Herbal Headache and Pain Relief Salve
This soothing headache salve can be made from fresh lavender blossoms and peppermint leaves from your garden. If you don’t have any in your garden you can use dried leaves and dried blossoms to make this. The fragrance will be barely noticeable in the finished salve but the herbs will contribute their herbal actions when in contact with the skin. The aromatic essential oils give the fragrance to this salve rather than the herbs.
The essential oils are known to be pain relieving and also help relieve stuffiness and tension. You can omit the ones you don’t have on hand, but the salve will be more effective with them in the proportions given in the recipe.
When you have a headache, be sure to drink water. Headaches are often remedied by simply staying hydrated. When that doesn’t work this headache salve can help.
This recipe makes a 2 ounce container and a few lip balm size containers, for travel. If you live in a warmer climate increase the beeswax in this recipe to 4 teaspoons or 18 grams, to make a firmer salve, which will be solid at room temperature.
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Headache salve
Yield: 2 ounces
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms
- 1 teaspoon dried peppermint leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon balm leaves
- 1 tablespoon cocoa butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon beeswax, melted (about 12 grams)
- 25 drops peppermint essential oil
- 10 drops eucalyptus (globulus) essential oil
- 7 drops cajuput essential oil
- 8 drops rosemary essential oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
Method:
Make a double boiler using a glass measuring cup.
Place the dried herbs in a resealable tea bag and seal the tea bag. Place the glass measuring cup in a saucepan on top of a metal ring. I use a ring from a canning jar to hold the glass cup up off the bottom of the pan. Add olive oil and shea butter to the glass measuring cup.Place the tea bag of herbs into the glass measuring cup with the oil.
Fill the saucepan with water so that the water reaches halfway up the side of the measuring cup. Simmer the water in the saucepan over medium heat. (You’ve made a double boiler.)
Simmer gently for one hour. While the herbs are heating in the oil, occasionally press the bag with the back of a spoon, to encourage the herbs to absorb the oil. Turn over the bag several times to encourage the herbs to release their goodness into the oil. Turn off heat. Set aside.
When the bag of herbs is cool enough to handle, press the bag to remove as much of the infused oil as possible, from the herbs. I use a potato ricer to do this. You can press with the back of a wooden spoon to get the oil out of the herbs. Return the oil to the glass measuring cup.
Add the beeswax to the glass measuring cup with the infused oil. Return the glass measuring cup to the saucepan. Simmer briefly over medium heat just until the beeswax melts.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the essential oils. Continue stirring until the mixture just begins to thicken. Pour the salve into clean containers.
Allow it to cool completely, before putting the lid on the tins. This reduces the chance of moisture condensing on the underside of the tin, causing mold problems. The texture will be firm and easily spreadable.
Label your salve and date it. This preparation will last up to two years if kept in a cool place.
How to use headache salve
Put the salve on your temples and forehead. Avoid the eye area. The soothing essential oils and herbal actions will ease tension, and help you get back to normal. If you get reoccurring, severe headaches and migraines please see a holistic medical professional.
This is just a recipe.