healing salve Archives - Soap Deli News

Simple Plantain Salve Recipe in Natural Cocoa Mint

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October 16, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon Leave a Comment

This simple plantain salve recipe is naturally scented with a lovely cocoa mint fragrance. Lovingly crafted with ingredients like roasted cocoa butter and plantain herbal oil, this natural herbal salve is a must for your herbal apothecary. Use this multi-functional, natural skin care product on eczema prone or dry skin, minor cuts and scratches or as a natural lip balm for seasonal winter skin care.

When I was a little girl I used to pick the leaves from weeds to make play salads for my parents. What I didn’t realize then was that those leaves I picked were actually edible! It wasn’t until many years later, long after I stopped making dirt pots and grass dolls, that I discovered that the weed I was so fond of, was actually an herb. That herb was plantain.

What is Plantain?

Plantain is a common broad-leaf herb commonly mistaken for a weed. This healthy, hardy plant can be found in backyards across North America and is nutritionally similar to dandelion leaves. Used medicinally by cultures around the world, plantain is a common herbal home remedy for both nutritional and topical skin care applications.

Nutritional Benefits of Plantain

Plantain leaves are best consumed while still young and tender. They have a nutty asparagus like taste that is delicious when pan fried or when added to salads. A naturally healthy herb, plantain leaves offer the following nutritional support (source):

Maintains healthy cholesterol levels
Can offer relief from irritable bowel syndrome
Calms irritation from constipation or diarrhea
Offers relief from hemorrhoids
Helps with indigestion and ulcers
Supports healthy kidneys and bladder function

You don’t have to eat plantain leaves to enjoy their nutritional benefits, however. You can also get herbal support through tinctures for cleansing & detox. Or enjoy a natural herbal tea made using organic dried plantain leaves.

Skin Care Benefits of Plantain

In addition to nutritional support, plantain leaves are also lovely when infused in a carrier oil for topical skin care applications. There are a number of natural skin care products that would benefit from the inclusion of plantain herbal oil. These products include after sun moisturizers, burn relief balms, creams or lotions for eczema or dry skin, and anti-itch salves for insect and spider bites.

Dr. Christopher’s Stings and Bites, for example, is a top selling plantain ointment. It’s crafted with natural herb constituents like plantain leaf, extra virgin olive oil and beeswax to reduce and relieve the pain, swelling and itching caused by insect stings and bites.

Due to plantain’s herbal skin care properties, it’s often used as a key ingredient for the following topical skin care applications to promote skin health:

Minor burns and sunburns
Minor cuts, scratches and lesions
Rashes and skin inflammation
Psoriasis and eczema
Dry or chapped skin or lips

To learn more about medicinal plants and herbs, be sure to check out the book, Making Plant Medicine, by Richo Chec.

Formulating An Herbal Plantain Salve Recipe

Mountain Rose Herbs has a new roasted cocoa butter available that I really wanted to try. So I was really pleased when it arrived at my doorstep last week. This stuff smells amazing. I love that it’s suited for both food and cosmetic use.

As it smells so wonderful, however, I really wanted to create a product that would highlight the natural scent of the roasted cocoa butter. I also knew I wanted something to create a natural skin care product that would be suitable for seasonal skin care and gift giving. Therefore, in the end, I opted for crafting a simple plantain salve recipe with a cocoa mint scent.

I love the simplicity of my natural plantain salve recipe. It’s formulated using just five simple ingredients – roasted cocoa butter, plantain herbal oil, beeswax, rosehip seed oil and peppermint essential oil. The cocoa mint scent, of course, is naturally derived from the inclusion of the organic peppermint essential oil and roasted cocoa butter.

Roasted Cocoa Butter

The roasted cocoa butter wafers from Mountain Rose Herbs aren’t deodorized. Therefore they retain their natural cocoa scent. Expeller pressed from the roasted seeds of the cocoa tree, these cocoa butter wafers are naturally rich in vitamin E. They can be combined with cocoa powder to make chocolate, but also make a nice addition to recipes for lip balms, body butters, homemade soaps and salves.

Plantain Herbal Oil

While plantain herbal oil is easy to make, you can also enjoy the convenience of buying pre-made plantain herbal oil. This is especially helpful if you’re wanting to make natural skin care products using plantain herbal oil right away. Or if plantain is out of season throughout the cold winter months.

I used plantain herbal oil from Mountain Rose Herbs for my simple plantain salve recipe. An emollient oil formulated using solar infused plantain olive oil and vitamin E, this herbal plantain oil is especially nourishing for dry hands and skin. Crafted with certified organic Plantago major leaves, this natural herbal oil is perfect for gardeners, wild harvesters, climbers – or anyone else who works with their hands frequently. I also like to use this herbal oil, as is, on my dog’s minor cuts and irritation for a simple and safe natural remedy for his skin.

