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DIY Natural Chest Rub
When dealing with colds and chest congestion nothing is more soothing than a good chest rub to help open up the chest cavity and break up phlegm. Store bought chest rubs however are often full of harmful ingredients like fragrances and petroleum and should be avoided.
Thankfully there are many alternatives for natural chest rubs that are both safe and effective. One of my favorite ones is Earthley’s Breath Well Salve. It’s great to have on hand in a pinch when I just don’t have time to make my own or I ran out of ingredients.
However making your own natural chest rub is super easy and extremely affordable. I can whip us this natural chest rub in less than 10 minutes of hands on time. It’s that easy!
what you’ll need
Option 1 natural chest rub salve
- A glass jar with a lid ( I use these these)
- A stainless bowl or pot
- Coconut oil
- Shea butter
- Bees wax
- Essential oils of choice Peppermint, spearmint, lavender, tea tree oil, and rosemary all make excellent chest rubs. I get my oils here.
Option 2 chest rub essential oil roll on
- Essential oil rollers. (I use these)
- Carrier oil of choice. (My go to is jojoba oil)
- Essential oils of choice. See suggestions from option 1.
It’s important to note that some oils are not safe for children, or while pregnant or breastfeeding. Learn more about essential oil safety here.
Since we have children we choose to use spearmint, tea tree, and lavender in our natural chest rub, but we will use peppermint on occasion if my husband or myself are dealing with something particularly nasty.
directions
My preferred method is option 2. Essential oil rollers are quick and easy to make and have a no fuss no muss application. I do find the salve needs less reapplying but I personally don’t mind more frequent applications in exchange for the convenience that a roller offers.
Option 1
1: Place 1/4 cup of Shea butter, 1/4 cup coconut oil, and table spoon of beeswax in to your glass jar. Fill your pot or bowl with hot water and place the jar in the water. Allow the contents to melt and remove the jar from the bowl. Set it on the counter to cool a little.
2: Add in your desired oils. Follow the dilution chart below to ensure safe dilution. We do 1-2% for children and 4-5% for adults.
3: Leave the chest rub to fully cool on the counter for 2 hours or in the refrigerator for an hour.
Option 2
1: Add 10 ml of your carrier oil to your essential oil roller.
2: Add your desired essential oils to your essential oil roller. Again be sure to use safe dilution. See the chart below.
Application
Apply the rub to your back and chest during illness as needed. You can also apply to the neck and forehead if dealing with sinus pressure. We sometimes apply hourly if we’re dealing with an especially nasty virus.
Store your salve in a cool dry place for up to 6 months. The essential oil roller can be stored for up to 12 months.