I love to use lotion bars as a simple way to moisturize and nourish my skin because they are easy to customize. This natural muscle pain relief version is one of my favorites. I grab it after a workout or whenever I’m feeling sore muscles.
Natural Muscle Pain Relief
Lately, I’ve been relying on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to keep in shape. It’s a natural way to improve blood flow to the brain and stay healthy. Working out can come with some aches and pains, though.
Supplements like magnesium, anti-inflammatory turmeric, curcumin, and cherry juice can all help with muscle soreness. Maybe you’re not even dealing with aches and pains from working out, but just life in general.
According to the CDC, nearly a quarter of the U.S. population has arthritis, with joint pain from osteoarthritis being the most common. Fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis are also on the rise. While eating a healthy diet is key to managing chronic pain from these challenges, it’s also nice to get some quick relief in the meantime. A natural muscle pain relief lotion bar is a great way to do just that.
Over the Counter Pain Management
Anti-inflammatory drugs and NSAIDs, like ibuprofen, are increasingly popular as more people struggle with pain-related issues. In 2019, the pain reliever drug market was valued at well over 74 million and is expected to increase significantly each year. A lot of these drugs have unwanted side effects, and many people are looking for complementary therapies to use instead.
The conventional healthcare system doesn’t offer many solutions for pain management outside of pills and surgery. Thankfully there are plenty of home remedies for natural muscle pain relief to turn to.
Natural Muscle Relaxers
Muscles can get tight and stiff from overuse or injury and relaxing them is key. Muscle spasms are a common problem for all ages and range from annoying to downright painful. Taking an Epsom salt bath with some chamomile herb is a relaxing way to unwind and treat your muscles. Sometimes I’ll use a homemade heating pad or hot water bottle to soothe sore muscles.
Be sure to give yourself enough downtime to heal when needed, and nourish your body!
Natural Muscle Pain Relief Lotion Bars
This recipe is simple enough to make but oh so soothing. I don’t use it during pregnancy due to the potent essential oils, but it’s great at other times. I also make a diluted version by using half as much menthol and essential oil. According to essential oil skincare expert Tisserand, a .5% dilution of peppermint is safe for kids ages 3-6. I use a 1% dilution here, so cutting the essential oil in half will put it in that range. You could even cut it down to .25% and use only 10 drops of peppermint oil in the recipe if you prefer. The toned-down version is great for my kids when they get growing pains.
Here’s a breakdown of the active ingredients and why I chose them.
Menthol and Peppermint
Menthol is the main active ingredient in peppermint oil, and both have an analgesic (pain-relieving) effect. I’ve included both menthol and peppermint essential oil in this recipe, so you get the benefits of both. It’s perfect for neck pain, back pain, and even migraines.
Arnica Oil
Arnica is one natural remedy no mama should be without! Its anti-inflammatory properties are great for sprains and stiff muscles. You can make your own arnica-infused oil or buy it if you’re short on time. Here are instructions for how to make your own herb-infused oil.
Natural Muscle Pain Relief Lotion Bars
Yield
Materials
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ⅓ cup shea butter can substitute cocoa butter or mango butter
- ⅓ cup beeswax pellets
- 1 tsp beeswax pellets
- 1 TBSP menthol crystals
- 40 drops peppermint essential oil 1% dilution rate
- 1 TBSP arnica oil
Instructions
- Combine the coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax in a quart-size glass mason jar, and carefully place this jar in a small saucepan of water on the stove.
- Turn the burner on, and bring water to a low simmer. Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the menthol crystals and stir until dissolved.
- Add the essential oils and arnica oil (if using), and stir until well combined.
- Carefully pour the oil mixture into the molds of your choice. I used silicone molds, though any mold will work.
- Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before attempting to pop out of the molds. I put the bars in the fridge to speed up the cooling time.
Notes
How to Use:
Store in a cool or dry place for up to six months. I’ve even had some last as long as a year.
To use: Hold the natural muscle pain relief lotion bar in your hand and carefully rub it onto dry skin. The skin’s heat will transfer some of the lotion bar to the skin. I store my lotion bars on a small plate on my dresser and bathroom counter.
Don’t Want to Make Them?
If you want to use lotion bars but don’t have the time to make them for yourself, I found a great small business that sells them. MadeOn makes all kinds of lotion bars, soaps, natural baby products, and hair products that are up to my standards. They have agreed to give Wellness Mama readers a 15% discount on all orders with the code WELLNESSMAMA.