Rosehip Seed Oil

As I have both maturing skin, as well as skin that tends to dry out more in the winter, I also used rosehip seed oil for my plantain salve recipe. While this may shorten the shelf life of your salve somewhat, I highly recommend this unique carrier oil for its essential fatty acids. Popular in natural anti-aging skin care recipes, rosehip seed oil offers marvelous hydration for dry skin and a quick absorption rate. It can also be used solo as a natural daily facial cleanser or hydrating oil.

Beeswax

A key ingredient in homemade salve recipes, beeswax gives this plantain salve recipe its thick, rich texture. It also acts as a natural skin protectant while still allowing skin to breathe. In addition to its skin protectant properties, beeswax is also a humectant (meaning it attracts water to hydrate skin) and helps to temporarily reduce and soothe itching.

The beeswax pastilles from Mountain Rose Herbs have a deep, golden color and aroma. Globally sourced from less-developed countries like South America and Africa, their beeswax helps sustain the local economy of these areas while using traditional (less-modern) processing techniques.

Peppermint Essential Oil

A sweet, candy-like scented peppermint, the organic peppermint oil from Mountain Rose Herbs helps bump my simple plantain salve recipe into peppermint patty like status. This naturally steam distilled, certified organic essential oil has a fresh, very minty, hot, herbaceous fragrance with a vegetative back note. Perfect for all types of recipes including cleaning sprays, perfumes, aroma mists and natural skin care, this is a truly aromatic essential oil.

Peppermint essential oils is commonly included in natural skincare recipes and homemade salves and balms for topical pain relief, its anti-itch properties and the cooling sensation. It also supports circulation and can calm acne inflammation.

Ready to learn how to make a plantain salve? You’ll find my simple and easy plantain salve recipe below.

Simple Plantain Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

1 oz. roasted cocoa butter
1 oz. plantain herbal oil
1 oz. beeswax
.5 oz. rosehip seed oil
20 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

You will need a digital scale to weigh out the ingredients for my plantain salve recipe. In addition you’ll also need a one or two cup heat safe glass measuring cup (such as Pyrex) and a utensil to stir your salve. I typically use a fork. You’ll also need containers for your plantain herbal salve. I used 1 oz. metal tins with rolled edge covers.

Once you’ve gathered the ingredients and supplies you’ll need, you’re ready to begin.

Start by weighing out the roasted cocoa butter wafers and beeswax. Combine in a heat safe glass container. Then heat either on the stove top using the double boiler method or in your microwave at 30% power until halfway melted.

Next, weigh out the rosehip seed oil and the plantain herbal oil. Add these ingredients to the same container as the cocoa butter and beeswax. Continue gently heating the ingredients until all of the ingredients for the plantain salve recipe have completely melted.

Once melted, remove the plantain salve mixture from heat and stir to combine. Then stir in 20 drops of organic peppermint essential oils.

Now pour your plantain herbal salve evenly into five 1 oz. tins. Allow the salve to cool completely then pop on the lids and it’s ready to go.

To use, simply apply to affected area as desired and massage in. You can also keep my plantain salve tucked inside your purse to use a natural cocoa mint lip balm throughout the year.

If desired, you can decorate the lids of your tins. I used nature stickers from Art By Sharell to decorate the lids of my plantain salve containers. However, washi tape also makes a fun addition and makes a simple, yet pretty package decorating idea.

Should you wish to sell the products you make from my plantain salve recipe, there is important information that you need to know if you live in the United States. Not only do you need to follow all FDA guidelines for labeling your products, you’ll also need to refrain from making any medical claims in regards to said product. It can all be very confusing. However, Marie Gale has a great book, titled Soap and Cosmetic Labeling, that can help steer you in the right direction.

More Ways to Use Plantain Herbal Oil

If you love my simple plantain salve recipe as much as I do, then I encourage you to give these other natural skin care recipes a try. Each one is made using plantain herbal oil for nourishing natural skin care that you can make and gift.

For more great natural skin care and herbal salve recipes, as well as updates from Soap Deli News blog, be sure to follow me across all of your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’ and Instagram. Alternately, you can also subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

This article is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment or medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only. Information on products mentioned are based on my own personal experience and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult a physician prior to making any changes that may impact your health.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: balm, beauty balm, body balm recipe, clean, cocoa butter, dry skin balm, dry skin recipe, eczema, essential oils, gift idea, healing balm recipe, healing salve, herbal oil infusion, herbal salve recipe, holiday gift, lip balm recipe, natural alternative, natural remedy, natural skin care, plantain, rosehip seed oil, salve recipe, stocking stuffers

Amazon Black Salve Recipe with Bacuri Butter, Buriti Oil & Volcanic Black Clay

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

October 7, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon 2 Comments

This post is sponsored by Paris Fragrances. All opinions are my own.

Are you curious about some of the products found within the Amazon Rainforest? Keep reading to discover the natural skin care benefits of bacuri butter, black clay and buriti oil. Sourced from the Brazilian Amazon Forest, learn how you can use these natural ingredients to create your own natural Amazon black salve recipe.

If you really take the time to consider how much medicine has changed since our grandparents and great grandparents were children, you’ll see a huge shift. We’ve moved from treating illnesses with nutrition and natural remedies to synthetic drugs developed in labs. One only needs to listen to the grocery list of side effects on drug commercials to begin to question, are these treatments really better for us?

