Evolution of My Healing Salve Recipe

The recipe for my healing salve started as an experimental product for my greyhound friends…almost 3 years ago! I was asked to try to make a salve to soothe the greyhound paws…their feet were very sensitive to walking on gravel, ice and salted sidewalks. They also were prone to developing corns on their paws.

There were quite a few salves on the market, from the simplest DIY recipe from the American Kennel Club to very expensive salves with Hemp oil in them and everything in between. I’d like to think we would have choices to find the one that works for our dogs and is affordable.

In general, ingredients in these salves include Oils (like olive oil, coconut oil and almond oil), Shea Butter, and Waxes (like beeswax, carnauba wax and paraffin wax). In addition, Vitamin E oil helps healing and serves as a preservative for the mixture. Essential oils like Lavender or Rosemary can also help with healing. I’m not sure the dogs care about the smell one way or the other but it can’t hurt.

My first recipe was similar to the American Kennel Club one. You can read more about it at https://marykisner.com/make-your-own-dog-balm-and-protection-wax/.

About the same time, I was experimenting with Calendula-infused oil as a base for some salves, so naturally the dog paw salve started with that. If you’d like to learn more about making calendula-infused oil for topical salves, check out https://marykisner.com/making-calendula-infused-oil-for-topical-salves/ and about making calendula salve at https://marykisner.com/calendula-salve-for-summer-itches/.

Testing the Dog Paw Balm and Protection Wax

Samples of the first batch of Dog Paw Salve were sent out to some folks in the greyhound community to give it a try. We had positive feedback that the salve seemed to help the paws that were cracked and made corns softer and easier to remove. It even helped a few sore noses!

Enriching the Salve

To enrich the ingredients in the salve, I explored adding some essential oils that could help in healing the skin. While Tea Tree Essential Oil is often suggested for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, I had just been researching using Manuka Honey as a topical salve. That led me to learn more about Manuka Essential Oil. This essential oil has been shown to be more effective than Tea Tree Essential Oil and is easier on the skin.

You can read more about Manuka Essential Oil at https://marykisner.com/manuka-essential-oil-fact-sheet/.

For the last year or two the recipe for my Calendula Healing Salve (also called the Dog Paw Balm and Protection Wax) has started with Calendula-infused oil and included Manuka and Lavender Essential Oils. The salve continues to help the paws of the greyhounds. Here is the recipe:

Necessary Changes Over Time

Of course, the side effect of folks rubbing the salve on their dog’s paws has been requests for the salve for their hands! I’ve also had requests to replace the calendula base with something else (a few folks are allergic to calendula and can’t use the products based on them) and some additional essential oils for a better scent.

Making the Lavender Healing Salve

First, I made a big batch of the salve based on Calendula-infused oil to replenish my stash. Then I started over to make a batch of Lavender-infused oil. The rest of the ingredients will be the same as the recipe above. At the end, I added the essential oils of Rose Geranium and Vanilla to enhance the scent. This made a more pleasant salve for the rest of us! Here’s the new recipe:

Step 1: Make Lavender-infused Oil

I had a jar of dried lavender buds…some came from my garden last summer. I poured olive oil and almond oil into the jar until the buds were covered. I set the jar in a pot of hot water on the stove. I brought the water up to not quite boiling and let it simmer for about 6 hours. I did have to add water to the pot several times, but all I had to do was stir it every now and then.

Step 2: The oil/lavender mixture had to be strained several times through cheesecloth. I was left with over 1 cup of lovely lavender-infused oil. I stored the jar in the refrigerator until I was ready to make this new salve.

Step 3: To make the salve, collect the ingredients, a two-cup glass measuring cup and your scales. Measure everything into the measuring cup.

Step 4: Set the measuring cup into a saucepan with water on the stove. Bring the water just to boiling and let it simmer. The waxes, shea butter, and oil will gradually melt to a liquid.

Step 5: When all ingredients are melted, remove measuring cup from the pan. Add the liquid Vitamin E and Essential oils, stirring after each addition.

Step 6: Fill the containers by either pouring or using a disposable pipette. Let cool until firm.

Step 7: When cool and firm, label each container. I make a point to make a card with ingredients and instructions so folks know what is in the product.

You can see my Dog Paw Balm and Protection Wax has evolved into my Calendula Healing Salve for dogs and people; while the Lavender Healing Salve is safe for dogs and people who have allergies to Calendula…it also smells pretty good! Try it yourself!