Sometimes accidents happen where we need to consider a pain relieving medicine. If there are broken bones or a significant injury and you are looking the a clean option, Genexa has a pain reliever that contains acetaminophen but without the junk and fillers.
This article was medically reviewed by Madiha Saeed, MD, a board certified family physician. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
Have you ever made lotion bars? What did you add to yours? Share below!
I have been making many of your bars for years. My grandkids call and ask if I have any lotion bars for their hands in the Winter, and call when they run out in the Spring as they start sports! My oldest grandson, 10 years old, just started pitching in Little League and was complaining about his arm being sore at the same time that I got all of the ingredients to make the pain relief bars for myself. I have been spending enormous amounts of time on the message chair for my back, but after applying this bar, and rubbing it in, I am able to get around without pain! I Love it!!
Can I pour this into lotion tubes??
You could try replacing the beeswax with a liquid carrier oil to make a thinner lotion if you want to put it into a lotion pump or squeezable tube container. If you’re wanting a twist-up container, like a deodorant tube, then the recipe should work in one of those.
Thank you for sharing. I have made something similar with a recipe called for ingredients including menthol crystal and Kombo butter. Not sure if it’s the Kombo butter or the menthol crystal, my face and body had severe rashes that lasted for two weeks.
I love you home spray and baby wipes recipes. They work well.
I made several using almond oil, shea butter, beeswax, cayenne pepper, ginger and arnica oil. I used it today on my painful arthritic hand….ket pain away all day. I love them..
What is the difference between regular cod liver oil and fermented? Can you use regular in this?
This post explains fermented cod liver oil a little more. Regular cod liver oil should work just fine in this recipe though. https://wellnessmama.com/59039/fermented-cod-liver-oil-safe/
HI, I would love to make these as gifts for friends and family.
I would like to know if i can ad a preservitive to last longer? and how much does a batch make? can i simply double the batch?
kind regards
Sharnell
Hi there! I have just made my first lotion solids….using cocoa butter, coconut oil, beeswax, distilled water, and some cacao essential oil. Yummy!!! Keeping it in the fridg because of the water aspect…and I only made enough for two weeks because of this. It feels so nice and creamy on my skin and– no chemicals!
Hi, I just made these and I love them. 🙂 I added double the peppermint and added some soothing muscle bleand from JadeBloom. I would like to make them again but extra strength. How much more menthol crystals can I safely add?
Hello, and thanks for the recipe. Is the arnica oil amount for e.o. or carrier?
Many thanks,
mau
Katie,
Do these bars have a cooling effect on your skin? That is, can you feel the menthol working?
Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Katie!
If I want to use EO’s in place of the menthol crystals, how much do I use?
Thanks so much for this amazing blog!
Cecilia
I want to make these pain relief lotion bars for my grandson. I have some confusion regarding the arnica oil. Your link goes to a product which has nine additional ingredients. Is that actually what you used in your lotion bar?
Why do you omit Arnica for children?
It’s not safe for smaller children.
I made these and they turned out perfectly. I rub them on the legs of my 4-year old before bed. He was having some pretty terrible growing pains in his legs that was waking him up at night – he would wake up often screaming and crying in pain. Ever since I started applying this to his legs it hasn’t happened once. We’ve now cut down to every other night after his bath. I could not find menthol crystals anywhere but the health food store I went to had camphor crystals so I used those instead. I’m sure menthol smells better but the camphor was a good substitute. I cut down on the peppermint EO and cut out the arnica as was recommended for use on small children. I have also used these on myself. I somehow twisted my ankle and it was hurting pretty badly. I rubbed and massaged the lotion bar on for a long time that night and in the morning the pain was pretty much gone. Thank you for the recipes!
I wanted to make the Pain Lotion Bars (plus others!). My sister is allergic to Beeswax. Is there anything I can substitute it with that will still make the bar hold up to its shape?? Thank you for these fantastic recipes!!! I have always loved lotion bars – I just never thought about actually being able to make them!
The link to the Menthol Crystals shows that they’re no longer in stock on Amazon. Do you have another suggestion for getting Menthol Crystals? I can’t use Arnica as I’m allergic to it.
Does this give any warming sensation when applied?