When I was a kid, black salve would remedy a boil. Iodine would heal a wound. We fought colds with fire cider and whiskey. In short, we worked with what nature gave us. While medical advances such as anesthesia have led to many improvements in patient care, it’s important to develop a healthy balance between the two.

Natural Skin Care Ingredients from The Brazilian Amazon Forest

Recently, Paris Fragrances has facilitated my discovery of many beneficial skin care ingredients from the Brazilian Amazon Forest. Sustainably harvested for the fruits and other plant materials that grow there, the Brazilian Amazon Forest’s rich biodiversity is home to a number of indigenous remedies and medicinal plants.

Home to products such as Brazilian nut oil, bacuri butter, tucuma butter and cocoa butter that are native to the Brazilian Amazon Forest, these ingredients make wonderful additions to natural skin care products and home remedies. Further, as the commercial sale of these ingredients produces more income for those who reside in the region than both non-sustainable timber and cattle pasture combined, their use supports keeping the Amazon Rainforest intact.

I love shopping for these specialty ingredients from Paris Fragrances. Not only are the prices and quality of their products amazing, but they carry natural ingredients I can’t find elsewhere. I’ve also really enjoyed learning about so many new ingredients. However, coming up with new ways to use these sustainable products in my natural skin care recipes has definitely been the most rewarding part.

About My Amazon Black Drawing Salve Recipe

My Amazon black salve recipe offers an exciting twist off the traditional Amish black drawing salves. It’s similar to an Amish black drawing salve in that it contains activated charcoal. However, it also contains three ingredients found specifically in Brazil. These ingredients are volcanic black clay, buriti oil and bacuri butter.

Bacuri butter, which has been historically used by Brazilian natives as a natural remedy for snake and spider bites, plays a key role in drawing out matter from skin. This makes it an effective remedy for insect bites, stings, boils and even acne. While buriti oil, which is bountiful in vitamin A, promotes skin health to hasten the healing process.

Brazilian volcanic mud black clay, like bacuri butter, also works at pulling or drawing out moisture from skin. Naturally rich in silica, magnesium, calcium and iron, this clay is especially effective against acne and other problematic skin conditions. The black clay available from Paris Fragrances originates from the slow and millenarian erosion of rocks. This results in a diversity of minerals that are part of its natural composition. The clay is then sustainably extracted in the region of Minas Gerais in the South of Brazil. This is where the largest deposit of kaolin clay can be found, caused as a result of the erosion and sedimentation of rocks in the Serra do Mar.

Natural Amazon Black Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

.75 oz. buriti oil
.5 oz. activated charcoal
.25 oz. bacuri butter
.25 oz. beeswax
.25 oz. black clay
12 drops rosemary essential oil
12 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions:

You will need a digital scale to weigh out the ingredients for my Amazon black salve recipe.

Begin by weighing out the buriti oil, bacuri butter and beeswax into a small glass, heat safe measuring cup. Slowly heat using the double method until all of the beeswax has melted.

In the meantime, weigh out the activated charcoal and black clay into a separate container.

Once the beeswax, butter and oil mixture has completely liquefied, remove from heat. Add twelve drops each of both rosemary and lavender essential oil, then stir to combine.

Now add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients. Slowly fold them into the salve, then mix well to evenly combine the charcoal and clay throughout the salve.

Finally, pour the salve into your containers of choice. (I used 1 oz. metal tins, then decorated the lids with 1″ round stickers.)

Once your salve solidifies it’s ready for use! Use your Amazon black salve recipe as a spot treatment for acne, insects bites, bee stings, splinters, minor infections and boils.

(It’s important to note that my Amazon black salve recipe may stain fabrics it comes into contact with. Therefore, for use, it’s advised you cover the salve with a bandage after it’s applied to the affected area.)

More Natural Skin Care Recipes

If you enjoyed my Amazon black salve recipe, then give one of these other Brazilian Amazon Forest inspired skin care recipes a try! You can purchase all of the Brazilian Amazon Forest body butters and carrier oils you need for these recipes from Paris Fragrances.

Have you used any of the natural products from Paris Fragrances? I’ve love to hear what you’ve made! So be sure to share your creations in the comments.

For more great natural lifestyle and skin care recipes from Soap Deli News blog, be sure to follow me across all of your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on G+, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’ and Instagram. Or, alternately, you can also subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: bacuri butter, black clay, black drawing salve, buriti oil, diy, healing salve, herbal salve recipe, home remedies, home remedy, natural alternative, natural remedy, natural skin care, salve recipe, skin care

Natural Antifungal Foot Salve Recipe to Promote Foot Health

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

May 24, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

This natural antifungal foot salve recipe is a great way to naturally promote skin health. Used daily it can help to treat fungal foot infections as well as prevent their recurrence. Keep reading to learn how you can have healthier feet with this simple, all natural homemade salve.

