Jewelweed salve is easy to make and may aid irritated skin from poison ivy and bug bites. Learn more about identifying and preserving this helpful plant.
This jewelweed salve tutorial reminds me of when I was a Girl Scout back in the day. We had the most wonderful camp within walking distance of my house. Every year during the summer, they would host a week long day camp. I have such fond memories of that experience.
Sadly the camp is no longer owned by the Scouts, however, the township did purchase the property for community use, so at least it hasn't turned into some ugly industrial site.
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I guess that it is no surprise that even at the young age of seven, one of the highlights of day camp for me was the visit from Mother Nature. She would tell us all about the native plants that grew in the camp. One of my favorites was all about Impatiens pallida aka Jewelweed.
The first thing Mother Nature showed us, was this folk remedy of using the sap from jewelweed to treat poison ivy and other bothersome itchy skin problems such as bug bites.
She also showed us how to make a whistle by cutting slits into the hollow stem. That's right, another common name for this plant is "whistle weed."
In addition, you may know it as "touch-me-not," because the seed heads pop open and shoot seeds everywhere when touched. A clever way to ensure this plant comes back again and again.
How to Make Jewelweed Salve
You can make a salve out of this weed. All you need to do is chop it up, and place it in a mason jar. Then fill it with olive oil.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to replace medical advice. Be mindful of any plant allergies that may cause a problem, and consult a qualified health care practitioner before self-treatment with any product. Also, take care with anyone who may have a plant allergy.
Some people have made a cold infusion with dried jewelweed. However, I have read, and Mother Nature taught me, that the sap is what you want for this remedy, so I made a warm infusion.
This is done by gently heating the jar in a bath of simmering water for a few hours.
Then simply strain the oil by using a coffee filter, napkin, or paper towel.
Supplies
Olive Oil
Fresh Jewelweed
Beeswax pellets
Essential Oils (optional)
Vitamin E
Tins
Use the infused jewelweed oil, combined with beeswax, essential oils (optional), and vitamin E.
For this batch of jewelweed salve, I used 2 tablespoons of beeswax to 1/2 cup of infused oil in a glass jar.
Heat the jar in a water bath on the stove until the beeswax is dissolved.
Let cool slightly before adding in your essential oils (about 15 drops), and vitamin E to act as a preservative.
Stir and pour into the containers.
Jewelweed grows everywhere around here. Sometimes you see it growing near water sources with a pretty spotted orange flower. This one is Impatiens capensis. Some say that the orange-flowered jewelweed one is better at treating skin issues than the yellow one shown here.
Both have a shallow root system, making them easy to remove from the garden, and the added bonus of something that you can use to make your own jewelweed salve, or maybe just a fun whistle.
Making Jewelweed Salve to Help with Poison Ivy and other Skin Problems.
Equipment
Materials
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Jewelweed
- Beeswax pellets
- Essential Oils optional
- Vitamin E - 2 capsules 180 mg ~ 1/2 teaspoon
- Tins or lip balm containers small mason jars
Instructions
- Chop up the jewelweed and place it in a mason jar.
- Fill it with olive oil.
- Make a warm infusion by gently heating the jar in a bath of simmering water for a few hours.
- Strain the oil by using a coffee filter, napkin, or paper towel.
- Use the infused jewelweed oil, combined with beeswax, essential oils (optional), and vitamin E.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of beeswax to 1/2 cup infused oil in a glass jar.
- Heat the jar in a water bath on the stove until the beeswax is dissolved.
- Let cool slightly before adding in your essential oils (about 15 drops), and vitamin E to act as a preservative.
- Stir and pour into the containers.
Bella Rounds
Hello! I was wondering how long does it usually last without the vitamin E, and do you have to use the vitamin E? I could never find any!
(Also, if you mesh the flowers onto your skin that helps really good as well!)
Patti Estep
Bella, whenever you make homemade salves and balms it's tricky. Vitamin E is said to help keep oil from turning rancid. You'll know when they turn because they smell bad. You can find it at any drugstore sold in capsules with vitamins and other supplements. There are many other and perhaps better natural preservatives that people use. This information can be found on herbal-specific sites or those that sell ingredients for making herbal soaps and other concoctions. Thanks for sharing the info about the flowers.
Andrea C.
Hi! I've recently found tons of jewelweed growing nearby, and am proactively making some salve since I'm weeding flower beds heavy in poison ivy right now.
But you don't specify how much vitamin e oil to add for preservation. A few drops per half cup of oil used? A teaspoon? Thanks!
Patti Estep
Andrea, I've used about 2 capsules that I poke a hole in and squeeze out the liquid. I'm guessing that's probably about 1/2 teaspoon.
