Drawing Salve Recipe

This is a great one to have in your herbal first aid tool box along with your other salves. Applied onto splinters, bug bites, and stings it helps to draw out the foreign object. Just use a little dab on the area, cover with a bandaid, and leave it on overnight. In the morning check the area to see if the splinter has made its way out or if the bite/sting area is calmed down. If not, then repeat the process. Usually this salve can draw things out within 24hrs. If not you may need to seek a medical professional. But for most cases of mild splinters and common stings this drawing works great.

 This is a small batch recipe because you really don’t need a lot of this drawing salve. You could easily double it to give away as gifts to friends and family. This recipe makes about 3 oz.

 

Recipe for Drawing Salve

8 tbs Plantain Oil

2 tsp Shea Butter

1tbs Charcoal (activated charcoal)

2 tbs Beeswax

15 drops Lavender Essential Oil

10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

 

If you are allergic to or do not like lavender essential oil, it can be replaced with frankincense essential oil. 

 

A good addition to this drawing salve recipe would be a tablespoon of kaolin clay. It also has the ability to pull things from the surface layers of the skin. 

Directions to Make 

The first step in this recipe is to make the plantain oil. This is made with plantain the herb, not plantain the tropical fruit. You can order dried plantain leaves from Mountain Rose Herbs.

You can use the slow method or the quick method. For the slow method fill a mason jar half full with dried plantain herb and cover with oil to the top of the jar. Olive oil or apricot oil is a great choice for carrier oil. Cover with lid and place in a warm dark place for 6 weeks. Shake daily. At the end of 6 weeks, strain the plantain oil through cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean glass jar.

For the quick method place plantain and oil into a double boiler and heat low and slow for 4-6 hours. Just be sure not to burn the herbs. Don’t let the oil simmer or form bubbles. At the end of the infusion the oil should smell herby but not burnt. Strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean glass jar.

The second step of this recipe is to combine the rest of the ingredients together with the plantain oil. 

 

• In a double boiler combine the plantain oil, shea butter and beeswax pastilles. Gently melt over low heat and heat until it's just melted.

 

• Once the beeswax has completely melted, remove from heat. After removing from heat add in the activated charcoal (and clay if you are using it) and stir well, making sure it is well dissolved. Then add the essential oils.

 

• Once it is well combined, pour into your containers. I like to use salve tins or glass cosmetic containers. Leave the lids off while the salve cools. Once hardened, put the lids on.

 

• Label your containers with the ingredients and the date. 

 

This recipe makes about 3 ounces of drawing salve. A little goes a long way and you only need a little at a time so for me it makes sense to make small batches of this. 

Salves can last 2-3 years if stored properly in a cool place out of direct sunlight with a lid.

 

If I’ve forgotten anything or you have any questions, let me know!