I love warm weather. Not only am I able to to be more active when the weather is nice, but there are so many more activities I can enjoy outside. It’s also a great time to chuck my tennis shoes for flips flops and sandals – or simply go barefoot at the river or by the pool.

Just last weekend Greg and I were down by the river (on a very rainy day!) freeing a snapping turtle who’d wandered too far. We found the little guy in the parking garage for Greg’s apartment building not far from a very busy street. As it was dark outside when we found him, we took the turtle in to stay the night with us. We put him in a large bowl with a few water drops and some greens until morning.

The next day we ventured off to the boat access off the greenway just across from where Greg lives to let the turtle go. The river was insane that day as we’d had multiple days of rain. So I set the turtle in the grass about five feet back from the river so he wouldn’t get swept away. Seeming pleased, that little guy took a few steps then nestled himself beneath the grass so he could chillax.

If you’re ready to start embarking on your own warm weather adventures, you’re probably going to want to lose your shoes at some point. However, if you have athlete’s foot or toenail fungus, that’s not something you can hide if you aren’t wearing shoes. My natural antifungal foot salve recipe can help alleviate symptoms and prevent the reoccurrence of athlete’s foot, toenail fungus and even candida.

About My Natural Antifungal Foot Salve Recipe

There are many common natural antifungal ingredients that you’ve probably already heard of. These include things such as black walnut hulls, coconut oil, garlic, lavender buds, neem oil, wild oregano oil, turmeric and tea tree oil. These ingredients are found in many of the natural home remedies that are used to treat foot related fungal infections. However, holistic home remedy options for foot or nail fungus don’t have to be complicated – or even contain a lot of ingredients.

The base for my natural antifungal foot salve recipe contains a blend of just three holistic ingredients. Those ingredients are organic cosmetic beeswax, refined coconut oil and neem oil. Both neem oil and coconut oil have strong, proven antifungal properties. Because this salve contains neem oil, however, the addition of organic essential oils will make your natural antifungal foot salve smell a lot better. And these essential oils have their own benefits when used in skin care too.

What is Neem Oil?

Neem oil is a natural carrier oil. It is derived from the pressed fruits and seeds of the neem tree – an evergreen tree that is endemic to India. Due to it’s natural health and skin care benefits, neem oil has a long history of use in both Ayurvedic and Unani medicine.

Both a powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic, neem oil also possesses antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. As such, it’s often used topically in natural skin care preparations to fight rheumatism, eczema, ringworm, athlete’s foot, cold sores, psoriasis, warts, chronic syphilitic sores, infected burn wounds, and slow-healing skin ulcers. Additionally, neem oil can also help to control various skin infections including scabies and candida.

Therefore neem oil is a key component of my natural antifungal foot salve recipe. Combined with the natural antimicrobial properties of coconut oil in addition to its antifungal agents, like monocaprin and monolaurin, this foot salve sets you up for optimal foot health.

Discover more natural skin care recipes with neem oil.

AntiFungal Essential Oils

There are many natural essential oils with antifungal properties. In addition to both oregano and tea tree essential oils previously mentioned, many other essential oils naturally deter the growth of fungus. These antifungal essential oils include thyme, clove, lavender, geranium, chamomile, cedarwood, cinnamon bark, frankincense, lemongrass, pine, ravensara and rosemary.

Some of these essential oils can irritate skin, such as clove, cinnamon bark, pine, ravensara, cedarwood and thyme. Therefore use these essential oils with caution for topical applications. However many others are safe to use when properly diluted. You can use up twelve drops of essential oil per ounce. This is normally considered a safe amount for skin care applications such as my natural antifungal foot salve recipe. So feel free to craft your own natural antifungal essential oil blends to suit your nose.

(Pregnant women should avoid certain essential oils. Always consult your health care provider before trying any alternative or holistic therapies. It’s also important to note that the recommended usage rate of essential oils for children is much lower than it is for adults.)

Get started with essential oils with four basic skin care recipes.

Ready to give my natural antifungal foot salve recipe a try? Then let’s do it! You can find this holistic skin care recipe below.

Natural Antifungal Foot Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

1 oz. organic cosmetic beeswax
1 oz. refined coconut oil
2 oz. unrefined cold pressed cosmetic neem oil
12 drops wild oregano essential oil
12 drops tea tree essential oil
12 drops lavender essential oil
12 drop peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

Weigh and melt the oils and beeswax.

Weigh out the beeswax, coconut oil and neem oil using a digital scale. Then combine these ingredients for my antifungal foot salve recipe in a double boiler. Heat over low heat until all the ingredients have melted.

Add the essential oils and combine.

Remove the oil and wax mixture from heat. Then add twelve drops of each of the essential oils using a dropper or graduated plastic transfer pipettes. Stir to combine.

Pour your antifungal foot salve into jars.

Pour the anti-fungal foot salve into two 2 oz. glass jars. Once cool and the salve has solidified, screw on the lids.

To use, simply apply this salve to your feet after bathing and cover with socks.

