How to Make Homemade Cannabis Salve (CBD or THC) ~ Homestead and Chill

How to Make Homemade Cannabis Salve (CBD or THC)

To grow and make your own medicine… that is the stuff that dreams are made of, am I right?! We like to use our organic homegrown cannabis in a variety of ways, but making topical cannabis salve is on the top of the list. Cannabis salve can help to reduce inflammation, soothe skin irritation, joint pain, and more! It also happens to be quite simple to make your own cannabis salve, and easy to customize it to suit your needs.

Read along to learn how to make cannabis salve in 4 simple steps. With this recipe, you can use marijuana, hemp, high CBD, high THC, raw cannabis, decarbed cannabis, or any combination thereof! (Depending on what is legal and available in your area of course.) Let’s talk about benefits of each of those, how cannabis salve works, and what awesome healing potential it has.

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What is Cannabis Salve

Maybe we need to step back a moment. How about, “what is a salve?”. A salve is simply the term for a healing solution that you put on your skin, including creams, ointments, or balms. Generally, salves are fairly thick, shelf-stable, and include nourishing oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, sweet almond oil, or others.

In our cannabis salve recipe, we prefer to use mostly coconut oil, because it is full of saturated fat that binds well with cannabinoids. It is also ultra-moisturizing. We also add a dash of olive oil to increase absorption and smoothness. To learn more about various carrier oils, check out our homemade calendula oil article – where I discuss the pros and cons of a dozen different oil options!

Salves also typically contain waxes or butters to bind the ingredients and make them semi-solid at room temperature. Beeswax is a popular option because it is readily available, easy to work with (especially when purchased in pastilles), and creates perfectly smooth results. See the ingredient list below for recommended vegan substitutions.

When cannabis is added to salve as an ingredient… voila! You’ve got yourself a cannabis salve. The most common way to add cannabis to a salve recipe is to create a cannabis-infused oil first, and then combine the oil with the other salve ingredients.

Therefore, that is exactly what we’re going to do in this recipe: make cannabis oil, and then the salve. But first: “what kind of cannabis should I use in my oil or salve?”

Using Decarboxylated or Raw Cannabis in Salve

How about a little bit of both?

If you aren’t familiar with the term, decarboxylation is the process of heating cannabis at an ideal time and temperature to transform raw cannabinoid compounds from their “acid” form to more active and potent versions. For example, CBDA and THCA are changed into CBD and THC respectively. Decarboxylation naturally occurs when cannabis is smoked or vaporized, but it needs to be accomplished by other means when using cannabis in oil or salves – such as by heating it in the oven. (Read more about decarboxylation here)

The medicinal benefits of decarboxylated THC and CBD are well-documented. Both are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, high in antioxidants, relieve pain, relax muscles, and suppress tumor growth. This is especially true when they’re used and work together, known as the “entourage effect“. THC is a particularly powerful analgesic (pain-reliever). CBD has even more expansive healing applications, and can help relieve seizures, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. That said, we definitely want to reap those benefits and use decarbed cannabis in this salve recipe!

On the other hand, emerging studies are revealing that raw THCA and CBDA have some pretty groovy perks too. THCA is showing a promising ability to reduce inflammation, muscle spasms, arthritis, and cancer. CBDA also fights inflammation and tumor growth.

Beyond CBD and THC, there are dozens of other compounds found in cannabis that may produce individual, interactive, or synergistic benefits, including phytocannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes. It should be noted that THC is psychoactive and CBD is not, though that doesn’t matter all that much when making a cannabis salve intended for topical use only.

Considering all of this, we like to use both decarbed and raw organic cannabis (containing both THC and CBD) to create a full-spectrum, well-rounded, ultra-healing finished product.

What Can Cannabis Salve Be Used For?

Cannabis salve is stellar at relieving many ailments! First of all, coconut oil and olive oil are extremely nourishing on their own – so you’re going to get plenty of moisture from your salve to heal dry, cracked, or otherwise irritated skin. If you add a few drops of essential oils to your salve, you’ll also get the benefit of aromatherapy.

