babies and is a common ingredient in
healing salves, including diaper rash ointments.
CAYENNE: Ouch! You might be thinking! That’s a hot herb! And yes, it is.
But cayenne contains capsaicin, which is excellent for soothing joints and
sore muscles. It also has analgesic properties.
CHAMOMILE: This sweet-smelling plant has small white flowers which are
used along with the leaves to make teas, tinctures, and topical preparations
such as salves. There is some evidence that chamomile may have effects
similar to cortisone. Like Calendula, Chamomile also has anti-inflammatory
and antiseptic properties. Used internally, it is soothing to the nervous
system and is a relaxing herb commonly used in teas. The essential oil can
be used as well as the herb.
CHAPARRAL: I grew up with this desert plant growing in my backyard.

With its ability to survive the harshest conditions in the Mojave Desert, it
has become a plant well-known to be helpful in a variety of ways. A tea
made with chaparral is wonderful for skin irritations and sunburn. It has
antibacterial properties, as well. Used in a salve, it helps with wound
healing, soothing itchy rashes, and infections.
CHICKWEED: This tiny star-shaped flower is a common weed that grows

in some very inhospitable places. It’s great for topical preparations because
it has wonderful demulcent and emollient properties, making it excellent for
skincare. It’s excellent for using to soothe itchy skin, rashes, and eczema. It
makes a great addition to diaper rash salves.
COMFREY: Comfrey is a healing herb that’s been used since Roman

times. Although some herbalists use it internally, it contains toxins that may
damage the liver in large amounts, so you should only use it topically. It
contains high levels of allantoin, which promotes fast cell growth, and this is

why it’s so great for healing. In the past, it was even used to help heal
broken bones more quickly!
DANDELION: The bright, happy dandelion—-yes, this common weed—-is

wonderful for using in your body care and medicinal products. The entire
plant has some pretty incredible medicinal uses for supporting the liver and
kidneys. The flowers contain a rather high amount of lecithin, and this helps
soothe painful, dry or chapped skin when used in making preparations for
the body.
GINGER: Ginger is warming and soothing. It’s also an anti-inflammatory,

and I like to use it in medicinal preparations here and there. It also smells
great!
GOLDENSEAL: This effective herb is so valuable it has become

endangered in its natural habitat. However, it is now being grown in other
areas. If you purchase Goldenseal, be sure you buy organic (not
wildcrafted) because this helps ensure it’s not further endangering a
goldenseal habitat. Medicinally, Goldenseal has some very powerful
antibacterial properties, and is a tincture I always have available in our
home. For topical preparations, it’s been used to help with infections,
wounds, abscesses, eczema, and psoriasis.
LAVENDER: Just about everyone loves lavender! And even if you’re not a
fan of it’s pungent floral scent, you can’t deny its healing properties.
Lavender is used for calming and supporting the nervous system and is
emotionally uplifting. Lavender also has excellent antibacterial and anti-
fungal properties. It’s useful for soothing headaches caused by stress and
helping the body relax for sleep.

LEMON BALM: Lemon Balm has strong anti-viral properties because of its
high level of polyphenols. This helps make it effective for using against viral
conditions like herpes and shingles. Using it in salves is wonderful for both
its ability to soothe and heal.
MINT: Both peppermint and spearmint are wonderful for using in salves.
The plant can be infused in oil, and the essential oil is useful for cooling
and refreshing the mind as well as helping relieve common headache.
PLANTAIN: This is another common weed found just about everywhere.

There are several varieties, and although they are used the same way, it’s
still a good idea to become familiar with what grows in your area. Plantain
helps draw toxins from the body and is supportive of the liver. It’s helpful for
insect bites, painful boils and acne cysts, and infection. It is cooling,
soothing, and helps keep the skin moist. Keep in mind, this is not the
banana looking fruit in markets—this is the green leafy weed found in the
fields.
RED CLOVER: Another weed, red clover is exceptionally helpful for

soothing skin conditions. It’s also great for menopausal women, because it
helps balance female hormones due to the phytoestrogens contained in the
leaves. Red clover is a wonderful tea, tincture, or vinegar, as well as being
useful in salves.
ROSE: Roses are not just lovely and sweet smelling. They also help with
inflammation, and they make the heart happy. I’d love to try using rose
essential oil in skincare products, however, it is extremely expensive.
Therefore, I have to stay happy simply infusing the petals in oils I can use
to create salves.

ROSEMARY: Rosemary can be infused in oil and helps support circulation.
It’s perfect for massage oils as well as making salves. The essential oil can
be used too.
ST. JOHN’S WORT: I love using St. John’s Wort as a seasonal aid against
the winter blues, but it also has some exceptional antiviral, antibacterial,
and anti-inflammatory properties when used topically. I love to use it for
neuralgia in topical preparations, and it is useful for herpes and shingles. It
is an excellent remedy for helping the skin heal from traumas such as
bruises, sprains, and burns. NOTE: St. John’s Wort may cause
photosensitivity in some people.

Freshly picked flowers need to be dried thoroughly before being infused in oils.

Where to Get Your Herbs and Essential Oils
Herbs:
The best way to gather your herbs is to grow your very own. When you
grow your own herbs, you know exactly how they were raised and whether
or not any chemicals were used. Most of the herbs listed above are easy to
grow and make beautiful and fragrant additions to your garden. Some can
even be grown inside!
Another way to gather your herbs is to forage for them. Take a look at the
eco-system around you. I’ll bet there are useful plants you can gather for
creating your salves. Even when I lived in the harsh Mojave, I found many
wonderful plants to use in my herbal creations.
If you don’t have time for foraging or growing your own herbs, that’s ok. You
can purchase high quality herbs from small growers or quality bulk sellers.
One of my favorite sources of dried bulk herbs is Starwest Botanicals.
Essential Oils:
As far as essential oils go, I feel you need to do some due diligence to be
sure you are purchasing pure essential oils that are not adulterated at all.
This means being sure to look at the labels and being comfortable with the
company you are choosing.
In general, I do not recommend purchasing essential oils from grocery

stores because it is very likely the quality is going to be much lower than
buying from an essential oil company.

Producing essential oils is extremely labor intensive and expensive. For
example, did you know it takes around 500 pounds of rosemary to yield just
one gallon of essential oil? That’s a LOT of plant matter. And there are
many variables that go into the process too.
You can see there is a definite cost in the production of quality essential
oils. So if you come across very inexpensive essential oils, you can be
pretty sure they are either poor quality or have been adulterated with
chemicals or other additives.
Like my herbs, I often purchase my essential oils from Starwest Botanicals.

I also think Rocky Mountain Oils and Plant Therapy are good quality
companies that have fairly reasonable prices. The big MLM (multi-level
marketing) companies like DoTerra and Young Living have excellent
essential oils, but their price structure is often unaffordable for many
people.
There are other companies that provide quality essential oils that are not
mentioned here. These are simply the companies I use most often. You can
read more about how I choose an essential oil company in this article.

Fresh Herbs? Or Dried? How to Dry Your Herbs
It’s best if you can use fresh herbs just picked from your garden or foraged
in a nearby field. However, you’ll have to dry them first.
Drying your herbs has a number of benefits. They can be used all year
long, and dried herbs have more uses in herbal preparations. For example
—you should not use fresh herbs to infuse in oils because the moisture in
the herb can cause bacteria to grow. You don’t want that!
Essentially, using herbs in any oil-based preparation requires the herb to be

dried for best and safest practices.
There are many methods for drying your herbs. Here are some of my
favorite ways:
Hanging Them:
You can hang them upside down in bunches tied together with twine. If
there are small plant parts (like with chamomile), hanging them inside a
brown paper bag allows oxygen to reach the plant. When the plant begins
to release its petals, seeds, or leaves, they will fall into the bag, making it
easy for you to use them.
Drying herbs this way has some neat advantages. One I just love is that
you can see them (if they are not in a paper bag), lending kind of a “folk”
look to your home. The herbs do double duty as decoration while they dry!
Screen Drying:

Another way to dry your herbs is to lay them out on a screen. This allows
air flow on all sides of the herb. You can also use cheese cloth that has
been hung up like netting.
Just lay out your herbs, and allow them to dry! If you like, you can separate
the plant parts you plan to use first. The length of time this takes depends
on the environment (heat, humidity, air flow).
I prefer to dry them inside the house because I’m not a fan of excessive
dust or bugs. If you do choose to dry them outside, keep them out of the
direct sun—a partially shaded or completely shady area is fine.
Using a Dehydrator:
This is one of the simplest methods. Like screen drying, just lay the herbs
out on the dehydrator trays. Be sure you use the “herb” setting, which
should be around 115 degrees. You can dry them as low as 95 degrees, or
even as high as 125 degrees (if you live in a very humid area).
Using an Oven:
Honestly, I don’t recommend using an oven for drying herbs because most
ovens don’t have low enough temperatures. You’ll end up with some pretty
crispy herbs!