You can also use my antifungal foot salve as a spot acne treatment. It’s especially awesome at pulling out white heads that are still beneath the skin overnight. And, it does it without drying out your skin. So you aren’t left with flaky, red irritated skin that store bought acne medications with benzoyl peroxide tend to give you.

When not in use, keep your anti-fungal foot salve stored in a cool, dry location. Your foot salve should last up to 12 months when properly stored.

Explore More Natural Skin Care Recipes

I hope you like my natural antifungal foot salve recipe as well my holistic approach to foot health. If you’d like to explore more natural holistic skin care recipes, then be sure to check out my Holistic Skin Care Recipes for Health & Living Pinterest board. It contains a collection of holistic skin care recipes for natural health and beauty that you can make at home. These topical natural beauty products contain only natural ingredients such as herbs, plant extracts, phytonutrients and antioxidants, and essential oils.

Alternately, my DIY Bath and Body Pinterest board contains everything related to DIY bath and body. There you’ll find homemade soap recipes, natural homemade lip balm recipes, beauty DIY’s and natural skin care recipes skin care and beauty products. Or shop for holistic artisan beauty and skin care products and natural home remedies on Etsy.

Additionally, you may also like my matcha all over moisture stick recipe. Homemade with just three natural ingredients, this natural beauty DIY works great as a spot treatment for dry hands, feet and elbows. Also use it as a moisturizing lip balm, an eyeshadow primer, an under eye balm and a dark circle corrector. It’s a simple and affordable skin care solution that really works! You can find the recipe here.

Discover More Natural Antifungal & Foot Care Recipes

These natural foot care recipes are another great way to promote foot health. Many of these recipes also contain naturally antifungal ingredients such as neem oil and tea tree oil. So they do more than simply moisturize and nourish skin. Rather they address overall skin health.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my story. I hope you learned more about the ways you can take control of your foot health though holistic skin care products. Also don’t forget to share your homemade products with me on instagram. Simply add the hashtag #soapdelishowoff to your instagram posts.

In the meantime be sure to follow me on your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on G+, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram. Or you can subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: bath and body, coconut oil, diy, foot care, healing salve, health and wellness, herbal salve recipe, holistic, home remedies, home remedy, natural, neem oil, salve recipe, simple, skin care

Best Herbal Salve Recipes for Every Ailment (Plus An Easy Customizable All Purpose Salve Recipe!)

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

April 10, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

Herbal salves have a long history of medicinal use as natural home remedies. Typically crafted from plant based ingredients that include a combination of carrier or herbal infused oils, essential oils and beeswax, I’ve rounded up some of the best herbal salve recipes for every ailment.

Plus learn how to create your own simple, yet affordable all purpose salve that can be easily customized for your skin specific needs.

Why choose herbal salves over modern skin care treatments?

Having grown up with a variety of frustrating skin issues, including eczema and dry skin, I’ve found that the best herbal salve recipes are also some of the best home remedies one can use. Not only are herbal salves effective at soothing itching and skin irritation, they also promote skin health. So skin not only looks and feels better after use, it can actually repair damage for healthier skin overall.

More importantly, when you make one of these best herbal salve recipes, you don’t have to worry about potentially harmful or synthetic ingredients found in many prescription and commercial over-the-counter products. I believe it’s important to know exactly what you’re putting onto your skin. After all, your skin is the largest organ on your body. So it’s just as important to take care of your skin as it is to say, take care of your eye health.

By learning about the benefits that each ingredient in this collection of best herbal salve recipes has to offer, you can easily start to customize your own herbal salve recipes. A great way to start doing this is to simply swap out the carrier oils called for in a recipe with either another carrier oil or your own herbal infused oil.

Or you can also add your own blend of essential oils. This knowledge can not only help you avoid a potential allergic reaction, but it can ensure you’re getting the right combination of ingredients for your specific skin issues.

What are the skin care benefits of the best herbal salve recipes?

I previously mentioned that herbal salves are great at tackling bothersome skin issues and maladies. However, you may be unsure if herbal salves are suited for your particular concern. Following are some of popular concerns that herbal salves are most commonly used to address.

Rashes and fungal infections like ringworm or even parasitic infections like scabies or flea dermatitis.
Natural pain relief due to bruising, sore muscles and even arthritis.
To treat poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac.
Sunburns and minor burns.
Eczema, psoriasis or even hives.
Minor wounds, scrapes and cuts.
Blisters and boils as well as abscesses and skin ulcers.
Dry or cracked skin as well windburned skin.
Insect bites and stings.
Inflamed bunions or bedsores.

How can I learn more about natural ingredients used in the best herbal salve recipes?

Mountain Rose Herbs is a wonderful source of knowledge for learning about a vast array of organic herbs, carrier oils and essential oils. In addition to information on the natural products they offer, you can also learn more about creating your own herbal salves on the Mountain Rose Herbs blog.

I also highly recommend the book by renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar titled, Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use.

The books Alchemy of Herbs, The Herbal Apothecary, and Essential Oils Natural Remedies: The Complete A-Z Reference of Essential Oils for Health and Healing are also great places to start your introductory journey.

About my all purpose salve recipe.

