I’m thankful that we don’t get sick often, but when we do, it’s usually just a runny nose or a mild cough, sometimes caused by seasonal allergies. I like to use natural remedies to help us recover faster, but often one of the kids ends up with a sore and red nose from too much wiping.
I’ve heard about using Vaseline for dry, chapped noses, but I’m not a fan of petroleum jelly and wanted a better alternative. Shea Butter and Coconut Oil are some of the bulk ingredients I always have on hand, and they work great for chapped noses by themselves. However, I wanted to create something with beeswax to also protect the skin from further irritation caused by tissues.
For simplicity, you could use just shea butter or coconut oil to soothe a sore nose. A pre-made lip balm could also work, but I’m not keen on using lip balm containers for this since bacteria and other unpleasant stuff might stick to the balm, making it necessary to throw out the entire tube once you’re better.
This soothing balm, packaged in a small metal tin, addresses both issues. It’s free of petroleum jelly, not in a single-use tube, and contains soothing, protective ingredients alongside herbs for an extra boost. There’s an optional step to infuse the oil with dried herbs used in my healing salve, which adds extra skin-nourishing benefits. Even though you can skip this, I highly recommend it.
I keep a supply of herbal-infused coconut or olive oil for recipes like this. Since the infusion process is lengthy, I prefer to make it in bulk every few months rather than doing small amounts each time I need it. Here’s how I prepare it:
I simmer all the ingredients in a double boiler for 3-4 hours until the oil turns greenish. When it’s warm outside, I sometimes place the herbs in oil inside an airtight glass jar and leave it in indirect sunlight for 2-3 weeks.
This recipe yields about 1 cup of infused oil. You only need 1 tablespoon for the nose balm, so you’ll have plenty left for future batches or other recipes. Once you have your herb-infused oil (if you decide to do that step), you can make the nose balm. You’ll need a few simple ingredients:
What do you use to soothe sore noses? Share your thoughts below!
