This healing and pain-relieving salve alleviates inflammations, swellings, soreness and helps with skin irritations like psoriasis, eczema and insect bites. This herbal salve with nettle also nourishes sensitive and stressed skin and might have an anti-ageing effect.
The nettle season is in full swing, it is the late autumn here and we can see new sprouts of nettle. They are growing all year long and have a miraculous effect on human health. Nettle contains organic minerals such as calcium and magnesium that are important for our bones and teeth and our body can easily absorb them, unlike calcium supplements. Nettle eases symptoms of hayfever, diabetes, gout or arthritis.
No wonder that we are coming up with new recipes to implement their power in daily dishes such as smoothies, soups or herbal butter.
DIY pain relief
Stinging nettle has a long history of uses in folks medicine. While there are a variety of uses there is one method that stands out. The method is called urtification (comes from Latin name of nettle – Urtica dioica) which means flogging of the body with the fresh nettle plant. The stinging trichomes on the leaves and stems contain a mixture of acetylcholine, formic acid, histamine and serotonin. When these enter the skin they break off and release this mixture into the blood causing a rash, itchiness and burning. It also stimulates the blood flow and might work for rheumatoid arthritis.
More recipes with nettle?
How does pain relief salve work?
This autoimmune disease causes your immune cells to attack the cells in joints and cause joint pain, swelling and joint stiffness. Nettle sting acts as an alternate “foreign invader” that prompts the immune cells to start fighting against and stop acting against its own cells. In this study, scientists tested 27 patients with osteoarthritis pain at the base of the thumb or index finger. Patients applied stinging nettle leaf (Urtica dioica) daily for one week to the painful area and recorded a significant reduction of pain and disability.
Similarly it might work for hay fever or allergic rhinitis as described in this study.
Does this seems too dramatic for you? Well, we have another alternative, topical creams and salves made of nettle might have similar effects and ease joint pain. They contain anti-inflammatory agents that might ease symptoms of eczema, dermatitis psoriasis and reduce itchiness and rashes caused by allergies.
How to make homemade pain relief salve
Every time we want to make a herbal salve we need to start with infusion oil. No, in fact first we need to find the nettle in nature and identify it well. That is my way of doing things and a way to learn about the herbs around you. However, if you have no access to fresh nettle leaves and stems just order them dry in organic quality.
First step
I like to make infusion oils from dried herbs. Fresh herbs tend to develop mold more often. By steeping the dried nettle leaves in oil, we can extract its beneficial properties for our use in salves, soaps or lotions.
Here is described the method of making nettle infused oil. Both methods, the traditional as well as fast method, are easy to follow.
When the oil is ready we will combine it with other ingredients such as beeswax and essential oils to make a salve. As you might notice when making the nettle oil with the faster heating method we didn’t want to exceed the temperature to 50 C ( 122F) so as to not lose its medicinal properties.
Second step
To start, melt the beeswax in the double boiler, once it is completely melted, remove it from the heat and let it cool down to 50 C (122 F).
Third step
mix it with nettle infused oil, mix it slowly, making sure the two ingredients make a homogenous mixture.
Fourth step
Lastly, add the essential oil of your choice. To enhance its anti-inflammatory effect you might want to use thyme, clove or eucalyptus essential oils.
If you intend to use this salve as anti-itching cream use Peppermint, Chamomile, Tea tree or Lavender.
Fifth step
Pour the mixture into a 60 ml (2 ounces) glass container and store it in a cold and dry place. It should last up to 1 year.
This anti-inflammatory salve alleviates inflammations, swellings, pain, soreness. If you have any type of joint pain apply this salve on the affected area at night before going to sleep. You can combine it with drinking nettle tea.
This anti-itch salve helps with skin irritations like psoriasis, eczema and insect bites. If you intend to use this nettle salve for itchiness you can combine its effect with nettle bath.
Soak 4 handfuls of nettle in 4 l of water for 10 hours, let it boil for a few minutes and pour into a bath. Take a 15 minutes bath, don’t wash it off, just wrap yourself in a bathrobe and go to bed for 30 minutes. You can repeat this bath every day until the symptoms have relieved.
This natural anti-itch salve is suitable for dogs or cats. The best way to use it is to bathe your pet first with a mild shampoo. When completely dry, apply this salve on the affected area 3 times a day. Do not use near eyes.
Pain relief salve with nettle
This healing pain relief salve alleviates inflammations, swellings, soreness and helps with skin irritations like psoriasis, eczema and insect bites.
