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Don’t have black drawing salve in your herbal apothecary? Discover the uses for black drawing salve and why this natural home remedy is a must in your home. Plus learn how to make my own original black drawing salve recipe with honey and green tea for a fun twist. You can use your finished product from my black drawing salve recipe to help soothe insect bites as well as draw out splinters, boils and more, as well as promote healing!
The first time I heard of black drawing salve was when my son was small. He had gotten a boil on his thigh and my grandmother told me to put black salve on it. I had to ask for it at the pharmacy although I still haven’t quite figured out why this is kept “hidden” behind the counter. The salve worked miracles and my son’s boil was gone in no time.
This year I decided to try my hand at making my own black drawing salve recipe. I did a lot of research into ingredients and traditional recipes and came up with my own natural black drawing salve recipe with a bit of a twist. I included not only herbal infused olive oil, local raw beeswax, local raw sourwood honey and activated charcoal in my recipe, but I added some green tea powder extract as well.
I hope you enjoy my black drawing salve recipe as much as I do. It works great for acne, boils, splinters, bee stings, insect bites, poisons and infections. Simply apply to the affected area and cover with a bandage to keep the salve from rubbing off on your clothes.
Black Drawing Salve Recipe with Honey & Green Tea
© Rebecca D. Dillon
Ingredients:
These are the ingredients you will need to make a black drawing salve for insect bites, bee stings and boils:
- 1.5 oz.olive oil infused with plantain leaves, calendula flowers &comfrey leaves
- 1 oz. activated charcoal
- .5 oz. raw beeswax
- .5 oz. bentonite clay
- .5 oz. sourwood honey
- .25 oz. 76°F melt point coconut oil
- .25 oz. shea butter
- .25 oz. green tea powder
- 2 ml vitamin E
- 1 ml rosemary extract
- 1 ml tea tree oil
- 1 ml fir needle essential oil
- 1 ml lavender essential oil
How to Make Black Salve
Follow these directions to make a black salve:
- In order to make this black drawing salve recipe, you’ll first need to make an herbal oil infusion. To do this gather the plantain leaves, calendula flowers and comfrey leaves and put in a mason jar. Cover the herbs with olive oil and close the container.
- Keep the herbal infusion in a cool, dark location turning occasionally for 4-6 weeks. To hasten this process, place the mason jar of oil and herbs ina pot filled about 2/3 of the way full with water. Heat on the stove on warm to low for 3-4 hours, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Once you’ve infused the olive oil with the botanicals, strain the oil through cheesecloth back into your mason jar.
- Now to make the salve, begin by weighing out the beeswax using a digital scale. Place the beeswax in a double boiler and melt.Then weigh out the shea butter and coconut oil and add to the beeswax. Stir until all the ingredients have melted completely then remove from heat.
- Next weigh out the herbal oil infusion and stir into the melted ingredients. Do the same with the honey.
- Using agraduated transfer pipettesmeasure out the vitamin E and add to the black drawing salve recipe base. Do the same with the rosemary extract and essential oils using a clean transfer pipette for each ingredient.
- In a separate container weigh out the dry ingredients – the green tea powder, activated charcoal, and bentonite clay – and mix. Now combine the dry and wet ingredients and whisk with a fork until thoroughly combined. Pour intoglass salve jarsortinsand allow to cool completely.
This black drawing salve recipe will yield approximately five 1 oz./28 gram containers.
More Natural Remedies
You can use the leftover herbal infused oil from my black salve recipe to create other natural remedies as well. Be sure to check out my recipes for making a homemade lavender mint balm and a natural herbal calendula balm.
For still more options, try your hand at making my lanolin and neem salve recipe, chili and chocolate sore muscle salve recipe, all purpose salve recipe, and my natural lanolin salve recipe. The herbal infused olive oil can be substituted for any of the carrier oils in these recipes.
Where to Buy Black Drawing Salve
There are a number of artisans that sell handcrafted black drawing salve on Etsy. They offer both traditional recipes and their own variations including ones with pine tar. Following are some of my favorite sellers where you can purchase black salve:
- Forest Hills Remedies Traditional Black Salve
- Skin Forward Drawing Salve for Boils
- Soapsmith Traditional Amish Black Salve with Pine Tar
- Mineral Basin Drawing Salve
- Pine Tar Salve with Charcoal
Discover evenmore great DIY beauty, bath and body recipes by following my boards on Pinterest. You can also find and follow me via all of your favorite social networks includingFacebook,Twitter,Blog Lovin’, andInstagram. Orsubscribe to Soap Deli News via emailfor future updates, DIY projects and recipes.
Rebecca D. Dillon
Rebecca D. Dillon is a soapmaker, DIY-er and blogger whose life is controlled daily by a dachshund. You can learn more about Rebecca by checking out her bio. Or discover more great skin care & beauty recipes by subscribing to Soap Deli News blog via email.
30 Comments
Allison
May 7, 2014 at 10:26 pm
This looks wonderful! I have only just recently heard of drawing salves, but they seem really cool. BTW the amount of activated charcoal used is missing from the recipe. Thanks for posting unique and simple recipes that we can use. I have really enjoyed crafting based on your inspiring soaps and other body products!
