For a long time I was confused about the difference between salves, ointments and balms. Some writers use all three terms interchangeably whilst others have separate definitions, many of which contradict those from other sources. In this post I wanted to tell you a little about how I make salves, ointments and balms with the intention of sharing some hopefully useful tips and practical information.
Salves, ointments, unguents, balms, call them what you will, what all these preparations have in common is they are primarily a semi-solid mix of fatty ingredients such as oils and waxes, usually with no water part at all, though they may contain a small amount of herbal tincture or similar. This differentiates them from creams and lotions which contain both fats and waters.
Generally, ointments and salves are considered much the same thing; a healing external preparation made with medicinal substances in a base of oils and waxes. According to the Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health an ointment is “a semisolid preparation for external application to the skin or mucous membranes. Official ointments consist of medicinal substances incorporated in suitable vehicles (bases). Called also salve and unguent.” All in all the definitions are pretty vague which is probably why we find discrepancies.
Suitable ingredients for a salve include many vegetable oils (such as olive, sunflower, sweet almond, apricot) and beeswax or vegetable wax such as candelilla or carnuba. In older herbals lard or animal fats were often used and these are enjoying something of a comeback amongst some traditional herbalists but, as a vegetarian, they don’t feature on my radar so I won’t be talking about them here. Many herbal books include recipes made with mineral oil byproducts such as petroleum jelly or vaseline but again, as I don’t work with them, I will not be including any information here.
As making salves involves some degree of heat it’s best to use oils that are fairly heat stable, the main ones to avoid are oils like flax seed, evening primrose and borage. If you want to include these then stir them in after the other ingredients have been melted and are beginning to cool. Coconut oil is the most heat stable vegetable oil but as you will not be heating it very high, oils like olive, sunflower and apricot kernal can be happily used.
Beeswax comes in two varieties, white and yellow but the white is bleached and processed so I never use it, it’s always better to stay as close to nature as possible. Candelilla wax is derived from the leaves of a shrub native to Mexico and is slightly harder than beeswax so you generally want to use a fraction less in a recipe. Carnuba is a similar product derived from a Brazilian Palm. The advantages of these two is that they are vegan so products can be made that are suitable for everyone. The disadvantage is that they come from a very long way away (at least if you live here in Europe!). It’s a tricky choice as some producers of bee products are far from ethical or kind to their bees. I do use beeswax but always try to get it from a local supplier that I know I can trust.
Basic Salve Recipe:
90ml herbal infused oil
10g beeswax
Basic Vegan Salve Recipe:
92 ml infused oil
8g candelilla wax
Medicinal Salve Recipe:
75 – 80ml infused oil
10g beeswax
10ml tincture
2 – 5 ml essential oil
Method:
Weigh or measure out the wax (preferably grated or cut into small pieces) and the herbal infused oil and place in a double boiler or bain marie. Heat over a low heat until the wax is fully melted and then stir well. If adding tincture drizzle it in slowly now whilst whisking lightly with a fork. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly but not set. You can test the consistency of the salve by dipping the tip of a teaspoon into it. Such a small amount will set quickly and will show you how the finished product will be. If you are not happy you can return it to the heat and add a fraction more oil/wax until you get it just right. Whilst the salve is still liquid, stir in the essential oils, pour into glass jars and cap immediately to stop the volatile oils from evaporating. Allow to cool and set completely before using.
You can make salves for use as chest rubs, for treating aches and pains, for protecting and healing dry and sore skin and many other uses. The recipe can be easily adapted according to your preferences or required ingredients. A very simple skin healing salve can be made with calendula infused oil and beeswax or a chest salve with olive oil, wax and 5% suitable essential oils. The possibilities are limitless!
Balms are similar to salves, some people class them as the same thing entirely whilst others make a slight differentiation. According to James Green who wrote The Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook, “a balm is simply a salve that contains a relatively high amount of volatile oils. Upon application is delivers a notably intense cloud of aromatic vapours.” My understanding of a balm is that it is a salve that also contains butters such as cacao or shea butter making for a creamier end product. These are just individual definitions though so you can use whichever you prefer.
Cacao is fairly hard at room temperature so makes for a slightly firmer end product where as shea is very creamy and therefore a lovely addition to lip balms or body butters. Mango butter is also delicious and has a lower melt point and a more slippery consistency.
