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An overhead shot of DIY comfrey salve in a glass jar with dried comfrey next to it.
Nico

DIY Homemade Comfrey Salve Recipe (Healing Ointment)

This comfrey salve recipe makes a great addition to your herbal medicine cabinet. This herbal salve uses only a handful of simple ingredients and helps to heal minor wounds and skin irritations.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 56 days
Total Time 56 days 20 minutes
Servings: 1 jar
Course: Holistic Skin Care
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

Equipment

  • An airtight container with a tight-fitting lid – I use a glass pint jar but you can also use a quart jar if you want to make a larger batch - I like these jars
  • A fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, or coffee filter - I like this unbleached cheesecloth
  • Double boiler (or a small saucepan with a glass bowl on top) - Make sure to use a glass bowl that you don’t mind getting permanently covered with beeswax. It’s hard to completely remove beeswax from glass! I save one bowl that I use for all of my homemade remedies that use beeswax.
  • Glass storage jar - I like these amber glass salve jars

Method
 

  1. Add the dried comfrey leaves to the glass jar and cover it with the carrier oil. I used jojoba oil, but you could also use fractionated coconut oil or cold-pressed olive oil. Make sure all of the plant material is covered in oil.
  2. Add a lid and set in a sunny spot for 6 weeks. Aim to shake the jar every few days to keep all of the comfrey submerged in oil. This is all you need to do to make the comfrey leaf-infused oil that we’ll use in the salve.
  3. If you don’t want to wait 6 weeks, you can also infuse the oil on the stovetop. To do this, add the carrier oil and dried comfrey leaves to a double boiler and turn the stovetop onto its lowest setting. You want to slowly warm the carrier oil to extract the comfrey oil from the leaves but it’s important not to boil or burn the oil so make sure to keep it on a very low heat. After a few hours of slowly heating the oil, continue on to follow the instructions below. You could also use a crock pot to do this if you do not want to monitor the heat so closely.
  4. Use a strainer or fine-mesh cheesecloth to strain off the comfrey leaves from the oil. Make sure to squeeze as much oil from the plant material as you can!
  5. Add the beeswax pellets to the double boiler (you can create one by setting a small glass bowl onto a saucepan).
  6. Add the strained, comfrey-infused oil to the beeswax pellets and slowly melt together over a low heat. 
  7. Once completely melted and combined, turn off the heat and add up to 10 drops of essential oils to the mixture. I like adding 10 drops of lavender oil for the smell, and about 5 drops of tea tree oil for added skin healing benefits. You can also add a few drops of vitamin E oil to help the salve last a bit longer and for antioxidant effects.
  8. Use a small whisk and begin to whip the mixture. Again, make sure to use a whisk that you don’t mind getting beeswax on because it’s hard to completely remove it!
  9. Use your hands to add the mixture into a clean storage jar and let it cool completely before adding a lid. That’s it! I hope this gives you the confidence to make your own homemade comfrey salve.

Video

Notes

This recipe uses beeswax with is very difficult to remove once it’s melted onto a surface. Make sure to use tools that you don’t mind having beeswax on - I have a dedicated bowl, whisk, jar, etc that I use for my beeswax goodies!

How much comfrey salve to use?

A little bit goes a long way. For minor bruises, skin irritation, or insect bites, clean the area prior to application and then rub a small amount over the area. You can use it 2 times per day.

How long does homemade comfrey salve last?

The salve should last several months if stored in a room temperature, dark place (like a cupboard or pantry).

Warnings 

  • Comfrey, in particular comfrey roots, contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) which are naturally occurring compounds found in some plants. PAs pose a risk because they can be toxic to the liver if absorbed into the bloodstream, especially over prolonged use or through broken skin. For that reason make sure to not use this salve on broken skin or internally.
  • Topical application only - Comfrey cream is for external use only and should not be ingested or applied to deep cuts or open wounds due to compounds in the plant that can be toxic to the liver.
  • Limit application areas - Make sure to apply it only to unbroken skin and avoid long-term use.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!