I first heard about DIY black drawing salve as a natural remedy when visiting a local Amish community to pick up produce and eggs. One of the farmer’s sons was applying what looked like tar to his arm after getting a large splinter from a fence post.

I asked what he was putting on his arm and was told it was a drawing salve to help pull out the splinter and make sure the area didn’t get infected. I was fascinated and wondered how well it would work.

The farmer assured me the healing salve didn’t stain skin and they used it all the time in their community. They used drawing salve to speed wound healing and draw out foreign objects stuck in the skin. He said it was even effective on some spider bites to draw out the venom.

While he didn’t know where to buy it, he did offer to write down the recipe for me.

Black Drawing Salve Benefits

I’ve been making variations of this recipe ever since. It takes a while to make but is very effective and well worth the time. We especially use it for splinters and pieces of glass that get stuck in the skin. I haven’t tried it personally, but black drawing salves are also said to help remove moles and skin tags.

The healing properties of the herbs help soothe skin irritation and insect bites. Keep some in your natural first aid kit for bee stings too!

How to Make Herb Infused Oil

Before making the salve, it’s important to infuse olive oil with comfrey, calendula, and plantain. I powder them in a coffee grinder right before using them to increase their potency. I use 1 Tablespoon of each herb in 1/2 cup olive oil. Here are two different ways to create an infused oil:

Powder the herbs and place them in a small jar. Pour olive oil over the herbs and let it infuse for 3-4 weeks, shaking daily. Use a cheesecloth to strain out the herbs and reserve the infused oil.
Heat the herbs and olive oil in a double boiler. Leave on low/medium heat for about an hour until the oil gets strong smelling and darker. Once it’s done, use a cheesecloth to strain out the herbs.

Personally, I keep a big jar of olive oil with plantain, comfrey, and calendula in my herbal apothecary and let it constantly infuse for use in salves and lotions. When the oil is used, I discard the herbs and begin the process again.

Now that you have your infused oil, you’re ready to make some homemade drawing salve!

5 from 5 votes

Black Drawing Salve Recipe

This homemade drawing salve is an old Amish recipe to help remove stuck splinters and speed skin healing. Great for bug bites, skin tags, and more!

Prep Time5

Active Time15

Cooling Time2

Yield: ounces

Author: Katie Wells

Equipment

Materials

3 TBSP herb infused oil (see instructions above)
2 tsp shea butter
2 TBSP coconut oil
2 TBSP beeswax pellets
1 tsp vitamin E oil
2 TBSP activated charcoal powder
2 TBSP kaolin clay
1 TBSP raw honey
20 drops lavender essential oil (or more if desired)

Instructions

Combine infused olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, vitamin E oil, and honey in a heat safe glass jar in a small pan of water.
Heat the water to a simmer and carefully stir the mixture in the jar until all ingredients are melted. You can also use a double boiler for this.
Remove from heat and add the activated charcoal, kaolin clay, and lavender essential oil. Mix well.
Quickly pour in to small glass jars or tins and let sit until hardened (several hours).

Notes

Store in airtight container and use as needed on cuts, splinters, etc.

The Ingredients and What They Do

The base of this drawing salve uses an herbal infused oil. It does take a few weeks to make, but it’s amazing for skin health. I keep a jar of the comfrey, plantain, and calendula oil in my pantry to use for different home remedies and skincare projects. This blend of herbs helps speed healing time and reduce inflammation. Plantain also naturally has mild drawing properties to remove impurities and skin irritations.

Shea butter is moisturizing and helps add thickness along with the beeswax. Vitamin E oil is an antioxidant and helps slow down oxidation which causes the oils to go rancid. Kaolin clay (similar to bentonite clay) acts as an adsorbent for various toxins and maybe even bacteria. It’s another one of the drawing ingredients in black salve.

Raw honey is naturally antimicrobial and great for a variety of skin irritations. You can even use straight raw honey as a burn salve! One of the most important ingredients in this recipe, and what gives it its black color, is activated charcoal. Charcoal is widely used to treat food poisoning and to decontaminate thanks to its absorbing properties. It’s also great for pulling out splinters or coaxing out ingrown hairs.