Sunnie DeAngelis
I’m suffering with the mother of all poison Ivy rashes as I write. So glad i found you! It’s week two for me and I am still itching like crazy!! Probably doesn’t help that I pulled something out of the ground without wearing gloves. Of course it was covered in tiny prickly things. I couldn’t remove anything despite trying my best. The Ivy came a week after that. I have a chemical allergy so always have something steroid related on me along with benedryl in cream and oral medicine. Nothing is working for me. It’s horrible. I’m in Pennsylvania too but unfortunately Jewelweed was nowhere near me. I’m going to go out to look for some tomorrow and will make a batch of the salve. I am excited actually. I think I might have to bring some seeds home if they happen to be there. This sounds like a great flower for me to have on hand all the time!
Patti Estep
Sunnie, I'm sorry to hear that you are suffering. I hope the jewelweed gives you relief.
Mary Rogers
I'm in PA and the jewelweed is in full bloom
Patti Estep
Mary, I've seen it growing on the road sides here too.
Mark
Generally speaking when you infuse fresh herbs in oil you introduce water into the mixture which can promote mold growth. How do you prevent this in your salve?
Patti Estep
Mark, I try to make sure the plant material has dried out a bit first. Often I will make the infusion and salve in small batches so that it will be used up quickly. However, as with many homemade preparations the risk is there.
Dan
Hi Patti, how long would you let it dry out or rather I s there a texture to feel for? I’m trying to determine that fine line between its potency and preventing molding. Thanks!
Patti Estep
Dan, since jewelweed is somewhat watery I'm not sure letting it dry out really matters much. It's probably more important to make the oil infusion with the plant and strain out any plant material before making the salve. There are some natural preservatives that you can add. Websites that specialize in homemade cosmetics, soaps, and salves often discuss them. I personally have not used any. Instead, I tend to make very small batches and try to use them before they can spoil.
Stephanie Cain
Do you melt the beeswax into the jewelweed infused oil? Is it okay to keep it in the cooking jar for storage? Thanks!
Patti Estep
Stephanie, yes you melt the beeswax in the infused oil. You can keep the infused oil for a good while. A cool, dark place is best. Eventually, it will go rancid depending on the oil. You can easily tell by the smell.
Wendy Cheek
Hi, Patti, I've made this salve before (but used a slightly-different recipe I'd found online before finding yours) and it turned out wonderfully. I didn't use essential oil at that time. Also, I used Olive Oil. My salve worked out GREAT and we shared with many friends/family. Also I wanted to tell you that ours lasted at LEAST a couple of years and rancidity wasn't a problem (at room temp) at all ( we DID add the vitamin E). THIS year, I'm about to make a whole, new batch and I'm using your recipe, and adding Plantain, which I've read about on several occasions as a great addition. I'm going to use Coconut Oil as I have an abundance on hand, and I'm adding the Essential Oil per your recipe. Can't wait to see/try the final result. Upon my past research, I learned that Jewelweed is great for hemorroids. It contains an anti-inflammatory, antifungal chemical called 2-methoxy-1, 4-napthoquinine which is the active ingredient in Preparation H. I'm lol but MY take on this is: If it works as an anti-itch salve for hemorroidal tissue, IT'S GOTTA BE GOOD!!!!! Another interesting note: My husband is a golfer and the weeds along the sides of the fairway is where he first learned of the anti-itch properties of Jewelweed, as the fellows (if they had a bug bite) would walk to the side, grab some of the plant, and break the stem and rub the bite with the sap. They swore by it! One more interesting fact (which I realize has nothing to do with making the salve): Late in the summer, if you place your hands around the seed pods, you can "catch" the little seeds as the pod splits and spits out the little seeds, which are edible. Just a fun, little fact I thought your followers might enjoy....especially if they have children or grandkids. Thanks for your lovely site, Patti. I appreciate you. I hope to be able to post back after my salve is made this year. Kind regards, Wendy
Patti Estep
Wendy, so much great information here. Thanks for sharing!
Paul
Do you find olive oil goes rancid over time in the salve? As olive oil ages it becomes more acid and can irritate the skin. I was thinking of trying coconut and mineral oil. What are your thoughts?
Patti Estep
Paul, you are right. Olive can go rancid. I have used coconut oil and it has a longer shelf life. I'm not sure about mineral oil but another one you might try is jojoba oil. It is also said to have a long shelf life.
Tommy
My question is when making the salve.can u choppy the jewel weed in a chopper like puree it .or do you cook it with water.like making a spray. And how much jewel weed do you need cups lbs. And do you need all these ingredients. Coconut oil Shea butter cocoa butter and bees wax. Olive oil vitamin E. I want to make this. Do u have a video step by step to follow. I'm new to this. Help please
Patti Estep
Tommy, I do not have a video but I'm sure that there a many out there. To make a basic salve you usually need oil and beeswax. To make a jewelweed salve you need to first make an oil infusion. That means the plant material needs to be infused into some kind of oil. I like olive oil because I always have it on hand and it has a pretty good shelf life. The vitamin is extra but helps the salve last longer. My post shares 2 tablespoons of beeswax to 1/2 cup of infused jewelweed oil. You can adjust that to be harder or softer if you want by adding more wax to make it harder or more oil for a softer salve.
