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Make Your Own Natural Salve for Pain Relief
If you haven’t already heard, the health benefits of cayenne are truly amazing. Used as an herbal pain reliever, cayenne has compounds that improve the immune system, stop the bleeding from a cut, and can relieve pain like nothing else!
Cayenne is found in many chilies, bell peppers, and paprika. These plants have been cultivated for at least 7,000 years. Early European explorers brought seeds from their visits to South America back to their homelands, and from there they spread quickly throughout the world.
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The active ingredient in cayenne is called capsaicin, and it’s this ingredient that works so well at reducing pain. When we have pain, our bodies send out a neurotransmitter called Substance P, which signals our brain and results in what we call pain. Capsaicin blocks Substance P. Topically, cayenne can relive numerous types of pain such as shingles, cramps, bruises, and joint pain. Read also about health benefits of cayenne pepper.
If you go to your local drugstore you will find many different types of creams and lotions, all of which contain cayenne to one degree or another. However, why spend time and money for a lotion that you can make yourself at home, easily and naturally?
You can use this salve on just about anything from sore muscles to stiff joints to nerve pain and bruises. You might feel some heat on your skin where you apply it. Be sure you only use this salve externally, although you can use it on open cuts or wounds – just be aware that it might sting like the devil. If you plan on using it for arthritis, be aware that you will need to apply it daily, sometimes as much as two or three times per day, for two weeks or more before you see results. Always wash your hands thoroughly after touching cayenne pepper, as it will burn if you get it in your eyes. If you use it on your hands, such as for arthritic joints, then try applying it at night before bed, and wear gloves.
Take a look at just how easy it is to make your own cayenne salve.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup of coconut oil
- 4 Tablespoons of cayenne powder
SEE ALSO: Natures Best Pain Killers Right from Your Kitchen!
Instructions:
- If the coconut oil is in a solid state, warm it a bit until it is liquid.
- Stir in the cayenne powder, mixing well.
- Place in a warm (not hot) location where you will be able to reach it easily such as a sunny window or cupboard over the oven.
- Stir once per day, every day, for 10 days, then stop stirring.
- Allow the cayenne pepper to settle to the bottom of the jar. This might take two or three days. Keep the coconut oil in a liquid state.
- When the oil is clear, pour it off into a clean jar and throw out the cayenne pepper residue at the bottom of the jar.
- Coconut oil will stay solid at temps below 75 degrees. If you want more of an oil, rather than a salve, keep this mixture in a warmer location. For a lotion/salve mixture, keep it below 75 degrees.
Enjoy!
