Easy Peppermint Salve (Only 3 Ingredients!)
This peppermint salve recipe is easy to make with just three ingredients, and is a gentle natural remedy that can be used for headaches, bug bites, and more!
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Benefits of Peppermint
Peppermint is a sweet-smelling herb that contains menthol, the cooling component of the peppermint herb.
This wonderful herb eases digestive issues by relaxing the muscles of the digestive track and increasing the flow of digestive enzymes. Peppermint is also used as pain relief for skin sensitivities or headaches. It can also be used to fight infections such as respiratory infection.
How to Use Peppermint Salve
Headaches: To provide headache relief, rub the peppermint salve into your temples, above your eyebrows, or on the back of your neck depending on where your head is hurting.
Digestion Issues: If you are experiencing cramps, gas, or some other type of stomach ache, rub some salve in a circular pattern on your belly and lower abdomen.
Respiratory Issues: If you are experiencing a cough or mucous in the lungs, rub the salve liberally on your chest and upper back (back of the lungs). Also rub some on your feet and where socks to bed.
Congestion: If you are experiencing congestion, rub a little salve along the sides of your nose and along your cheek bones (don’t get too close to your eyes) to help relieve the pressure.
Skin Irritation: If you have a bug bite or inflamed and irritated skin, rub peppermint salve on it. The menthol will be cool against your hot skin and relieve pain that you are experiencing.
Fever Management: To provide relief during a fever, rub the peppermint salve along the spine and on the back of the neck to provide coolness. Peppermint salve plus a tepid detox bath are great fever management tools.
Muscle Pain: Massage peppermint salve into sore muscles for pain relief and healing.
Peppermint Salve vs. Essential Oil
Peppermint essential oil is a common natural remedy found in most households because peppermint in general is a useful herb for a variety of ailments.
The salve is preferable to the essential oil, however, because salve oils allow it to soak into the skin faster and begin working. Plus, the affects of the menthol are more gentle, which is great when using the salve on children or anywhere on your face.
When using peppermint on your face for headaches or congestion, the strong peppermint essential oil burns the eyes, causing them to water, and it creates an uncomfortable side affect. The salve is more gentle, giving you relief, without the watery eyes and intense menthol burn.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried peppermint
- 1 cup coconut oil (or olive oil)
- 1/3 cup beeswax
Equipment
- Glass jar
- Sauce pan
- Coffee filter
- Salve jars
How to Make Peppermint Salve
For a quality salve, you will want to use organic, unrefined coconut oil, organic dried peppermint, and organic beeswax. You could also use a high quality olive oil instead of coconut oil, but it is harder to find pure olive oil in the stores.
Start by filling a glass quart jar with 1 cup of dried peppermint.
Then, add 1 cup of organic, unrefined coconut oil, and place the mason jar in a pot and fill the pot with water.
Turn the heat to medium until the water begins to boil. Then turn the heat down to a simmer. Keep an eye on the pot and continually add water as needed. Simmer for 2 hours. You could also do this step in the crockpot by filling the crockpot with water, placing your jar in the water, and setting it to low for 2-3 hours.
After the coconut oil and dried peppermint have simmered for 2-3 hours, strain out the herb and drain the oil into a clean jar. I like to use a reusable coffee filter, but you could also use a funnel with a sieve attachment.
Allow the oil to sit and strain for 10 minutes before making your salve.
To make the salve, pour the peppermint oil back into a sauce pan on the stove and add 1/3 cup of organic beeswax.
Warm the peppermint oil and beeswax on low and stir constantly until the beeswax is completely melted.
Once the beeswax has melted, pour the hot salve into amber glass salve jars. Work quickly before the salve begins to cool and harden.
Allow the salves to completely cool and harden before putting a lid on the jars. Store the jars in a cool, dark place. This salve will last for up to 3 years.
Can Peppermint Salve be Used on Kids?
Peppermint salve is a gentle and safe natural remedy that can be used on children or pregnant mamas. This salve is the perfect tummy rub for colicky babies, bug bite relief for kiddos, or a muscle pain reliever for pregnancy.
Peppermint salve is a great natural remedy to have on hand for many childhood ailments. It is gentle (no harsh menthol affects!), nourishing for the skin, made with simple ingredients, and does not have side affects, unlike many over-the-counter medications.
This peppermint salve is a wonderful remedy to have on hand as a mom to use with your children at any age!
How Often Should I Apply the Salve?
When treating an ailment, apply the salve as often as you need. There are no side affects to using too much salve. Apply liberally to the area of pain and when the affects begin to wear off, apply more salve. The key to herbal remedies, which most people forget, is to use them early and often for healing.
FAQ
Can I make peppermint salve without beeswax? If you use coconut oil, you could make an infused oil. Coconut oil does harden a little if it is in a cool environment. However, an infused oil is more messy to use and harder to take on the go as the oil could melt and spill. Beeswax hardens the oil enough to turn it into salve.
Could I use peppermint salve on my pet? Do your research! As long as it is an animal that does not react negatively to the peppermint herb, then you could try this natural remedy with your pet. You could even use peppermint salve on the homestead with your animals such as meat rabbits or chickens.
Can I add peppermint essential oil to this salve recipe? You could add peppermint essential oil if you could like a stronger peppermint feel, but part of the beauty of this salve is the gentle peppermint affects. If you add the essential oil, the menthol will be much stronger, making it hard to use the salve on your face or on children (if the menthol sensation bothers them).
This simple, 3 ingredient peppermint salve is a must-have natural remedy! It is perfect for children and adults, plus it can be used for seven different ailments!
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