Medicinal Cream, Salves, Balms

A medicinal salve, which may be as simple as salt on a mosquito bite, is a soothing, healing balm for wounds, inflammations, muscular pain and sores. Used externally, salves treat a wide range of these types of ailments, including cuts, bruises, rheumatism, insect strings, burns, sports injuries and eczema. Salves made with medicinal plants are effective because of the plants active ingredients - usually their essential oils, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and hormone like and germicidal substances. The herbs, their extracted juices or herbal oil infusions are mixed with a fat or wax, which itself serves to seal in active components and remoisturize the skin. You can put nature to work for you and avoid chemical additives by making your own salves from natural sources at home.

Medicinal effects
Salves are applied externally two to three times daily for rubs and dressings. Depending on a salve's ingredients, its medicinal properties might affect the skin, helping to heal surface wounds, sores and burns. Or, they may penetrate the skin and affect deeper tissue, relieving muscle or joint pain, reducing inflammation of sprains and strains or opening breathing passages.

Components
All natural medicinal salves are composed of ingredients from botanical sources. These are primarily fat soluble substances, including essential oils and some vitamins. Salves can also contain minerals, such as zinc, for wound healing and silicon in the form of silicic acid, to help repair connective tissue.