And finally, I add some lavender essential oil for its skin benefits and to give the salve a nice scent. Tea tree essential oil also works well as a substitute.

How to Use The Homemade Drawing Salve Recipe

Start by cleaning the affected area well. Put a generous amount of black salve on the wound or splinter and cover it with gauze or a large bandaid.
Leave for at least a few hours or overnight to allow it to draw out the infection or object. Some things (like glass… in my experience) may take a day or two and several applications to draw out.

This salve is a wonderful natural remedy but it’s not a replacement for medical care when needed. If you have a bad bug bite, wound, or other issue you’re unsure about, it’s best to consult with a professional!

Ever made a salve? How did it work? Share below!

Sources

Williams, L. B., & Haydel, S. E. (2010). Evaluation of the medicinal use of clay minerals as antibacterial agents. International geology review, 52(7/8), 745–770.
Zellner, T., Prasa, D., Färber, E., Hoffmann-Walbeck, P., Genser, D., & Eyer, F. (2019). The Use of Activated Charcoal to Treat Intoxications. Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 116(18), 311–317.

Become a VIP member!

Get access to my VIP newsletter with health tips, special deals, my free ebook on Seven Small Easy Habits and so much more!

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

290 responses to “Black Drawing Salve Recipe”

Liz

May 18, 2014

Hello,
I’m just preparing the herbs to make this. Is it one tablespoon of powdered herbs, or one table spoon in their leaf form, and then Powdered? I find it takes about 3 tbs of the leaf to make 1tbs powdered. Thank you!!

Reply
Matt

May 15, 2014

Does I have to use beesewax?

Reply
Tricia

May 6, 2014

Black salve can be used for the removals of some skin and breast cancer (where visible on the surface). I’m not a Dr, but check it out on line. Amazing videos available, very impressive. Shame this is never mentioned on any cancer website. Why do they not want us to know this???

Reply
1. Stephanie
  
  September 22, 2015
  
  Because black salve and black drawing salve are two completely different things, and black salve is dangerous. It’s the equivalent of using a knife to try to cut out a tumor on your own: leave any cancerous cells behind, and they’ll come back, likely worse if you’ve opened up a tumor in a sac. Go too far, and you’re left with a giant hole. I’m all for natural medicine as far as it goes, but people with cancer need to see a doctor, not try to treat themselves.
  
  Reply
  1. Leia
    
    April 22, 2016
    
    Dangerous? or a lifesaver? Black salve for cancer is better than a doctor cutting it out. Put black salve on normal skin and nothing happens. Put it on abnormal skin and it kills the cells and ONLY the abnormal cells. A doctor can’t do that. AND….as long as you apply the salve to all the abnormal tissue all of it is killed. Also the healing process with black salve is WAYYYY better than cutting it out with a scalpel. As the cells die the healthy tissue under it is protected by a scab, the most natural healing process. Also, as the abnormal tissue is dying blood supply is growing to heal the area, while still protected by the scab. Not so with radical excision. As your tissue regenerates underneath and fills in, the scab is pushed up and off. Yes, it may not look pretty while it happens, but there is less scarring overall. And yes if the area is large you may want to do it in sections. It’s not for everyone, but it is a lifesaver in some cases.
    
    Reply
Mary P

May 6, 2014

Do you have a reccomendation for a black salve that I could purchase? I love the idea of it- but don’t feel that I’d get it made any time soon! Thanks!

Reply
Rebecca

April 6, 2014

I am recovering from toxic mold exposure, and other assailants. So, right now, I am focusing all of my energy on detoxing. Could this be used on the body, such as over the liver or other organs? Perhaps on the neck, or even on the scalp, since the mold is primarily in the form of neurotoxins?

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  April 10, 2014
  
  It could but it might dye the skin with long term use. I’d think the charcoal would be more beneficial internally
  
  Reply
  1. Yvonne
    
    August 22, 2015
    
    I had an enlarged pore center of my forehead. I applied Ichmathal to “empty” it and ended up with a permanent BLACK pore which will not come out or go away!
    Be careful where you put black salve on your skin.
    
