Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (2024)

Use this Amish black drawing salve on cuts, scrapes, splinters, and boils to naturally pull toxins and debris from the skin.

I am so excited to bring you this recipe because it was a few years in the making. We used to buy a great drawing salve, but we can't find it anywhere anymore. We tried a few other brands, but they didn't work as well as the original one.


I found a few recipes for Amish Black Drawing Salve, and they were all close to what we like. I took the best of each recipe, combined them, and came up with this Amish black drawing salve recipe.

Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (1)

This recipe shouldn't be confused with a black salve recipe. A true black salve can burn the skin, but this salve is safe.

It's made with mild ingredients that won't cause irritation.

Drawing salves pull from your skin, so they are great for bee stings and splinters. They also help with infections, so many people use them on boils, wounds, and cystic acne.

Last week, my son and I were at Cub Scout day camp. It was so hot--the "feels like" temp was 105!--so of course the kids were standing right next to a building for the shade. My son rubbed his arm on the wood and got several long, deep splinters.

I took him to first aid, where I found an ER nurse. She said they were so deep that she would numb the area before trying to extract them if he were in the ER.

She said he was fine to keep playing once we got it cleaned up, so she pulled out what she could and put some antibiotic cream and a bandage on it. I brought him home, and the splinters were so deep that we would have had to use a needle to extract them.

I put a thick layer of this salve on him and a large 4x4 bandage on him so it wouldn't leak. I was shocked the next day that I could pull out several more. There are still some that are fairly deep, but they are coming to the surface.

Keep track of your favorite essential oil recipes with my printable essential oil journal or my printable essential oil recipe cards.

Infusing Oils for Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe

Before you can make the recipe, you'll want to infuse the olive oil. I used comfrey, plantain, and calendula for the benefits (see below). You can skip this, but I don't recommend it.

Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (2)

These herbs are a little hard to find in stores, but I will link you to a few stores that sell them.

I found a great Amish greenhouse that specializes in herbs and herbal remedies a few weeks ago, and they helped me pick the best herbs.

There are two ways to infuse oils. You can pour the oil in to a jar and place the herbs inside and set in a warm place for a few weeks. Give it a good shake or stir every day, and strain after two weeks.

I didn't want to wait that long, so I placed the jar in my crockpot filled with a few inches of water. I heated it on low for four hours and turned off the heat. The next day, I strained out the herbs.

Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (3)

If you don't want to infuse the oils, you can buy already infused oils. Calendula oil and comfrey oil are easier to find, and you'd be fine to use just those two oils if you can't find plantain infused oil. Just use the same amount of oil and mix them about 1:1 (or 1:1:1 if you use all three).

Learn more about how to use herbs in DIY recipes in the Herbal Academy's Botanical Skin Care Course.

Amish Black Drawing Salve Ingredients and How They Work

I'm going to link to both Mountain Rose Herbs and Starwest Botanicals. Both have high quality products. Starwest does offer free shipping, but Mountain Rose Herbs has lower prices.

Comfrey - An anti-inflammatory herb that can help wounds heal quicker. (Get it from Starwest Botanicals. or Mountain Rose Herbs)

Plaintain - An herb that has natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. (Get it from Starwest Botanicalsor Mountain Rose Herbs) Learn more about plantain leaf benefits for skin.

Calendula - Promotes collagen production to speed up healing. (Get it from Starwest Botanicalsor or Mountain Rose Herbs.)

Olive oil - Full of antioxidants and vitamin E. (Get it from Mountain Rose Herbs or Starwest Botanicals.)

Beeswax - Acts as a barrier trapping the healing ingredients next to your skin and thickens the oils. (Get it from or Mountain Rose HerbsAmish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (4)or Starwest Botanicals.)

Vitamin E oil - An extra dose of this skin-loving vitamin. (Get it from Mountain Rose HerbsAmish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (5)or Starwest Botanicals.)

Tea tree oil - Naturally anti-bacterial. (Get it from or Mountain Rose Herbs orSimply Earth)

Honey - Naturally anti-bacterial and moisturizing. (Get it from iHerbAmish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (6).)

Charcoal - Pulls bacteria and toxins and traps them. (Get it from iHerbAmish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (7)or Starwest Botanicals.)

Bentonite clay - Draws toxins and chemicals out of your skin. Be sure to not use metal utensils with it or it won't work. (Get it from or Mountain Rose HerbsAmish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (8)or Starwest Botanicals.)

Just a word of caution though, you'll want to cover the area with a bandage because the charcoal gets on everything. It cleans up fairly easily from your skin, but I can't say how well it comes off of fabric.

Ingredients

Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe

STEP 1

Place the infused oil, beeswax, and vitamin E oil in a Pyrex measuring cupAmish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (21). Microwave on high at 30 second intervals until melted.

Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (22)

STEP 2

Add tea tree oil, honey, charcoal, and bentonite.


Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (23)

STEP #3

Stir with a wooden spoon. Stir very well or the charcoal will sink to the bottom.

Pour in to a 4-ounce mason jar. Let sit until hard.

Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (24)

    To use, smear a small amount on a cut, bite, or scrape and cover with a bandage so the charcoal doesn't stain.

    Have you ever used an Amish Black Drawing Salve recipe?

    This recipe was featured in the May/June 2018 issues of The Backwoodsman. Look for it at most major retailers.

    Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (25)


    Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (26)

    Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe

    Author: Cari Dunn

    Estimated cost: $5

    prep time: 1 hourperform time: 1 hourtotal time: 2 H

    Use this Amish black drawing salve on cuts, scrapes, splinters, and boils to naturally pull toxins and debris from the skin.

    materials:

    tools:

    steps:

    How to Infuse The Herbs and Oil

    1. Place about 2 tablespoons of each herb in a mason jar.
    2. Cover with olive oil.
    3. Let sit for two weeks.
    4. Strain and discard the herbs.

    Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe

    1. Place the infused oil, beeswax, and vitamin E oil in a Pyrex measuring cup. Microwave on high at 30 second intervals until melted.
    2. Add tea tree oil, honey, charcoal, and bentonite.
    3. Stir with a wooden spoon. Stir very well or the charcoal will sink to the bottom.
    4. Pour in to a 4-ounce mason jar.
    5. Let sit until hard.
    6. To use, smear a small amount on a cut, bite, or scrape and cover with a bandage so the charcoal doesn't stain.

    NOTES:

    Do not use metal utensils with bentonite clay.

    https://www.yourbeautyblog.com/2015/06/amish-drawing-salve-with-activated.html

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    Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (27)

    Amish Black Drawing Salve Recipe With Activated Charcoal (2024)

    FAQs

    How to make amish black salve? ›

    Ingredients:
    1. 2 teaspoons Shea Butter.
    2. 2 tablespoons Coconut oil.
    3. 2 tablespoons Beeswax.
    4. 3 tablespoons Calendula Infused Oil.
    5. 1 tablespoon Honey.
    6. 2 tablespoons Activated Charcoal Powder.
    7. 2 tablespoons Bentonite Clay.
    8. 1/4 teaspoon of Lavender Essential Oil.
    Feb 27, 2023

    Can activated charcoal be used as a drawing salve? ›

    A traditional drawing salve is meant to heal the skin as well as pull out substances such as venom, infections and splinters. It has been an effective remedy for hundreds of years. It was traditionally called a “black salve” since the main active ingredient is activated charcoal.

    What was in that old time black salve? ›

    The products come in many forms including salves, pastes, creams, and poultices. Products that contain any of these ingredients: sanguinarine, Sanguinaria canadensis, bloodroot, and zinc chloride. Salve products that claim to cure or treat cancer, remove moles or warts, or treat other skin conditions.

    What are the benefits of activated charcoal salve? ›

    May improve skin health

    Activated charcoal is a popular ingredient in many skin care products. Some companies claim it can treat acne, reduce dandruff, unclog your pores, or prevent signs of aging.

    How to make your own drawing salve? ›

    Drawing Salve Recipe
    1. 6 tablespoons infused olive oil*
    2. 2 tablespoons castor oil.
    3. 2 teaspoons beeswax.
    4. 3 teaspoons activated charcoal.
    5. 3 teaspoons clay (kaolin, French green, or bentonite)
    6. essential oils: 30 drops lavender, 15 drops tea tree.
    Dec 18, 2013

    How do you make activated charcoal solution? ›

    1. Activated Charcoal Process (at home)
    2. Powder the charcoal. ...
    3. Make a 25% solution (by weight) of calcium chloride. ...
    4. Make a paste with the calcium chloride solution and your powdered charcoal.
    5. Spread the paste to dry.
    6. Rinse with clean water.
    7. Bake at 225 degrees F for 30 minutes.
    Jun 18, 2018

    Does drawing salve really work? ›

    Dermatologists say there's no evidence for that “drawing” application in humans. One reason there's not much evidence on what the salves can do is that they're basically just a folk remedy, said Dr. Alan S. Boyd, a professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

    What is the best drawing salve for abscess? ›

    Ichthammol aids in the healing of wounds, chaps, chronic skin infections, eczema, boils, and abscesses. It is also very useful as a drawing salve. Ichthammol is highly effective for drawing infection or debris from a wound or hoof. It can be applied to a sore to help moisten and soothe.

    How long does it take drawing salve to work on a boil? ›

    A: I applied it to the big nexcare waterproof bandage, then covered the boil with the bandage. Changed it out every day or so. For me it took about a week for the core to come out, then just had to wait for everything to settle, about another week or so. Hope this helps.

    What are the ingredients in PRID black salve? ›

    Ingredients. Acidum Carbolicum 2X HPUS, Ichthammol 2X HPUS, Arnica Montana 3X HPUS, Calendula Off 3X HPUS, Echinacea Ang 3X HPUS, Sulpher 12X HPUS, Hepar Sulph 12X HPUS, Silicea 12X HPUS, Rosin, Beeswax, Petrolatum, Stearyl Alcohol, Methyl & Propyl Paraben.

    What is the difference between Ichthammol and black salve? ›

    Ichthammol ointments, commonly known as black ointment or drawing salve, should not be confused with black salve, an escharotic (corrosive) paste intended to destroy skin tissue. In contrast, ichthammol does not have any corrosive properties on the skin.

    What are the ingredients for making salve? ›

    INGREDIENTS:
    1. 4 cups Olive Oil ( I buy the big jar of olive oil at Costco)
    2. 1 1/4 cup Dried Herbs (I use 1/2 cup calendula, 1/2 cup plantain, 1/4 cup comfrey leaf)
    3. 4 – 6 oz Bees Wax (depending on how thick you want it)
    4. 1 Tablespoon Vitamin E Oil (helps salve from going rancid)

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