DIY Healing Salve Recipe for Simple Cuts and Burns (2024)

By Stacy Williams

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These days, something such as a simple cut or burn could quickly become infected if you weren’t able to find the right OTC medicine to help with it. Store shelves are often empty right now and even something as simple as Neosporin can be hard to find. The answer to the problem of empty shelves it to make more at home so you don’t need to buy it. Things like this healing salve are just one of those things you can make at home.

DIY Healing Salve Recipe for Simple Cuts and Burns (1)

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This recipe for a healing salve is perfect for simple cuts, scrapes and simple burns. We’ve used it in our home since around 2015 and it has never failed me.

It whips up in a pinch and is a great addition to any holistic medicine cabinet.

Or when the store is out and you need something quickly.

DIY Healing Salve

The ingredients in this healing salve recipe- lavender essential oil and tea tree essential oil – both have been shown to have antibacterial and antiviral properties. Lemon essential oil is shown to be disinfectant as well.

Witch hazel has been known to reduce inflammation and be antiviral and Lavender is thought to reduce pain slightly as well.

These are all great for healing those minor injuries that happen.

But what really makes this healing salve so amazing is that you can take the base salve recipe and boost it however you want.

Herbs such as Comfrey like THIS and Calendula like THIS are great additions to a healing salve recipe and both come in their dried form as well as liquid forms.

How to Make a Healing Salve

At the end of this tutorial, I will give you a few additions and their properties so you can decide if you would like to add them or not.

The additions not only change what the base use for this healing salve is used for, but can also help to promote healing in other ways.

How to Preserve DIY Healing Salve

This recipe for healing salve will be good on a shelf for up to 8 weeks. However, if you would like to preserve it so it’s shelf stable for up to 6 months, you can do so by adding a few drops of vitamin E oil like THIS to your mixture below.

Vitamin E oil is often used as a preservative in homemade beauty products and other DIY products.

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You Will Need:

Supplies Needed:

Add the coconut oil, beeswax and almond oil to a double boiler and fully melt it over low heat. Make sure to stir it constantly with the rubber spatula so it does not burn.

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You’ll also want to make sure to scrape down the sides as needed.

If you do not have a double boiler, you can use a small metal bowl set on top of a small pot filled halfway with simmering water.

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Once they are fully melted, pour them into a mixing bowl and allow it to cool for 30 to 60 seconds.

You don’t want it “just off the stove” hot, but you also do not want to allow it to cool so much it solidifies.

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Once the mixture has cooled a bit, add the witch hazel and 12 drops of each essential oil.

Then, using the electric mixer, beat the mixture until it is a creamy texture that you are comfortable with.

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As it cools, it will become more of a solid cream instead of a runny mess.

If you used 2 tbsp. beeswax, your final result will be more of a creamy texture. If you used 3 tbsp., it will have more of a solid ointment texture.

Once you’ve reached the consistency you are happy with, pour the mixture into a 4 oz lotion jar or a 4 oz jelly jar.

Set it aside and allow it to cool completely.

Should I Put a Lid On My Homemade Beauty Product Immediately?

When you make this healing slave recipe, do not add a lid on the finished product until it is fully cool.

Adding a lid to a hot product could cause condensation to form on the inside of the lid. This can promote mold growth or ruin your finished product.

How to Use a Homemade Healing Salve

To use this healing salve, massage a small amount onto the affected area. If needed, coer with a bandage.

Reapply every 6-8 hours or as needed.

What herbs and essential oils can I add to this recipe for healing salve?

If you want to increase the properties of this recipe for a healing salve, you can add the followng when you add the essential oils.

Be sure to add them before you mix the ingredients so they will be evenly distributed.

Comfrey – promotes skin healing due to allantoin and rosmarinic acid in the leaves that promote new skin cell growth. May be antiviral as well.

CalendulaHas anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Good for soothing minor cuts, aches and pains.