What are the Best Oils to Use in Making Body
Products?
When I first started making my own salves, butters, balms, and ointments
for our family's skincare needs, I often asked the question, "How much oil
or butter should I buy...and what kinds of oils should I keep on hand all the
time?"
I admit to having been a little overwhelmed by all the options. Although it

was exciting to realize how many oil and butter choices there are for
making your own skin and body care products...it was hard to know what
oils and butters I should start out with for making salves, oils, butters, and
balms!
Questions raced through my mind: Which is the best oil to use for acne?
Which is the best oil for infusing herbs? What butter should I use for super
dry skin? How long do these oils last before going rancid, anyway? And do
I REALLY need all these oils?
Besides not knowing very much about the characteristics of different oils
when I first started dabbling years ago, the other trouble I ran into was the
cost. Some oils are often expensive, and the recipes I was using or that I
wanted to try often called for a wide variety of different oils.
Or, the recipe called only for small amounts of oil, leaving a great deal left
over. It's a terrible thing to purchase a $20 bottle of Kukui Nut Oil, use just a
little bit, and have most of that bottle sitting around until it goes rancid.
WASTE! Ahem...Ask me how I know.

With that, here is a list of my favorite oils and butters I like to have on hand.
My Favorite Oils & Butters to Use in Making Body

Products List:
Here are my top recommendations for oils and butters you might want to
consider starting out with, especially the first seven. I separated my top
seven out for you just to make things easier.
These are the oils or butters I use most often, and don't want to run out! If
you just start with these seven, you’ll have a good variety for your herbal
body products.
Unless you go hard core and start experimenting like a crazy mad-scientist
(like I did there for awhile), there is no reason to purchase a large number
of different or exotic oils when you first start out. Really, olive oil and shea
butter may just be perfect for you to begin!
CASTOR OIL: Castor Oil is useful for creating that shiny gloss in lip balms.
Castor oil also has some anti-fungal properties, and won’t clog your pores
as easily as other oils may.
COCONUT OIL: Coconut oil is one of the first choices many people new to
creating body care products and soap try and use. Indeed, the benefits of
coconut oil are touted practically everywhere you turn. I have discovered
that some people are highly allergic to coconut oil. I happen to be one of
these folks, so you won’t find recipes with coconut oil in them here. But you
can easily substitute coconut oil for the other oils, especially shea butter.

COCOA BUTTER: I LOVE this stuff! Cocoa Butter is absolutely hands
down one of my very top favorite oils/butters, and I always keep it on hand.
Cocoa Butter is actually a solid fat that comes from cocoa beans. The
unrefined cocoa butter will give you that amazing chocolate scent! If you
don't want the chocolate scent in your products, just purchase refined
cocoa butter.
OLIVE OIL: Olive oil is absolutely incredible for your skin. There's really not
many other oils better than olive oil. It's rumored Sophia Loren slathered it
on every day, hence her lovely, glowing skin even into old age.
One thing to be aware of when purchasing olive oil is you want to try to
purchase a good quality brand. Grocery store olive oils have been found to
sometimes be adulterated with canola or other cheaper oils. You can
purchase high quality olive oil from body care suppliers. Or, like me, I try to
either purchase from Costco or try to find a reputable brand in the shops.
SHEA BUTTER: Shea Butter is a softer butter than cocoa butter. Like
Cocoa butter, Shea Butter is also a solid fat. It comes from the nuts of the
shea (karite) tree. Shea butter is one of my favorite butters for creating
body care recipes such as deodorants, body creams, and just using alone.
SWEET ALMOND OIL: Almond Oil is very high in Vitamin E, and even
though it is fairly emollient, it's also highly moisturizing. What a great
combination! I’m never without almond oil in my home for making body care
products.
SUNFLOWER OIL: Sunflower oil doesn't have the shelf life of other oils, so
if you plan to use some in a recipe, you should also plan to get it used up
within about six months or so. Rancid oils are really pretty gross. It’s high in

Vitamins A, D, and E, and your skin will love that! Be aware that the shorter
shelf life will also affect your herbal salves too.
Other Useful Oils & Butters:
APRICOT KERNEL OIL: is a great substitute for Almond Oil if you are
allergic to tree nuts. Apricot kernel oil is highly moisturizing, too.
ARGAN OIL: There's been a lot of hype about Argan oil in recent years
and for good reason. It is said to help promote hair growth, and it is anti-
aging and anti-inflammatory for skin care uses. It’s a very lovely, but pricey
oil.
AVOCADO OIL: is rich in fatty acids. It comes from the fruit, so if you are
allergic to tree nuts, it's a great choice for both soap and salve-making. It's
incredibly good for dry skin.
BABASSU OIL: comes from a kind of palm in South America, but it is not
the same palm species that is being ecologically affected by overproduction
of palm oil. Babassu oil is high in lauric acid, just like coconut oil, and it can
make a good substitute if you are allergic to coconut oil (as I am) in your
skin care products.
GRAPE SEED OIL: is a lightweight oil that is very high in anti-oxidant plant
compounds. It's slightly astringent and emollient, meaning it soaks into your
skin well. Some people believe it has good anti-aging properties and it may
also speed wound healing of the skin. It's widely used in many cosmetics
and skin care products, and I think it's a great oil for use in making salves,
etc., especially for people with oilier skin.

HEMP SEED OIL: is quite high in fatty acids, making it quite helpful to the
skin. It heals and soothes, and may be a wonderful addition to a soap
recipe. Like avocado oil, it has a green color, and may affect the final color
of your soaps and balms.
JOJOBA OIL: is actually a wax that has similar properties to the surface
layer of oil on human skin. It provides a wonderful protective barrier for
over-washed hands or dry skin. It's great for both dry and oily skin types.
KUKUI NUT OIL: is thought to be one of the oils very useful in treating
difficult skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. It is highly
moisturizing, too. This oil comes from the seed of a tree in Hawaii, and it is
wonderfully moisturizing.
MACADAMIA NUT OIL: is wonderful for you, both inside and out. It's a
light oil with a pale yellow color, and is extremely sensitive to heat and light.
It will turn rancid more quickly than other oils, so if you plan on using
Macadamia Nut oil, you might want to purchase it in smaller amounts---or
plan on cooking with it. Macadamia Nut oil is high in monounsaturated fatty
acids, and like jojoba oil, it is similar to the natural oils created by our own
skin.
MANGO BUTTER: is solid, but is also a soft butter. Mango butter is

wonderful for very dry or aging skin. It’s easy to substitute mango butter for
shea butter in salve recipes, too.
MEADOWFOAM SEED OIL: is great for using in salves, balms, etc. It's a
very stable oil, and can help lengthen the shelf life of a product.
Meadowfoam seed oil is high in anti-oxidants and can be helpful for mature
skin. It also is absorbed quite quickly. I like using it in homemade beard
oils.

PUMPKIN SEED OIL: is high in fatty acids, and it's one of the oils that is
great for both oily and dry skin. It is quickly absorbed, doesn't clog pores,
yet is highly moisturizing at the same time. Besides the fact that it is a great
oil to consume for your health, it's wonderful for use in creating skin care
products too.
ROSEHIP SEED OIL: I love this stuff! It’s exceptional for aging and mature
skin. It is a more expensive oil, but if you are creating salves and body
products for dry or mature skin, this oil can’t be beat.

Infused oils of different kinds:

How to Make an Herbal Infused Oil
If you want to make herbal salves, you need to infuse your herbs in oil first!
Making herb infused oils is so fun and easy. Plus, you’ll have all these cool-
looking jars of herbal oils hanging around in your windows. People love
asking me about them. Like the hanging herbs drying around the house,
they provide a decorative factor.
More importantly, infusing herbs in the oils you plan to use for your body
care products creates a wonderful, medicinal oil, depending on the qualities
of the specific herbs you choose to infuse. These qualities are then part of
the salves, butters, and balms you’ll be making!
It’s important to only use dried herbs in your infusing oils. This is because
the moisture from fresh plants can create a breeding ground for bacteria.
Yuck!
There are a couple of handy methods for making an infused oil. One is fast.
The other is slow. Keep in mind, fast is not always best! My favorite way is
the slow way because it’s more traditional, and I always get a wonderful
infused oil this way.
The Slow Way:
This is the traditional way folk herbalists of old infused their oils with herbs.
It’s also my favorite way.