    Reply
Chelsea

March 18, 2014

Would this work on something like a cold sore?

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  March 18, 2014
  
  haven’t tried, but I’d be careful with it on the face because it can stain
  
  Reply
2. veronica
  
  February 13, 2015
  
  I have read that the herb Melissa works to shorten the duration and pain of a cold sore. I’ve bought many books through Amazon and
  Some names are medical herbalism and Rogers school of herbal medicine. They have much info, uses and recipes.
  
  Reply
Eicca

February 3, 2014

I love black salve! I use it basically daily.

I work in a hardware store, and am always getting metal filings, glass, PVC and splinters in my hands, and metal in my face. Add in my cystic acne, follicle issues on my legs, and various other skin issues (I’m an autoimmune mess). Metal is the worst to get out. Can’t see them half the time, can never grab them, and easily get infected. Plus, they are incredibly painful! Black salve applied immediately, then left to sit for 10-15 minutes, I apply a bit of duct tape, then yank off. Gets out 90% right away. If it’s stubborn, apply salve, bandage and leave until I shower. The metal falls out then.

Also, I’m a piercing lover. When I get a bump, apply salve daily, works fast, no chemicals of questionable origin, and no pain.

Reply
1. Mic
  
  September 29, 2015
  
  Eicca, where do you get your black salve?
  
  Reply
Sandra Justice

January 30, 2014

The comfrey, calendula and plantain.. leaf? root? flower? I have comfrey leaf, plantain root powder and calendula flower. Your measurements were for which? Thanks!

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  February 3, 2014
  
  leaf
  
  Reply
  1. Holly
    
    August 3, 2014
    
    I’m looking for a way to get rid of a “permanent black head”-same one has been coming back for years. I think I’ll try this. You mentioned you keep a bottle of comfrey, calendula and plaintain infused olive oil. Do you put the dried leaf in the bottle, or do you use the power leaf?
    
    Reply
Marc C.

January 28, 2014

Thank you for this tip & recipe. A great thing to know. There are a great many home wellness/medical prevention’s and cures that exist. We as a society have
gotten too far away from this knowledge. Maybe it’s a good thing after all, that
(modern) medical treatment is in danger of pricing itself out of business.
My Mother (Pawnee) & Grandmother (Irish) {Fathers mother} had a great many of these recipe’s they used on us all. Too bad I didn’t pay better attention as to
how they were made. I was young! I’m slowly digging up what I can. Very useful knowledge. GOD bless, 1MoreBoyScout.

Reply
Dave

January 11, 2014

I worked as a glazer for years and have glass in my face and arms that when disturded will irritate the skin and look like a pimpill, I am going to give this a try. Do you think it will draw out glass that’s been inbeded for years? I’ve tried some stuff from the store, but was not happy with the results. Thanks for the info

Reply
1. Elizabeth
  
  November 28, 2015
  
  I have a similar situation, but on a smaller scale. I have a piece of glass that has been embedded in my foot for nearly 3 years and no Dr was able to help. I would appreciate any tips that would help with this as it is beginning to affect my ability to walk. Thanks in advance!
  
  Reply
2. Amy
  
  March 14, 2016
  
  Did it work? I’m desperately looking for ways to get glass out of my daughter’s face from a horrible car wreck.
  
  Reply
Valerie

January 5, 2014

My husband is a Diabetic and has an ulcer on his foot I read that lavender oil is good I just started using it is there something else you would recommend. I was wondering if the Black Drawing Salve would work

Reply
1. Alita
  
  November 28, 2015
  
  are you using lavender oil undiluted? It is pretty strong… I would recommend diluting to 3 to 5 drops per tsp…. or 5ml. I would dilute it in coconut oil. hope this helps.
  
  Reply
Summer

January 4, 2014

Should i buy the comfrey leaf or comfrey root powder? Can you cook/ heat this in regular pot on a stove? Step one for infusing the oil says strain with cheese cloth but then so does step two..? Is this just to make sure all the herbs are completely out? Im sorry if these are silly questions i am very new at this..