- Rebecca D. Dillon
May 7, 2014 at 10:40 pm
Nice save! This is what happens when I try to cram everything into a tee tiny short little day. I’ve added the amount needed for the activated charcoal. Thanks for reading!
Mary
May 10, 2014 at 12:30 pm
See AlsoEasy Detoxing Homemade Clay Deodorant Recipe - Simple Life MomDIY Curl Defining Cream Recipe - Moisturize and Define Curls Naturally25 Easy Low Histamine Chicken Recipes - Through The Fibro FogEasy DIY Melt And Pour Soap Recipe: Oatmeal, Lavender And MoreThis looks amazing! Can’t wait to try! Do you know approximate shelf life?
- Rebecca D. Dillon
May 10, 2014 at 1:14 pm
It depends on the shelf life of the ingredients you have on hand. With fresh ingredients this would easily last up to a year.
Zylo
May 12, 2014 at 12:43 pm
I’ve heard of it too, but never found it myself. I might have to whip up a batch because it seems like anything my grandmother used works better than the most expensive prescription.
guinevere
May 19, 2014 at 11:10 am
This looks like just what I want, thanks for posting!
To answer your little ‘wonder’ – the OTC items ‘hidden’ behind the counter at the pharmacy are things they order from the supplier of the prescription medication. Even though they are not by prescription, they are sold from behind the counter because the store itself doesn’t carry it, so it is the pharmacy which sells it, not the store. (Thus it usually has a different sort of price tag.)
Pharmacies can order many hard-to-find OTC items, just ask them!Carol
June 1, 2014 at 2:10 pm
Hi. Just found your recipe for this on Homestead and Survival blogpost.
One question: you list the first 8 ingredients in oz., then switch to metric for the last 5. since I’m in the US, I have trouble making the conversions, especially with such tiny amounts. Could you please list the amounts for the last 5 in oz (or drops)? Thanks!- Rebecca D. Dillon
June 1, 2014 at 2:56 pm
I’m in the USA as well. The droppers come marked in ml which is the easiest to use for larger amounts of liquid. 20 drops is equal to 1 ml, however, you’ll get a more accurate measurement using a graduated plastic transfer pipette which is especially helpful if you are making larger quantities and increasing the recipe. There’s no need to do any conversion as the amounts in ml are fluid measurements and not by weight. 20 drops or 1ml can’t be converted to ounces and weighed as the weight is too small to register on most scales.
marianne
June 10, 2014 at 8:47 pm
What makes the salve ‘draw’ ?
- Rebecca D. Dillon
June 11, 2014 at 8:17 am
The activated charcoal and bentonite clay.
NostalgicGranny
July 14, 2014 at 6:59 am
Does this need some sort of preservative?
- Rebecca D. Dillon
July 14, 2014 at 8:17 am
As there’s no water content, no. However you can add one if you wish.
Lauren
August 13, 2014 at 9:44 am
Is the infused olive oil necessary or will regular extra virgin olive oil work? I don’t have those leaves and flowers on hand and do not want to buy them just for one salve and never use them again, especially since my husband is allergic to bananas which might mean the plantain leaves are a no go.
- Rebecca D. Dillon
August 13, 2014 at 5:31 pm
Plantain leaves aren’t from the fruit plantains but rather they are weeds that come up in spring around the same time as wild violets. The herbs give the salve extra healing properties but you can omit them if you like. However they are standard in most drawing salve recipes.
Js
November 16, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Fantastic! We used this as kid; on a ranch mishaps happen, including bee stings. Much better than mud packs. Thanks.
Edel
November 17, 2014 at 5:39 am
What can I use in place of bentonite clay? It’s not available to consumers here.
ricky
November 17, 2014 at 1:01 pm
Bentonite clay is avalible as cheap unsencted kitty litter or at any feed store
NancyLee
November 17, 2014 at 3:40 pm
Rebecca – are the oils measured in fluid oz or in weight?
- Rebecca D. Dillon
November 17, 2014 at 6:20 pm
Everything in ounces is by weight. The ml are fluid ml as it’s such a small amount. You’d need a graduated pipette to measure those.
NancyLee
November 17, 2014 at 7:30 pm
Thanks.
Aron
November 17, 2014 at 11:28 pm
where can I find the plantain leaves?
- Rebecca D. Dillon
November 17, 2014 at 11:43 pm
You can buy them from Mountain Rose Herbs here or pick them in most areas spring through summer. It’s a very common “weed.”
Stephanie
November 20, 2014 at 1:30 am
This used to be a staple in our medicine cabinet when I was a kid. You can’t find it anymore and it worked wonders! Would you sell some?
- Rebecca D. Dillon
November 20, 2014 at 8:31 am
I made the one batch and sold what I had. I don’t plan on making more at this time.
Carol
January 17, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Hi, why do you use sourwood honey as opposed to any other honey.
Carol
Brandy
February 8, 2015 at 10:06 pm
Thank you, I saw your blog via pintrest. I can’t wait to make this , I hope I can find everything I need.
Linda
March 21, 2015 at 7:30 am
Hello Rebecca, are the E. O. Just for the smell or to help the salve ? Thank you so much for the recipe .
- Rebecca D. Dillon
March 21, 2015 at 1:43 pm
Lavender eo has skin healing properties and is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiseptic. Fir needle eo also has antiseptic properties. You can omit them or sub with eo’s that have properties that suit your needs.
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