Fill your glass jar a third to half-way full with the dried herb. Pour in your oil
of choice to within an inch of the top of the jar. Shake well. As the plant
matter soaks in the oil, you may need to add a little more oil.
You’ll want to shake your jars daily or at least a few times a week. This
keeps the oil and plant matter looser. Especially if you are using powdered
herbs, you don’t want them compacting at the bottom of the jar.
There are two trains of thought on the slow way. Some herbalists believe
you need to keep the jars of infusing herbs in a dark cupboard, away from
heat and light. Heat and light will affect the herbal matter to a degree.
Other herbalists believe harnessing the power of the warm sun by placing
your jars in a sunny window is the better way. The heat from the sun
extracts more of the plant constituents. Plus, they look lovely.
Either way, in my experience, several weeks are needed whether you use
the dark cupboard or the sunny window. You’ll probably need a few extra
weeks for the dark cupboard, too, because those infusing jars won’t have
the benefit of the warmth from the sun to help out.
Plan on this process taking from three to six weeks, depending on the
herbs used and where you decide to place your jars during the processing
time.

The Quick Way:
Sometimes you just need that infused oil in more of a hurry. That’s when
the quick method can come in handy.
I’ve heard some folks use a crock pot to infuse the oils in. In my
experience, this just doesn’t work because the herbs actually get cooked if
the oil gets too hot. You do not want your herbs cooked in your oil.
The better way to warm your infusing oil quickly is to create a double boiler
system by placing your herbs and chosen oil into your jar as in the slow
method described above. Then place that jar in a pan filled with two or
three inches of water. Set the temperature on low, and allow the heating
water to warm the oils gently.
You don’t want the water to simmer, and definitely not to boil. This will
create too much heat, and once again, you’ll have cooked herbs. A good
temperature to shoot for is between 100 and 120 degrees. Allow your herbs
to process for two or three hours, keeping a close eye on them.
One advantage to using the quick way is that you can actually infuse oils
that are solid at room temperature with the herbs. I haven’t tried this myself,
because I prefer to use just plain olive oil or almond oil to infuse my herbs,
but I have heard other herbalists do this.
For Both Methods:
You’ll know your oil is fully infused by a couple of signs. The oil should have
changed color somewhat. When the color stops becoming darker, it’s most

likely ready. Another way is by looking at the condition of the herbs. They
will have noticeably softened and broken down.
Once you’ve determined that your oil has had enough time to obtain the
herbal constituents, it’s time to strain the oil from the herbs. What I do is get
a wide mouth Mason jar, place a strainer over the mouth of the jar, and
pour my oil into it, leaving the herbs behind.
If you are using an herbal powder or finer herbs, you may need to use a
few layers of cheese cloth so your infused oil is clear and devoid of plant
matter.
That’s it! Beautiful herbal infused oil!
** The picture below shows organic beeswax pellets—the best kind to use for making salves. If you end
up with a beeswax block, you can shave it to fit measuring tools.

About the Beeswax
Besides oils and herbs, you’ll need beeswax to make your salves, butters,
and balms. Beeswax thickens up the oil, making your resulting product a
soft ointment or a harder balm, depending on what you are making.
Beeswax is also wonderful for soothing and protecting the skin. Besides the
protection factor, beeswax has incredible humectant properties, which
means it helps draw moisture toward the skin. It smells really good, too.
I recommend purchasing beeswax that’s organic if you can because your

skin soaks in all those chemicals from potential pesticides. Also, using
pellets as shown in the picture make it easier to measure out.
If you are vegan or allergic to high levels of pollen then beeswax may be
problematic for you. You can substitute candelilla wax with a couple of
things to keep in mind.
Candelilla wax comes from a plant. It works similarly to beeswax in your

salves, but there are a couple of key differences. It has twice the stiffening
power of beeswax, according to the Biome Company website. Therefore,
they recommend using half the amount of beeswax called for in the recipe.
Also, it has a slightly higher melting temperature than beeswax has.
I have personally not tried candelilla wax, although I did purchase some
and have been meaning to get around to it.

Salves, Balms, & Ointments: What’s the Difference?
I was reading an article about this one time, and the writer was making a
huge deal out of the differences between them all. Really, they are all pretty
much the same thing and are made the same general way. The biggest
difference between an ointment, salve, and a balm is the ratio of beeswax
to oil used and how hard or soft the resulting product turns out.
Salves (which will be the term I use to stand in for all of them) are basically
made out of beeswax and oil. The oil you use to infuse your herbs is
actually a solvent that holds the medicinal properties of the herbs. The
beeswax provides the firmness. And both the oil(s) and the wax give the
salve a healing, soothing, emollient base for the herbs to do their work!
Ointments:
An ointment is the softest kind of salve and uses the least amount of
beeswax. Think of a very gooey salve that your finger goes right through. A
basic ratio of oil to beeswax for an ointment is approximately 6:1 or 7:1.
There is more oil involved in relationship to the beeswax in an ointment.
Salves:
A salve is next up. Salves are really my favorite. They have a nice firmness,
but they are not completely soft. Think about that vapor rub you buy at the
store. A basic ratio of oil to beeswax for a salve is approximately 4:1 or 5:1.
For example, if you use 1/4 cup beeswax to a cup of oil, you’ll have a 4:1
ratio because there are 2 ounces in a quarter cup and 8 ounces in a full
cup.
Balms:
A balm is the firmest. A balm is more like a lotion bar or a lip balm. It’s
pretty hard, and it requires a bit of warmth from your skin to effectively use.

A basic ratio for a balm is about 3:1. You can see how the amount of oil per
beeswax used lessens, creating a firmer salve.
The nice thing about making salves, ointments, and balms is you can easily
make your own adjustments depending on how firm or soft you want your
own product.
Let’s say you created a salve, but you’d like it to be softer. You can actually
re-heat it over a double boiler and add a bit more oil. There you go! If you
wanted that same salve to be a little firmer, you’d add a tiny bit more
beeswax.
Adding Additional Ingredients:
You can add all kinds of additional ingredients to your herbal products.
Essential oils, clays, finely ground oatmeal, honey, charcoal, and lots more
can be added to create a certain type of product. You’ll see some of these
additions in the recipes to come! I have tried to include things you’ll likely
have on hand or that are easy to find.
As you start experimenting with making your own herbal products, you’ll get
more comfortable adding all kinds of things, making adjustments, and
experimenting until you get the just right herbal product for you. In the
meantime, you’ll have these recipes to use! :-)

How to Make a Basic Salve
Before we get into the recipes, let’s talk about how to make a simple, basic
salve. The process for the recipes is going to be similar, so I’m not going to
go into detail every time. You can refer back to this page for instructions if
you need to, and I’ve placed a reminder in the recipes too.
Step 1) Make your medicinal (herb infused) oil following the instructions on
page 25.
Step 2) Add 1/4 cup beeswax to 1 cup of your infused oil (my favorite basic
ratio).
Step 3) Put these in a glass jar (I use a pint wide mouth jar) and create a
double boiler using a pan filled with a couple inches of water. Place the jar
into the pan and turn the heat to low.
Step 4) Heat on low until the beeswax has melted into the oil completely.
Step 5) This step is optional. If you want to find out if your salve is going to
turn out to be the right consistency, take a spoonful of the mixture and put it
in the freezer for a minute. Check your salve. If it’s ok, then continue on. If
it’s too mushy, add a tiny bit more beeswax. If it’s too hard, add a bit more
oil. Re-heat until all is melted together again.
***NOTE: Honestly, I don’t do a consistency check. I’ve found the basic

ratios work just fine for me, but it might be fun to experiment with!
Step 6) Remove your oil and beeswax mixture from the heat. Add any
additional ingredients such as essential oils, clays, etc. and stir them in
really well.

Step 7) Quickly pour your mixture into flat tins or small jars. This basic
recipe will yield two four ounce jars of salve, plus a two ounce tin.
Step 8) Allow your salve to set up until it’s completely cooled and firm. This
can take anywhere from one to several hours, depending on the
temperature.
Storing Your Salve:
I recommend storing your salves in a cool, dark place. Heat and light
degrades the oils, and they will go rancid over a period of time. The heat
and light speed that process up significantly.
With that said, I’ve had some salves last well over a year!
A Note About Measuring: Volume vs. Weight
Some herbalists get their panties in a bunch about this topic. In my opinion,
making a salve doesn’t require super exact measurements like other herbal
preparations do, for the most part.
Using weight measurements will give you a more exact recipe, while using
volume measurements will give you more of an approximation. I have
found volume measurements to work just fine when making salves,
ointments, and balms.
Some of the recipes in this book use volume amounts, and some do use
weights. I keep a small digital scale in my kitchen if I need it (and I do for
making soap). You may want to use one, but if not, I have tried to include
approximate volume amounts.

