Hot Tiger Balm Cream

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 How Do I Make Homemade Hot Tiger Balm?

By Fatima Farakh, eHow Contributor

Hot Tiger Balm includes a blend of special oils and herbs that relieves pain by helping increase the blood circulation. Such oils as camphor and eucalyptus increase the blood flow on the surface of the skin, which gives the balm its hot feeling and reduces pain to bring relief. The balm soothes many different ailments, such as muscle, neck and joint pain, arthritis, headaches and respiratory problems. Making Hot Tiger Balm at home is convenient and allows you to add the purest ingredients that suit your desired level of heat intensity. Add more oils to increase the effect or add less for a low-intensity balm appropriate for minor problems.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 oz. beeswax
• 1/4 cup almond, coconut or olive oil
• Double boiler
• 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
• Small glass container with lid

1. • 1
     
     

     
     

     Combine 1 oz. beeswax and 1/4 cup almond, coconut or olive oil in a double boiler on low heat.
   • 2
     Stir the mixture until it melts. The beeswax and oils should combine as the beeswax melts.
   • 3
     Pour the mixture into a glass container. Do this before adding the essential oils, because the oils tend to evaporate quickly, so you should close the lid of the container as soon as you add them.
   • 4
     
     

     
     

     Add 10 drops camphor essential oil, nine drops peppermint essential oil, seven drops eucalyptus essential oil, five drops clove essential oil and five drops cinnamon essential oil to the melted beeswax mixture, and quickly stir. Complete this step before the beeswax cools and hardens, because it will be difficult to add the essential oils at that point.
   • 5
     Close the lid tightly, and let the Hot Tiger Balm cool down and thicken before applying it to the affected area with your fingers. The consistency of the balm should be creamlike.

Tips & Warnings

• Add other essential oils to the balm for different effects, such as lavender oil for a calming effect, chamomile for sedating or sage for relaxation.
• You can use only one or a combination of all three recommended base oils.
• You can replace beeswax with petroleum jelly to bind the oils, but beeswax is preferred as it is noncarcinogenic and healthier for the skin.
• Add more drops of oil to increase the potency of the balm, but do not add too much, as the balm could come out very strong, and the oils could burn your skin.