Soothing, Healing Lavender Salve Recipe (Easy and Multiple Use) — All Posts Healing Harvest Homestead (2024)

NOTE: This article is for a wonderful recipe for a beginning level healing salve using lavender buds. It smells amazing, and is perfect for small wounds, bug bites, and minor skin issues. It’s safe for everyone, too! This is a base recipe you can apply to many others, so you can get creative with it.

**This article has been updated from several years ago from when I lived in the Mojave Desert for 50+ years:

Fields of lavender….Doesn’t that vision conjure up complete joy and relaxation? I love looking at pictures of lavender flowers growing in fields, and maybe one day I'll get to see that in person. I live in a desert with some truly heinous soil, and growing lavender is just a dream in my mind.

BUT!I sure can make lavender salve! It's a lovely, soft salve with tons of uses, and it smells heavenly. Keep reading for my easy recipe and ways to use this salve for beauty and health!

Edit: If you’ve been reading our journey here at Healing Harvest Homestead for a while, then you know we’ve moved to N. Idaho! I’ve met a few lavender farmers up here, and one farm I just love is Running Springs Ranch in N. California. Stephanie sells beautiful artisan lavender essential oil, and this is where I get mine now. It’s seriously the BEST quality lavender oil I’ve ever experienced.

Anyhow, now that I’m out of the desert, I can go see all the lavender I want, and I’m also even growing it in my healing garden!

Now! On to the lavender salve recipe!

FTC Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, and if you click through and make any kind of purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

How to Make Lavender Salve

Ingredients for Making Lavender Salve:

1) Lavender flowers---about a cup or so.

2) Organic olive oil or sweet almond oil, about two cups

3) Beeswax pellets---you'll need 1/4 cup for each cup of fully infused oil

4) Lavender essential oil

5) You'll need containers to hold your salve. I use either amber glass jars or Mason jelly jars in a four ounce size. You can also use a two ounce jar if you prefer. The four ounce jars are also GREAT for any salt or sugar scrubs you might want to make as well!

Directions for Making Lavender Salve:

Step 1) Infuse your Oil

To make a lavender flower infused oil, there are two best ways to go about it. There is a long way and a short way.

Personally, I prefer the long way because more of the plant chemicals seem to get infused into the oil, and it's just stronger that way, in my opinion.You can find out more about making herbal infused oils in this article, with more details.

How to Make Lavender Infused Oil: The Long Way

Using a quart Mason jar or other jar about that size, place 1 to 1 1/2 cups of Lavender buds in the jar. Pour your oil of choice over them to within an inch of the top of the jar. Place a lid on top, and shake well. Put this jar in a sunny window, shaking daily, for about a month. You'll have lovely infused oil to use!

How to Make Lavender Infused Oil: The Short Way

Personally, this is a more violent way to treat your flowers, and I have actually burned them before, infusing oils the short way. However, if you don't have time to infuse your oil the long way, then this is your next best option.

Using a pan with a heavy bottom, add your oil and flowers. Turn the heat as low as you can, and allow the oil to gently warm up. Your flowers will infuse in this oil for up to several hours.

Then there’s the crock pot method for the short way, and it’s not as hard on the flowers, but takes just a wee bit longer. Follow the directions above except place a cloth into the bottom of the crock pot first. Add you water, place the jar of oil and flowers on the cloth, and set the crock pot to warm. Let this infuse for up to three days, replacing the water as it evaporates. I also put a lid (not screwed on) on the jar to make sure no water gets into the jar.

Here's the thing about the Short Way: It is so easy to get that oil too hot, and you might just cook your flowers without realizing it. Keep a good eye on it, because you don't want to "cook" those flowers. Infusing is supposed to be a gentle process.

OTHER OPTIONS FOR THE SHORT WAY:

Since I wrote this article, I’ve discovered less violent short ways to infuse your oil with herbs. You can read about those here.

For both methods, you'll need to strain out the lavender flowers when the infusing is done. You'll be left with a lovely green-tinted oil infused with the plant constituents of the lavender!

Here's an article about making herbal infused oils.

Soothing, Healing Lavender Salve Recipe (Easy and Multiple Use) — All Posts Healing Harvest Homestead (3)

Step 2) Melt your Oil & Beeswax Together

You'll need a double boiler of some type for this part. What I do is place a quart Mason jar into a pan of cool water that's about 1 1/2 inch deep. No more than 2 inches, because you don't want that jar floating.

