Need pain relief in a hurry? Try this pain relief oil to help soothe those tired, achy muscles and joints.
Stooping over to weed the garden. Cleaning out the chicken coop. Planting, harvesting, canning. All these things can lead to muscle pain. Severe muscle pain. When you pull a muscle or overwork it, you want relief.
I love Tiger Balm liniment and always have. It has a cool, refreshing “zing” to it, and it has always helped with minor aches and pains or headaches of all sorts. The $6 price tag for a tiny jar was never a big issue, as a little bit goes a long way. It’s smooth, creamy and easy to apply. It works where it hurts, basically.
I often wondered if I could make it myself. And, lo and behold, I have something that I feel works just as well and is easy to whip up an entire batch! This essential oil blend smells amazing, and they all have pain relieving properties. When combined with carrier oils, they create a rub that reduces inflammation and may help in reducing pain.
Muscle soreness, stiffness, and pain due to over-activity can all be soothed with this oil. Its herbal ingredients are all natural and easily found or grown. Jojoba oil is used in this recipe as it has anti-inflammatory properties. Emu oil is also well known for anti-inflammatory properties and is often used for many skin conditions.
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Pain Relief Oil, AKA Homemade Tiger Oil:
Ingredients needed:
- 1/2 ounce emu oil
- 2 ounces olive oil
- 5 drops Clove Essential Oil
- 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
- 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
- 10 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
- 5 grams dried arnica
Put it all together:
- Add the arnica and olive oil to an oven safe bowl and place in a 200°F oven for 2 hours to infuse.
- Strain the herbs and toss, saving the oil.
- Allow the mixture to cool slightly before proceeding to the next step.
- Add all the oils in a small bottle and shake together gently to combine.
To Use Homemade Tiger Balm
To use this pain relief oil, simply rub a small amount on affected area and massage in. One of the best ways to use it is by adding them to a roller bottle like these here. Then you can simply rub it over your temples for a headache, or over any area with muscle pain. The essential oils in this may also help to relieve minor joint pain.
Store your homemade tiger oil in a tightly closed bottle, out of direct sunlight. Will be good for up to 3 months, but toss if you notice any signs of mold or other spoilage.
What types of pain do you deal with on a regular basis? Will you try this pain relief oil for treating pain?
Heather’s homesteading journey started in 2006, with baby steps: first, she got a few raised beds, some chickens, and rabbits. Over the years, she amassed a wealth of homesteading knowledge, knowledge that you can find in the articles of this blog.
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Angi @ SchneiderPeeps says
Sounds wonderful! I’ve never heard of Tiger balm but now I want to try it.
Amanda says
This is great! We use this for headaches and growing pais!
Amy @Home & Farm Sense says
I need to try this – we have a son who gets terrible leg pains when its cold. I also happen to have all these ingredients on hand. Thanks for figuring out the recipe…:)
Happy New Year!!
Amber Carr-Kennedy says
Is there something I could use to substitute the Emu oil for?
hippygirl says
you could just leave it out, or add a 1/2 ounce more olive oil, either way 🙂
DavetteB says
You could substitute castor oil for the emu. It’s supposed to help with pain and helps penetrate the skin better. HTH
Danay Carusi says
Castor will be a good substitution but nothing penetrates the skin like emu oil (except maybe ostrich oil.
Bubba Baker says
So what about another carrier oil other than Olive? Or should I make a arnica concentrate?
Lori Powell says
I make something similar but I use cannabis in mine.
Sindy says
Unfortunately it’s not legal for everyone.
crystal says
what do you use in you recipe if you don’t mind me asking
Laura says
Very cool. I will have to try this!
Mary says
Have you tried substituting Copaiba or Idaho Balsam Fir for the Lavender? I have to avoid lavender products but this recipe sounds great!!
Heather Harris says
I honestly haven’t done that myself. If you want to try it, let me know how it works for you!
DavetteB says
Copaiba would be excellent for the inflammation.
MJ says
This will come in handy for good friend who has joint pain in damp/cold weather.. Thanks for sharing. Someone mentioned emu oil recently. Will have to hie off to the health food store asap and get busy making some. thanks again.
Marci says
I am just going to have to buy some beeswax and carrier oils! So many of these wonderful homemade salves, creams, etc., call for beeswax. I’m slowly stocking up on Essentials Oils finally and need all the supplies! Definately gonna try this!
Jill L says
Is there a reason for the emu oil?
Heather Harris says
emu oil is thought to be pain relieving in itself too
Andrea says
this is so awesome, I buy this all the time and being able to make my own def is something I would love to do. Gonna have to do this as a summer project.
Kristy, Life-n-Reflection says
I’ve been using lavender and peppermint in a pain relief balm, but I hand’t thought of using the other herbs or making it into a spray. Great idea!
Dee says
What would cause spoilage? The arnica?
Heather Harris says
no, the idea that your hands can transfer germs into the mixture, or air may get into the mixture. In the case of roller balls, you still get a bit of dead skin on the ball, and that may go into the bottle as well. Gross to think about, I know, but it’s reality.
Mona says
Hi, this sounds great, but i dont have emu oil or arnica, can i use dandilion instead of arnica? What should i use instead of emu oil?
Heather Harris says
you can use dandelion oil for both if you would like. The emu oil is just amazing by itself for relieving minor pain. But the dandelion oil will be just fine, too
Julie says
Had to check this out because we’ve used Tiger Balm often enough. Absolutely love the idea of using my dandelion oil! Can hardly wait for Spring to make more. Thank you!
Suzanne says
How do you make dandelion oil?
Wendy says
Is there something you can use instead of Eucalyptus oil, I’m allergic.
LeShia says
Arnica in herb form I have not tried. Can you you arnica oil and how much would I use?
Terry says
How do you make dandelion oil?
Darlene O’Neil says
Can you use trauma oil instead of the arnica oil . I hate making infused oils. I wish I could buy them already uncut. But I have trams oil and calendula oil. Can I use either one of those for the arnica oil?