Herbal Medicinal Oil & Salve Recipes

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Herbal Medicinal Oil & Salve Recipes

You must first begin by making a Medicinal Oil

Moisture tends to cause medicinal oils

and salves to deteriorate and spoil quickly, so you will need to use dried

herbs (like those we sell) rather than fresh herbs. Of course, you could dry

your own herbs, as well.

To Make a Medicinal Oil follow the steps below:

Solar Method

Place the herbs you choose in a glass

jar, cover with extra virgin cold pressed olive or coconut oil and cover

tightly.

Place this jar in a warm sunny spot: The warmer the spot,

the shorter the time it will need to sit. Placing this jar in nice warm sand,

or in the center of your garden in the sun, you will probably want to wait two

weeks.

Now, you may strain the herbs. You may wish to add another

batch of herbs, and repeat the first three steps... which will make an oil that

is double the strength, but takes twice the time to prepare.

Place the bottled oil in a cool dark area.

Crock Pot Method

Place the herbs in your crockpot and

cover with extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive and/or coconut oil.

Turn the heat on low and let the herbs steep 3-4 hours.

You do not want the herbs to cook or fry: Let medicinal qualities slowly suffuse into the oil. The lower

the heat, the longer you will need to steep the herbs... and the higher the

quality of your oil will be.

Strain the herbs.

Pour the oil in a glass bottle or jar, and place in a cool,

dark area.

Using Your Oven

Place the herbs in a glass canning jar and cover with

extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive and/or coconut oil.

Put the jar(s) inside a pan half-filled with water.

Place in the oven and turn it on the lowest setting you can.

Remember: Lower heat + longer infusion = better quality

oil.

Most ovens display temperature markings starting at 175° or 200°. I hang a

candy thermometer in the oven, placing the temperature dial just before the

first indicated number, so the actual temperature is only 140° or so.

At 175-200 degrees you will need to wait a few hours for

your herbs to infuse: At 140 degrees you'll need to wait longer. Check

periodically: The oil will turn a deep color from the herbs as they infuse.

Strain, and keep in a cool, dark place until ready for use.

Using a Double Boiler

Place the herbs and extra-virgin,

cold-pressed olive and/or coconut oil in a double boiler, covering them with a

tight fitting lid.

Bring to a low simmer.

Slowly heat for 1/2 to 1 hour.

Check frequently to be sure the oil is not over heating.

Be careful: You do not want french fried herbs!

Oil builds heat rapidly, and you can go very quickly

from a nice herbal infusion to fried comfrey leaves.

Strain thoroughly and bottle for use in the salve.

Store in a cool, dark place.

Examples of Medicinal Oil Recipes:

Ear Oil

We use this for ear infections. Warmed

to body temperature and dropped in the ear, it quickly relieves the pain. The

oil has anti-viral and antibacterial properties, as well as herbs which reduce

swelling and help to deaden the pain.

1/2 cup dried

Mullein flowers

1/4 cup dried St. 's Wort herb

2-3 cloves of fresh garlic

Whiz the garlic in 1 cup of olive oil in your blender until the garlic is in

tiny pieces. Pour this mixture over the herbs and use the solar method to

extract the medicinal properties. Let it set for at least two weeks.

Insect Repellant Oil

Much safer

than anything you buy from stores, this is as effective as anything

commercially prepared at keeping those pesky insects away.

1 part Bay leaves

1 part Pennyroyal

1 part Rosemary

1 part Eucalyptus

Add enough oil to cover the herbs, plus an inch or two.

Prepare using any of the methods above.

Add a few drops of essential oils of pennyroyal and/or eucalyptus to strengthen

the scent.

Sports Massage Oil

2 parts St. 's Wort

1 part Hops

1 part Arnica

1 part Mullein leaves

2 parts camphor oil or crystals

Essential Oil of Wintergreen

Add oil to cover the herbs, plus an inch or two more.

