Essential Ingredients for Homemade Liniments

I like liniments because you can improvise them quickly to suit the situation, using whatever you have on hand. They often make good massage oils.

Definition of liniment

A substance applied to the skin. It can be plant oils, liquid concentrates or herbal tea. It’s a revulsive that facilitates circulation and soothes pain. It is used for muscle stretching, sprains or arthritis.
Herbothèque ((Imbeault, N., Laberge D. (2010). Introduction I: les premiers gestes. . Lantier: Herbothèque))

Liniments have been used for a long time

Manufacturing method

Liniments are very easy to make. Take several macerations of plants whose virtues interest you in your situation, mix and apply!

See article: Recipe for liniment after exercise for an example of a recipe.

Tips for making liniment

Preparation is too fluid

If your liniment is based on macerations, add a body butter. I love cocoa butter, which seems to melt on the skin, but shea or mango butters are also excellent choices;
If you want to use a too-fluid preparation without adding a thickener, soak a few layers of cloth applied to the skin. Cover the soaked cloth with waterproof film during application, to prevent the liniment from spreading around you.

I don’t have any macerations on hand.

You can use infusions, decoctions or liquid vinegar concentrates. Do not mix oily and aqueous preparations without emulsifiers. These preparations will be very fluid. You can’t add butter (which is oily), but you can soak a cloth in the preparation. I avoid alcohol-based liquid concentrates, which dry out the skin and create a cold sensation as they evaporate.
You can put fresh or dried plants in oil over low heat (or in a bain-marie) and accelerate the maceration process in 1 to 2 hours. I don’t like these hot macerations as much, but they still work quite well. I like to use liniment gently warmed in this way on tired muscles. I often add a small hot-water bottle to maintain the pleasant warmth and promote relaxation. Be careful, though: in my experience, these oils tend to go rancid more quickly than cold macerations. Check that your preparation is at a comfortable temperature, and that the warmed version of liniment is not too irritating (see sensitivity test).

Which macerations should be used in liniment?

Here are some plants frequently used in maceration for external use. (Check precautions)

Plant	Use(s)	References
German chamomile – Matricaria recutita (FL)	Chamomile is soothing, relaxing and anti-inflammatory. Some people may be allergic.	Organic cosmetics
Comfrey – Symphytum officinal (RA)	Comfrey is a specialist in joint and bone injuries. It reduces inflammation and stimulates healing.	Health passport
St John’s wort – Hypericum perforatu (SF)	St. John’s Wort is used for sunburn, burns, muscular pain… External application provides little sun protection. The photosensitization warning is for internal use (does not apply to liniments)…	Doctissimo
Cayenne – Capsicum annuum (FR- GR)	Cayenne is used for muscular pains and cold extremities (due to circulation problems)… Caution! Moderately irritating (the tincture more than the maceration, the seeds more than the fruit), especially if heated.	Herbal tea and garden
Ginger – Zingiber officinale Roscoe (rhizome)	Ginger warms, stimulates blood circulation, reduces inflammation and relieves muscular and arthritic pain. It can become a rubefacient (irritant).	Althea de provence
Arnica – Arnica chamissonis and Arnica chamissonis (FE)	Arnica is useful for bruises, hematomas and muscle pain. But be careful! Arnica should only be used on healthy skin (not on open wounds).	Doctissimo

FE: Feuille, FL: Fleur, FR: fuit, RA: racine SF: Somité Fleurie

Add essential oils to liniment

Essential oils are miscible (i.e. mixable) in macerations. They can be very active ingredients in liniment.

Without making an exhaustive list (it’s not my area of expertise), here’s a small selection of essential oils related to joint, muscle and arthritic pain that I have good experience of using externally. Do not use these essential oils if you are pregnant. Don’t hesitate to consult a specialized book for more details.

H.E.	Anti-inflammatory	Anthalgic	Muscle relaxant	Tonic	Warming	Contraindication
Lemon Eucalyptus	⭐⭐⭐	⭐				Irritant
Noble laurel		⭐⭐	⭐⭐			Allergen
Sweet ginger	⭐⭐⭐		⭐⭐⭐		⭐⭐⭐	Child Nursing mothers
Tropical basil			⭐⭐⭐
Black spruce	⭐			⭐⭐
Cloves		⭐⭐⭐		⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	Child Irritant
Lavandin super		⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐			Hypo-thension

The right tools

To optimize the conservation of oily macerations and liniments, we look for the following qualities:

Glass containers do not react with essential oils and are easy to sanitize.
Opaque or tinted walls protect from sunlight
A dropper to avoid contaminating the preparation with fingers

Taking care of yourself…

Liniment precautions

Perform sensitivity tests

Every skin is different. Personally, I like strong liniments that seem to warm up the skin. In contrast, my partner prefers gentler products. In fact, his skin reddens much more than mine. Liniment penetrates the skin, so if you have an allergic reaction or if it’s too irritating for you, you can rinse it off, but it will continue to burn. Don’t take any chances! Do sensitivity tests before applying liniment over a large area.

Performing a sensitivity test is very easy. Apply a little of the preparation to an area where the skin is more sensitive, but healthy. Use the hollow of the elbow, for example. Let it penetrate and wait a good 15 minutes – or until the sensation of heat diminishes. Then, and only if the sensation has been pleasant, you can apply it to the sore area.

Make sure the oil has not gone rancid

Macerations tend to go rancid over time. A rancid product is slightly toxic and should be discarded. Fortunately, this is easy to detect by the unpleasant smell. Trust your nose!

Solid particles have appeared at the bottom of my bottle.

This phenomenon is called precipitation. It occurs when chemical compounds bond with others. In an astringent plant, for example, tannins will precipitate alkaloids. This is more likely to happen if you keep your liniment for a long time. Precipitation is safe to use. The precipitated product may be less effective than the freshly made version.

Heat increases the revulsive effect of the preparation and may be contraindicated in cases of inflammation.

Compare a cold or hot cayenne preparation on the skin (or worse, in the mouth), and you’ll remember for life that heat intensifies the plant’s rubefacient (irritant) aspect. If you use a reheated preparation, do your sensitivity test with the reheated preparation.

In case of inflammation, you can alternate heat and cold (ending with cold) or limit heat altogether. The same applies to liniments.

If there are lesions, ensure that the plants used are appropriate

Some plants (such as arnica) can only be used externally on healthy skin.

That said, there are also some pleasant surprises! Cold cayenne is excellent on wounds, as it is hemostatic, antiseptic and hardly heats up at all.

In short, every plant has its own use! Do your research before applying.

Warning

In the case of serious disorders or chronic illnesses, consult a doctor.

Self-diagnosis and self-medication are dangerous.

Unless specifically indicated, the uses described are for plants and do not apply to essential oils.

Before consuming a plant: make sure you identify it correctly, and always read the “Precautions and interactions with medicines” leaflet in the associated plant files.

Dosages are given for guidance only and are suitable for adults unless otherwise specified.

Despite all the care taken in writing this article, an error may have crept in. We cannot be held responsible for any consequences or misinterpretation, as no article can replace medical advice. For more information on the safe use of plants, read: Safe use of plants as allies in your health.

Photo credit: bottles of liniments and tonic by Elizabeth