I think measuring by volume is just simpler—-at least in the art of making
herbal salves. Plus you’ll gain an intuitive sense about quantities this way.
Tips for Making Great Salves:
If your salve melts on accident: Just place it in the refrigerator for a short
time. It will set right back up.
If your salve is too runny or gooey: Re-melt it and add a bit more
beeswax.
If your salve is too hard: Personally, I start over again and use less
beeswax the next time if this happens. But I know some people re-melt it
and add additional oil with great success.
If you spill your liquid salve on accident: Spills happen to the best of
us. If you are fortunate to have spilled it on a hard surface, it can be gently
scraped up once it cools.
If you add too much essential oil: The best thing to do is not add too
much in the first place. Start with a smaller amount and keep adding until
you are happy with the scent or amount, if it is for medicinal purposes.
What about the jar used to make salve? How to clean it? I have a
confession to make: I don’t clean my salve jars. It’s a hassle. I just put a lid
on them, label the kind of salve I made, and reuse it when I’m ready to
make more salve. If you really want to clean your jar, the best thing to do is
wipe the oils/beeswax out with a towel while before it has set up. Then
wash with dish soap and very hot water.
Will salve go bad? Like any herbal preparation or anything made without
using a preservative of some sort, there is a shelf life. The shelf life
depends on the kind of oil you use as well as the other ingredients. A year’s
shelf life is a good bet, but your nose knows best!

Medicinal Herbal Salves: The Recipes
I’m so excited to share these with you in an eBook format! These are not all
of my medicinal salve recipes by any stretch, but these are my favorites
and the ones we keep on hand all the time.
Be sure to read through the herbs in the recipe and read about them in the
first sections of the book. It’s a good idea to do a little extra research on the
herbs, just to give you some enhanced knowledge. You may choose to
leave some out or add others.
The list of herbs is not all-inclusive, so feel free to use other herbs you are
familiar with and want to try.
Also, you’ll probably note that some of the directions (especially for the
medicinal salves) are somewhat repetitious. That’s because they are so
very simple. I purposely started with my easier salves, and they will get
progressively more difficult. But they are still simple to make, overall.

You’ll find all kinds of ways to combine herbs, oils, and additional
ingredients to create first aid and comfort items for your own herbal
apothecary. Best of all, you will be much more self-sufficient once you know
you can create your own remedies!

Lavender Salve
Lavender salve is a lovely, soothing salve that is simple to make. I had a

hard time deciding whether to put this in the medicinal or beauty section of
this book, because it is such a wonderful all-purpose salve.
Here are some of the ways I use Lavender Salve:
1) for soothing tension I rub onto my temples, neck, and around my ears
2) to soothe bug bites and small cuts
3) to shorten the healing time of a sunburn
4) rub onto your chest, neck, and temples to improve your sleep
5) rub a bit behind your ears to soothe motion sickness
6) use it around your ears and neck to help alleviate allergy symptoms
7) just use it on your skin because it smells so delicious and moisturizes
like a charm!
You’ll Need:
• 1 cup of lavender buds

• About 2 cups of olive or almond oil
• 1/4 cup beeswax for each cup of infused oil
• Lavender essential oil—about 50 drops
Directions:
Step 1) Make a lavender infused oil as described on page 25.
Step 2) Follow the directions on page 32 to make your salve.
Step 3) Once your oils and beeswax are melted completely, quickly stir in
your lavender essential oil. You can add more or less as you want. Keep in
mind the scent will dissipate somewhat as the salve firms up.

Herbal Healing Salve
This salve is incredible for soothing and speeding the healing of wounds,
burns, bug bites, and more. There is a mild pain relief factor to this salve,
too.
It includes St. John’s Wort, Plantain, and Comfrey, all of which have
outstanding healing and cell rejuvenation properties.
You’ll Need:
• St. John’s Wort

• Plantain
• Comfrey
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup beeswax
• Lavender or Tea Tree essential oil, about 50 drops
Directions:
Step 1) Create your herb infused oil using equal parts of the St. John’s
Wort, Plantain, and Comfrey. See page 25 for directions.
Step 2) Follow the directions on page 32 to make your salve.
Step 3) Add your essential oils in the quantity you desire, a little more or
less is fine. Keep in mind the lavender and/or tea tree essential oils will add
a synergy to the healing process because they have anti-microbial
properties.

Antibacterial Salve
(How to Make Your Own Neosporin)
The herbs in this salve have strong antibacterial properties, and in my

experience, work just as well as the OTC (over the counter) antibacterial
ointments but without the petrochemicals and toxins. Use this salve on cuts
and wounds you think may have a chance of becoming infected. Always
wash and disinfect the wound as well as you can before applying salve.
You’ll Need:
• Goldenseal leaves
• Myrrh gum powder
• Frankincense & Myrrh essential oils (both work together to help fight
infection)
• 1 cup herb infused olive oil
• 1/4 cup beeswax
Note: Herbal substitutions or additions could also include Chaparral or

Juniper berries which also have excellent anti-bacterial properties.
Essential oil substitutions could include Tea Tree, Lavender, Clove.
Directions:
Step 1) Create your herbal infused oil (see page 24)
Step 2) Follow the basic salve directions on page 32
Step 3) Stir in your essential oils well and pour into your jars!
NOTE: Of course, if you suspect a serious infection or are in doubt, be sure

to seek medical attention.

Arnica Salve
Arnica is well-known to help the body heal from bruises. In fact, plastic
surgeons often recommend patients take tiny arnica tablets a few days
before having surgery to minimize swelling and bruising.
You’ll need to make a double infusion for your Arnica infused oil. I feel this
helps increase its impact even more. To make a double infusion, you create
the first infusion like normal. Strain out the spent herbs. Now take the
infused oil and pour it over another batch of the dried herb. Infuse it again,
just as you did the first time.
You’ll Need:
• 1 cup double infused arnica oil (see page 25)

• 1/4 cup beeswax
• Geranium, Lavender, & Lemongrass essential oils in equal parts
Directions:

Skin Support Salve (Calendula Salve)
I love calendula. It’s literally one of my favorite herbs. You can eat it, it’s
perfect in all kinds of preparations, including teas, tinctures, infused oils,
vinegars, and more. Plus, it’s a gorgeous flower! This salve is meant to
support skin health. If you are itchy or have a skin condition, try this
calendula salve!
You’ll Need:
• 1 cup calendula infused oil (it will be golden—so beautiful)

• 1/4 cup beeswax
• Skin supporting essential oils such as Frankincense, Helichrysum, and
Lavender in amounts you like. All of these essential oils are exceptional
for skin health.
Directions:

Cold Sore Relief Salve
I created this recipe for cold sore salve because I experience vicious
breakouts on my hip, of all places. They are excruciating. This salve helps
calm and soothe them because of the amino acid, L-Lysine, and the special
nervine herbs it contains. You can read a complete description and to-do
list for cold sores in this article, if you like. Cold Sore Pain Relief Salve and
Why It Works
This cold sore salve is effective because of several factors. The L-Lysine is
an essential amino acid that has been proven to help with herpes, shingles,
etc. Along with the calming Lemon Balm, this is a power-packed duo to
fight against the pain and the length of time the sore is active.
I included peppermint essential oil because it is cooling; the tea tree

because of its additional anti-viral properties; and the wintergreen for the
pain. The clove essential oil has numbing actions, which also helps with the
pain.
NOTE: You can also take L-Lysine internally. In fact taking it every day is a
good idea because it helps bolster your body against the onslaught of cold
sore outbreaks.
You’ll Need:
• 1 cup Lemon balm infused oil

• 1/4 cup Beeswax
• 1 tablespoon L-Lysine powder
• 30 drops peppermint essential oil (cooling),
• 20 drops tea tree essential oil (contains anti-viral properties)
• 20 drops wintergreen essential oil (not for use with children, though, as
they may lick their lips—-wintergreen is a pain reliever as it contains
salicylate)
• 20 drops of clove essential oil as it is numbing
NOTE: This is a large amount of essential oil, so make adjustments as you

need. I make this strong for myself.

