Simple Homemade Menthol & Eucalyptus Muscle Balm Recipe
There is nothing like having a homemade menthol and eucalyptus muscle balm recipe in your homemade remedy stash. It’s perfect for soothing and cooling tired muscles, especially after a long yoga or workout session. This muscle balm recipe is easy to make, and the invigorating smell of menthol and eucalyptus will ease your mind and muscles.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning as an affiliate I receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you click on any of the links and make a purchase. Read the full disclaimer here.
All the Best Natural Skincare Ingredients at Your Fingertips!
Keep Your Diy Pantry stocked With all the best essential skincare ingredients needed to make your favorite homemade skincare products.
This post is about a menthol and eucalyptus body balm.
No doubt you are here because you are looking for an easy way to make a soothing and cooling muscle balm. Or maybe you have never heard of body balms and salves and you wanna know more.
Either way, I’m going to tell you exactly how to make and use this simple menthol and eucalyptus muscle balm recipe.
Body balms or muscle balms can really come in handy when you least expect them to. They can be applied to sore areas on the body such as a sore achy neck, shoulders, arm, and leg muscles. And don’t forget about that tired achy lower back.
This menthol and eucalyptus recipe cools and soothes the skin, and muscles and it also smells refreshing. So if you are ready to make your own muscle balm, keep reading!
HOW TO MAKE THIS MUSCLE BALM RECIPE
Making a simple muscle balm recipe is easy. You only need a few easy-to-find ingredients. And, once you have your ingredients which mainly include oils and wax you mix and melt them down together, let the balm set for a few hours, and voila you have your new soothing muscle balm.
Additionally, you will want to add a few additives to give your body or muscle balm recipe some unique healing benefits. When I say additives I mean things like essential oils, menthol crystals, infused herbs, and botanical oils.
Customization is key. If you are like me and want to start keeping a stash of balms and salves this Calendula Infused Herbal Salve Recipe that I made not too long ago is another one of my favorite healing ointments.
I like to have different salves and blams on hand for minor skin irritations as well as muscle aches. The Calendula Infused Herbal Salve Recipe also contains relaxing Lavender Essential Oil which also smells nice and eases the mind.
Ready to Make This Muscle Balm Recipe?
For step-by-step instructions keep reading! Would you rather watch me make it? To watch the Menthol and Eucalyptus Muscle Balm Recipe Tutorial click HERE.
WHAT IS A BODY BALM
A body balm is a thick creamy ointment made from carrier oils, wax, and other healing additives. It’s used to soothe and heal minor aches, soreness, itchiness, cuts, and scrapes.
Balms and salves can be made and customized to your specific skincare concerns. A balm is used basically to nourish, heal, and protect the skin.
BODY BALM vs BODY SALVE
The words balms and salves are sometimes used interchangeably. But there are some minor differences.
BODY BALM
Body balms are rich and thick but not too greasy. They are thicker in texture than a salve. This is because balms usually contain more wax.
Balms can even contain natural butter like Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter to add to the texture.
Lip balms and hand balms are other balms usually made with shea butter or cocoa butter.
If you want to learn more about natural butters and how you can use them to make a ton of other different DIY skincare products go check out the post 5 Must-Have Butters-Natural Ingredients for Skincare.
So although you can certainly use natural butter in balms, I wanted to keep this body balm skincare recipe super simple for you, so no butters are needed.
BODY SALVE
Body salves are also known as healing salves or healing ointments. They are thinner in consistency than skincare balms. This is because they sometimes contain more oil and less wax.
They sorta remind me of a pomade. But, they can also be as thin as something like Neosporin, which is a store-bought over-the-counter healing ointment that has antiseptic properties.
The main difference between balms and salves is that balms are more for soothing, moisturizing, and protection. Whereas slaves often contain healing and medicinal ingredients.
But that’s not to say a balm can’t contain healing and natural medicinal ingredients too. As I always say, customization is key.
CARRIER OILS FOR SALVES & BALMS
There are many carrier oils to choose from when making a body balm, salve, or healing ointment. When deciding which carrier oil is best, I say pick your favorite carrier oil, one that you know works well with your skin.
Some carrier oils that work well in balms include Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Babassu Oil, Coconut Oil, and Grapeseed Oil.
Because this muscle rub recipe only contains liquid or semi-solid carrier oils, a wax such as Beeswax or Candelilla Wax is needed to give the balm a thick texture. I choose beeswax for this particular balm recipe to give it a firmer texture.
MENTHOL CRYSTALS
Be sure to check out the full Muscle Balm Recipe Below!
Menthol crystals are one of my favorites to add to a muscle balm recipe. They smell so refreshing and they have a cooling soothing effect.
