Have you ever looked at the ingredients list on a store-bought chest rub? When you’re congested, bleary-eyed, and feeling like death warmed over, reading ingredients is not high on the priority list, but it’s also not comforting to find out that you just rubbed a semisolid soup of petroleum products onto your skin in order to give your respiratory passages some relief. The classic over-the-counter chest rubs are often less than 10% herbal ingredients, and approximately 90% petrolatum in the form of petroleum jelly, which is generally combined with turpentine. When petrolatum is not refined properly or entirely, as is sometimes the case in the U.S., it can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known carcinogens particularly when used over a period of time. There are of course excellent petrolatum-free chest rubs on the market with all the herbal benefits and no carcinogenic ingredients. But why purchase something that you can easily make at home in 15 minutes and for less money?
Eucalyptus, menthol, and rosemary come together in this homemade mentholated rub to offer the perfect cooling, soothing trifecta.
Eucalyptus is indigenous to Australia, where the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People historically chewed the roots for water in the outback and used the leaves in a variety of health-supporting applications. In the early 19th century, practitioners of Eclectic medicine in the U.S. used a eucalyptus steam inhalation technique to soothe a variety of chest and sinus issues.
Similarly, menthol has a long history of use with respiratory symptoms. Menthol crystals are a 100% natural product that is steam distilled from corn mint (Mentha arvensis). They are the solid constituent, obtained by freezing the distilled oil to reach a temperature of -7.6° F, at which point the menthol crystallizes into satiny, beautifully formed crystals. Their minty aroma makes them popular in throat lozenges, toothpastes, mouthwashes, etc., but is also particularly wonderful for a congested nose and chest. Menthol crystals are so concentrated, it only takes a small amount to be effective.
Although known primarily as a culinary herb in the western world, rosemary was considered sacred by the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, where it was used extensively. The chemical composition of rosemary explains why it is such a good herbal ally for soothing the respiratory system. Rosemary's main constituents include α -Pinene, Camphor, 8-Cineol, Camphene, Limonene, and Linalool: a blend of expectorant and immune system supporting goodness.
Makes approximately 8 oz.
Ingredients
Pro Tips
You may also be interested in:
Topics: Aromatherapy, Recipes, Herbalism
Heidi is an award winning freelance writer with a passion for urban homesteading. She has been honored to receive a number of literary prizes including the esteemed Pushcart Prize and an Individual Artists Award in Creative Writing from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is proud to have earned a certificate of completion for the Herbal Medicine Making Course at the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. When she isn’t working in the garden, cleaning the henhouse, preserving food, crafting herbal formulations, or writing and editing content for really fantastic small businesses, you’ll likely find her with her nose in a book.
Have you ever looked at the ingredients list on a store-bought chest rub? When you’re congested, bleary-eyed, and feeling like death warmed over, reading ingredients is not high on the priority list, but it’s also not comforting to find out that you just rubbed a semisolid soup of petroleum products onto your skin in order to give your respiratory passages some relief. The classic over-the-counter chest rubs are often less than 10% herbal ingredients, and approximately 90% petrolatum in the form of petroleum jelly, which is generally combined with turpentine. When petrolatum is not refined properly or entirely, as is sometimes the case in the U.S., it can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known carcinogens particularly when used over a period of time. There are of course excellent petrolatum-free chest rubs on the market with all the herbal benefits and no carcinogenic ingredients. But why purchase something that you can easily make at home in 15 minutes and for less money?
Eucalyptus, menthol, and rosemary come together in this homemade mentholated rub to offer the perfect cooling, soothing trifecta.
Eucalyptus is indigenous to Australia, where the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People historically chewed the roots for water in the outback and used the leaves in a variety of health-supporting applications. In the early 19th century, practitioners of Eclectic medicine in the U.S. used a eucalyptus steam inhalation technique to soothe a variety of chest and sinus issues.
Similarly, menthol has a long history of use with respiratory symptoms. Menthol crystals are a 100% natural product that is steam distilled from corn mint (Mentha arvensis). They are the solid constituent, obtained by freezing the distilled oil to reach a temperature of -7.6° F, at which point the menthol crystallizes into satiny, beautifully formed crystals. Their minty aroma makes them popular in throat lozenges, toothpastes, mouthwashes, etc., but is also particularly wonderful for a congested nose and chest. Menthol crystals are so concentrated, it only takes a small amount to be effective.
Although known primarily as a culinary herb in the western world, rosemary was considered sacred by the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, where it was used extensively. The chemical composition of rosemary explains why it is such a good herbal ally for soothing the respiratory system. Rosemary's main constituents include α -Pinene, Camphor, 8-Cineol, Camphene, Limonene, and Linalool: a blend of expectorant and immune system supporting goodness.
Makes approximately 8 oz.
Ingredients
Pro Tips
You may also be interested in:
Topics: Aromatherapy, Recipes, Herbalism
Heidi is an award winning freelance writer with a passion for urban homesteading. She has been honored to receive a number of literary prizes including the esteemed Pushcart Prize and an Individual Artists Award in Creative Writing from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is proud to have earned a certificate of completion for the Herbal Medicine Making Course at the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. When she isn’t working in the garden, cleaning the henhouse, preserving food, crafting herbal formulations, or writing and editing content for really fantastic small businesses, you’ll likely find her with her nose in a book.
