Want to try your hand at making homemade tiger balm? You’ll find one of the easiest recipes in this post!
When I was a kid, we always had a small hexagonal container of Tiger Balm around. We mostly used it for relieving headaches and it sure worked like a charm!
I used to wonder why the heck it was called Tiger Balm and if it was got from tigers! But now I know it was called Tiger Balm after Aw Boon Haw (meaning Gentle Tiger) who was one of the sons of the Chinese herbalist who concocted and sold the original Tiger Balm recipe. Whew, it’s relieving to know that no tigers were harmed in the making of Tiger Balm!
Anyway, nowadays I don’t really see Tiger Balm around. I mostly see Vicks Vapor Rub. But I miss the soothing scent of Tiger Balm and the nice memories of headache relief I got after using it. It was also very powerful! So I went on a quest to make homemade tiger balm and found the easiest recipe ever. I’m going to share it with you in this post!
Homemade Tiger Balm Recipe
Now that we’ve seen the ingredients and their benefits, let’s move onto the fun part – the recipe!
What you need
- 1 oz beeswax pastilles
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 10 drops camphor essential oil
- 9 drops peppermint essential oil
- 7 drops eucalyptus essential oil
- 5 drops clove essential oil
- 5 drops cinnamon essential oil
- Double boiler
- 4 oz glass jar for storage
Directions
- In a double boiler, gently melt together 1 oz beeswax pastilles and ¼ cup olive oil.
- Once melted, let it cool for about 4 minutes then pour it into a 4 oz glass jar.
- Add 10 drops camphor oil, 9 drops peppermint oil, 7 drops eucalyptus oil, 5 drops clove oil and 5 drops cinnamon oil.
- Stir the mixture well with a disposable chopstick.
- Now let it set/harden up in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Your homemade tiger balm is ready! Store it in a cool dry place.
- Use a small amount for pain relief! You can use it for headaches, sinus relief, colds, sore muscles and more.
My Tips & Caution
- Keep this homemade tiger balm away from children.
- Use only the recommended amount of essential oils as they are very potent and can cause burning sensations if used in excess.
- If you’re new to essential oils, read Caution and Safety when Using Essential Oils
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