The healing properties of your homemade cannabis salve may vary slightly depending on what type of cannabis you use. In general, cannabis salve can be used to treat or relieve the following :

• Psoriasis
• Eczema
• Rashes, itching, or other skin irritation
• General inflammation
• Sore joints
• Arthritis
• Muscle aches
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Irregular cell growth (e.g. skin cancer cells)

Personally, I like to rub a little cannabis salve on my tight and sore neck muscles, shoulders, wrists, knees, elbows, ankles, bottom of my feet, and behind my ears. Hey, all this gardening (and sitting to blog) does a number on my body!

How Does It Work?

Did you know we all have an Endocannabinoid System? Yep. Just like we have an endocrine system, immune system, digestive system, and so on. Our bodies have natural receptors, literally made to interact with cannabinoid compounds. This includes both internal, naturally-synthesized cannabinoids and those from external sources – like those from marijuana or hemp. Neat, huh?

When cannabis salve or medicated topicals are applied to our skin, the THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids present in the solution penetrate the skin to bind and activate our localized endocannabinoid receptors. They won’t enter the bloodstream however, so topically-applied salve will not get you “high”.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CANNABIS SALVE

Supplies Needed

• 7-10 grams of decarboxylated cannabis (ground or torn to fairy small pieces). If your cannabis is not yet decarbed, see Step 1 in the instructions below.
• 1 ½ cups of coconut oil OR, 1 ½ cups of already-infused cannabis coconut oil (*see notes about using different types of oil below)
• Optional: 5 grams raw cannabis, dried and cured.
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup beeswax pastilles (vegan option: replace with the same amount of organic soy wax, candelilla wax, or carnauba wax)
• Optional: Essential oils of choice. Up to 1 tsp of essential oils (100 drops maximum) for a very strong-scented salve. I recommend using ¼ to ½ that amount or less. Lavender, roman chamomile, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint are a few popular options. We like to use certified organic essential oils from Plant Therapy.
• Optional: 1 tablespoon of shea butter or 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil for additional antioxidants and moisture
• A double-boiler, or make-shift double boiler – such as a glass pyrex bowl or stainless steel bowl perched on top of a saucepan with water below
• Cheesecloth (if your cannabis oil is not already made)
• Mixing bowl
• Glass jars or salve tins, for storage
• Recommended: probe thermometer

Makes: Approximately 2 cups (16 ounces) of finished salve

*Notes: If you want to scale this recipe up or down: the general rule of thumb for salve is to use about 1 part of beeswax to 4 or 5 parts oil, including both coconut and olive oil. Since we use virgin coconut oil that is solid at room temperature, we can get away with lesser beeswax and the salve will still set up well. If you use a different carrier oil that is liquid at room temperature, either omit the extra 1/3 cup olive oil mentioned above, or increase the amount of beeswax pastilles to 1/2 cup.

Learn more here: 11 Best Carrier Oil Options for Skin Care, Salves and Infusions

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1) Decarboxylate Your Cannabis

If you haven’t done so already, the first step is to decarboxylate the cannabis you intend to use in this salve recipe. Or at least some of it, if you want to also use some raw material.

Grind or tear up the cannabis into fairly small pieces. Spread it evenly on a baking sheet, and heat it in the oven on 250°F for 25-30 minutes for THC-dominant strains. CBD requires about double the time to fully convert from CBDA to CBD, so heat hemp flower at the same temperature for 50-60 minutes instead. Or, meet in the middle at 45 minutes for balanced THC/CBD strains.

Step 2) Create & Strain Cannabis-Infused Oil

If you tuned into our “How to Make Cannabis Oil” tutorial, you will recognize these steps. The process is virtually the same, except we are going to use slightly more coconut oil here. If you’re interested in making medicated edibles, check out that article!