Whether you want to test the waters by making a simple salve or want to learn how to create your own custom salve recipes, my all purpose salve recipe is a great springing board for developing your own herbal salve recipes.

Why I love this easy customizable all purpose salve recipe.

It’s non-greasy. Formulated using fractionated coconut oil in lieu of other common carrier oils such as olive, this all purpose salve is less greasy than other herbal salve recipes you commonly come across.
It’s moisturizing and nourishing. Rather than combing simply beeswax and a carrier oil to create this salve, I also used a combination of cocoa butter and shea butter to moisturize skin and promote skin health.
It protects skin. As beeswax is a wax, it forms a protective barrier when applied to skin as part of a homemade or herbal salve. This protective barrier not only locks in moisture, but it also helps to keep out environmental assaults like wind and dry air.

It’s naturally antibacterial and antifungal. Often when we have skin issues there’s more to the story than just dry or irritated skin. Because coconut oil is naturally antibacterial and antifungal, this all purpose salve recipe can help tackle problems we aren’t entirely aware of.
It’s perfect for sensitive skin. While customizable, this all purpose salve recipe is unscented and contains just four simple ingredients to nourish and protect skin. Even without the addition of an infused carrier oil or even essential oils, this salve still works wonders for most skin types as is. (Extra sensitive skin users can go even simpler with this all purpose salve recipe and simply combine 3 parts carrier oil of choice with 1 part beeswax. As beeswax is anti-allergenic, just about everyone can enjoy the benefits of this natural ingredient combined with just one simple carrier oil.)
It soothes and calms itching. Because this all purpose salve recipe contains beeswax, it does a bang up job of soothing itching – especially when it’s associated with dry skin.

Aside of adding essential oils to this all purpose salve recipe based on your own skin care needs, you can also substitute the fractionated coconut oil with another carrier oil of your choice.

Sea Buckthorn Oil is one of my favorite carrier oils. Not only is sea buckthorn oil rich in nutrients that skin craves, this gentle carrier oil is also a great fit for sensitive skin. Not only does it nourish, soothe and protect skin but it also helps to promote skin health.

When used in an herbal salve recipe, sea buckthorn oil helps to speed healing and damage to skin cells. It also calms inflammation caused by common skin conditions such as sunburns and even psoriasis. Additionally, the high vitamin E content makes sea buckthorn a great choice for anti-aging products and salves.

You’ll also find that sea buckthorn oil is a great choice for fading acne scars and blemishes. This is one of the reasons it’s a must have ingredient in this best scar and stretch mark treatment from my fellow blogger, Cari Dunn.

To learn more about the benefits of other carrier oils you may wish to use in your own all purpose salve recipes, be sure to check out the book, Carrier Oils: A beginner’s guide to using over 40 carrier oils in bath and body recipes, by Cari Dunn in addition to some of the other great resources I mentioned above.

Keep reading to learn how to make my simple, customizable all purpose salve recipe as well as for a list of the best herbal salve recipes for a variety of everyday ailments and skin complaints.

Customizable All Purpose Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

1 oz. cocoa butter
1 oz. shea butter
1 oz. cosmetic beeswax
.5 oz. fractionated coconut oil

Directions:

Step #1:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the beeswax, cocoa butter and shea butter.

Step #2:

Combine these ingredients in a double boiler and heat until melted. Then remove from heat.

Step #3:

Next weigh out the fractionated coconut oil and stir into the melted beeswax and butters.

Step #4:

If desired, customize your salve by adding essential oils. Typically it’s safe to add up to 12 drops of an essential oil per ounce of your recipe. However, some essential oils should be used in smaller quantities.

To be safe always check to see what the skin safe recommended usage for your essential oil of choice is. And be sure to research your essential oils beforehand as not all of them are safe for use by pregnant women or children.

Additionally, as there are what are essentially fake essential oils on the market falsely claiming to be 100% pure therapeutic essential oils, I recommend purchasing essential oils from either Mountain Rose Herbs or Spark Naturals. Both of these companies have been independently tested by industry watch groups and have been found to only ever sell the real deal.

You can also purchase fractionated coconut oil from Spark Naturals in addition to their own base foundation salve. Similar to my all purpose salve recipe, this unscented salve base is designed to be easily customized by adding your own blend of essential oils.

To customize this all purpose salve recipe one step further, infuse herbs in the fractionated coconut oil (or another carrier oil) to create an herbal oil infusion. Then simply use the herbal infused oil in place of the fractionated coconut oil in this or any of the best herbal salve recipes that can be found below.

You can learn how to make your own herbal oil infusions along with the various methods for infusing herbs in oil via this tutorial from the Mountain Rose Herbs blog. This instructional guide walks you through the traditional folk process of making solar infused oils as well as the quick method for heat infusing oils.

The final consistency of this all purpose salve is mostly solid at room temperature – it also makes a great solid lotion bar – but quickly and easily melts right into skin. You’ll love it for cracked, dry winter hands as well as a multitude of other uses!

To use your all purpose salve, simply apply to your hands, feets, lips and other problem areas as desired.

