Salves & Balms: Simple, Effective, and Timeless Herbal Medicine
A Tradition as Old as Humanity
If you open any family medicine chest, there’s almost always a small tin or jar tucked away — something meant for life’s little scrapes and stings. Maybe it’s rubbed onto chapped knuckles in winter, or smoothed across a child’s knee after a tumble. These humble balms have a way of weaving themselves into our stories. They’ve been part of human care for as long as we’ve needed comfort and healing.
Across time and continents, every culture found its way to the same truth: oil and plant medicine belong together. The ancient Egyptians blended beeswax and fragrant resins like myrrh and frankincense, using them not only to heal but also to honor the sacred. In Greece, Hippocrates spoke of herbal ointments as daily essentials in his teachings on holistic health. In China, Traditional Medicine developed complex herbal balms for pain, inflammation, and circulation. And throughout medieval Europe, monastery gardens overflowed with comfrey, calendula, and plantain — the foundation of healing salves for generations.
Through all these centuries, one thing has never changed: the simplicity. Herbs infused into oil, thickened with wax, applied by hand. A humble preparation that has stood the test of time and still sits quietly on bathroom shelves and bedside tables today.
What Is a Salve?
A salve is one of the simplest, most reliable remedies you can make — and one of the most satisfying to use. At its core, it’s an oil-based infusion that’s been gently thickened with beeswax until it holds its shape.
The infused oil carries the herbal magic — the anti-inflammatory compounds, soothing resins, and restorative plant constituents that our ancestors relied on. The beeswax adds structure and protection, sealing in moisture and slowing evaporation so the medicine lingers on the skin.
Because salves are made entirely from oil and wax, they contain no water — which means they’re naturally shelf-stable for months (often a full year or longer) without preservatives.
Why Salves Work
The skin is both barrier and gateway. While it’s built to protect us, it also absorbs fat-soluble plant compounds remarkably well. When you apply a salve, you’re delivering nature’s medicine right where it’s needed — soothing irritation, easing tension, or gently encouraging tissue repair.
• Calendula calms rashes, scrapes, and minor burns.
• Plantain helps draw out stings, bites, and splinters.
• Comfrey supports repair of bumps and bruises — earning its nickname “knit-bone.”
• St. John’s Wort brings comfort to sore muscles and nerve pain.
Each one works a little differently, but together they remind us that healing doesn’t have to be complicated. The beeswax forms a breathable layer, the oil nourishes, and the herbs do what they were designed to do: help the body find balance again.
Everyday Uses for Salves & Balms
In a world of overflowing medicine cabinets, salves are refreshingly simple — a single jar that serves dozens of purposes.
They’re perfect for cuts and scrapes, easing tenderness and protecting the skin as it mends. They quiet bug bites and stings, soften dry, cracked skin, and offer relief to tired muscles or bruises. During cold season, salves transform into chest rubs; in summer, into after-bite balms or poison ivy salves.
Best of all, they’re family-friendly. There’s something comforting about a remedy you can safely swipe across a child’s arm or rub into your own knuckles before bed. They become part of the rhythm of care — small, steady moments of nurturing that tether us to those who came before.
How Salves Are Made
Creating a salve feels a bit like participating in an ancient ritual. You begin with herbs — calendula, comfrey, plantain, or whatever your garden or apothecary offers. You let them rest in oil until the sunlight and time draw out their goodness.
Once strained, the golden oil is gently warmed and mixed with beeswax — just enough to give it body. Add a touch of essential oil or vitamin E if you like, then pour the warm liquid into tins or jars. As it cools, it solidifies into a soft balm that’s ready for use.
A small adjustment in beeswax changes everything: more wax for a firm stick you can toss in your bag, less for a supple salve that glides easily across skin. The process is simple enough for a beginner, yet endlessly customizable for the seasoned herbalist.
Try This: Basic Everyday Salve Recipe
Here’s a simple, traditional formula to start with — gentle enough for the whole family.
Ingredients
1 cup herbal infused oil (calendula, comfrey, and plantain make a beautiful trio)
1 oz (by weight) beeswax pastilles
½ tsp vitamin E oil (optional, as a natural antioxidant)
Optional: 10–20 drops essential oil (lavender or frankincense are both calming and skin-supportive)
Note: some great oils for infusing oils are jojoba, cold-pressed sunflower, almond, and olive oil.
Instructions
In a double boiler, gently melt the beeswax into the infused oil over low heat.
Remove from heat and stir in vitamin E and essential oil if using.
To test firmness, dip a spoon in and cool a few drops — add more wax if too soft, more oil if too firm.
Pour into clean tins or glass jars and let cool completely before sealing.
Label with the date and herbs used. Store in a cool, dry place — shelf life is roughly 12 months.
✨ Tip: For a softer, ointment-style salve, use ¾ oz beeswax per cup of oil. For a firm balm or stick, use up to 1¼ oz beeswax.
Salves in My Apothecary
Here at Wild Faith Acres, my infused oils form the foundation of nearly everything I make — but it’s in the salves that they truly shine.
My Healing Herbal Salve is the one I reach for most often — a faithful companion for cuts, scrapes, and the kind of everyday skin repair every family needs. Calm the Bite Balm is our summer savior, tucked into picnic baskets and beach bags for instant relief. And Forest Alchemy, one of my dearest creations, blends grounding forest herbs into an all-purpose balm that nourishes both skin and spirit.
What I love most about these little jars is how approachable they are. Anyone can use them. Anyone can benefit. They carry the same spirit that’s always guided folk medicine — simple ingredients, lovingly combined, crafted to bring comfort.
Final Thoughts
From the temples of Egypt to homestead kitchens today, salves and balms remind us that herbs have always been within reach. They bridge centuries and continents, connecting us to a lineage of care that began long before modern medicine.
They’re living proof that restoration doesn’t have to be complicated or clinical. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a handful of herbs, a drizzle of oil, a bit of wax, and the willingness to tend.
✨ Want to experience these remedies for yourself? Explore my handcrafted Salves & Balms — each one rooted in tradition and made for the rhythm of real, modern life.
If you’d like to learn about herbal infused oils, I wrote an article about that and you read it here.
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References & Suggested Reading
Hoffmann, David. Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press, 2003.
Green, Rosemary. The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook. Crossing Press, 2000.
Gladstar, Rosemary. Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Storey Publishing, 2008.
Duke, James A. The Green Pharmacy. Rodale Books, 1997.
Mills, Simon & Bone, Kerry. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine. Churchill Livingstone, 2013.
Traditional Chinese Materia Medica archives (for historical use of topical herbal oils).
U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Calendula officinalis and wound healing: a systematic review.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2018.