When making cannabis oil, it is important to not overheat it. Because we are starting with already-decarboxylated cannabis, maintaining a lower temperature will preserve the already-active THC and CBD content as well as the terpenes. Avoid heating it over 200 degrees F. 120 to 180°F is even better.

That is where a double-boiler comes in handy! Even over the lowest flame, heating oil in a pot directly on the stove is much more difficult to prevent overheating, and can create “hot spots” – destroying our precious cannabinoids.

I suggest monitoring the oil temperature with a probe thermometer if possible. Because oils have a higher boiling point (or “smoke point”) than water, the oil will not appear to be as hot as it really is! For example, the oil may be well over 212 degrees but not visibly bubble and boil like water would at the same temperature.

Steps to Make Cannabis-Infused Oil:

• Add water to the bottom pan of your double-boiler. Now add 1.5 cups of coconut oil to the top section of the double-boiler. Heat until it melts.
• Stir in 7–10 grams of decarboxylated cannabis to the melted oil. Add an optional few grams of raw ground cannabis if you desire.
• Continue to heat the cannabis and oil over a low heat for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a probe thermometer to check the temperature, and adjust the heat as needed to maintain the oil below 200°F. We aim for a target temperature range of around 130 to 150°F and infuse for one hour.
• When the time is up, line a strainer with cheesecloth and position it over a glass bowl. Pour the cannabis and oil mixture through the strainer. Gather the cheesecloth and gently squeeze out the excess oil from the cannabis. Warning: the oil will be hot, and your hands will get greasy! You may want to wear food-grade gloves.
• Keep the strained cannabis oil aside for now. It will be added to the salve mixture soon.

Step 3) Mix the Salve Ingredients

Just like the last step, we want to avoid excessively heating the cannabis oil in order to preserve cannabinoids. If you happen to be using solidified cannabis-infused coconut oil that you previously made, I highly suggest mixing everything in a double-boiler once again (since you’ll need to heat it longer and hotter to re-melt your oil).

On the other hand, if you just made your cannabis oil and it is still liquified, you can do this step straight in a pot on the stove – keeping the heat as low as possible once the cannabis coconut oil is added.

In either a pot or double-boiler, add ⅓ cup of beeswax. Heat until it is completely melted. Now turn down the heat to low. Next, stir in 1.5 cups of strained cannabis coconut oil and ⅓ cup olive oil. Stir until everything looks completely combined. Once it is, remove the liquid salve from the heat and add optional vitamin E plus a few drops of optional essential oils as well. Finally, quickly transfer it into your storage containers of choice.

Step 4) Cool & Store

When it is ready, I pour the liquid salve straight into these 2 ounce glass jars, or these 4 ounce glass jars. You can also use these shallow wide aluminum salve tins. The cannabis salve will harden as it cools, and then it is ready to use!

It is best to store your finished cannabis salve in a cool dark location because light degrades cannabinoids. The amber and cobalt jars we use block UV light, which protects the salve if I leave it out.

Note: Sometimes, the surface of the salve may crack just a little bit as it cools. See the photos below. I have found that salve in our 2-ounce glass containers don’t crack, but larger volumes may. This is really only an aesthetic “issue” if you care. Personally, I don’t mind. It disappears as soon as you begin to dig in and use it!

However, some folks may not like the appearance of the cracks – particularly if the cannabis salve is going to be sold or given as a gift. To avoid settling cracks, put the cannabis salve in a mixing bowl before transferring it into a storage container. Allow it to only partially cool and solidify, whip and mix it up, and then pack into your containers.

Step 5) Feel Good

Lather up! Apply a thin, even layer to the affected area. You should start to feel the results within 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the severity of your issue and strength of your salve. Repeat several times per day as needed.

Will this make me smell like weed?

Just slightly! I find our salve to have a mild cannabis odor, but nothing overpowering. The coconut aroma also stands out. If you add essential oils to your recipe, that can also help to mask the smell. I often apply salve after showering (including before going to work) and don’t think there is much of a noticeable odor after a half an hour or so. No one has ever said anything to me at least!