Herbal Substitutions or Additions: You could substitute or add in St. John’s
Wort as it has some great nervine actions too.
Directions:
Step 1) Make your herb infused oil (see page 25)
Step 2) Take 4 or 5 *1,000 mg L-Lysine tablets and grind them into as fine a
powder as you can.
Step 3) Create your basic salve using the infused oil and beeswax like
normal. See page 32 for complete directions.
Step 4) Remove your oil and beeswax mixture from the double boiler and
immediately add your essential oils.
Step 5) Now add your L-Lysine powder, stirring constantly to prevent as

much settling as you can.
Step 6) Pour the liquid into your salve tins, stirring as you need to in
between pours.
Step 7) Allow to set up until firm.
To Use:
Dab this salve onto cold sores, shingles, or herpes that occur on skin (not
in an area with mucous membranes, like the genital area—-that would be a
burning no-no).
For adults, do not lick your lips while using salve. For children, consider
leaving out the Wintergreen if you think they will lick their lips. Wintergreen
(and any essential oil, for that matter) should not be taken internally. Also,
wintergreen is thought to be toxic in different amounts for different people
when taken internally.  

 

Vapor Rub Salve—A Natural Congestion Fighter
This salve is just wonderful for helping clear the sinuses during cold, flu, or
allergy season. It contains powerful and effective essential oils that help
open and soothe sinus passages.
Although there are no herbs involved in this original recipe, next time I
make this salve I plan to use Mullein and Marshmallow herbs infused in the
oil. Mullein is a wonderful herb for supporting bronchial health, and
Marshmallow is soothing to the sinuses, due to its demulcent properties.
You’ll Need:
• 1 cup almond oil (I used almond oil in this recipe because it soaks into
the skin better than olive oil)
• 1/4 cup beeswax
• Essential Oils:
• 15 drops eucalyptus
• 15 drops camphor
• 15 drops peppermint
• 10 drops pine
• 5 drops clary sage
• 5 drops ginger
• 5 drops lavender
• 5 drops rosemary
Yes, I know this is a lot of different essential oils. But these work
synergistically together to relieve congestion supremely well. You are
welcome to make adjustments, though! Also, this is also heavy on the
essential oils. You can cut the amounts roughly in half, especially if you are
using with children. It is better to start out lighter with essential oils and
increase their strength little by little.

Safety Note: There has been some controversy about using eucalyptus
essential oil with children, although it’s been used for decades. Do your
research and decide if perhaps you want to leave it out.
Directions:
Step 1) Unless you choose to infuse mullein and/or marshmallow, there are
no herbs to infuse in oil.
Step 2) Melt your oil and beeswax together (see pg. 32)
Step 3) Once melted, stir the essential oils in well.
Step 4) Pour into your salve jars or tins.
To Use:
Rub this salve on your chest, around your ears, and neck.

Joint and Back Pain Support Salve
This formulation is one of my favorites for helping with arthritic joints, sore
joints, twisted joints, back pains in the spine, and just being a nice-smelling
warming, soothing salve. The lovely orange color is just beautiful too!
The medicinal properties of this salve come from the Cayenne and Ginger
herbs. Cayenne contains capsaicin, which is wonderful for the joints, and
the ginger is anti-inflammatory, while also being warming. I have heard that
using Cayenne daily on joints may actually improve arthritic symptoms.
Be careful with this salve, because it is HOT if you accidentally get it into
your eyes. And definitely do not use this on sensitive areas on your body or
those with mucous membranes.
Also, be prepared for this salve to itch a little, initially, especially if you use
cayenne with a higher heat unit rating. The itchy feeling will subside, but it
may be uncomfortable for some. You might want to start out with a lower
heat rating, see how that does, then increase it if you need more relief or if
it’s not working well.
NOTE: The cayenne powder comes in something called “heat units.” It’s
basically an indication of how hot the cayenne is. The greater the heat
units, the more effective (and warm on your skin) it may be.
You’ll need:
• Cayenne powder, at least 90K heat units, and I’ve used up to 160K heat
units
• Dried Ginger chips (optional, but I like to infuse them with the Cayenne if
I have them)
• 1 cup total infused oil (see page 25)
• 1/4 cup beeswax
• Ginger essential oil, about 30-50 drops
Directions:

Step 1) Follow the directions for making infused oil on page 25.
Step 2) Follow the directions to make your basic salve on page 32.
Step 3) Add your essential oil at the end, stir well, and pour into your
containers.
To Use:
Massage into painful areas, such as your finger joints, knee, elbow joints or
your back. I use this on my lumbar area because I have back issues in my
L4-and L5 discs. This is one of the ways I manage that pain naturally.
**Be sure to wash your hands REALLY well, and again, don’t touch your
eyes, mouth, or other areas that are highly sensitive. Trust me on this.

Sore Muscle Rub
This simple salve contains Wintergreen essential oil as the main pain
easing component.
Arnica herb also helps with surface inflammation, so I use the infused oil for
this salve. You can also use St. John’s Wort infused oil, or a combination of
Arnica and St. John’s Wort to infuse your oil.
A note about Wintergreen: It contains a high level of methyl salicylate,

which is an aspirin-like compound. Like aspirin, it can thin the blood, so if
you are using blood thinners, you might want to avoid this salve before
talking with your doctor. Also, pregnant or nursing women should avoid
using wintergreen.
Again—I keep stating this, but it’s worth repeating: If you are using
medications, are elderly, have a compromised immune system, are
pregnant, nursing, or for children: be sure to seek advice from your medical
doctor.
Essential oil dilution rates for an approximate cup of oil: 3% is around 90

drops of essential oil, and 5% is approximately 150 drops of essential oil.
These are not perfectly exact, but will give you a bit of a guideline.
A 5% dilution rate is fairly strong and some say should not be used
consistently. It’s only for very acute conditions. And for further reference, 1
teaspoon of essential oil is roughly equivalent to 100 drops of essential oil.
And, 1 teaspoon of wintergreen essential oil (I have read in the past) is
about the same as 20 aspirin tablets.
When I make this salve for our personal use, I do a higher amount of
essential oils, but I am educated about the risks, and we are not on any
medications or have health issues, and only used topically. Just be sure to
do your due diligence.
And just one more note about wintergreen: It should never be used
internally, as it can be toxic in even small amounts for some people. Just be

aware of these factors, perhaps do some additional research, and see how
you feel about it. I know I keep stating this, and I don’t mean to frighten you
away from wintergreen, but these are things to know. I happen to love my
wintergreen essential oil and use it often. But you need to make your own
decisions.
With all that said, this salve can be used for typical pains such as frozen
shoulder, rheumatoid arthritis, sore muscles, back and neck issues,
cartilage injury, and bone spurs.
You’ll Need:
• 1 cup Arnica and/ St. John’s Wort infused oil (see page 25)
• 1/4 cup beeswax
• Wintergreen essential oil.
Directions:
Step 1) Infuse your oil with the herbs, Arnica and St. John’s Wort if you
wish. See page 25 for directions.
Step 2) Create your salve following the directions on page 32.
Step 3) Add your chosen amount of essential oil once the oil and beeswax
has melted together. Stir well, and pour into your containers. Allow to set up
until firm.
To Use:
Rub into painful areas.

Anti-Itch Salve
This is one of my favorite medicinal salves, and I often use it as a

moisturizer because it smells great and works well for general use too. It’s
great for bug bites, itchy skin, and dry skin. This salve may help with
eczema.
I make this with calendula infused oil, but you can also use chickweed,
which is wonderful for the skin. You can combine the herbs together, too! :-)
The honey used in this recipe is naturally soothing and healing, as well as
having anti-microbial properties. Oatmeal is soothing for the skin.
I chose the essential oils especially for their helpfulness and support for the
skin. Patchouli is soothing and anti-inflammatory, frankincense is just an
overall fabulous essential oil for the skin (I use it daily on my face),
peppermint is cooling and soothing, tea tree essential oil helps with the
itching and has a slight numbing action, and lavender is one of the best all-
around healing essential oils.
You’ll Need:
• 1 cup calendula infused oil

• 1/4 cup beeswax
• 2 tsp raw honey
• 1 tsp finely ground oatmeal powder (I just added oats to my spice
grinder)
• 15-20 drops patchouli essential oil
• 15 drops frankincense essential oil
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
Directions:
Step 1) Follow the directions on page 25 to make your infused oil.