Reply
Melissa

August 28, 2013

I made this recently and had a strange result – after letting it sit,
the center portion came out kind of gummy. At first, I thought the
entire salve was this way, but realized the edges are more of the
texture I was expecting, and that the gummy portion is just the center
part. Did I do something wrong? Have you ever had this occur?

I
had divided this up into three small portions, so am tempted to re-heat
one and see if it will settle better. Have you ever re-heated your
salve? If I do it slowly and keep it at a low temperature, do you think
it would be okay? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

melissa

Reply
Jen

August 28, 2013

I made this recently and had a strange result – after letting it sit,
the center portion came out kind of gummy. At first, I thought the
entire salve was this way, but realized the edges are more of the
texture I was expecting, and that the gummy portion is just the center
part. Did I do something wrong? Have you ever had this occur?

I
had divided this up into three small portions, so am tempted to re-heat
one and see if it will settle better. Have you ever re-heated your
salve? If I do it slowly and keep it at a low temperature, do you think
it would be okay? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Reply
Rebecca

August 25, 2013

What size are your jars here? How much / how many ounces will this recipe make? I would like to make some as gifts and am not sure if this is for one jar or 10. Thank you!

Reply
Kelly

July 1, 2013

For as often as I end up using it (once, maybe twice a year) I can’t bring myself to spend all that time making it. I just buy a tube of drawing salve at the drug store. If it were something I’d use weekly I’d totally go for it.

Reply
1. Medo
  
  April 25, 2015
  
  Hi there,
  I like your web site and I like this recipe, I thought black salve has blood root in it, correct me please and if you have a recipe with blood root please hand it to I’m sooooo in need for it I’m battling a long term illness and I out of money and children to look after I find it difficult to continue the fight
  Desperate mother
  
  Reply
2. Marina Heilman
  
  May 20, 2015
  
  huh. I bought a small tin at Walmart several months ago and had to get it out again this evening after stabbing myself with who-knows-what while weeding this afternoon. Much to my chagrin, there was MOLD growing on the surface! From now on, it goes in the fridge. grrr It will be nice if this recipe DOES “last indefinitely”.
  
  Reply
3. Yvonne
  
  August 22, 2015
  
  What exactly are you buying?
  Please!
  
  Reply
Hannah

June 19, 2013

Can this go bad?

Reply
1. Charmaine Taylor
  
  June 21, 2013
  
  I was just going to ask about shelf life!
  
  Reply
  1. Wellness Mama
    
    June 23, 2013
    
    It will last indefinitely
    
    Reply
    1. April
      
      August 22, 2015
      
      Yes, what I had of my mother’s was definitely over 50 years old…and still worked as it should. 🙂 No expiration on it!!!
      
      Reply
      1. Sylvia
        
        August 22, 2015
        
        Wow, awesome! Good to know. I don’t think mine will last tho!
    2. Jenny Wassell
      
      October 5, 2021
      
      How much does this recipe make. What size container should I buy
      Thanks
      
      Reply
      1. Jamie Larrison
        
        October 6, 2021
        
        The recipe makes about 3/4 cup or around 6.5 ounces.
Hanna

June 6, 2013

Black salve and peppermints were my granny’s cure-alls. I didn’t realize growing up that her natural remedies would infuse every fiber of my being. 🙂 I didn’t even realize that they WERE natural remedies! When she died the family divvied up the remainder of her black salve and I treasured mine – making it last as long as possible. I’ve never been able to find it in the drug stores since. I’m wondering if this could actually be what she always had? I have everything on hand and will definitely be making it! If it turns out – I think this would be an AWESOME gift that my family would treasure. 🙂

Reply
Cindy

June 2, 2013

Do you think this could work for an ingrown hair? I have one that is
underneath my skin and I haven’t been able to get it out for some time
now. I usually rub some tea tree oil a couple of times a day, but it’s
not working.

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  June 4, 2013
  
  Wouldn’t hurt to try.. I would think it could help…
  
  Reply
Tamara Chapman

May 27, 2013

My mom and I were just talking about Black Salve the other day and how we wished we could still find it in stores. She used to put it on our boils and styes (yes my eye), stings, and anything else that needed drawn out and it worked wonders! Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so excited to see that I can make this and add it to my cabinet!

Reply