How long does cannabis salve last?

When stored in ideal cool and dark conditions, homemade cannabis salve should last up to a year. The potency will only slightly decrease during this time. I try to use clean hands when I dig into my salve jars, to avoid introducing any contamination that could make it potentially mold or spoil faster. You could also use a salve spoon.

Ready to make your own medicine?

I hope you found this tutorial to be useful, interesting, and informative! I also hope that it helps you soothe your trouble spots, whatever those may be. Finally, please remember to heed caution depending on your local laws, and always be careful with your cannabis products around curious kiddos or pets.

If you enjoy this article, be sure to check out:

• How to Make a Cannabis Tincture (Cold Alcohol Extraction Method)
• Vaporizing Cannabis: Science, Safety, Quality & Technology
• How to Grow Cannabis, Organically: Soil, Seeds, Containers & Care
• How to Make Homemade Cannabis Oil (or CBD Oil)
• How to Harvest, Dry, Trim, Cure & Store Homegrown Cannabis

Please feel free to ask questions, or spread the love by sharing or pinning this post! Thank you for tuning in.

How to Make Homemade Cannabis Salve (CBD or THC)

Equipment

• A double-boiler, or make-shift double boiler (such as a glass pyrex bowl or stainless steel bowl perched on top of a saucepan with water below)
• Cheesecloth, like this organic unbleached cheesecloth
• Fine mesh strainer
• Glass bowl
• Glass storage jars or salve tins
• Recommended: a probe thermometer
• A baking sheet, if not using already-decarboxylated cannabis

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup Coconut oil
• 1 cup Loosely ground decarboxylated cannabis. To be more precise, I suggest to use a kitchen to weigh out approximately 7 to 10 grams (a quarter ounce or just over) (If not yet decarbed, see Step 1 below)
• Optional: 5 grams of raw cannabis, dried and cured
• OR 1.5 cups already-infused cannabis coconut oil (see notes about using different types of oil below)
• 1/3 cup Olive oil
• 1/3 cup Beeswax (vegan option: replace with the same amount of organic soy wax, candelilla wax, or carnauba wax)
• 1 tsp Vitamin E oil, or 1 Tbsp shea butter (optional)
• 4-5 drops Essential oils of choice (optional) Up to 1 tsp of essential oils (100 drops maximum) for a very strong-scented salve. I recommend ¼ to ½ that amount or less.

Instructions

Decarb Cannabis

• If your cannabis is not yet decarboxylated, grind or tear it up into fairly small pieces. Spread evenly on a baking sheet, and heat it in the oven on 250°F for 25 to 30 minutes for THC-dominant strains, 50 to 60 minutes for high CBD strains, or 45 minutes for balanced THC/CBD strains.

Make Cannabis-Infused Oil (skip to next section if you already did this)

• Add water to the bottom pan of your double-boiler. Now add 1.5 cup of coconut oil to the top section of the double-boiler. Heat until it melts.
• Stir in 7-10 grams of decarboxylated cannabis into the melted oil. Feel free to also include an optional few grams of raw ground cannabis if you desire.
• Continue to heat the cannabis and oil over a low heat for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a probe thermometer to check the temperature. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the oil below 200°F. (We aim for 130 to 150°F, and infuse for one hour)
• When the time is up, line a strainer with cheesecloth and position it over a glass bowl. Pour the cannabis and oil mixture through the strainer. Gather the cheesecloth and gently squeeze out the excess oil from the cannabis. Warning: the oil will be hot, and your hands will get greasy! You may want to wear food-grade gloves.
• Keep the strained cannabis oil aside for now. It will be added to the salve mixture soon.