Step 2) Melt your infused oil and beeswax together (no other ingredients
yet) until liquid. See page 32 for basic salve directions.
Step 3) Allow it to cool slightly after removing it from the heat. Stir in the
honey really well.
Step 4) Add your essential oils and stir in well.
Step 5) Now add in your finely ground oatmeal. You’ll have to keep stirring
as you pour it into your containers to keep it from settling. I poured the
containers about half full. Then I came back around and (stirring rather
constantly still) filled them up. It’s a trick to keep it suspended as long as
possible while the salve sets up.
That’s it! Enjoy this beautiful salve!

Black Drawing Salve
Here is another of my favorite salves, and I make sure to have this around
ALL the time. As homesteaders, we are always out working with our hands,
and that means splinters! Besides helping draw out splinters, this salve will
help draw out all kinds of foreign bodies, including glass, cactus spines,
rocks, etc. It’s great for pulling out toxins, cleaning up your skin, and for
general healing too. Try it on acne and pimples, as charcoal is a good
detoxifier for the skin in general.
The primary ingredient in this salve that gives it its “drawing” nature is
activated charcoal. It’s been used for thousands of years as a detoxifier
and purifier. The charcoal helps clean the wound and literally draw out the
object.
The herbs: St. John’s wort and plantain are for speeding wound healing.
You can even make a poultice out of plantain by chewing up a couple of
leaves and applying it to the wound if you are out in the woods or fields and
something happens! (Just a little tip I thought I’d throw in there—)
The comfrey is optional. I personally like to use it because it speeds healing

and helps close up the skin. However, some people feel it may close the
skin before the offending object can be pulled out. If you like, you can do a
little more research on comfrey, and make your own call on this.
Other ingredients: The addition of castor oil helps give this salve a bit of
slip, besides being anti-microbial. The bentonite clay enhances the action
of the charcoal.
My husband swears by this salve, and he uses it often. It’s never failed,
and we have seen some pretty remarkable things with it.
You’ll Need:
• A scant 1/3 cup of the herb infused oil (see pg 25)

• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons castor oil
• 2 1/2 to 3 teaspoons beeswax

• 1 tablespoon activated charcoal
• 1 tablespoon bentonite clay
• 30-50 drops each of clove (numbs pain) essential oil, rosemary essential
oil, and lavender essential oil (rosemary and lavender are anti-septic)
Directions:
Step 1) Create your infused oil (see page 25)
Step 2) Liquify the beeswax and the infused oil (see page 32)
Step 3) Add the charcoal and bentonite clay. Stir really well. Some will
settle, but that’s ok for now.
Step 4) Immediately add your essential oils and stir, stir, stir!
Step 5) Pour your salve into your containers, stirring between pours to help
alleviate settling of the heavier ingredients.
Step 6) I like to put this salve in the freezer for a few minutes so it can set
up quickly. If it’s really runny, this is a necessary step.
Step 7) After it is completely set up, enjoy!

Salves and Balms for Beauty and Fun: The Recipes
Using herbs and essential oils in your salve and balm creations not only
gives you some pretty incredible medicinal remedies, but you’ll find in this
next section some fun ways to create salves for beauty and fun!
Many of these recipes make excellent gifts too. For example, when paired
up with matching soap or sugar scrub, a nice salve makes a great addition
to a cute gift basket! (If you want to learn how to make hot process soap
and customize it using herbs, clays, essential oils, and more, take a look at
my eBook, Creating Hot Process Soap.)
Making salves and balms pretty much follows the same general directions
as the medicinal salves. However, I use different containers for some of
these recipes, and rely more heavily on essential oils for scent.
For the medicinal salves, a tin or container is just fine, and those will also
work for these body and beauty salves/balms. However, you might want to
experiment with making push up sticks, like you see with deodorant and lip
balm tubes. You can find push up sticks in all sizes for pouring salves into
for stick deodorant, bug repellents, and lip balms. I can’t link to Amazon in
my book (due to regulations), but here is my resource page that may help.

Natural Deodorants:
Natural deodorants can be a little tricky getting used to. For one thing, they
do not have all the toxic chemicals that store bought deodorants have.
Also, they may contain baking soda, which can be a skin irritant at first for
some people.
If you’ve been using commercial deodorant for a long time, you may need
to give your body a chance to detox from the chemicals. You may sweat
more, break out in a rash for a little while, or you may be fortunate and not
experience any of this!
My advice is to be patient as your body adjusts. Give it at least a month.

You will most likely love the outcome! I sweat less and smell less after
many years of not using store-bought deodorants. And, in this regard, I am
chemical free! Three wins!
The Most Basic Deodorant Recipe
You’ll Need:
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon beeswax
• 5 drops lemon essential oil
Directions:
Create a salve as described on page 32 with the olive oil and beeswax.
Add in your essential oils and stir well. Pour this into a salve container.
NOTE: Because this deodorant doesn’t have any powders to soak up the oil, you may
end up with a greasy area on your clothes. Go easy on this deodorant.  

Favorite Deodorant Recipe
This has been my go-to deodorant recipe for many years. It never fails. I
love this stuff! If you want to read a little about my personal natural
deodorant history, you may enjoy this article: Antiperspirants and
Deodorants: Should You be Worried?
You may have noticed that many natural deodorants contain coconut oil. I
have learned through some uncomfortable trial and error that I’m allergic to
it on my skin. So all my body care recipes do not contain it, including my
deodorant. If you would like to use coconut oil, go ahead and substitute it
for the shea butter if you like.
You’ll Need:
• 3 tbsp shea butter

• 2 1/2 tbsp baking soda (helps with odor)
• 3 tbsp arrowroot powder (helps keep the oils from damaging clothes and
gives it a nice feel)
• 2 tbsp cocoa butter
• 3 drops or so of Vitamin E oil, as a light preservative (optional)
• 20-40 drops of your favorite essential oils
Note about the essential oils: The BEST anti-bacterial (and therefore smell
repelling) essential oils I’ve tried are lavender, tea tree, rosemary, and
eucalyptus. Feel free to use these alone or in blends.
If you want other scents (like tangerine, one of my favorites), consider

mixing it with one of the more anti-microbial essential oils above for best
results.
Directions:
Step 1) Place the butters into your double boiler (see page 32) and melt
together.

Step 2) Remove from heat and quickly stir in your powders (baking soda
and arrowroot powder) as well as your essential oils. Stir well.
Step 3) Pour into your container. Stir as you go, if you can, to keep the
powders suspended in the liquid.
Step 4) Place your container(s) into the freezer or fridge for about 20
minutes to an hour to completely set up.
Step 5) Enjoy! If you let your deodorant get too cold, that’s ok. It will thaw.
It’s also firmer in the winter time because of the colder temperatures. That’s
ok. It will melt with your body heat.
To Use:
Apply a pea-sized bit to the skin under each armpit.

A More Fancy Deodorant Recipe: Mango, Spearmint &
Lime Deodorant
Sometimes a girl just wants to be a little fancy. I got tired of using my good
old same old Favorite Deodorant a couple of months ago, so I came up
with this variation!
You’ll Need:
• 5 tbsp mango butter

• 1 tsp shea butter
• 4 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 4 tbsp baking soda
• 50 drops lime essential oil
• 20 drops spearmint essential oil
• 5-10 drops lemongrass essential oil
Directions:
Step 1) Melt your butters in your double boiler set up (see page 32)
Step 2) Remove from heat and immediately add the powders
Step 3) Stir in your essential oils well.
Step 4) Pour into your container of choice
Step 5) Refrigerate for about an hour or so to help it set.

Lotion Bars & Balms
These are salves that are firmer, to the point we can actually call them a
balm. They are not going to be super soft, and they require body heat to
help them melt into your skin. The good thing about this is that you’ll get the
perfect amount of product!
Hard balms are wonderful for helping heal cracked skin, such as dry heels,
elbows, knees, and cuticles. They can also be used as a general
moisturizer on your body and for chapped skin and lips.
I like to tuck my lotion bars into small tins that screw shut (so they won’t
accidentally leak melted product if the day is hot) and carry them with me
instead of bulky bottles of lotion.
You can experiment with the scents, too, and create the perfect lotion bar
for you! I’ve included three of my recipes, the basic, a scented, and one for
repelling insects. These will give you the basics along with some ideas!
Branch out and get creative. Consider making your own solid perfume
balms!
To make lotion bars, it’s best if you have small silicone molds (like the
Wilton candy molds) unless you are using the stick style container. Flat tins
work well too.

