DIY Easy Warming Oil For Stiff Or Sore Joints And Muscles (Better Than Tiger Balm)

Photo credit: bigstock.com

Photo credit: bigstock.com

Joint pain or muscle aches are annoying things to deal with. Unfortunately, for those with arthritis, this is an almost daily occurrence that is not only painful, but hard to live with.

Muscle pain and joint pain can also arise from sports injuries, overwork, strains, or accidents. You can almost guarantee that, at some point in your life, you are going to suffer from some type of muscle ache or joint pain, even if you never get arthritis.

You don’t have to resort to those over the counter pain killers or, worse still, prescription pain killers. We have found a warming oil recipe that will knock your socks off! Better yet, you probably have everything you need to whip up a batch right at home. If you don’t, everything is pretty easy to find.

All of the ingredients in this recipe are known to relive joint pain and muscles aches because of their warming compounds.

The first ingredient, cayenne powder, works because of capsaicin. Capsaicin reduces a chemical in the body called Substance P — that P must mean pain because that is exactly what it causes — that transmits pain signals to the brain. The capsaicin shuts this off, so your brain never gets the signal.

The other ingredient, ginger, is a super anti-inflammatory agent. One study, from the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology in Italy, found that ginger was super effective at stopping inflammation, even when applied topically. It also works wonders internally, so if you suffer from arthritis, make ginger tea your new best friend!

The last active ingredient is essential oils. Peppermint is a natural muscle relaxant and pain killer; clove oil, which is another excellent pain killer; and eucalyptus oil, which works to relive sore muscles in a jiffy.

Ready to get started? This recipe is so easy, you are going to make some as gifts and pass them around to everyone you know!

Continue to Page 2

Photo credit: bigstock.com

Photo credit: bigstock.com

Wonderful Warming Oil

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of coconut oil
  • 1.25 cups of grated, packed cocoa butter (use a cheese grater, it works great!)
  • 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper powder
  • 2 teaspoons of ginger powder
  • 15 drops of peppermint essential oil
  • 15 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
  • 8 drops of clove essential oil
  • 1 teaspoon of cornstarch OR arrowroot powder (not both)

Instructions:

Put the coconut oil, ginger, and cayenne pepper in a double boiler and warm the oil under low heat. Do not let it get too hot, otherwise the cayenne pepper is going to fill the room and make you cough your head off!

Now stir the warmed oil a few times and turn off the fire. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes, and then repeat this process. Do this over the next two hours, then remove from the heat. Set it aside for several hours (or overnight if you like).

Put a medium-sized bowl in the freezer. We will use it a bit later.

Using a cheesecloth (or a clean, old t-shirt if you don’t have cheesecloth handy), strain the oil over a measuring cup. Add just enough plain coconut oil so that you have half a cup of oil.

Now add the arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) and mix well.

Put the oil in the freezer until it becomes almost solid on top. Don’t let it get completely hard. Check it every 30 minutes.

Now put the oil and the cocoa butter in the chilled bowl you had in the freezer. Add your essential oils. Using your mixer on its highest setting, whip these items together until it forms peaks and is stiff like whipped cream.

Store in an airtight container. Colored glass containers are best but if all you have is clear glass, keep this oil out of sunlight.

 

READ ALSO: 8 Juicy Juice Recipes To Stop Joint Pain Fast (#4 is Our Favorite)

 

That’s it! This mixture is warming but not overly hot. Do not use on children under five. Although there have not been any problems regarding cayenne pepper and pregnant or nursing women, you should check with your doctor before using this oil.

This warming oil, when kept sealed at room temperature, should be good for about one year but chances are that you are going to use it long before its expiration date!

If the oil gets too warm and separates, don’t worry. Simply put it back in the freezer until it gets semi-hard and re-whip it again.

Enjoy!

References:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

www.umm.edu

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