Mix Salve Ingredients

• If you’re using solidified cannabis-infused coconut oil that you previously made, I highly suggest mixing everything in a double-boiler once again (since you’ll need to heat it longer and hotter to re-melt your oil). OR, if you just made your cannabis oil and it is still liquified, you can do this step straight in a pot on the stove – keeping the heat as low as possible once the cannabis coconut oil is added.
• In either a pot or double-boiler, add ⅓ cup of beeswax. Heat until it is completely melted. Now turn down the heat to low.
• Next, stir in 1.5 cups of strained cannabis coconut oil and ⅓ cup olive oil, along with optional vitamin E plus a few drops of optional essential oils as well.
• Stir until everything looks completely combined. Once it is, quickly remove the liquid salve from the heat and transfer it into your storage containers of choice.
• The cannabis salve will harden as it cools, and then it is ready to use!

Storing & Using Cannabis Salve

• Store the finished cannabis salve in a cool dark location because light degrades cannabinoids (amber/colbalt glass jars or salve tins will block UV). Keep out of reach from children.
• Apply a thin, even layer to the affected area. You should start to feel the results within 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the severity of your issue and strength of your salve. Repeat several times per day as needed.
• When stored in ideal cool and dark conditions, homemade cannabis salve should last up to a year. The potency will only slightly decrease during this time. I try to use clean hands when I dig into my salve jars, to avoid introducing any contamination that could make it potentially mold or spoil faster.

Notes

472 Comments

• Chrissie

  Hi Deanne, please can you advise me. I was lucky to be given plant material last year and made your cbd salve, finding it amazing. Before I run out of it I’d like to make another batch. The problem is…. I live in the U.K. and can’t get hold of the dry plant material. I’ve looked on line and see hemp oil and even cbd oil. Can I make a good cbd salve from using any of these oils please. I’m needing to use it for chronic pain. Please reply thank you

  • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

    Hi Chrissie, yes you can use CBD oil as a substitute for cannabis flower, if you get a bottle of CBD oil that contains 3000 mg of CBD and use it in this salve recipe, your salve would contain roughly 375 mg of CBD per 2 ounce container which would be on par with many of the CBD salves that can be purchased online although some do contain more mg of CBD as well that come with a higher price tag. If you do use CBD oil, add it to the salve mixture after everything has melted and been removed from the heat. Hope that helps and I hope you find relief with another batch of salve.

• Monica

  Hi. I want to make this but was considering using a Distillate instead of dealing with the raw herb parts, just to make my life easier really. Will that work? My thought was it would allow me to skip down to step 3 to start. Thank you in advance.

  • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

    Hi Monica, yes you can absolutely use distillate in your salve!

• Anne

  Do you sell the salve? I have sciatic and would love to try.

  • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

    Hi Anne, unfortunately we do not sell CBD cannabis salve, however, finding CBD hemp flower and even some CBD/THC flower online is more accessible than ever if you are in need of the flower itself. However, you would still be tasked with making the actual salve which isn’t helpful if you didn’t want to go through the effort. Making your own is definitely the most cost effective as CBD creams, balms, and lotions can be quite expensive on their own. We do work with Nuvita who offer a wide range of CBD, CBN, and CBG products (even flower when it’s in stock) and they do have a roller for topical use that works really well, you can save 10% if you use the code “deannacat” at checkout. Other options for flower would be Hoku Seed Co., WNC-CBD, and Flow Gardens and they are all companies that offer quality CBD flower and likely a few THC strains as well. Hope that helps and reach out if you have any other questions.

• Donna Taylor

  Is it possible to skip the oven decarb process to avoid browning, and just decarb in the coconut oil itself, at around 200 degrees or so? Would that do it, or does it need the dry heat or higher heat? Thanks!

  • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

    Hi Donna, skipping the decarb beforehand and just heating it in oil may active some of the cannabinoids but it won’t be able to reach as high of a temperature as your oven so it’s possible that not all of the cannabinoids will be activated. We use one of these to decarb and it may be a worthwhile investment for you depending on how often you make cannabis oil, topicals, or tinctures. If you do choose to just heat the cannabis in oil, you may want to heat it for a number of hours to infuse it. Hope that helps and good luck!