Basic Balm Recipe:
67 ml infused oil
25 g cacao butter
5 g beeswax
2 ml vitamin E
1 ml essential oils of choice
Basic Body Butter Recipe:
57 ml infused oil
20 g shea butter
20 g cacao butter
2 ml vitamin E
1 ml essential oils
These balms can be made as above by melting the oils, butters and wax in a bain marie then adding the essential oils and vitamin E at the last moment so they will not be affected by the heat.
I hope that was helpful rather than just confusing the issue further! Happy making.
As always full of useful information and beautifully illustrated. I love the way you present your products.
For me, that fact that you care about the health and treatment of the bees is a wonderful addition to this post.
I was a vegetarian for around 26 years. I do not eat meat but have introduced some fish into my diet. It does not rest easy on my shoulders but for some reason I felt the need. I tend to go with my feelings……
Thank you Cheryl, some day soon I hope to have my own bees to completely ensure they are well looked after, such marvellous creatures we must care for them the very best we can, just as you do with your wonderful gardens.
Consuming with great care and consciousness is the best we can do I think, whether we are eating animals, plants or anything else. So hard in this modern world I know.
Take care xxx
Hi there, I’ve been enjoying your blog for a while now. Thank you for this post! I would love to know more about how you make face creams as well. For the balms/ointments/salves, I was wondering, what are your favorite herbal components?
Hi Ffalstaf,
My favourite ingredients would depend on what the salve was for, would it be helpful if I did another post with some more specific recipes such as a chest salve, an all-purpose healing slave, a salve for aches and pains, that sort of thing? Let me know what you are interested in and I’ll try and be more specific!
Generally simple calendula, comfrey, chamomile and elder leaf infused oils make nice salves, either singly or in combinations. Spicy oils like ginger and cayenne can be nice for achy joints and warming, aromatic herbs like thyme are nice for chest salves with some essential oils too.
I will get round to doing a creams post soon, I love making (and using) nice herbal creams so have got a couple of good recipes now.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Snap……when my grand-children are a little older I hope to keep bees. It is something I have always wanted to do. On Sunday I visited gardens in a local village. They had opened their gardens to make some money for the church restoration project. The gardens were beautiful but I came away feeling let down and I could not understand why. It was only during the evening I realised I had not seen one bee, one butterfly or any other type of bug…..it made me feel quite sad.
That is why your garden is such a magical place Cheryl! A haven for all creatures great and small. xxx
Thank you for tackling such a confusing issue! I think we also need an article on poultices, compresses and the like too since every book says something different there as well
I find myself coming more and more often to Whispering Earth to find instructions on how to make things – as you break things down in such an easy to follow way, and all your recipes always turn out fabulous 
I’ve been inspired to make more oils by reading some of your posts, and now I shall be inspired also to make them into salves and balms 
Hope your rain went away and you have lots of sunshine on our longest day of the year! Happy happy solstice to you, Mark and the kitties
Love,
D
I’m so glad you find something helpful here, thanks for your lovely words. I’ll definitely do a poultice and compresses post, I really enjoy them, though they can be a bit messy and fiddly. I get a rash on my legs sometimes if I eat wheat and a poultice is the absolute best thing for it, much better than salves or even creams.
May Solstice magic be with all of you too. xxxxx
Really, really, really good article that’s simply explains the confusion. Thanks also for putting up a vegan recipe too.
Thanks Martin. I’m glad it was of some help.
I would love to know more about salves for achy muscles and joints. I broke my ankle about a year ago and since then it’s always stiff. I made a salve out of poplar leaves (no buds available at this time of year of course) and that does help, but I like the sound of spicy salves!
I will post a recipe soon!
There are some tips in our April blog party on treating aches and pains too, this was my post -
http://whisperingearth.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/herbal-tips-for-aches-and-pains-april-blogparty/
Take care xx
What an interesting post Lucinda,so full of useful information,so we can learn something.
Thanks for sharing Lucinda
Have a nice weekend – Rita
Thanks Rita, take care and have a lovely weekend too xx
I like so much to read your blog and to discover your cat’s mindfulness…
These few words (in my weak english) to tell you that I have put a link towards this article because I wrote about it recently on my blog.
