Making An Arthritis Salve

I love making herbal oils and salves. For this one, I’m using a cannabis infused coconut oil base and adding dried arnica and lavender blossoms along with some turmeric powder and a blend of Thai and cayenne pepper. The beeswax I’ll use is from our beehives so that’s awesome.

 

I’m using the warmer burner on my stove to do a heated infusion for a couple of hours on low. I typically use a small crockpot but I couldn’t locate it so the warmer burner will have to do for this salve. I like salves for the immediate relief of sore muscles and joints. I still have damaged areas from severe rheumatoid arthritis and overuse affects them so it’s nice to have something to quickly rub on to help take the pain away.

 

 

 

My focus was on using herbs that are anti-inflammatory with a little pain help from the arnica blossoms. Here’s the rough estimate of what I used:

• 2 tsp Thai/cayenne pepper blend (you can also use just cayenne)
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• healthy pinch of arnica flowers
• small amount of lavender flowers (I used probably 4 stem’s worth of flowers)
• 2 red clover blossoms (soothing effect)
• approximately 3/4 cup cannabis infused coconut oil (or just use coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup beeswax pearls (I was out of pearls so I used comb from one of my hives)

I began by melting the cannabis infused coconut oil in a small pan on the warmer burner after which I began adding the herbs. I covered the pan with foil and let the herbs infuse on the burner on low heat between three and four hours. I had to run to the store for the turkey, so I turned it off while I was gone, but overall, it was probably around four hours of infusion. After infusing, I lined a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and then poured the mixture over it into a clean pyrex container and then poured the infused oil back into the pan to add beeswax. I added the beeswax and allowed it to melt, stirring it a bit to break up the crushed beeswax comb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When all the beeswax was melted into the infused oil, I did a spoon test to test for consistency. It’s simple to do in that you dip a spoon in the infusion and then set it in the refrigerator for ten minutes. If you like what you see, then you’re done. If it’s not hardening properly, then add more beeswax. This is why I like beeswax pearls so much. I can add them in small amounts if I’m having difficulty with the consistency.

In the case of this salve, half a cup of beeswax was plenty and after pouring the infusion into the jar, I put the lid on it and set it in the refrigerator to finish hardening. I used some this morning before our walk on my elbow and it did great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making herbal salves is so easy that it doesn’t make sense not to make them! You don’t need anything special, just a walk around your yard should do the trick. Gather some dandelion leaf, red clover blossoms, plantain leaf, chickweed, let them dry and then infuse them into some oil. Add some beeswax to harden at the end and voila! You have a healing salve to use. And the best part, you made it yourself from what’s typically considered weeds growing in and around your yard!

Herbal Blessings!