Peppermint essential oil – soothes sore muscles. Great for arthritis and general aches and pains. Also, good for use for headaches and upset tummies.

Eucalyptus Essential OilPerfect for adding to help relieve chest congestion and coughs.

Looking for more DIY products to make and stop buying? You may enjoy these:

If you’re tired of store bought deodorant, this homemade deodorant recipe is just what you need! This lavender scented homemade deodorant is super easy to make and works better than anything in the store!

If you like the smell of lilac, you will love this lilac perfume! Learn how to make lilac perfume in just a few minutes! It smells so good you won’t want to wear anything else!

Graham crackers make a great snack and this homemade graham cracker recipe is the best! Learn how to make homemade graham crackers in just minutes! They’re perfect for snacks, Smores, holiday baking and even pie crusts! You’ll never go back to store bought again!

DIY Healing Salve Recipe for Simple Cuts and Burns (9)

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DIY Healing Salve Recipe

Cuts, scratches and simple burns don't stand a chance against this DIY healing salve. Made with antibacterial and antiviral ingredients, it's perfect for your holistic medicine cabinet.

Course DIY Home Remedies

Cuisine American

Keyword Lavender Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Witch Hazel

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 ounces

Author Stacy Williams

Cost $1.50

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add the coconut oil, beeswax and almond oil to a double boiler and fully melt it over low heat. Make sure to stir it constantly with the rubber spatula so it does not burn.

  • Once they are fully melted, pour them into a mixing bowl and allow it to cool for 30 to 60 seconds.

  • Once the mixture has cooled a bit, add the witch hazel and 12 drops of each essential oil. If you are adding additions or Vitamin E oil to preserve, add them now.

    Then, using the electric mixer, beat the mixture until it is a creamy texture that you are comfortable with.

  • Once you’ve reached the consistency you are happy with, pour the mixture into a 4 oz lotion jar or a 4 oz jelly jar.

Notes

Possible Additions for Your Healing Salve

Comfrey– promotes skin healing due to allantoin and rosmarinic acid in the leaves that promote new skin cell growth. May be antiviral as well.

CalendulaHas anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Good for soothing minor cuts, aches and pains.

Peppermint essential oil– soothes sore muscles. Great for arthritis and general aches and pains. Also, good for use for headaches and upset tummies.

Eucalyptus Essential OilPerfect for adding to help relieve chest congestion and coughs.

DIY Healing Salve Recipe for Simple Cuts and Burns (2024)

FAQs

How do you make homemade burn salve? ›

Simply mix the lavender oil, honey and olive oil together and put in a glass jar. To use it, slather it over the burn, and cover it the injury site with dressing or bandage. That's it!

How to make your own healing salve? ›

How to make an herbal cream
  1. 1 cup distilled water or rosewater.
  2. 3/4 cup carrier oil (almond, or an herb-infused oil)
  3. 1/2 oz. –1 oz. beeswax (less for a thinner consistency, more for a firmer cream)
  4. a double boiler.
  5. blender or immersion blender.
  6. clean glass jars.
  7. essential oils, if desired.
Feb 21, 2019

How do you thicken homemade salve? ›

Conversely, if your salve is too runny, add more beeswax or hard butter (e.g., cocoa butter) to thicken it up.

How do you make homemade healing cream? ›

Here is the recipe for the wound healing ointment with lavender oil and tea tree oil:
  1. 1 cup beeswax.
  2. 1 cup coconut oil.
  3. 1/2 cup olive oil.
  4. 2 tablespoons honey.
  5. 10-15 drops lavender oil.
  6. 10-15 drops tea tree oil.
Mar 12, 2023

How do you make self heal salve? ›

To make: Combine about 1/3 cup crumbled dried self heal with about 3/4 cup oil of your choice (olive or sunflower works well for salves). Leave uncovered and set the jar in a saucepan with a few inches of water; heat over medium low for 2 to 3 hours.