(here :http://princesseaupetitpois.over-blog.com/article-baume-au-neroli-et-a-la-teinture-de-jasmin-80580340.html )
Many thanks
Thank you Venezia for your lovely comment and link. Your English is very good, much better than my French I’m sorry to say!
Hi Lucinda
I ordered some shea butter to make your body butter recipe but when i received it , it was soft and grainy. (organic unrefined) would it affect the outcome of the recipe. Any tips working with grainy shea would be much appreciated.
Kind regards
Rohini
Hi Rohini, if it feels grainy but melts when you rub a small amount into the skin or put it in a bain marie then it will be fine. I have had some in the past that seems quite crumbly but it still melts down the same. If the grains are harder and don’t melt you might want to consider checking with the supplier as it shouldn’t really be like that.
Take care. x
HI Lucida, thanks for the great post! What do you think about using soy wax for your recipes?
Hi Taylour,
I must admit I haven’t tried any recipes with soy wax so can’t be of much help to you. If I get chance to have a play with it then I’ll post an update.
Thanks for stopping by, I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Thanks for “liking” my post. I have had the WildIndigo blog for some time but now trying to take it seriously and push forward with visibility.
Then I will add you to my blogroll. Thanks for stopping by.
I feel like a child in a lolly store…this is soooooo exciting, I am so pleased I have come across you and your precious knowledge of using mother earth’s treasures..thank you so much
Love and Light
Deb
Thank you Debbie! Your comment was lovely to read and I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. x
Thank you so much for the info. After watching 2 seasons of Backyard Medicine by James Wong. I am still utterly confused.Now, with your explanation, I am enlightened.
Hi Cyril, that’s great, I am so glad it was helpful to you.
You’re not only helpful to me but to everyone. Thank you again.
thank you so much for the wonderful info .. i have been making salves for a number of years now but find myself unable to get my hands on any of the needed ingredients i do have a large supply of essential oils and dried herbs. but am unable to procure anything like beeswax or any of the base oils i would normally use. what i do have is a LARGE supply of a basic unscented skin cream that is more of a paste at room temps. what i was wondering is if this would work in lieu of the beeswax and base oils i normally use . sadly my education in these matters is fairly narrow owing to the fact that the women who taught me refused to allow the use of any non natural product
Hi Josh,
It depends what you want to do with it really. You could certainly use the crem to mix in essential oils and small amounts of herbal tincture in order to make a medicinal cream but you wouldn’t be able to add large amounts of tincture or infused oil without it becoming too runny.
Many places will sell good quality base oils if you want to use the died herbs to infuse your own oils. You can happily use good quality organic carrier oils from the supermarket like sunflower or olive.
Let me know if you have a more specific question and I will try to answer it as best I can.
Hope it goes well!
what can I say, I came across this site while questioning the same issues and there it was….THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! KEEP UP THE WONDERFUL WORK,
I want to make cuticle cream like burts bees lemon cuticle cream. would i use the balm recipe and just put lemon essential oil in it?
Yes that would work perfectly. You may want to slightly increase the beeswax to make it firmer if you live in a warm climate though, depending on how firm you would like the result to be. i haven’t tried the Burt’s Bees one to compare but this is a nice, fairly soft consistency.
i just love your blog so much wonderful information but i do have a question i have been using sweet almond oil in my salves but they dont seem to soak into the skin in the way i wish they would i have been doing some research and come across jojoba oil and it sounds like it might work a bit better than almond oil i was hopping i might be able borrow some of your insight thank you so much
josh
Hi Josh,
Jojoba is a lovely oil that is actually a wax, even though we use it just the same as an oil. It is said to be the closest to skin’s natural sebum and therefore well absorbed. It would be great to use in salves. Salves generally hang around longer than a cream and leave more of a protective coating but they should still be absorbed fairly well. I say try the jojoba and see if it makes a difference, And do let me know as it would be interesting to hear what you discover!
Greeting from Atlanta GA Lucinda!
I am VERY excited to find you, I am a urban Gardener of heirloom herbs and have been using them mostly for cooking and scrubs and have been yearning to venture into salves and balms. I recently lost my dear cousin (She was more like a sister) that was in the middle of her residency as an osteopath. I feel like she has been guiding me to make a balm/ointment/salve to honor her. The power of touch is powerful. I believe it heals the spirit.
May your spirit ever be restored by your good works!
