For so many, muscle stiffness and soreness are facts of life. Sometimes, it’s a good kind of intensity, such after an intense workout or while hiking. Sometimes, though, it can be a slow, debilitating, painful experience from stiffness that makes even the most mundane tasks seemingly impossible. However it happens, we need fast relief. Since starting my journal to better health, I choose to skip the pharmaceutical, chemically derived anti-inflammatory creams, and expensive over-the-counter knock-off products, opting instead to make my own, all-natural, holistic, essential oil-focused balm.
As you may have guessed, using an essential oil-based liniment on sore muscles has numerous benefits. Not only do the blends various botanicals work deeply into the skin to naturally relieve pain and inflammation, but the aromatherapeutic effects can help to relieve stress associated with pain, fatigue, and discomfort. And if your congested, it works for that too!
Here’s a little breakdown for each oil:
- Cinnamon Oil cleanses, nourishes, and helps rebuild the skin’s cellular wall.
- Lemon Oil cleanses, nourishes, and helps rebuild the skin’s cellular wall.
- Frankincense Oil is an antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, immuno-stimulant that helps with healing infectious wounds, insect bites, warts, acne, is anti-fungal, clears dandruff, reduces eczema, psoriasis and inflammatory skin conditions, promotes burn healing, and reduces itching and inflammation.
- Peppermint Oil, besides it’s relaxing scent nodes, is used to change brain wave patterns, as it is also a scent-based, brain-wave activity reducer which increases relaxation and relieves muscle tension.
- Ginger Root Oil contains natural, unprocessed vasoconstrictive properties that helps restrict blood vessel tension, which causes blood vessels to narrow and restrict blood flow, aiding in head pain relief within minutes.
- Clove Oil helps promote healing and helps minimize scar damage to the skin.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil acts as both a carrier oil to help with the even and safe distribution of essential oils on the skin as well as acts as a natural means of balancing hormones, which is known to help aid in headache and migraine relief. Please note, for those allergic to coconut oil, grape seed oil can be substituted as well.
- This blend also contains Aloe Vera gel, known for its skin healing properties.
Here’s what you will need for this blend:
- 20 drops of Cinnamon Oil
- 20 drops of Lemon Oil
- 20 drops of Peppermint Oil
- 20 drops of Frankincense Oil
- 20 drops of Clove Oil
- 20 drops of Ginger Root Oil
- 1/4 cup Organic Coconut Oil
- Glass Measuring cup
- Glass storage containers (I love the Ball half pint jars)
- Spoon or honey stick
Directions:
- In a half pint jar add 1/4 cup room temperature coconut oil.
- Add all essential oils to carrier oil.
- Fold oils into the carrier oil; oils can be adjusted to need and personal preference.
- Let balm sit and meld for one hour to let oils fully combine.
- Balm should be stored in the fridge to remain solidify.
- Balm will remain viable indefinably.
- Please note, to make your balm shelf stable, you can use a double boiler over medium heat to melt 2 tablespoons of beeswax pastilles, which can be added to your balm for on-the-go relief.
- I also keep my blend in the fridge to help solidify the balm, and I prefer a cooling product when I have cuts, scrapes, burns, and the like.
How to apply:
- Massage a small dab of balm, the size of a dime, every 3-4 hours as needed.
- Remember, breathe deeply while applying balm to help with the added benefits of tension relief by way of aromatherapy.
- Please note, follow-up with a medical professional for any and all serious cuts, scrapes, wounds, or infections, as needed.
So, that’s it folks. I really cannot say enough great things about this balm. Not only is it natural and relaxing, it’s also affordable and great for your skin, too! I hope you will all try it should the need arise.
Here’s to your health,