    • LAURA DAVIS

      Great recipe, easy to make, works great. One question… why does the the finished product become lumpy and crystalize? I did melt down again to smooth it out again and it seems to still work good.

      • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

        Hi Laura, it’s great to hear the salve has worked so well for you. I can’t speak to the lumpiness that you have experienced as that is not something that we have encountered, as far as the salve becoming somewhat crystalized, I have heard some people’s experience with certain beeswax products where the pellets will melt during the heating process, but then they somehow turn somewhat back into the original or smaller pellet or pastille size as the salve hardens, this could be what you have experienced, although we have never experienced this with the bulk beeswax pastilles we use. Hope that helps and enjoy your salve!

  • Jeff

    Thanks for this step-by-step guide to making cannabis salve. There are a lot of instructional videos out there, and often they contradict each other in terms of proportions and the time needed for infusion. I found your instructions to be clear and easy to follow, and the salve I made last night came out good. Looking forward to seeing how effective it is.

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      Hi Jeff, glad to here the salve making process went smoothly for you and hopefully you find it to be medicinally beneficial.

  • Shane

    Hi Donna, I’ve found a method of decarbing in a mason jar in an instant pot that seemed to work great for me. It really cuts down on the smell. You can also add oil to the jar after decarbing and run it through the cooker again to infuse the cannabis into the oil. Some people also put the mason jar of pot in the oven to decarb. I’ve never tried that method. A pressure canner would also work. Lots of info on these methods online. I’ve decarbed directly in coconut oil for making edibles and they seemed plenty strong, if that info is of any use.

• Liz Jackson

  Thank you for this great recipe amd guide. I made my first batch today and we love it. I look forward to Sharing it with friends and family. Plus making way more.

  • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

    Hi Liz, it’s great to hear you enjoy the salve and will be sharing it with friend and family, I am sure they will enjoy it just as much!

  • Kim Leippert

    My doctor hasn’t approvede for smoking but I can get things like truclear. Would something like that be good for a salve?

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      Hi Kim, honestly, I have no idea what Truclear is so I can’t recommend using it, I would listen to your doctor in this regard. If you want to make a CBD salve with flower, Hoku Seed Co. and WNC-CBD are two companies who will ship high CBD hemp flower to your house. From there, you would just decarb the flower, infuse it in oil, and proceed to make the salve from there. Feel free to reach out with any other questions, hope that helps and good luck!

• Sonja

  I enjoyed reading about your homemade recipes and ideas. It’s always so rewarding to produce anything homemade. I have CBD / THC tincture (2:1), 1500 mg. It’s full spectrum hemp oil distillate with organic MCT oil in a 30 ml bottle. I’m wondering if it’s possible to incorporate this into my lotion to help with chronic back pain. What ratio of lotion to tincture would you suggest? Thank you

  • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

    Hi Sonja, we are glad to hear you enjoy the recipes/ideas and yes, making things yourself is so much more rewarding. If you were to use the tincture in our salve recipe, we would recommend you use the entire bottle. For every ml of tincture added, you will be adding roughly 50 mg of CBD/THC, some CBD lotions online contain anywhere from 500 mg to 200 mg or fewer for 3-4 ounce bottles of lotion. If you want the lotion to be most effective, I would opt for 2-3 ml per ounce of lotion which would give you between 100-150 mg of CBD/THC per ounce. hope that helps and hopefully the lotion helps with your back pain.

    • Sonja

      Hi Aaron,
      I really appreciate your guidance – thanks. I’ll give it a try.

      • Mary

        I have chosen to make your recipe but not sure if the

        1 1/2 C of coconut oil is to be measured in liquid or solidified from please let me know. Thx

        • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

          Hi Mary, we usually just spoon the solid coconut oil into measuring cups to get the 1.5 cups, good luck on making your salve!

