How to Make Cayenne Pepper Salve
Cayenne pepper is an extremely useful medicinal herb, applicable for a variety of ailments. One of its more studied benefits is its remarkable ability to alleviate pain due to arthritis, bursitis, and muscle aches. Capsaicin is the active compound in cayenne responsible for its pain-relieving properties, and it’s so effective that it’s used as the key ingredient for non-prescription pain reduction creams. However, making your own topical cayenne pepper salve is more cost-effective and easier than you think! But before I share how to make cayenne pepper salve, let’s explore the miraculous benefits of cayenne pepper.
Healing Wonders of Cayenne Pepper
Blood Stimulant
To start, cayenne pepper is a circulatory stimulant, meaning it gets blood moving and draws blood to where it is applied. This capability is incredibly valuable since bringing blood to an injury speeds up healing.
Supports Heart Health
Cayenne has also been studied for its ability to improve heart health. This amazing spice opens capillaries and strengthens arterial walls, and can even assist in lowering blood pressure. It has also been noted that cayenne pepper’s ability to reduce inflammation in the body can help protect against heart disease and other diseases associated with inflammation.1
Aids Digestion
Another benefit of cayenne pepper is improving digestion. Cayenne stimulates the release of digestive enzymes and juices, thereby supporting the breakdown and movement of food through the GI tract. It does this without causing stomach distress or lesions, despite its hot and stimulating nature.2
Relieves Pain
Topical application of cayenne pepper through poultices, creams and salves is used to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis, back pain, and muscle pain. It works by reducing substance P, a chemical that sends pain signals to the brain. Less substance P means less pain.
One clinical trial found that applying capsaicin cream to rheumatoid arthritis patients over a 4-week period resulted in an average of 57% pain reduction in those with rheumatoid arthritis compared with those in the placebo group.3
These findings are impressive. I can attest from my own experience, and the experience of those who have used my cayenne pepper salve, that it does alleviate pain.
My mom joined us on our annual summer trip to the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada this summer. She suffers from advanced rheumatoid arthritis and has days where her pain is worse than others.
One morning I woke up to her sitting on the edge of her bed rocking back and forth with tears streaming down her face. She was in a lot of pain and had hardly slept. I got the cayenne pepper salve from the bathroom and massaged it into all areas she was experiencing pain — her wrists, knees, shoulders, and neck. She was able to lie down after this and get some rest. We left for church, and when we returned a few hours later, she told us she was feeling much better and felt the cayenne salve had helped ease the pain.
Another lady I attend church with tried my cayenne salve on her arthritic knee which was causing her a great deal of pain. She called me later that week to tell me it was helping, that she had less pain in her knee and that she was able to go about her daily activities.
It is important to mention that while cayenne pepper/capsaicin salves do help with alleviating pain, they do not always take it away completely.
The Benefits of Homemade Cayenne Pepper Salve
It’s true, you can buy capsaicin cream over-the-counter, but there are benefits to making your own.
First, it’s inexpensive. It only costs a few dollars to make a 4 oz jar. If you use a more cost-effective oil such as safflower in place of olive, then it’s even cheaper.
Second, you only need 3 ingredients to make cayenne pepper salve, and you can control how much cayenne pepper you use. There is something very reassuring about knowing exactly what you’re putting on your skin.
Equipment You May Need
- Slow cooker
- Mason jar
- Double boiler OR
- Small pot and metal bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- Cayenne Pepper, ground – this is a pretty common spice you can readily find in local stores, and also on Amazon
- Olive oil (or safflower oil)
- Beeswax pellets – available at the health food store or Amazon
How to Make Cayenne Pepper Salve
Making the Infusion
The first thing you’ll need to do is create an infusion. This can be done by combining olive oil and cayenne pepper in a mason jar.
Fill the bottom of a slow cooker with 1 inch of water. Place the opened jar of oil and cayenne into the slow cooker and cover the slow cooker with the lid. Set it to “Warm” and leave it for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
Making the Salve
Once the infusion is ready, carefully strain it using cheesecloth into a double-boiler. If you don’t have a double-boiler, a small pot with a few inches of water and a metal bowl fitted on top will suffice.
Boil the water and add the beeswax pellets to the double-boiler/metal bowl, stirring until all pellets have melted and thoroughly combined with the infusion.
While the mixture is still hot, carefully pour it into sterilized jars or tins. I use these jars from Amazon.
Leave the lid off until the salve has hardened.
This salve will keep for months and can be applied topically to sore muscles and painful joints.
Notes
- It’s important to first perform a patch test on a small area of skin to test for adverse reactions.
- While this salve is generally safe, it should not be applied to broken or irritated skin, or to mucous membranes.
- Cayenne pepper is stimulating and can cause a burning sensation if it gets in the eyes. Keep out of reach of children.
- Cayenne pepper salve can last for several months if kept out of direct sunlight. Remember to use an applicator to extend the shelf life of your salve.
How to Make Cayenne Pepper Salve
Equipment
- 1 mason jar
- 1 liquid measuring cup
- measuring cups
- 1 slow cooker
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 double-boiler (or small pot and metal bowl)
- cheesecloth
- 4 2 oz glass jars
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil or safflower oil
- ¼ cup cayenne pepper ground
- 1 oz beeswax pellets
Instructions
Make the Infusion
- Add oil and cayenne pepper to a mason jar and mix thoroughly.
- Add 1 or 2 inches of water to a slow cooker. Place the uncovered mason jar in the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it to "Keep Warm"
- Leave the infusion for 3 – 24 hours.
Making the Salve
- Add a few inches of water to the bottom of the double-boiler. Alternatively, you can use a small pot. Bring the water to a boil.
- Strain the infusion using cheesecloth into the top of the double-boiler (or a metal bowl if you don't have a double-boiler). Place the top/bowl onto the bottom/pot.
- While the infusion is heating up, add the beeswax pellets to the infusion and stir.
- Once the beeswax pellets have melted and you have a uniform mixture, your salve is ready to be transferred to jars.
- Using a funnel, carefully transfer the salve to the jars. If transferring from a metal bowl, make sure to use heat-protective gloves or a tea towel.
- Allow the salve to cool completely before sealing the jars with the lids.
Notes
- Apply a small amount of salve to areas with sore muscles or joints.
- Cayenne pepper is stimulating, so it is normal to feel a tingling sensation and to see a bit of redness initially. Discontinue use if you experience irritation that does not go away after a few minutes.
- Do not apply cayenne salve to broken or irritated skin.
- Always wash hands thoroughly after applying cayenne salve to avoid getting it in your eyes.
- Cayenne pepper salve is not meant to be applied to mucus membranes.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- The jars should be sterilized for a longer shelf life. I pour boiling water into the jars, let them sit for a minute or two, and then thoroughly dry them.
- Cayenne pepper salve should last for several months if stored out of sunlight and used with a clean applicator.
- Cleveland Clinic (2021, November 30). Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/cayenne-pepper-benefits ↩︎
- Kloss, J. (2004). Back To Eden: The Classic Guide to Herbal Medicine, Natural Foods, and Home Remedies since 1939 (2nd ed., pp. 106-115). Lotus Press. ↩︎
- Deal CL, Schnitzer TJ, Lipstein E, Seibold JR, Stevens RM, Levy MD, Albert D, Renold F. Treatment of arthritis with topical capsaicin: a double-blind trial. Clin Ther. 1991 May-Jun;13(3):383-95. PMID: 1954640. ↩︎