Bumps and bruises are part of life. That said, some of us get bumped and bruised a little more often than others. Whether you’re accident prone or have rough-and-tumble little ones, mixing up a batch of this comfrey salve recipe ensures you’ll have a comforting balm on hand for those “ouch!” moments.

I really do not know how moms live without comfrey salve and I can’t even begin to remember how much comfrey salve I’ve used on the kids! This salve is really foundational for any home herbal apothecary!

When to Use Comfrey Salve

When I hear of a sprain or a strain, I reach for comfrey. I’ve seen it work first-hand on pulled or sore muscles, tendons, joints (ankles, wrists, knees), dislocations, ligaments, even fractures. The old folk healers didn’t call it “knitbone” and “knitweed” for no reason!

Although this comfrey salve recipe isn’t meant to substitute for proper medical care if needed, you may find it helps you cut back on pain medication and speeds the body’s innate healing process. The less we rely on pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter meds, and symptom suppression, the better. By all means; if you need the pain meds, go for it. And just know that you’ll need to do some gut repair afterwards. But the reason I am sharing this recipe is because I’ve seen people reduce or even let go of pain meds with comfrey salve.

I’ve heard many healing stories about comfrey over the years. Often they include both a doctor visit and home care with comfrey. Like this horse stepping on one of my students, Kyle. Check out what she has to say about her herbal salve and her horse crush injury.

“I really do not know how moms live without comfrey salve and I can’t even begin to remember how much comfrey salve I’ve used on the kids! This salve is really foundational for any home herbal apothecary!”

Comfrey salve can also help skinned knees and minor cuts and scrapes. Don’t use it on deep cuts – it may speed skin regeneration so quickly that an infection gets sealed in. Comfrey is only for use on superficial cuts. But it’s great for things like hemorrhoids, herpes lesions, chapped lips, and dry skin anywhere on your body.

Keep in mind that oil binds with dirt. Don’t use oil-based medicines such as salve on a cut when you are then going to be outside and exposed to dirt. If you use comfrey on your child’s scrape, only use it when you know they can keep it clean. I only use comfrey salve if I’m staying home and things around me are clean.

One last note is that multiple sources recommend against use of comfrey – even topical use – during pregnancy.

How Comfrey Works

Comfrey is a vulnerary herb, meaning it supports the body’s innate healing process. It has anti-inflammatory and pain-easing (analgesic) properties and stimulates tissue regeneration.

This is also true of the connective tissue in the tendons and ligaments, which is key because once you get the connective tissue healing, it helps deliver blood to all the tissues. If you can regenerate the connective tissue with a potent comfrey salve recipe, you improve your body’s ability to heal itself.

Print Recipe

Comfrey Salve Recipe

Author: Kami McBride

Equipment

Double boiler or 2 stainless steel pots
Measuring cup
Spatula
Salve container(s)
Label

Ingredients

1 tbsp grated beeswax or beeswax pearls
2 tbsp comfrey-infused oil*

Instructions

Grate the beeswax with a cheese grater, using the medium-sized holes, or purchase beeswax already formed into small pearls.
Put water in the bottom pot of your double boiler, then put on the top pot and bring the water to a boil. If you don’t have a double boiler, improvise! Put water in a pot and then put a slightly smaller pot on top.
Measure your beeswax. Beeswax pearls are denser than grated beeswax, so if I’m using grated beeswax, I measure a heaping tablespoon. If I’m working with beeswax pearls, I use a scant tablespoon. Generally, my recipes are made for home-grated beeswax, so just use a little less if you’re going to use the prepared beeswax pearls.
Put the beeswax in the upper pot and melt it.
Slowly add the comfrey-infused oil a little at a time until the oil and beeswax melt together.
Remove the pot from the heat as soon as everything is melted together. Make sure that you do not overheat the oil. The oil should never be too hot to put your finger into.
While the mixture is still hot, pour it from the pot into a measuring cup.
From the measuring cup, pour the mixture into salve containers.
Let the salve jar sit on the counter until the salve has hardened, then put the lid on the container.
Take a moment to think about what you will use this healing skin salve for. Think about whom you might give it and how it could help them. This is called adding love and best wishes to your salve. The extra added ingredient that heals. You can’t buy that in the store.

Notes

Storage: Store your homemade salve in a cool, dark place. It should last for about a year.

* Learn to make the potent oil I use in this comfrey salve recipe in my online course, Handcrafted Healing Herbal Oils. Whether you’re just starting your herbal journey or you’re already making herbal oils and salves, this course distills my decades of experience making herbal oils to help you make the highest quality infused oils possible.

* If you aren’t going to make your own comfrey infused oil, you can purchase comfrey oil here.

I’d love to hear from you! Have you tried this comfrey salve recipe? What did you use your salve for and what were the results? Share your story in the comments below.

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