Aimee
We always say that Jewelweed grows in close proximity to poison ivy- as if mother nature is providing means of relief right along with the itch producing culprit! Sometimes this seems to be the case, sometimes not.
Also, we always believed that the yellow (Pale) jewelweed is more medicinal than the orange kind. Don't know if that's true.
One time, I even saw a variety of jewelweed with pink flowers, on a 'garden walk' in a nearby large city. The homeowner was rather elusive about how she came to have seeds for pink jewelweed. I think it involved some variety of breaking customs laws!
Patti Estep
Aimee that's so interesting. I once heard that the orange or red Jewelweed was considered better? Also, I've never heard of pink Jewelweed and now I want some. Thanks for sharing.
Vicki
Hi Patti, I want to try this recipe and was wondering if you could use sweet almond oil or perhaps grape seed oil instead of the olive oil? Thank you!
Patti Estep
Yes, you can use sweet almond or grapeseed oil for this. The reason I used olive oil is that I always have it on hand. Sweet almond is a great basic carrier oil and grapeseed oil is very light. The only concern is their shelf life. I believe grapeseed doesn't last very long. You could just make small batches so that they get used up quickly.
Vicki
Thank you so much ! I’m making some today.
J
How long would you say this recipe is shelf stable? I got a lead on some jewelweed and I STRUGGLE with poison ivy every year. If I could make it now and save it over winter, I'd be a happy camper 🙂
Also, how well do you think jewelweed would grow indoors over the winter with grow lights?
Patti Estep
My best guess would be to freeze or refrigerate the infusion (jewelweed in oil) That would help keep it stable much longer. Then you could make small batches of the salve as needed.
Kim
This is a great recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Which olive oil do you use?
Patti Estep
Kim, I use whatever olive oil I have on hand.
Jo Ellen
I noticed that you are just using the stalks of the plant. Can you use the leaves, flowers and stalk all chopped up? or is it the stalk that holds most of the resin? Thanks
Patti Estep
I learned that the juice in the stalks was the part that you needed to use but since you are making an infusion it wouldn't surprise me if you could use other parts of the plants.
Karen
Do you break open the vitamin E capsules?
Patti Estep
Yes. I poke the capsule with a pin and squeeze out the liquid
Lorren
Do I need to refrigerate it or is it fine to stay put. How long can it stay out. I had someone make some jewel weed salve ( not your recipe) and she said it would go ransid if not refrigerated. Is this the same? Love the recipe by the way. Just made some and have it cooling
Patti Estep
Lorren, Many people like to refrigerate their homemade concoctions. It's not required but it will prolong the shelf life.
Lori
If you use the vit E this will protect against rancidity
Patti Estep
Lori, Vitamin is supposed to act as a preservative and should help slow down the process so the oil won't go rancid as fast.
Lori
yes it will! I think you though I was asking? I was letting the other reader know that the Vit E would, indeed protect against rancidity ...vit E is an anti-oxidant and helps oils resists oxidation; which is why they smell rancid (as the oil beaks down ) - love your blog! <3
Pat
What essential oil would you recommend? Lavendar? Lemongrass? Lemon? Cedarwood? Theives? Peppermint?
Patti Estep
I personally would use lavender and maybe a bit of lemon. Lavender is supposedly great for all kinds of skin issues. Also, I like the smell of lemons, and sometimes lavender on it's own can be too strong.
Rebecca
How much vitamin E do you use?
Patti Estep
Rebecca, I usually use the capsules that you can buy at the grocery store (180 mg). For the 1/2 cup of oil I use 2 capsules of Vitamin E.
Zoot
How do you make that whistle??
Patti Estep
All you do is cut a length of the stalk about 5 inches long. Make sure that you cut a piece between the nodes so it looks like a straw. Then cut a couple of notches on the side and it makes a whistle or flute like object.
trendle ellwood
Patti, Thank you so much for this great article. I can tell you know what you are talking about! So many sites are saying to use dried jewel weed. What good will that do?! The power is in the juice ( : The jewel weed is huge this year! We always used it for poison ivy and I have it about my gardens wherever it decides to come up and it is SO lush this year that I got to wanting to save some. I am making your salve today, with the grandkids ( : God bless you!
Patti Estep
I'm so glad you like the post. Have fun with the kids.
Carole
This is so cool - I'm not sure if we have that growing around here but man I could use a good salve because the bugs are driving me nuts which means I'm itchy all the time and it would be good for when we go to the property. I've learned more about plants with bite too this year. It's like I'm under attack.. LOL
I'm saving this and hunting down these ingredients. I'm guessing the essential oils make it smell nice? My Go to oils are lavender, T-Tree, peppermint and lemon.. Which of these would you recommend?
Patti Estep
Hi Carole,
According the the USDA forestry map Texas has the plant growing somewhere. Of course it's everywhere here in PA. The essential oils do make it smell good, but as you know can also benefit the skin. I think all of your go-to oils would work. There are some articles that caution against citrus for photo sensitivity on the skin so maybe not the lemon, the others would work great.
Have a great week!
Patti