Several months ago I was reading the ModernAlternativeMama blog, and came across this recipe for making your own sore muscle salve. As gardening season was coming up I bookmarked it just in case I might want to make it at some point.
After too many days of working in the garden fighting the weeds I decided it was time to try this sore muscle salve. I placed an order with Mountain Rose Herbs and decided to use my own lavender, which I’ve been harvesting.
The ingredients are few:
½ cup of any edible, safe oil, I used almond oil
1 Tbsp lavender flowers, dried
1 Tbsp yarrow dried
1 Tbsp arnica flowers, dried
2 Tbsp of bee’s wax
First pour your oil into a medium saucepan. Add the herbs.
Stir to combine them, turn the pan on low heat and allow this to simmer (not boil, keep it very low and warm) and infuse for 2-3 hours. I found that I actually had to turn the stove off at times, we have a gas stove and even the low heat was too high.
After 2-3 hours strain the herbs out of the mixture, reserving the oil and discarding the herbs.
Return the oil to the pan and add the beeswax.
Keeping it on low heat, stir occasionally until the wax has melted. Pour into a 4oz glass jar and put a lid on it. As it cools, it will solidify into a creamy salve.
To use it just put a little onto your fingers and rub into your sore muscles. The smell is wonderful and I know my muscles are going to enjoy this special treatment.
Linked to: HomeMakersChallenge, AGlimpseInside, KatherinesCorner, HomesteadSimple.com, LittleHouseInTheSuburbs, InsideBruCrew, OffTheGridAt-30
Nancy on the Home Front 