 

Basic Lotion Bar Recipe
This is a basic recipe. It’s my foundation for many of my fancier ones, in

fact. Just play around with the butters and scents, and you can create all
kinds of original lotion bars!
You’ll Need:
• 2 tbsp shea butter

• 2 tbsp calendula infused almond oil (see directions on page 25)
• 2 tbsp organic beeswax
• Around 20 drops essential oil(s) of your choice.
Directions:
Step 1) Melt your butter, infused oil, and beeswax together in your double
boiler, just as you did with your salves (see page 32).
Step 2) Remove from the heat and stir your essential oil choices in well.
Step 3) Pour into your small candy molds or stick and allow to set up for a
few hours until completely hardened.
Here is an example of a small silicone mold with an egg for size-reference.

Cocoa-Tangerine Lotion Bars
Here’s a fun lotion bar recipe that smells just divine. The tangerine uplifts
the senses, and the slight cocoa scent comes from unrefined cocoa butter,
which is supremely moisturizing.
You’ll Need:
• 2 tbsp unrefined cocoa butter

• 2 tbsp calendula infused almond oil (see page 25 for directions)
• 2 tbsp organic beeswax
• 15-20 drops tangerine essential oil
Directions:
Step 1) Melt your butter, infused oil, and beeswax in your double boiler (see
page 32)
Step 2) Remove from heat and stir in your essential oil.
Step 3) Pour into your mold or stick.
Step 4) Enjoy!

Bug BE-GONE Stick
I created this insect repellent stick after a serious infestation of wasps this
summer. It was horrible. There were three scents that worked well, so I
came to create a spray with them that worked fabulously. Then I decided to
also turn it into a convenient carry around balm!
I put mine into a stick, but you could also use the silicone molds for this too.
This recipe makes about 2 1/2 ounces, which will fill two one ounce push
up tubes.
You’ll Need:
• 1/8 cup olive oil

• 1/8 cup shea butter
• 1/8 cup beeswax pellets
• 40 drops citronella essential oil
• 30 drops lemongrass essential oil
• 10 drops neem oil
Directions:
Step 1) Measure out the olive oil, shea butter, and beeswax into your
double boiler (pg. 32)
Step 2) Heat on low until fully melted.
Step 3) Remove from heat and add your essential oils and neem oil.
Step 4) Carefully pour into your push up tubes or silicone molds. Leave
alone until they are completely hardened and set.
To Use:
Rub over your exposed skin, and the wasps and mosquitoes will stay away!
If you find it doesn’t work, just increase the amount of essential oil used.  

Special Beauty Recipes
The next few recipes are those I use for my skincare and tired feet. I think
you’ll like these!
These are freshly picked Calendula flowers. To infuse, be sure they are completely
dried. The flower is what you place in the oil, and the petals hold most of the herbal
benefits.

Mocha Tightening Eye Cream with Caffeine
I love this simple recipe for under eye cream. The caffeine from the coffee
infused oil actually helps tighten up the skin and helps reduce bags. The
other oils add even more skin rejuvenating effects.
NOTE: The herbal oil infusion used here is created with fresh caffeinated
coffee grounds. Just fill your jar about 1/3 of the way and cover with almond
oil. I recommend almond oil because it soaks into your skin well.
This salve will be a light brown color, but don’t worry. It won’t show up on
your skin. And…if you love the smell of coffee, you’ll love this salve!
You’ll Need:
• 2/3 cups coffee infused almond oil (you could also add some chickweed
to this oil infusion as it has great skin benefits too) See page 25 for
complete directions on infusing oils with herbs.
• 1/3 cup beeswax
• 1 tsp Jojoba oil
• 1 tsp Vitamin E
• Optional: A few drops of Frankincense or Helichrysum essential oils,
which are terrific for the skin.
Directions:
Step 1) Melt your infused oil and beeswax together (see page 32 for
complete directions)
Step 2) Remove from heat and stir in the jojoba oil, vitamin E, and essential
oils if using.
Step 3) Pour into your tins and allow to set up.
NOTE: This makes a four ounce salve jar full, which is a LOT. If you don’t
want this much, just reduce the amount proportionately.

Cream Body Butter
This is a basic body butter recipe for you to play around with. I started out
making it with coconut oil instead of the shea butter, and my skin couldn’t
take the itching (as I’m allergic to coconut oil). So, if you love coconut oil
and want to use it, go ahead and substitute it for the shea butter.
You’ll Need:
• 1/2 cup calendula infused almond oil (see page 25)

• 1/4 cup shea butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa butter
• 1 tbsp beeswax
• Essential oils of your choice (optional)
Directions:
Step 1) Melt your infused almond oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, and
beeswax together in a double boiler (see page 32)
Step 2) Remove from heat and stir in your essential oils if using
Step 3) Pour into your container(s) and allow to set up completely.
NOTE: This makes about 8 ounces of product. If you only want about 4
ounces, just cut it in half.
To Use:
A little of this goes a LONG way, so start out with a small amount. It’s a
great cream for those cold winter days when your skin gets really dry.

End of the Day Refreshing Foot Salve
This recipe contains menthol crystals, which are extremely cooling. This
salve will refresh and invigorate your legs and feet at the end of a long
tiring day or first thing in the morning as you head out the door! Don’t use it
right before bed, though, because the tingling menthol may keep you
awake!
Another difference with this recipe, is you’ll have to measure out the
ingredients by the ounce using a digital kitchen scale (except for the
beeswax—I just use about a tablespoon). This is so the menthol is not too
overpowering.
The essential oils serve a few purposes: a lovely scent that goes along with
the menthol, invigorating (peppermint), circulation enhancing (rosemary),
and anti-fungal (tea tree).
You’ll Need:
• 2 ounces shea butter

• 1 ounce cocoa butter
• 1/2 (0.5) ounce almond oil
• 1/4 ounce (0.25) menthol crystals
• About a tablespoon beeswax pellets
• 10 drops rosemary essential oil
Directions:
Step 1) Melt your butters, almond oil, and beeswax together (see page 32)
Step 2) Add the menthol crystals while still on low heat and stir until they
are completely melted into the liquid.
Step 3) Remove from the heat and add your essential oils.

Step 4) Quickly pour into your container and allow to set up.
To Use:
Start out with a small amount and see how your feet and legs do. The
menthol can be REALLY cooling to some people with sensitive skin, so be
aware of this.
Slip on a comfy pair of socks, put your feet up (if you are able—I know we
are all so busy), and enjoy!

Floral Beauty Salves
These are flower infused oil based salves, much like the medicinal salves
at the beginning of the book. But they smell wonderful, are moisturizing,
and I will often just use these instead of lotion. Enjoy!
Chamomile & Lavender Beauty Salve
Soothing and sweet, this salve is a wonderful way to relax at the end of
your work day or before bed. You can use it all over, or just rub it into your
temples.
You’ll Need:
• 1 cup chamomile & lavender infused almond oil or olive oil (see page 25
for directions)
• 1/4 cup beeswax
• 15-20 drops chamomile essential oil
Directions:
Step 1) Melt your infused oil and beeswax together (see page 32)
Step 2) Remove from heat and stir in your essential oils.
Step 3) Pour into your container(s) and leave alone until set up and
completely cooled.

Rose Petal Salve
This is another wonderful, soothing salve. It’s one of my favorites, and I

keep a little tin on the kitchen window sill to use after I’m done with the
dishes. I also use this salve on my face at times.
Roses help your emotions, soothe grief, and heal the heart. Although I
didn’t use any true rose essential oil because it is WAY too expensive, the
oils I did use smell similar and provide similar properties without denting
your pocket book too much. This recipe makes about 5 ounces—a four
ounce jar plus a little extra.
You’ll Need:
• 1/2 cup rose petal infused almond or olive oil. **Be sure the rose petals
you use are organic and not sprayed with pesticide. See the directions
for infusing oil on page 25)
• 1 tablespoon powdered dried rose petals (optional, but I love them in this
salve)
• 1/2 tsp Alkanet infused olive oil for a hint of color (optional)
• 1/8 cup beeswax
• 40 drops geranium (rose geranium) essential oil
• 60 drops Love Vanilla essential oil blend from Plant Therapy OR 40
drops vanilla essential oil and 20 drops ylang yang essential oil)
Directions:
Step 1) Combine the infused oil and beeswax in a double boiler (see page
32)
Step 2) Heat on low until the beeswax is melted.
Step 3) Remove from heat and stir in your essential oils and your rose petal
powder (if using).
Step 4) Try to stir occasionally as your are pouring your salve mixture into
your jars to keep the petal powder suspended as much as possible.

Step 5) Allow the salves to cool completely.
The little brown bits in the picture are pieces of the rose petal powder. It
doesn’t affect the salve, and I think it gives it a little extra plant power. If you
don’t like the appearance, just leave it out.

