Homemade Arnica Salve (Herbal Muscle Rub)

Arnica salve

Arnica (arnica montana) is possibly one of my best friends. We've been hanging out for years. I have arnica homeopathic remedies, bath teas, oils, and this wonderful salve. It's one of those things you can leave in your gym bag, on the bedside table, and in your medicine chest. People with neurological issues have reported a feeling of intense burning when we use menthol or cayenne based drug store store muscle balm. I agree. The only product (that I don't make) that I can use safely, and only on some parts of my body, is Tiger Balm. I keep that around for really bad arthritis/joint pain and use my own arnica salve for massage, muscle spasms, tightness, injury without broken skin, or bruising*. I'm sure to reach for this salve and use it liberally since it only contains 4 ingredients, all of which I can spell, pronounce, and identify.

Reminder to read this through before you start, especially the let herb sit in oil for 4 weeks part. If you miss that one...it's kind of all over. I'm making a very large batch, but I have come up with a 1/4 batch recipe that would suit a beginner. You can use the same method for many blossomy, herbaceous, verdant dry or fresh herbs such as St. John's Wort and it's blossoms, borage flowers, lemon balm, calendula or rose. Most drier woody things like to get ground and slowly heated in oil, or the volatile compounds need to be extracted with alcohol. I make creosote salve using that method.

WHAT
2 ounces of dried arnica flowers (you can use 1 ounce. I like a good arnica punch)
1 quart of cold pressed olive oil
bees wax, pellets, powder, or grated (less than an 1/4 ounce per batch, so I store my pound in the 'fridge)
1 Vitamin E 400 IU oil capsule or 2 drops of grapefruit seed extract (GSE)
1 quart size mason jar with lid
long handle metal spoon
1 craft use silicone spatula
tins, jars, or what have you for salve containers.

FIRST STEP/Seep the herb in oil
To a sterilized quart mason jar, add 2 ounces of dried arnica flowers. Add olive oil and fill jar half way. Use a sterilized long handled spoon to mush the flowers down and carefully top off with oil till just under the glass rings on the jar. Cover tightly and let seep for 4 weeks. A month longer is fine as long as the the oil is clean and cool. I like to let it sit in a window that gets some morning sun. Shake the jar gently once a day. The oil will turn colors, the flowers will do funky things...it's really quite beautiful.

SECOND STEP/Process into herbal oil
Using an fine mesh colander, drain the mason jar into a large 4 cup measuring cup. Let drain for 10 minutes, then transfer the oily herb sludge to an herb bag, old nut milk bag, pillow case, clean non-fuzzy kitchen towel, or double thick cheese cloth. Squeeze the herb until all of the oil has drained into the measuring cup. Compost the spent herb, and you now have a lovely arnica oil. Bottle and use as is for massage and compresses. Herb oils can also be used as a base for lip balms, lotions, creams, and other potions. It's a great skill to learn. (no photo. dark icky oily herb)

THIRD STEP/To make salve
Pour the arnica oil into a small sauce pan over low heat. Heat until hot, but not french fry hot, smoldering, or burning. Some people use a microwave for this step, but I don't. Turn the stove off, and start stirring in bee's wax a 1/4 teaspoon or a few pellets at a time. Stir until wax dissolves, adding more as needed until salve starts to thicken. As soon as it is starting to thicken up and feel like softening hardened coconut oil, pierce the Vitamin E capsule (or GSE) and squeeze the oil in. Stir well to combine, then pour salve into waiting containers of choice. The salve will thicken upon standing as it cools. Keep in a cool dry place and it will last for years. Arnica has been used for centuries for muscle strain, pain, tenderness, cramping, and bruising.

Simple. And now you have enough arnica oil or salve to last for 2 years, probably way more... but less if you're a Fibro-ite or an athlete. If you bought a quart of arnica oil from the health food store at would cost over $100.00...um, wait, you can't. You'd have to special order, pay for shipping, etc. Don't you feel crafty now? ;)



*Pregnant women:  Unless your midwife/ healthcare provider tells you to, ARNICA IS NOT CONSIDERED SAFE FOR USE DURING PREGNANCY.]


* Do not use if you are allergic to it; or to plants in the Asteraceae/daisy family such as, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and daisies.

I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV. I am an herbal enthusiast sharing common herbal knowledge.

Adieu, Solanum Lycopersicum

My beloved,
It is with a heavy heart and tears falling like jewels, that I bid you adieu. For over 35 years, I have loved you. You were my first thought each Spring and my most tender Summer love. My passion was to preserve your sunlight each Fall, and in return, you bestowed upon me the gift of memories of our love throughout the Winter. You had few demands of me while I had many of you, yet our love endured. Until last year, when you began to make me sicker than hell.

Well, you say tomatoes, I say, headaches. You say marinara, and say I acne. You say, pizza, and I say, pesto. Let's call the whole thing off! Tomato, cooked and raw: REACTION.  I consumed tomatoes 4 times in 2 days and I feel it. Within hours I develop a headache, 1 day later an acne like rash around my mouth and an increase in general body inflammation. Granted they don't burn my mouth or cause major digestive upset immediately like wheat does, but this is a reaction. While they were on my limit due to inflammation risk list, I thought I might be able to 'get away with' eating them now and then. I don't think that's the best idea. To be clear, I tested with the highest quality tomatoes available; local, organic heirloom and cherry tomatoes, organic Muir Glen Fire Roasted made into marinara, and biodynamic organic Bionature, Diced, which I blended into juice to with mixed fresh juiced veggies. Everything was of the quality expected, tasted lovely, and went through my body without any perceived issues except the first headache. I was hopeful it was due to dehydration or weather, or just me stuff. When I had tomato again, same pattern.

