This oil is all about circulation. It brings fresh blood to a sore, injured or blocked area and sends it deep through the tissue. Wintergreen oil and menthol give it the same warming, tingling action as the classic muscle rubs, Cayenne and Ginger add their own circulating heat, and Arnica, St. John’s Wort and Marigold (Calendula), infused into olive oil, soothe bruised and overworked tissue.
It eases sore, stiff muscles and aching joints, warms the area and draws the blood to it.
What Goes Into It
- 32 ounces extra virgin olive oil. The carrier the herbs are infused into.
- 6 ounces of dry herbs: Arnica Flowers, St. John’s Wort and Marigold Flowers in equal parts, with a half part of cut Ginger Root (in a 6-ounce pack, that’s about 1¾ ounces each of the three flowers and a scant ounce of Ginger). Arnica is the traditional herb for bruises, sprains and overworked muscles, St. John’s Wort soothes nerve pain and irritated tissue, Marigold is gentle and skin-soothing, and Ginger adds its own warming, circulating effect.
- 4 ounces Fire Cayenne powder. A warming circulatory stimulant that draws the blood to the area.
- 12 ounces menthol crystals. The cooling-then-warming tingle that helps ease muscle and joint pain.
- 16 ounces wintergreen oil. The main warming agent and the source of the deep, penetrating heat. Its main compound, methyl salicylate, is closely related to aspirin.
Putting It Together
- Put the olive oil in a glass pan and warm it on low heat on the stove. Stir in the dry herbs and the cayenne.
- Let it warm for 1 hour on low heat, stirring now and then. Don’t let it boil. Take it off the heat.
- When it has cooled slightly, strain the herbs out of the oil. A fine wire strainer works well.
- While the oil is still warm, stir in the menthol crystals. They will melt in the remaining heat; don’t reheat it.
- Once it has cooled to room temperature, add all of the wintergreen oil.
Bottle it and store it in a cool place. Don’t refrigerate it. It makes about 1½ quarts.
How to Use It
Massage a small amount into sore muscles or joints as needed. It’s strong, so try it on a small spot first to see how your skin takes it. It is for the outside of the body only; keep it away from the eyes, mouth and broken skin, and wash your hands after using it. Don’t put a heating pad, hot bath or tight wrap over it, since the extra heat on top of the cayenne, menthol and wintergreen can burn. Keep the bottle well out of children’s reach; wintergreen oil is dangerous to swallow.
For more on bringing circulation to an injured area, see Hydrotherapy, the Ultimate Healing Tool and Knitting Bone, Flesh and Cartilage Back Together.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