Best Herbal Salve Recipes to Make at Home

Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet with my easy all purpose salve recipes, here’s a collection of the best herbal salve recipes that you can make at home. I hope you’ll love them as much as I do. And once you’ve tried a few for yourself, I hope that I will have inspired you to custom create your own best herbal salve recipe for your family!

To discover more of the best herbal salve recipes, be sure to check out and follow my Best Homemade Salve Recipes board on Pinterest in addition to my other Pinterest boards.

Not ready to make your own best herbal salve recipes?

If you’d like to try an herbal salve but aren’t quite ready to tackle my list of the best herbal salve recipes, no worries. You can totally buy just about any herbal salve your heart desires from an array of handmade artisans. Following are some of my favorite homemade herbal salves that you can purchase online from sellers on Etsy.

Herbal Prairie Rose Salve from Prairie Folk Supply Co. (Pictured above.)
Oregano & Lavender Herbal Salve for Acne from Kimberly’s Kupboard
Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Herbal Salve from Owens Acres
Nature’s Revenge Herbal Salve from WaiKe Botanicals
Hemp Seed Pain Salve from Botanical Delights

Dandelion Wild Harvested Herbal Salve from Wandering Wildcraft (Pictured above.)
Moisturizing Herbal Salve from HumbleLove
Calendula Healing Herbal Salve from NakedPagan
St. John’s Wort Healing Herbal Salve from TheBEEKEEPERshop
Herbal Black Drawing Salve from Essence of Earth

If you’re still interested in exploring more of the best herbal salves, you can browse Etsy for even more herbal salves that you can buy. Or shop from among some of my other handmade, artisan favorites!

For more natural beauty and skin care recipes, also be sure to follow Soap Deli News across all of your favorite social media platforms! You can find and follow me on G+, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram as well as subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness Tagged With: crafts, diy, healing salve, herbal, herbal remedies, herbal salve recipe, home remedy, natural alternative, natural remedy, pain relief salve, salve recipe, salves, skin care, skin nourishing salve

Best Scar and Stretch Mark Treatment You Can Make at Home

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April 5, 2018 By Cari Dunn

This homemade salve recipe for the best scar and stretch mark treatment from guest poster Cari Dunn of Everything Pretty will teach you how to easily create a homemade salve that can help fade dark spots and promote cellular turnover.

Our scars tell a story. Whether you fell as a child, cut your finger while cooking a holiday dinner, or otherwise hurt your skin, each mark has a story. If you have stretch marks from children, then you have a lot of stories to tell about those marks.

Even though our scars are a part of our history, we don’t have to like them. Unfortunately, plastic surgery might be the only way to get rid of some scars, but there are natural products that you can make to help reduce scars and make them appear less noticeable. This homemade salve recipe for the best scar and stretch mark treatment is one of those ways.

You shouldn’t use this salve for the best scar and stretch mark treatment on broken or injured skin. Wait until your skin has healed to where you don’t have an open wound before you use this salve.

Fresh scars are easier to fade than old scars. If you have an old scar, you may not get results for three to six months with daily use.

For best results, use this best scar and stretch mark treatment salve with my scar and stretch mark sugar scrub. You should use the scrub three times a week and use the natural homemade salve twice a day.

For this homemade salve recipe for the best scar and stretch mark treatment, I wanted to use several carrier oils as they each have their own skin care benefits. You don’t have to use the same oils that I used, but I do recommend using at least two of them plus the vitamin E oil. Whatever you decide to use, use the same amount of oil or the recipe won’t turn out right.

Best Scar and Stretch Mark Treatment Ingredients

Rosehip Seed Oil

Rosehip seed oil is probably the most popular carrier oil for scars making it one of the key ingredients in this best scar and stretch mark treatment. This oil is extracted from the seed pod or the petals of the rose plant. The resulting oil is high in fatty acids and vitamins that make it a great oil for your skin.

Rosehip oil is a dry oil, which means that absorbs quickly into your skin. The oil has vitamin A, retinol, a natural way to treat fine lines and wrinkles. The vitamin A helps promote cellular turnover so skin can heal. Rosehip seed oil works so well on scars due to the linolenic acid, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids.

Rosehip seed oil is said help reduce redness and pigmentation, which can help make scars less noticeable. The fatty acids and vitamins in it have also been said to fade scars and prevent the formation of keloid scars.

It is important to note that rosehip seed oil can increase your sensitivity to the sun, so always wear sunscreen if you use this salve before you go outside.

Moringa Oil

I also used moringa oil, which is sometimes called ben oil. Moringa oil is high in oleic acid, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids. It’s high in vitamin E, a natural antioxidant.

Moringa oil has many benefits for the skin. It’s naturally anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant, and naturally antimicrobial.

Another benefit to using this oil is that it naturally exfoliates dead skin cells. It’s also a dry oil, so it absorbs quickly.

(Also be sure to try this recipe for a moisturizing sugar scrub for dry skin! Like my best scar and stretch mark treatment, it is also formulated with hydrating moringa oil and soothing oat butter.)