Tomatoes are members of the nightshade family. Species in this family (Solanaceae) include some of my favorite foods; tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, potatoes, and, this is hard to say, peppers. Previous attempts at eliminations diets never included all of the nightshades separately. I'm already aware I can't eat bell peppers, but I'm really hoping to not have a similar reaction to chilies (or potato or tomatillo). I think green chilies, serranos, Thai birds, and habeneros make me feel good, but I also thought I'd been growing and eating tomatoes, making my marinara, salsas, pizza sauce, BBQ sauce, and ketchup for the rest of my life. This is a good thing, right? To know your enemy? YES! Yes, it is. Now I know.

And a note. I just got a comment from a reader asking if I ate a whole 28 ounce can or a whole peck of tomatoes to bring on this reaction. Yuck, no. I had 1 heirloom tomato slice, 3 TBS of fire roasted organic marinara, 4 cherry tomatoes from my neighbor's garden, and 1/2 cup homemade tomato-veggies blend... over the course of two days. In retrospect, the juice was unnecessary but I had carrot-beet juice that needed to be used, and I was hoping the headaches were from something else.

Mmm, breakfast!

I wish someone would believe me that this actually tastes awesome!

6 kale leaves

1 unpeeled, cored apple

1 unpeeled, cored pear

1 inch of peeled, fresh ginger

6 fresh mint leaves

pure water for blending

OK, so I decided last night I needed to know NOW if I was sensitive to almonds. I soaked some organic raw almonds, popped the skin off, and ate them. I felt no lip, mouth, throat, or digestive pain last night or this morning, but I will keep an eye out for skin irritation. We buy the almonds raw in 5lb bulk bags. I eat them 5-6 x's a week or more, and make our own almond butter and milk with them. I rely on the protein and fats they offer me far to much to go any longer without them. I am giddy at the thought of blending some soaked almonds with fruit for a smoothie tomorrow morning. I have some blueberries and nectarines. Mmmm. That should be well worth the almond free 7 days, haha!

Photo issue has been rectified for now, and tomorrow's recipe is ready to go.

Onward with the simple stuff

I can not make casual conversation to save my life. In fact, this blog has been therapy for that. Talking about food makes me comfortable and I can babble till the cows come home. It's been a real challenge for me to stay on topic, to stay in the present, and to speak of the mundane ills and thrills of life. When we talk about the weather, there is always an underlying message...patience, endurance, gratitude, bliss. When I share my more personal aspects such as my health or our money tree issues, please understand I have to document this journey, and through this blog I ask you to join me. I'm real. I can't help it. I've tried not being me and it never works. It sounds like I am writing an essay for a class and it sounds like everything is rainbows and puppies, and bliss. It's not. Life has moments of rainbows, puppies and bliss...but life itself, is difficult. So. I prefer not to lie to myself or anyone else.

Simply miserable...would sum up the past 2 months, quite well. Simple has meant no medical care, money for seeds and amendments to the garden, and showering outside. It's walking everywhere to afford groceries. It's meant arguing over small things that feel larger when you are really broke (you bought lunch???). It's been about leaks in the roof, ants, rats, plumbing, saying goodbye to long term friends, fear, doubt, and why did we do this? Stuck in a pity loop, I realize now. But, really, how could we not feel bad for awhile there? We took a risk and felt we had lost. This Summer has been horrific. The move itself honestly almost did me in. I'm having serious issues with heat intolerance. The infection in my lungs I treated myself. Add all that in to the big reality check, it's been miserable. My mantra all Summer has been, I surrender to the mystery. In the lap of God I rest my case. 

Well, I am still here. I woke up today able to breathe in so many ways. I woke up today with clear lungs and it was under 100 degrees. I woke up today and paid the rent and utilities in full for September, freeing us from that worry for an another entire month (everything, on time, for the first time in close to 3 years). I woke up today to a pile of seed packets. I woke up today and knew I'd now, since the bills are paid, have the of the money for the tiles and grout to finish the 2+ month long, indoor shower project. I now know I will soon be able to afford to repair and use my car as needed. It's starting to come together. All of it. Why we did this. How we did it. When. Where. All. Of. It. The feeling of relief from the financial breathing room can barely be described after years of struggling to make ends meet. To have all of our basic needs met without such burden is euphoric.

If we continue to resist to give in to the temptation of the pity loop, impulses, and illusions of grander by having more than $1.00 in the bank on the day before payday, by the end of October, we should be able to welcome medical and dental care back into our lives, I should have a car when I need one, and we will start eating greens from the garden. By November there will be pottery classes for me, bass lessons for him, 80% of our vegetable needs being harvested from our garden, and gallons of preserved fruits, veggies, kimchi and sauerkraut will be living in the cold outdoor laundry room. December should find us with an affordable Y swim membership and able to enjoy the holiday season without the food bank's help the following month. This is about more than money to me though. It means will find our place here, and we will continue to streamline this life, for room for unlimited joy.

I never really gave up, though I wanted to at least 4x in the past 2 months. I wanted to call this whole thing off, go rent a cookie cutter apartment with central AC and a pool, and pay more than 1/2 our income to a rent again. But there is that voice in me that started this whole mess back in the Spring...asking me over and over what I really wanted. My answer surprised me when I sat up in bed this morning, before I saw the seeds, before I paid the bills, before I knew we were going to make it, and said, I want this. I want this challenge. I want this life no one understands but us. It's too late to turn back now. This is the direction of our dreams. Onward.