For a perfect salve, use 1 cup of oil to 1/4 cup of beeswax. You can adjust the total yield up or down accordingly. For example, if you want to make more, you could use 2 cups of oil to 1/2 cup of beeswax, and vice versa if you want to make less!

**And, if you want a harder salve, you can add more beeswax. If you want it softer, then add less. This recipe ratio is a perfect middle ground.

Pour the oil and the beeswax into your double boiler. Set the heat to low-medium, and allow the beeswax to melt into the oil.

Soothing, Healing Lavender Salve Recipe (Easy and Multiple Use) — All Posts Healing Harvest Homestead (4)

Step 3) Remove from Heat/Add Essential Oil

Once the beeswax is completely melted, just remove the mixture from the heat and let sit for a few minutes to cool it down a bit. The heated oil is not the best for essential oils, and although you'll need it to remain liquid for this part, you don't want it cooling down and beginning to solidify.

Add your essential oil: I use about 50 drops per cup of oil. This is an approximate 1% dilution. If you’d like a stronger salve, you can use 100 drops for a 2% dilution, or even 150 drops for a 3% dilution.

You can add more or less essential oil, and lavender is very safe. Although I don’t recommend this ever, many people use it neat (without dilution) with no adverse effects.

You can tell how strong it will be somewhat by smelling as you add and stir in the essential oil. NOTE: The strength of the scent will decrease a bit as the salve hardens, so keep this in mind.

Step 4) Pour the Oil Mixture into Containers

Carefully pour the oil mixture into the containers you choose to use. This part is where some patience comes in because now you'll need to leave it completely alone while it sets up and hardens.

Trust me: You don't want to move it around as it's setting or you won't have that nice smooth surface that make a salve so pretty before it gets used! Wait til it's completely hardened--usually a few hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Soothing, Healing Lavender Salve Recipe (Easy and Multiple Use) — All Posts Healing Harvest Homestead (5)

Step 5) Enjoy!

This salve is wonderful and simple to make! It smells great, is soothing to use, and great for gift giving too! You could actually gift this salve along with a handmade Lavender salt or sugar scrub too. For complete directions and ideas, see these articles: How to Make a Juniper/Rosemary Salt Scrub and Sugar vs. Salt: Which is Best for Making a Scrub?

Ways to Use Lavender Salve

There are many uses for Lavender salve, due to the properties of Lavender. Lavender is soothing, softening, and also has anti-microbial qualities. Here are some of my favorite ways to use my lavender salve:

1) To soothe bug bites and small cuts

2) To shorten the healing time of sunburn

3) Rub on temples for immediate feelings of relaxation

4) Use on temples, chest, and neck to help improve your sleep

5) Rub a small amount behind your ears to sooth motion sickness. Ginger works well for this too.

6) Helps to alleviate allergy symptoms. Just use on your neck and near ears.

7) Just use it to moisturize your skin and enjoy the lovely scent! I often rub a small amount right into my hands, arms, and the rest of my body because it's so good for your skin!

8) Lavender is wonderful for headaches too! Use it on your temples and forehead.

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Final Thoughts About Lavender Salve

This is such an easy salve to make! The most difficult thing about it is being sure you have your infused oil ready to go! I recommend keeping several infused oils on hand all the time so you are ready to make different salves and medicinals.

Have you ever made a salve? Do you like to use them? I'd love to know your ideas, experiences, and anything I may have left out! :-) Leave a comment in the comments section!

You may also be interested in reading:

,

How to Make Herbal Healing Salve (St. Johns, Comfrey, Plantain),

Hugs, Health,& Self-Reliance,

Heidi

P.S. If you haven't done so yet, I hope you'll sign up for our Newsletter! You'll never miss a thing, and you'll get free eBooks too! :-) The eBooks currently are "How to Use Herbs & Oils to Relax," and "Essential Oil Diffuser Blends."

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and in no manner, stated or implied, is any statement in this article, in newsletters, or in any publication written by me meant to cure, treat, diagnose or prevent any health issue or illness. My statements are my personal opinion and are for informational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Soothing, Healing Lavender Salve Recipe (Easy and Multiple Use) — All Posts Healing Harvest Homestead (9)

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Heidi Villegas, MA, CA, Herbalist

lavender salve, how to make lavender salve, what is lavender good for

15 Comments

Soothing, Healing Lavender Salve Recipe (Easy and Multiple Use) — All Posts Healing Harvest Homestead (2024)

FAQs

Who should not use lavender oil? ›

Lavender applied to skin may cause irritation in some people. Oral use of Lavender may cause constipation, headache, and increased appetite. Lavender oil is toxic if taken orally. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid using lavender.