    • Sonja

      Hi Aaron,
      I’d also like to try adding essential oils to a CBD lotion to give both a cooling and heating effect for achy areas. What can you suggest here and at what proportions? Thanks

      • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

        Hi Sonja, for safety concerns with using essential oils for topical applications, you should use no more than 2-3% essential oils to your overall volume of salve or lotion which would produce a strongly scented product and we usually use even less than the 2-3% amount, typically around 1% or so. For this salve recipe, it contains about 2 cups worth of oil and beeswax which is about 96 teaspoons, we would add 2 teaspoons maximum of essential oils to strongly scent the salve. For your lotion, you can likely use 1 teaspoon maximum essential oils for every cup of lotion ingredients. Essential oils we like to use are peppermint, tea tree, and lavender although we have found camphor to have a warming and cooling sensation that helps achey muscles. If you have animals, I would double check which essential oils are safe for them if you intend on touching or petting them if the lotion is on your hands as many are bad for dogs and cats. Hope that helps and good luck with your lotion!

        • Sonja

          I like the combination of essential oils you suggested. Would I measure each one in the same proportion?
          Thanks Aaron.

        • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

          Hi Sonja, you can really play with any ratio but we typically use two different essential oils and you could start off with using a 50/50 ratio without exceeding the safe limits of adding essential oils. Camphor, lavender, or peppermint pair well together, tee tree, eucalyptus, and rosemary go well together. But again, pick two that work well together and pick whatever percentage of each you care to use (especially if you like the smell of one more than another, or just do half of each, really the options are endless). Hope that helps and good luck with your salve!

  • Mike

    Excellent recipe, I have been using decarb cannabis flower for the salve, is there a recipe to use RSO oil instead?

    • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

      Hi Mike, we haven’t used RSO in salve but it can be added to the carrier oil and mixed throughout the melted ingredients to combine. I am not sure of exactly how much or the ratio to use as I don’t know how potent your RSO is. We have a tincture recipe that uses 8 grams of cannabis, if we let the alcohol fully evaporate, we would be left with FECO (full extract cannabis oil), as close to RSO as we would make and I would use that amount in our salve recipe. Hope that helps and reach out with any other questions. Good luck!

• Miles

  Hi! Thanks for all the info! It’s been really really helpfull.

  What do you think it would happen if i were to use shea butter as a carrier ??
  Thanks!

  • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

    Hi Miles, I would still use an oil as a carrier for the cannabis. You can use almond oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil if you don’t want to use coconut. When using seed or nut oils, we like to use virgin, organic oils that are primarily for topical use. If you wanted to make more of a body butter, you can use 1 part oil to 1 part shea butter. Hope that helps and good luck!

• Mercury

  I almost never comment on recipes on sites like this, but I use this one so much I feel like I have to. I love this recipe and I’ve been using it for the past year and at this point I think I’ve told pretty much all my friends about it, haha. My fiancee and I buy federally legal high-THCa hemp trim in bulk for it and it works great and is relatively inexpensive, and it works just as well as the (usually very expensive) commercial topicals we’ve bought before. It always amazes me how powerful it is – when I use it for muscle aches it feels like taking a naproxen, but works in minutes.
  We omitted the olive oil from a recent batch we made (we ran out and didn’t realize until most of the way through the batch) and it actually came out really nice! We used shea butter in that batch, and the end result came out to a consistency between a lotion bar and a body butter – not as soft as with the olive oil, but I honestly kind of liked it better without it just because it left less of a residue on my skin and it still melted easily enough with body heat.
  Seriously, thanks so much for posting this. Topicals are absurdly expensive and having this information freely available helps people so much.

  • Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)

    Hi Mercury, it’s great to hear the salve works so well for you and making your own definitely costs a lot less than pre made topicals while also likely being even more effective. If you want to give a twist to your next batch of salve, we also make it with equal amounts of organic virgin almond oil and organic virgin sunflower oil, go with a ratio of 4 parts oil, 1 part beeswax, and 1/4 part shea butter (optional). Hope that helps and enjoy your salve!