For this DIY muscle balm, the menthol crystal can also help provide a numbing effect to alleviate minor discomfort from achy muscles.
Using menthol crystals in homemade body rubs can also come in handy during cold and flu season when you are congested. The menthol smell can help to open up your respiratory tract and ease congestion.
ESSENTIAL OILS
Using essential oils is one of my favorite ways to add natural therapeutic healing benefits to my DIY Skincare as well as some of my DIY Haircare products. So it’s not a surprise that I added essential oil into this muscle balm recipe.
Essential oils offer a ton of wellness benefits. Aromatherapy is one of my favorite reasons for using essential oils but it is also healing and soothing.
Two different essential oils are included in the muscle rub recipe to offer aromatherapy and soothing benefits, Blue Tansy Essential Oil and Eucalyptus Essential Oil.
Blue tansy has an amazing blue color that gives this muscle rub its beautiful blue hue. It’s also known to have anti-inflammatory properties and to be an antihistamine. It can be used in other DIY skincare to help promote clear skin and combat dryness.
Eucalyptus essential oil has a wonderful smell. It can help congestion and ease tension in stiff achy muscles and joints. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
MUSCLE BALM RECIPE & INGREDIENTS
Get the ingredients on AMAZON now!
Muscle Balm Recipe
- 2 oz Sweet Almond Oil
- 2 oz Babassu Oil
- 1 tsp Menthol Crystals
- 1 oz Beeswax
- 15 Drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil
- 5 Drops of Blue Tansy Essential Oil
Tools you’ll need
Here are a few tools needed to make this Muscle Balm. You can get them in my AMAZON Store.
How To Prepare A Water Bath!
Now sure how to create a water bath? Watch the Full Menthol Balm Tutorial where I show you how to create one.
MUSCLE BALM RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Gather all needed equipment, ingredients, and storage jars.
2. Using a digital scale measure the sweet almond oil, babassu oil, and beeswax.
3. Place the sweet almond oil, babassu oil, and beeswax into a heat-safe container.
4. Now place the heat-safe container into a water bath over low heat to melt the ingredients.
5. Once the almond oil, babassu oil, and beeswax are melted add the menthol crystals and stir the mixture until the menthol crystals are melted.
6. Next, mix blue tansy essential oil and eucalyptus essential oil together and stir.
7. Pour the essential oil blend into the oil, wax, and menthol mixture and stir well.
8. Finally, pour the mixture into a storage tin and let set for several hours until the mixture is solid.
HOW TO USE MUSCLE RUB
Now that you have made your new muscle rub from this easy muscle balm recipe, it’s time to use it. To use the menthol rub, using your fingertips scoop out a dime to a quarter size amount and rub into the troublesome area.
Use your new rub to soothe minor aches and muscle discomfort. Just apply and massage it to the bothersome areas.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS ABOUT MENTHOL BODY RUB
What areas can I use this body rub? You can use this body run on most achy muscle areas such as the arm, leg, back, and calf muscles. It can also be used on wrists, knees, and pretty much any joints of the body.
Will the body balm relieve pain? This is not a pain medication. It is a homemade remedy that can provide a soothing and cooling sensation to areas where you may be feeling discomfort.
If you are suffering from pain please see a healthcare provider for medical treatment.
Can I use the vapor balm on the face? Don’t use this balm on or near the eye area as it could cause a stinging sensation.
Can I use infused oil in the muscle balm recipe? Yes, you can customize this recipe by using an infused oil you created. Check out this Infused Herbal Oil Tutorial to learn how to infuse your own oil.
SKINCARE INGREDIENT LIST
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter and receive The Essential Skincare Ingredient Checklist FREE.
Simple Homemade Menthol & Eucalyptus Muscle Balm Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Double Boiler
- Stirrer/Spoon
- Storage Tin
Ingredients
- 2 oz Sweet Almond Oil
- 2 oz Babassu Oil
- 1 oz Beeswax
- 1 tsp Menthol Crystals
- 15 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
- 5 drops Blue Tansy Essential Oil
Instructions
- Gather all needed equipment, ingredients, and storage jars.
- Using a digital scale measure the sweet almond oil, babassu oil, and beeswax.
- Place the sweet almond oil, babassu oil, and beeswax into a heat-safe container.
- Now place the heat-safe container into a water bath over low heat to melt the ingredients.
- Once the almond oil, babassu oil, and beeswax are melted add the menthol crystals and stir the mixture until the menthol crystals are melted.
- Next, mix blue tansy essential oil and eucalyptus essential oil and stir.
- Pour the essential oil blend into the oil, wax, and menthol mixture and stir well.
- Finally, pour the mixture into a storage tin and let set for several hours until the mixture is solid.