Can lavender poison you? ›

Lavender oil is generally not poisonous in adults when breathed in during aromatherapy or swallowed in smaller amounts. It may cause a reaction in children who swallow small amounts. The major effects are due to allergic reactions of the skin.

What is lavender salve good for? ›

Lavender salve is a little miracle-worker in a tin. It heals and moisturizes skin, soothes irritation, burns and itching, and can even help heal acne, scrapes, and eczema.

What are the healing benefits of lavender? ›

It has been known to have anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects. Herbal products like lavender essential oils may offer a solution to the problem of antibiotic resistance, invasive treatments, side effects, or even drug addiction.

When should you not use lavender oil? ›

But applying products that contain lavender oil to the skin is possibly unsafe for young males who haven't reached puberty. Lavender oil seems to have hormone-like effects that could disrupt normal hormones. In some cases, this has resulted in breast growth.

What diseases affect lavender? ›

Root rot is the number one most common problem with lavender. This aggressive rotting disease can be caused by a range of pathogens, namely Fusarium spp., Phytophthora, spp. Pythium spp. and Rhizoctonia spp.

What essential oils Cannot be mixed together? ›

The combination of Peppermint and Thyme may lead to stomach irritation. There is also some evidence that skin irritation may be caused by the combination of Peppermint and Ylang Ylang, or Grapefruit blended with Lemon.

What are the side effects of lavender essential oils? ›

Using lavender essential oils directly with food or drinks can be dangerous for people. Consuming essential oils directly causes irritation to the oral mucosa, lining of the soft palate, throat, and tongue. Other side effects include constipation, headache, increased appetite and skin rash on topical use.

How do you use lavender oil for pain? ›

Try it: Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a diffuser or spritz your sheets with an aromatherapy spray. Make your own by mixing 3 ounces of water with 30 to 45 drops of essential oil to a spray bottle; shake before each use.

How do you make healing salve? ›

Place beeswax in a double boiler and gently warm over low heat until the beeswax melts. Add herbal oils and stir over low heat until well-mixed. Remove from heat and add the essential oil(s). Quickly pour warm mixture into prepared tins, glass jars, or lip balm tubes and allow to cool completely.

What is the best lavender for healing? ›

True Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the best variety to use for healing and aromatherapy, as the hybrid oils are much higher in camphor, and are more stimulating than calming.

Can you whip a salve? ›

At this point, you can just let the mixture cool to make a solid salve, but whipping it makes it extra luxurious and easy to apply. To whip your salve, let your tallow and oil mixture cool until it is just beginning to harden but still workable.

What does lavender do to your lungs? ›

Lavender oil is known for its soothing scent and antibacterial properties. One study on mice found that lavender oil might suppress inflammation of mucous in the respiratory system, as well as help with bronchial asthma. This suggests that lavender oil might be a good treatment for COPD.

What is the spiritual meaning of lavender? ›

Lavender flowers represent purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace, and calmness. Purple is the color of royalty and speaks of elegance, refinement, and luxury, too. The color is also associated with the crown chakra, which is the energy center associated with higher purpose and spiritual connectivity.

Does lavender speed up healing? ›

Using lavender essential oil can promote wound healing. It speeds up the rate of healing, increases the expression of collagen — which keeps your skin elastic and your joints healthy — and enhances the activity of proteins involved in rebuilding tissue.

Is lavender essential oil safe for everyone? ›

Although using lavender essential oil can help manage your health, it can be harmful in rare cases. A 2007 study reported that repeated topical use of lavender essential oil products may cause prepubertal gynecomastia, which is a rare condition that causes breast development in young boys.

What is the health warning for lavender oil? ›

Lavender oil is generally not poisonous in adults when breathed in during aromatherapy or swallowed in smaller amounts. It may cause a reaction in children who swallow small amounts. The major effects are due to allergic reactions of the skin.

Does lavender oil affect blood pressure? ›

According to the study done by the researcher, blood pressure could be affected by many factors, one of which is lavender aromatherapy application. The results showed a significant decrease in average blood pressure from 147.63 to 135.25 and diastolic value from 93.19 to 83.00.

Is lavender oil bad for high blood pressure? ›

In a small study including 52 participants, researchers tested whether inhaling an oil blend containing bergamot could help reduce hypertension. The blend also included lavender and ylang-ylang. Based on their results, the team concluded that essential oils may help reduce high blood pressure.

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