DIY Herbal Cold Sore Ointment (featuring chamomile & lemon balm)
Equipment
- Metal tins or jars
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup carrier oil - plus an extra 2 tablespoons for topping off, if needed
- .25 oz chamomile flowers
- .25 oz lemon balm
- .5 oz beeswax
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 5 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
- 1 tsp castor oil - optional
Instructions
Step One: Infuse Oil
- The chamomile and lemon balm will first need to be infused into your choice of carrier oil. I prefer the cold method, as it extracts the beneficial properties of the herbs without much work (just put the ingredients into a jar and wait), but there are two other heated options below (providing much faster infusions and end-results).
- Cold Method...
- If you are able to infuse herbs via this method (meaning, you don't need to make this ASAP), simply fill a jar about ¼ of the way with dried chamomile flowers and lemon balm. Crumble the herbs slightly as you place them in the jar, as this will allow more of the herbs to be extracted. Pour oil over the herbs until the jar is mostly full. Stir and then close with lid. Put jar in a dark place for 4 to 6 weeks.
- If you need the infusion quickly, try one of the two following heated methods of infusion...
- A.) Place herbs in a heat proof jar (such as a canning jar) and add the oil. Stir to combine. Place jar in a saucepan and pour water into the saucepan so it comes about ¼ way up the side of the jar. Simmer over low heat for at least 4 hours. It is highly important that you stay close by as more water may need to be added to the pan throughout this time.
- B.) A quicker heating method can be achieved by placing herbs and oil in the top of a double boiler and warming for about an hour. This is Scratch Mommy Founder Jess's preferred method when using heat, as there is less possibility that water will enter your herb-infused oil.
- Either way you infuse with heat, the next process is the same. Once oil has been infused, strain out the herbs. Use cheesecloth and squeeze out (with clean hands!) as much oil as possible.
Step Two: Prepare Ointment
- Measure out 1/2 cup of infused oil. If you do not have 1/2 cup after the oil has been infused, top up with extra oil until it makes 1/2 cup.
- Place infused oil, beeswax, and castor oil in the top of a double boiler (a pot with shallow, warm water and a glass bowl on top with these ingredients). Do not boil the water in the pot!
- Pour into clean tins or jars. Allow to cool completely before closing with lid.
- Apply to cold sores as needed. This ointment will keep for approximately one year.
Notes
When applying to a cold sore, it's best to remove a small amount of ointment with a utensil, such as a cotton swab, to avoid contaminating the ointment.
If lemon EO is too expensive for your budget, you can increase the amount of lemon balm herb in the oil to make a stronger infusion. You might also consider adding organic tea tree essential oil to the mixture as it has also been shown to have a direct antiviral effect on the herpes simplex virus.3