Prepare using any of the methods above.

Add the camphor oil or crystals, adding enough Wintergreen oil to create a

strong, pungent odor.

More information on making Medicinal Oils...

Moisture tends to cause medicinal oils and salves to

deteriorate and spoil quickly, so you will need to use dried herbs (like those

we sell) rather than fresh herbs. Of course, you could dry your own herbs, as

well.

The oils with the longest shelf life are coconut and olive

oil. Both are very healthy oils. The seed oils are unsaturated and the fatty

acids less stable: They breakdown with heating, forming trans-fatty acid which

has been shown to actually cause heart disease and cancer. They will still work

for medicinal oils, but are not recommended.

Coconut oil is solid or semi-solid at any temperature below

78°. Olive oil will begin to solidify at temperatures around 40°. This make a

difference in the consistency of the salve in most regions that experience

significant seasonal temperature changes between summer and winter. You may

wish to keep this in mind when making salves and lip balms. A salve made solely

with coconut oil would be very soft during the summer if you prepared it during

the winter, for example. The rich emollients and anti-microbial properties make

coconut oil a highly desirable salve ingredient.

How to Make Salves from a Medicinal Oil...

Begin by making a

Medicinal Oil (see instructions above), then follow these instructions:

Your pan and supplies must be moisture free.

Place the herbal oil in a pan.

Add 1/8th cup of beeswax for each cup of oil, and heat over very low heat

until the beeswax is melted.

If you wish for a softer salve, add a little more oil or a little less

beeswax.

It is here that I add my liquid components such as Tea Tree Oil,

Grapefruit Seed Extract, Vitamin E, etc.

Take a little of this liquid and pour into a container, allowing it to

cool. (You can cool it quickly in the refrigerator.) This is like a jelly

test. When it has set up, check its consistency and add more beeswax or

oil to adjust.

Once you are satisfied with the consistency, remove it from the heat and

immediately pour into small glass jars or tins.

It's as easy as 1-2-3!

1) Keep the jars out of the sunlight and heat.

2) Don't leave them in the car.

3)They will retain their deep, rich color and strong, herbal aroma and

work wonderfully!

We prefer our salves to anything the medical system and drug stores have

to offer.

Examples of Salve Recipes:

Antifungal/Antibacterial Salve

(We use

this for cuts, athlete's foot, diaper rash, infections, everything. You'll love

this salve!)

1/2 cup Comfrey root (healing and soothing)

2 cups Plantain leaf (healing and soothing)

2-3 Tablespoons Goldenseal Root powder (antibacterial/antifungal)

Make this into an herbal oil. Then add to this oil:

2 Tablespoons Grapefruit seed extract (strong antibacterial/antifungal

properties)

2 Tablespoons Tea Tree Oil (strong antifungal/antibacterial properties)

Now make the salve by melting beeswax into the warmed oil and pour into

containers.

St. 's Wort Salve

This salve

is healing and soothing for use for diaper rash, sunburn and skin irritations.

It has now become our favorite salve and we use it for everything. It has taken

care of Athlete's foot, all rashes and healed cuts, scratches, and abrasions.

It is quite amazing how quickly things heal when we use this salve.

1 part St. 's Wort

1 part Comfrey leaf

1 part Calendula flowers

Follow the instructions above. First make the oil and then turn it into a

salve!

Chest Rub

First make an herbal oil using equal parts of these herbs: Peppermint,

Spearmint, Wintergreen, and 1 tsp. cloves. If you do not want to use the herbs

you may use the essential oils.

Use about a Tbsp. of each oil and at least 2 or 3 cups of

either extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive or coconut oil.

Once the oil has infused and is strained, warm the oil and

add 1/2 tsp* menthol crystals (or menthol crystals with bees wax) to the

desired consistency.

*in warmer climates you may need a little more; in cooler

climates, less.

This salve is comparable to Vicks®, without all the

petroleum hydrocarbons.

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