Signed,
Neffie- The Sexy Seed Saver
Hi Neffie,
From the Sexy Seed Saver to the Sexy Salve Maker! Do let me know how your salve turns out, it sounds like it will be magical and a beautiful way to honour the memory of your dear cousin and friend.
I agree with you on the power of touch.
Many blessings to you.
Hi,
Made body butter as per your recipe .It was a simple and easy process, but I think it is too oily .( I used almond oil )Is it possible to reduced the oiliness .What if I substitute almond oil with some other oil ? Can you suggest a substitute?
Anu
Hi Anu,
Experimenting is really the only way to find a recipe you are happy with as everyone’s skin is different. You could increase the shea and decrease the cacao as shea butter is more creamy and less greasy. You could try replacing the cacao with coconut butter which feels oily on first contact but is absorbed very easily. Or you could swap the almond for a lighter oil like hazelnut or grapeseed or jojoba which is well absorbed by the skin.
Or you could add a small amount of a liquid (up to 10%), being sure to blend very thoroughly so it does not separate, which will lighten the overall effect.
Happy experimenting.
Lucinda and the whispering team hi and Happy 2013! I use your site almost weekly and dream of crunching through the snow this time of year in the North downs of Kent and south downs of Sussex! Our arnica finally gave us about 40 flowers this year and i would like to make a balm for my Nans arthritis. She is 85 and hunched over from coming up to 8 decades of gardening so i would love to heal her pain anyway possible. The problem is i cannot find beeswax here in Brasil. I have coconut oil, base oils, glycerina and a garden of medicinal herbs……could you please offer any help?
Hi Tracy,
There are lots of herbs you can try, the arnica would be good with some comfrey infused oil or try a warming blend of ginger, cayenne and turmeric which will help with the inflammation and pain. There was a post on making cayenne salve on learning herbs recently, here is the link:
http://www.learningherbs.com/news_issue_92.html
Instead of beeswax you could use cocoa butter if you can get it, though you’d have to use a higher proportion than the beeswax for it to set. The coconut probably wouldn’t be enough to keep the salve solid as you live in a warm climate but what you could do is infuse your herbs directly into the coconut oil and just use that. Or you could just infuse into a liquid oil and give it to her as a massage oil rather than a salve.
Let me know if you need any more advice.
Lucinda’s article is very useful and timely for me. . . I would like to make a salve for my husband who happens to have some itchy skin disturbance. . . i find acapulco useful. so, i applied on his skin that gets better. but i am applying fresh sap. so i want to make salve so that he can bring it along wherever he goes…
Hi Luzv,
Unfortunately we don’t have acapulco growing here so I have never used it. Could you collect a small amount of the sap and blend it into a salve? 10% or less will blend nicely. If you want to use a higher volume of sap then you will need to make a cream using one of the other recipes to help it emulsify.
HI! I am trying a recipe for a handmade natural tattoo ointment! Your guidance is very appreciated. Are there any recommendations? I purchased beeswax and shea butter for my base, to add vit. E oil, “Germ Fighter Synergy” essential oil and a bit of comfrey extract. I know I will need to keep my area sterile, any other advise? Thanks!
Mike K.
I like calendula infused oil for a tattoo salve. What oils are in ‘germ fighter’? I quite like just plain lavender essential oil as it is gentle and healing but also potent enough to kill bacteria. The Vit E is a good idea too. Just make sure you don’t use the comfrey on open wounds. Otherwise sounds great.
The germ fighter has Lemon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon and Rosemary. So I shouldn’t use any comfrey for a tattoo salve?
Hi Michael, Comfrey would be fine once the skin has healed enough that it is not actually bleeding. They say a good tattoo artist won’t draw blood but in my experience they usually do! This is because comfrey can cause the skin to heal over very quickly, thus sealing in infection. If you are using anti-microbial oils that is unlikely to happen so it should be fine but it’s just something to be aware of really.
The ‘germ fighter’ sounds like a strong blend of oils! I would be tempted to stick to lavender myself but I am always drawn to gentler oils, especially where healing is required as well as the anti-microbial effect. Was this recommended to you by someone? If you use it just be sure not to make it too strong a blend!
Hello to all of you. This is my first attempt at making a topically applied healing ointment of sorts to aid in healing. I looked up this site by searching for mixtures and emulsifying agents. Is anyone available to help guide my search?