Crafting a Winter Wellness Staple: Our Homemade Chest Rub Salve

With the gardens put to bed and the last of the herbs dried and stored, a quiet calm settles over the homestead. This peaceful lull is the perfect time to turn our attention from harvesting to medicine-making. With winter on the horizon, we’re stocking our apothecary with remedies to see us through the cold and flu season. This weekend, we made a fresh batch of our go-to chest rub salve, an essential for soothing congestion and supporting respiratory health.

We were especially excited this year to include a new addition to our salve: Curlycup Gumweed. This was our first year growing it, and it produced beautifully. After making tinctures and drying plenty for teas, we were left with a potent infused oil, ready to be incorporated into this powerful winter remedy.

The Healing Herbs in Our Chest Rub

This salve combines the respiratory benefits of three powerful herbs, each bringing its own unique healing properties to the blend.

Curlycup Gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa): This resinous plant is a true champion for the lungs. Its expectorant properties help to loosen and expel stubborn mucus, making it effective for a wide range of coughs. It also acts as an antispasmodic, helping to calm coughing fits and open the airways, which is why it has been traditionally used for conditions like asthma and bronchitis.
Bee Balm (Monarda species): A member of the mint family, bee balm is rich in thymol, a compound with strong antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. When used in a chest rub, it helps to break up congestion, and its gentle, warming action can be very soothing for a tight, congested chest.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil: A classic and powerful respiratory ally, eucalyptus is renowned for its ability to clear sinuses and airways. Its main compound, eucalyptol, works as a natural decongestant and has antimicrobial effects, helping to fight off the germs that can cause respiratory illness.

Our Homemade Chest Rub Salve Recipe

This recipe is simple to make and results in a wonderfully effective and aromatic salve that provides comfort and relief during the winter months.

Equipment:

2oz Salve Tins
Double Boiler (We really like this one, make things so much easier)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Curlycup Gumweed-infused oil
1/4 cup Bee Balm-infused oil
2 tablespoons beeswax pastilles
20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops of vitamin E oil (optional, as a natural preservative)

Steps:

Set up a Double Boiler: Place a small pot with your infused oils and beeswax inside a larger pot filled with a few inches of water. You can also place your ingredients in a glass measuring cup set inside the pot of water.

2. Melt Gently: Heat the double boiler over low heat. Allow the beeswax to melt completely into the oils, stirring occasionally with a wooden skewer or chopstick to ensure everything is well combined.

3. Add Essential Oils: Once the beeswax is fully melted, remove the mixture from the heat. Let it cool for a minute or two before adding the eucalyptus essential oil and vitamin E oil. Stir well to incorporate.

4. Pour into Containers: Carefully pour the hot liquid into clean, dry salve tins or small glass jars.

5. Cool and Set: Let the tins sit undisturbed at room temperature until the salve has completely cooled and solidified. Once set, cap them tightly and label them with the name and date.

This soothing chest rub is now ready to be used at the first sign of a cold or congestion. It’s deeply rewarding to know that this little tin of comfort was made with herbs we grew and harvested ourselves, a potent and tangible result of a season of hard work. As we head into winter, our home apothecary is stocked, and we feel prepared for whatever the season may bring.

ProTip: You can put your salve containers in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to cool and set them quicker, and they will set up a little more consistently.