What is the best ointment for burns at home? ›

You may put a thin layer of ointment, such as petroleum jelly or aloe vera, on the burn. The ointment does not need to have antibiotics in it. Some antibiotic ointments can cause an allergic reaction. Do not use cream, lotion, oil, cortisone, butter, or egg white.

How do you make natural antibiotic salve? ›

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  1. 1/2 Cup Fractionated Coconut Oil.
  2. 1/2 Cup Organic Castor Oil.
  3. 20 Drops Lavender Essential Oil.
  4. 10-15 Drops Organic Lemon Essential Oil.
  5. 1/4 Cup Vitamin E Oil.
  6. 1-2 Oz Beeswax Pellets.

What makes a good salve? ›

Salves are generally made of organic beeswax and infused herbal oils with essential oils to make a semi-solid ointment. You can use base oils such as organic coconut, olive, sesame, sunflower and sweet almond oil and also consider fats like cocoa or shea butter too.

How do you make joint pain salve? ›

Reduce Arthritis Inflammation with this Homemade Cream
  1. 1/2 cup olive oil.
  2. 3 tablespoons cayenne powder.
  3. 1 cup coconut oil.
  4. 1 coffee filter or cheesecloth.
  5. 1 heat-proof glass jar or bowl.
  6. 1 glass jar with a tightly fitting lid for storage.
Jan 18, 2018

Why is my homemade salve grainy? ›

After a butter is melted, it can develop tiny crystals as it cools and sets. These crystals usually melt again on skin contact. While they don't detract from the butter's beneficial properties, the gritty texture they create is usually undesirable.

What is the best ratio for salve? ›

I typically make my salve with an oil to beeswax ratio of 3:1 or 4:1, which results in a thick but still easily spreadable texture. For example, in my latest batch I had about 100 mL of melted beeswax so I added about 300 mL of oil.

Why is my salve separating? ›

If your salve or balm melts (temperatures over 110 F will typically do this given time) it will separate into a liquid and solid layer.

How to make salve for wounds? ›

In a dry, pint-size jar, crumble 1/2 cup dried herbs and cover with 1 cup of olive oil (ratio 1 part dried herbs : 2 parts oil). Cap and place the jar in a soup pot filled with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then simmer for 1 hour. Strain the herbs from the oil with a piece of clean cloth.

How to make a simple salve? ›

Method
  1. First you will need to make an infused oil. ...
  2. Take 100ml of your infused herbal oil.
  3. Warm in a bain-marie, add 15g beeswax until it has melted.
  4. Take it off the heat.
  5. Whilst it is still warm add any essential oils you want to.
  6. Pour this into some salve jars.
  7. Allow to cool and then add a lid, label and store.

What is the best ingredient to heal skin? ›

15 Ingredients Speed up Wound Healing
  • Vitamin A. ...
  • Vitamin C. ...
  • Rutin. ...
  • Grape Seed Extract. ...
  • Centella Asiatica Extract. ...
  • D-panthenol. ...
  • Green Tea Extract. Green tea extract (90% EGCG) especially due to its active ingredients called EGCG is a strong and multi-purpose active. ...
  • Niacinamide.
May 2, 2019

What is the best healing salve for burns? ›

Popular over-the-counter burn ointments include:
  • Bacitracin.
  • Polysporin (bacitracin / polymyxin B)
  • Neosporin (bacitracin / polymyxin B / neomycin)
Feb 13, 2024

What are the ingredients in burn ointment? ›

Water, Stearic Acid, Lauramide DEA, Beeswax, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Tetraborate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Triethanolamine, Eucalyptus Oil.

What is the best natural thing to put on a burn? ›

Aloe vera gel

Applying aloe vera gel to the burned area can help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. This natural remedy is known for its skin-repairing properties and can stimulate healing in the affected area. For maximum effectiveness, use pure aloe vera gel rather than products containing added ingredients.

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