How to Create Your Own Salves, Butters, and
Balms
I am a big fan of experimenting! By now, if you’ve made even a few of the

recipes in this book, you are probably very familiar with the salve-making
process. With this basic knowledge, you are now ready to branch out and
try using different oils, herbs, essential oils, powders, clays, and other
things to create your very own medicinal and body care salve recipes!
Exciting, right?
It can be a little intimidating to start trying to create your very own recipes,
but it’s worth doing it! Is everything always going to work out perfectly?
Probably not. My own experiments haven’t all been perfect, and I’ve
scrapped quite a few of them, while figuring things out. And that’s ok! This
is how you improve and learn, right?
That’s part of the process of being an herbalist. Experimenting with plants,

oils, butters, and other ingredients will make you a stronger and more self-
sufficient herbalist/homesteader/homemaker or however you identify
yourself.
Here are the basic steps to keep in mind as you begin creating your very
own salves, balms, and ointments.
** Choose Your Herbs
Think about what purpose you want your salve to fulfill? Do you want it to
be medicinal? For skincare? For just plain fun? Use the herb chart at the
beginning of this book and do a little research to find herbs you want to use
specifically for your own salve. Then start infusing the ones you want to try

in the oil of your choice. You’re going to love how the look on shelves in
your home!
** Choose Your Oils & Butters
You may have a good idea about what kind of oil you like to use. Think
about the properties you would like your salve to have, and choose oils and
butters that will help you reach your goals. Do some further research if you
like. The list at the beginning of this book is just a start!
** Think About Other Ingredients
Is there something else you’d like to try adding? Honey? Oat powder?
Clay? Spirulina? Charcoal? It’s endless, my friend!
And essential oils? They just add more impact to your salve creations! Be
sure to do research (I know I keep saying that, but this book is definitely not
the be-all, end-all) to be sure the essential oils you will be using are
suitable for your needs.
** Now Just Experiment!
First, combine your infused oils and beeswax and melt together in your
double boiler (pg. 32)
Then remove from the heat source and quickly stir in your other
ingredients.
Finally, pour your liquid into your containers and let them firm up and cool
completely.
Make adjustments if you need to! You can always make changes—-

** Keep a Notebook
If you are going to begin experimenting, please don’t skip this! I neglected
to write quite a few of my experiments down in the beginning and I regret
that. It’s really fun to go back over your old notebooks and remember what
you did back then. Also, you’ll remember what did and didn’t work well, and
that will help you build your own foundation!
Right now, I have seven notebooks filled with recipes for teas, tinctures,
soaps, salves, beauty items, liniments, vinegars, home brews, and more. It
seems crazy, but over the years, I have compiled quite a collection. When I
was perusing them for recipes to include in this book that I had long
forgotten, I was so surprised at how much knowledge these notebooks
contained.
These notebooks are some of my personal treasures, and I hope you will
create and keep your own notebook treasures too. 

Conclusion
Thank you for purchasing my book! I hope you’ll consider keeping in touch!
I’d love to hear from you about your own herbal journey and creating your own salves,
oils, butters, and balms! You can join our community by following me on Instagram,
Facebook, and Pinterest.
Another way to keep in touch is by signing up to receive the weekly newsletter. I provide
valuable tips, recipes, or information not found on the blog; an section for inspiration; a
behind the scenes look at our life; and the current week’s articles of note!
When you subscribe to receive the weekly newsletter, I will also send you three free
eBooks. One is “How to Use Herbs to Relax,” which is filled with recipes and remedies.
Another is a small collection of favorite essential oil blends, and the last one is a mini-
eBook about how to start your own homestead no matter where you live.
And don’t forget to visit www.healingharvesthomestead.com often for lots of new

homestead experiences and information on herbalism, using essential oils, gardening,
raising livestock on a small property, food and remedy recipes, and emergency
preparedness.
I hope you have fun making your herbal creations and sharing them with friends and
family. Some of my own friends have even begun selling their products to make a little
extra income!
However you decide to use your knowledge, I hope you experience all the joy that
comes with learning this new skill.
Hugs, Health, and Self-Reliance,
Heidi

Resources
Herbs:
Most of the items in this book can be purchased on Amazon. However, I like to get my
dried herbs from Starwest Botanicals. I even use them for my tea blends I don’t make
myself and culinary spices.
Essential Oils:
My favorite companies to purchase good quality, decent priced essential oils are
Starwest Botanicals, Plant Therapy, and Rocky Mountain Oils in no particular order.
Containers:
I generally shop through Amazon, however Specialty Bottle Company has some great
options and no minimums. Here is a link to the Resources page on my website, which
will have Amazon links.
Bulk Butters & Oils:
Some, like coconut oil and olive oil, I buy at Costco. Others that are more difficult to find
I either purchase at Starwest Botanicals, Bulk Apothecary, or Mountain Rose Herbs.
Specialty Ingredients:
These I generally find on Amazon for good prices. However, I will visit one of the online
shops mentioned above too. Here is my resource page on the website for ideas.
Education:
Want to learn more about using herbs? I recommend The Herbal Academy of New
England. They have classes for literally everyone from beginner to advanced, as well as
smaller courses on specific topics. I love this online school!
Books:
These are all great resources for your salve-making, and ones I refer to all the time:
101 Easy Homemade Products for your Skin, Health, & Home by Jan Berry
Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World by Kelly Coyne

Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide by Rosemary Gladstar
Organic Body Care by Stephanie Tourles

The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood
And there are many other books I own and love to use. These seem to just pop off my
shelf the most often! I’ve got these and others listed in my Resources page too.
You may also be interested in other eBooks I’ve written:
Hot Process Soap: How to Create Your Own Handmade Soaps with Confidence
Natural Cold & Flu Care—-Get Your Homemade Remedies Ready Now
How to Create Your Own Herbal Teas for Health & Pleasure

Herbal Salves Oils Butters Balms

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1 Healing Harvest Homestead

Herbal Salves, Oils, and Balms

2 Healing Harvest Homestead

I have a gift for you!

The discount code is UBTHANKYOU

The Confident Herbalist: A Guide to Home Herbalism

3 Healing Harvest Homestead

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and in no manner, stated or implied, is any

4 Healing Harvest Homestead

I’m Heidi Villegas, and I write at my blog, Healing Harvest Homestead

5 Healing Harvest Homestead

Herbs for Making Your Body Products 9

Where to Get Your Herbs and Essential Oils 15

Fresh Herbs? Or Dried? How to Dry Your Herbs 17

What are the Best Oils to Use in Making Body Products? 19

My Favorite Oils & Butters to Use in Making Body Products List: 20

Other Useful Oils & Butters: 22

How to Make an Herbal Infused Oil 26

The Slow Way: 26

The Quick Way: 28

For Both Methods: 28

About the Beeswax 30

Salves, Balms, & Ointments: What’s the Diﬀerence? 31

Adding Additional Ingredients: 32

How to Make a Basic Salve 33

Storing Your Salve: 34

A Note About Measuring: Volume vs. Weight 34

Tips for Making Great Salves: 35

Medicinal Herbal Salves: The Recipes 36

Herbal Healing Salve 39

6 Healing Harvest Homestead

(How to Make Your Own Neosporin) 40

Skin Support Salve (Calendula Salve) 42

Cold Sore Relief Salve 43

Vapor Rub Salve—A Natural Congestion Fighter 46

Joint and Back Pain Support Salve 48

Sore Muscle Rub 50

Black Drawing Salve 54

Salves and Balms for Beauty and Fun: The Recipes 56

The Most Basic Deodorant Recipe 57

Favorite Deodorant Recipe 58

A More Fancy Deodorant Recipe: Mango, Spearmint & Lime Deodorant 60

Lotion Bars & Balms 61

Basic Lotion Bar Recipe 63

Cocoa-Tangerine Lotion Bars 64

Bug BE-GONE Stick 65

Special Beauty Recipes 66

Mocha Tightening Eye Cream with Caﬀeine 67

Cream Body Butter 68

End of the Day Refreshing Foot Salve 69

Floral Beauty Salves 71

Chamomile & Lavender Beauty Salve 71

Rose Petal Salve 72

How to Create Your Own Salves, Butters, and Balms 74

** Choose Your Herbs 74

** Choose Your Oils & Butters 75

** Think About Other Ingredients 75

** Now Just Experiment! 75

7 Healing Harvest Homestead

8 Healing Harvest Homestead

CALENDULA: One of my favorite flowers to use in making all kinds of

9 Healing Harvest Homestead

CHAPARRAL: I grew up with this desert plant growing in my backyard.

The Confident Herbalist: A Guide to Home Herbalism 