Materials
- 3 tbsp nettle infused oil
- 1 tbsp of coconut oil
- 1 tbsp of beeswax
- essential oil of your choice (the the note below)
Nettle infused oil
Tools
Instructions
Making nettle infused oil
- Grind dried nettle leaves between your fingers to make them into small pieces
- Fill the sterilized glass jar with dried nettle
- Pour over the extra virgin olive oil so all dried leaves are covered completely
- place it in the double boiler and bring it to simmer
- Simmer for 5 hours but make sure you don't exceed the temperature of 50 C (122 F)
- Keep the heat slow for nettle to relieve all her medicinal properties.
- strain the herbal macerate with cheesecloth
- store the oil in the sterilized jar in the dark place away from direct sunlight.
- Don’t forget to label it!
Making nettle salve
- melt the beeswax in the double boiler, once it is completely melted, remove it from the heat and let it cool down to 50 C (122 F).
- mix it with nettle infused oil, mix it slowly, making sure the two ingredients make a homogenous mixture.
- Lastly, add the essential oil of your choice (see the note below)
- Pour the mixture into a 60 ml (2 ounces) glass container and store it in the cold and dry place. It should last up to 1 year.
Notes
To enhance its anti-inflamatory effect you might want to use thyme, clove or eucalyptus essential oils.
If you intend to use this salve as anti-itching cream use Peppermint, Chamomile, Tea tree or Lavender.
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Can you mix both types of essential oils for anti-inflammatory and anti-itch into the same mixture?
That way you don’t have to make two separate batches but I know in some situations one will out do the other.
Hi Jean,
I would consult with the aromatherapist about what would be the best combination of essential oils if you want to combine two different therapeutic effects. I am sorry I am not an expert in essential oil.
Thank you. I will have to find aromatherapist
Send your question to: mountainroseherbs.com. I’ll bet they can answer your questions about mixing essential oils to your salve to work together to relieve pain/itching/rash/anti infection properties. I think I’ll ask them too. They are my favorite source for organic dried herbs for making and using salves, face creams, body butters, sunscreen, and more. I give it out to friends and neighbors all the time. I love it for my family too, I’ve been using hand made for many years now. Wouldn’t go back to buying readymade stuff the ingredients list is scary.
You can use any form of a melting wax. Besides the beeswax. The waxes help in binding the herbal oil infusing to ur skin so that it’s not easily rub off and it can then be absorbed into the skin.
There is a coconut oil in the material. When should I add it? Should I melt it with beeswax? Also I am really new to this. Do you think I can use cacao butter instead of using beeswax?
You can melt the coconut oil with beeswax. The beeswax makes the salve firm, without that it will result in a very soft cream rather than a salve. I would replace the beeswax with candelilla wax instead.
What about using fresh nettle leaves? would it be as effective or how much fresh nettle would be best to use?
Fresh nettle leaves have the same effect as dried ones. Just the moisture they contain may contribute to the oil getting spoiled. Thus it has a shorter shelf life. Use double the amount of fresh leaves.
How much Nettle Infused oil should I add to the beeswax to make the salve?
Hi Valeeta, as per the recipe card you use 1 tablespoon of beeswax for 3 tablespoons of nettle infused oil. Good luck. Vladka
How do you keep from getting stung by the nettle while handling it? You need a salve to put on your hands while you’re making this salve!
I use gloves when dealing with nettle, but once you turn it into oil, it doesn’t sting.
thanks so much 🙂
Hi! In the directions for the bath, it says to bathe, wrap up, and then go to bed for 30 minutes. Is something missing? After 30 minutes should it be washed off? Thank you for answering on an old post!
Hi Branwen,
the recommendation is to let the nettle bath solution remain on your skin for at least 30 minutes while resting. There is no instruction to wash it off after that period, so you can continue with your normal routine. If you’re unsure or experience discomfort, you could rinse with water, but generally, it’s not necessary to wash off the solution. Let me know if you need further clarification!
Hi Vladka,
Sorry if I get many questions I am just new in making salves. I saw about the bath, is this okay for a baby who have eczema?
How many drops of essential oil will you recommend on this salve?
Can I add other infused oil on this salve like plantain infused oil?
Thank you in advance for the answer.
No worries at all, I’m happy to help, and your questions are great! 😊
About the bath: A nettle bath can be soothing for eczema, even for babies, as long as you’re using a nettle infusion (like a tea), not the essential oil. Just make sure the water is lukewarm and do a patch test first. You can pour about 1–2 cups of strained nettle tea into the bathwater. Keep the bath short (around 10 minutes) and moisturize the skin right after.
For the salve: Avoid essential oils for babies or use a maximum of 1–2 drops of a gentle oil like lavender, and only if you’re sure there’s no sensitivity. Many people choose to leave them out entirely for baby-safe products.
You can definitely mix in other infused oils like plantain infused oil, it’s actually a great addition for calming irritated skin. https://simplybeyondherbs.com/plantain-oil-for-skin/