Sea Buckthorn Oil

For the third oil, I used sea buckthorn oil. It’s high in vitamin E, which can help boost skin healing. It’s high in omega-7 fatty acids, palmitoleic acid, which is rare in carrier oils. The oil is said to boost cellular turnover and boost your skin’s ability to heal, which is perfect for treating scars making it another must have ingredient for this best scar and stretch mark treatment.

It’s also a dry oil, so it soaks into your skin and goes deep to moisturize.

To learn more about different carrier oils and their benefits, check out my book Carrier Oils: A beginner’s guide to using over 40 carrier oils in bath and body recipes.

Vitamin E Oil

Even though the oils are all natural sources of vitamin E, I wanted to add more of the oil because it’s a wonderful oil for your skin. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, so it can protect your skin from free radicals.

It also acts like a natural preservative. Since it’s an antioxidant, it can preserve the shelf life of carrier oils. The recipe for my best scar and stretch mark treatment doesn’t have water in it, so it doesn’t need a preservative like you would need in a lotion with water. However, the oils can go rancid. Vitamin E helps keep the oils from going rancid.

Beeswax

Beeswax is obviously hard at room temperature, so it’s used to harden this recipe to turn it into a salve. But beeswax has several benefits for the skin beyond thickening this bes scar and stretch mark treatment recipe.

When applied topically, beeswax forms a protective layer on top of the skin. It traps the oils on your skin, so they can work to help heal your skin. Some creams and salves use petroleum based products, but these can clog the pores and don’t allow any air to flow through. Beeswax forms a barrier, but it can still allow air to flow.

Beeswax also works on healing skin because it’s a humectant. It attracts water molecules from the air, pulling them to your skin. This helps keep the skin moisturized and hydrated over time.

The vitamin A found in beeswax can help exfoliate the skin.

Shea Butter

Shea butter is one of my favorite butters to use for skin care products because it’s not oily and has a lot of skin loving benefits.

Shea butter is what’s known as an emollient. It penetrates the skin and seals the top layer. This traps moisture against your skin.

It’s also high in vitamin A. Vitamin A is important to promote collagen production and reduce dark spots on the skin, including those from scar.

High in antioxidants and vitamins, shea butter is one of the best butters to use on scars. It moisturizes, protects, and hydrates the skin so it can repair itself.

Helichrysum Essential Oil

There are actually four types of helichrysum, but I used Helichrysum italicum. It’s extracted from a Mediterranean plant, a flower that’s close to the daisy. Like chamomile, it’s a gentle oil that’s great for sensitive skin or, in this case, skin that has scars.

Helichrysum essential oil doesn’t leave your skin oily, but it does moisturize your skin. It can also fade dark spots on your skin, including hyperpigmentation due to scars.

It’s said to promote cellular turnover, which is what you want in a scar and stretch mark cream. It’s high in antioxidants, so it’s a great oil for anti-aging. (Try it as a substitute for carrot seed essential oil in this natural anti-aging night cream recipe!)

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is a popular essential oil that’s used in many different skin care recipes. It’s a gentle oil, so it’s safe to use on scars.

Ready to make my natural skin care recipe for the best scar and stretch mark treatment? Great! Here’s how it’s done.

Best Scar and Stretch Mark Treatment Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons rosehip seed oil
2 tablespoons moringa oil
1 teaspoon sea buckthorn seed oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
1 tablespoon beeswax
2 tablespoons shea butter
12 drops helichrysum essential oil
8 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

Gather all of the ingredients called for in my natural homemade salve recipe for the best scar and stretch mark treatment.

Using measuring spoons, combine rosehip seed oil, moringa oil, sea buckthorn oil, vitamin E oil, beeswax, and shea butter in a heat proof glass container. I use a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup.

Set the container on canning jar rings in a medium sized pan. Carefully add water to the pan to cover the oils. Be careful not to get water in the measuring cup.

Heat on medium until the beeswax and shea butter is melted, stirring occasionally.

Carefully remove from heat. Let cool until no longer steaming.

Add essential oils and stir well.

Pour into a 4-ounce mason jar.

I made a full 4-ounce mason jar with a little left over. I keep small souffle cups on hand to pour a little in. These are perfect for keeping in my purse or giving to friends and family.

For best results, use this scar and stretch mark salve with my scar and stretch mark sugar scrub.

More Skin Care Recipes to Try Right Now!

If you liked my recipe for the best scar and stretch mark treatment, then check out the following posts for more DIY skin care recipes!

Not Ready to DIY It? Buy It Instead!

Not quite ready to recreate the recipe for my best scar and stretch mark treatment? Buy one of these homemade versions instead!

Visit my Everything Pretty DIY bath and beauty recipe page for more recipes like this one. Never miss a post from Everything Pretty by subscribing to my newsletter.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: anti-aging, beauty, crafts, diy, healing salve, helichrysum essential oil, home remedy, lavender, moringa oil, natural, natural remedy, salve recipe, scars, sea buckthorn oil, shea butter, skin care, stretch marks, vitamin e