If you suffer from a stiff neck, sore muscles or even achy joints then this DIY Warming Muscle Rub is for you! This salve is easy to make and feels incredible on the skin. It gives a great slip so it can be easily applied with smooth movements to help soothe aches and pains. The essential oil ingredient list is hefty but once you smell this rub, feel it’s powers and experience the relief, you’ll find it worth it! Plus, all the ingredients are common and easily used in many other recipes as well!
Around my house, we’ve got a lot of aches and pains. My husband is literally 39 going on 72. He plays hard and has always pushed his body to the brink and now all that is catching up. Ever since the birth of my youngest, I’ve had neck and upper back issues that seems to be getting worse probably due to the wrong mattress and pillows. Having a good homemade muscle rub on hand is vital in my household.
I have already posted my version of Tiger Balm but I wanted to make a salve that actually had a warming sensation instead of cooling. The only way I know how to do that naturally is by adding Black Pepper essential oil. I had never worked with it so it was quite the experiment to find out exactly how much I could add without compromising the salve.
What I was surprised about with black pepper essential oil is that it actually smells lovely! I had the notion it would muck up the smell of this muscle rub but it turned out to enhance it nicely!
I also was surprised that there are quite a few benefits of using black pepper essential oil! Muscle pain relief was high on the list and not just because of the warming sensation. It also contains anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties. Black pepper oil works to reduce muscle injuries, tendonitis, and symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism. Another reason it relieves pain is that it increases circulation. Healthy blood flow is vital when it comes to relieving swollen muscles and joints and relieving pain.
Another interesting fact about Black Pepper Essential oil is that when diffused or inhaled, it can curb cigarette cravings.
Black Pepper Essential Oil is not an expensive essential oil and from what I’ve learned, it’s definitely a great one to add to your collection. Find organic black pepper HERE.
DIY Warming Muscle Rub
1/2 cup Coconut Oil (find it HERE)
2 TBSP. Beeswax (find it HERE) or White Beeswax HERE
35 drops Camphor Essential Oil (find it HERE)
30 drops Black Pepper Essential Oil (find it HERE)
15 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (find it HERE)
15 drops Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil (find it HERE)
15 Drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil (find it HERE)
10 drops Clove Bud Essential Oil (find it HERE)
Directions:
- Fill a medium sized pot half way full with water and place on the stove top on medium heat.
- Add coconut oil and beeswax to a glass pyrex measuring cup.
- Place the measuring cup into the pot.
- Allow the wax and oil to melt.
- Once both ingredients are thoroughly melted, remove from heat and add the essential oils.
- Pour mixture into a 4 ounce glass jar and place in the fridge to harden and cool.
*My salve is white in color because I decided to buy white beeswax pellets instead of my normal yellow. I wanted to experiment with a few new DIYs that require white beeswax. White beeswax is highly processed which is why I don’t typically use it.
**Also, you do not have to use coconut oil in this salve. Feel free to use any carrier oil you like. Organic Olive Oil is an excellent choice.
I get all my DIY ingredients via Mountain Rose Herbs. I trust their quality above any other brand I’ve used. Plus, their essential oils are affordable compared to many and they are actually Certified Organic.
The essential oils in the rub help promote blood flow to the area, which is what gives you that warming feeling, and the extra blood flow helps the muscles heal faster. However, I was hoping the black pepper would provide more of an obvious warming sensation. I kept adding more and never felt much warming. Of course, massaging this salve into the muscles will create a slight warmness just through touch but nothing like you feel with something like Bengay or Tiger Balm.
I searched for more DIY “Warming” Rubs and found that Mommypotamus had one. I believe any article from Mommypotamus is trustworthy. She seems to be someone who posts from experience as well as loads of research. There are so many DIY blogs that just throw up recipes that they haven’t thoroughly used or tested. I don’t think this is the case for her so I was happy to refer to her instruction for a warming sensation.
Mommypotamus adds cayenne pepper to her salve. Like the kind in the spice aisle! However, it turns the salve orange and care needs to be taken to not stain clothing.
Go HERE for her recipe.
I opted to not try it on my salve. I know me and I won’t use it if it’s orange. I’m quite happy with my salve even though I was aiming for a more dramatic warming action. For now, I’d rather not deal with the cayenne pepper but my curiosity might get the best of me so I’ll be sure to update this post if I end up adding it.
Comment below if you add it!
If you would like to add cayenne pepper to this recipe-add 1 tablespoon.
I must mention that this salve feels great on back pain and cramping due to PMS. I can’t say enough about how versatile this salve has become in our family and definitely recommend you make this recipe!
Did I mention this salve smells amazing?! It smells a bit like Coca Cola but in a good way!
xx, Jenni
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