The Sandman and I have not always been friends. I’m guessing he’s probably not your BFF either. Oh sure, some days he’ll sit next to you on the school bus or stop by your locker before the bell rings just to chat. But other days he acts like he has no idea who you are or laughs at you while he walks by with his friends. Yep, I know how you feel and I have a solution. I’ve been using this Fabulous Sleep Salve for a while now and not only does it help me fall asleep faster but it also helps me sleep more soundly. The Sandman and I are on very good terms these days.
Nearly half of all Americans report getting too little sleep. Sleep deprivation can contribute to weight gain, headaches, high blood pressure, premature aging, depression, impaired immune system, hormone imbalances, infertility and ADD just to name a few. We are a sleep deprived nation and if you are one of the masses who struggle with this problem essential oils could help. Lots of EOs have great calming and relaxing properties and can be used topically on the bottom of your feet before bed or diffused on your bedside table. This sleep salve is a great way to get the calming benefits of several EOs at the same time. It has become a family favorite.
Vitamin E–powerful antioxidant, protects and repairs skin while restoring elasticity. Acts as a mild preservative.
Arrowroot Powder–helps prevent greasiness.
Lavender EO—widely used for its calming and relaxing qualities, eases muscle tension.
Roman Chamomile EO–has a therapeutic,calming effect on the skin, mind and body.
Cedarwood EO—evokes feelings of wellness, relaxing, soothing aroma.
Marjoram EO– valued for its calming properties and positive effect on the nervous system, soothes tired, stressed muscles.
Put the coconut oil, EVOO, avocado oil and beeswax in a glass jar (I used a wide-mouth pint mason jar) and place jar in a pan about half full of water. Heat up water, stirring mixture frequently until everything completely melts. The beeswax will seem like it’s never going to, and just when you’re about to give up, Bam!, it’s gone. Carefully lift the jar out of the pan (use oven mitts please, it’s hot!) and place it on a dish towel on your counter.
Immediately add arrowroot powder, by slowly sprinkling it into the oil, stirring vigorously at the same time to prevent clumping. Now you need to let the mixture cool for a few minutes because essential oils lose their medicinal properties in high heat. My rule of thumb is if I can hold my fingers against the jar for ten seconds without screaming, it’s ready to add the EO’s. Not very scientific I know, but it works. Snip the ends of the vitamin E capsules and squeeze into oil mixture. Add the essential oils and mix thoroughly. Pour into two 4 oz. glass containers and let cool overnight. The next day cover with a tight fitting lid.
I use this sleep salve every night before bed by generously rubbing it into the bottoms of my feet. I have definitely noticed an improvement in my overall sleep but I have also noticed an extra bonus. Not surprisingly, this salve is also an amazing skin moisturizer. My formerly dry, cracked winter-bound heels look ready for sandal season. Now that’s a side effect I can live with! Good night and sleep tight.
Fabulous Sleep Salve
1/2 c. extra-virgin coconut oil
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. beeswax pastilles (0.75 oz.)
3/4 tsp. vitamin E (I use 3 of the 1000 I.U. softgels)
1/2 tsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch (to cut greasiness)
20 drops lavender essential oil
20 drops roman chamomile essential oil
15 drops marjoram essential oil
10 drops cedarwood essential oil
Combine first 3 ingredients in a glass jar and place in a small pot half-filled with water. Bring water to a boil and stir frequently until ingredients are completely melted. Remove jar from pan and place on a dish towel covered counter. Slowly add arrowroot powder, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Allow mixture to cool enough that you can touch the jar comfortably for at least ten seconds. Snip the ends of the vitamin E capsules and squeeze into oil mixture. Add essential oils and mix well. Immediately pour into desired containers and cover with a piece of paper towel so nothing weird gets in there. Do not disturb for several hours and preferably overnight. Once completely cooled, put lids on and store at room temperature.
Makes approx. 8 oz.
To Use: About a half hour before bed, rub a generous amount of Fabulous Sleep Salve on the bottom of each foot. Put on a pair of socks, as the extra warmth will help the salve soak in and leave your feet really soft and smooth.
- 1/2 c. extra-virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp. beeswax pastilles (0.75 oz.)
- 3/4 tsp. vitamin E (I use 3 of the 1000 I.U. softgels)
- 1/2 tsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch (to cut greasiness)
- 20 drops lavender essential oil
- 20 drops roman chamomile essential oil
- 15 drops marjoram essential oil
- 10 drops cedarwood essential oil
- Combine first 3 ingredients in a glass jar and place in a pot half-filled with water.
- Bring water to a boil and stir frequently until ingredients are completely melted.
- Remove jar from pan and place on a dish towel covered counter.
- Slowly add arrowroot powder, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
- Allow mixture to cool enough that you can touch the jar comfortably for at least ten seconds. Snip the ends of the vitamin E capsules and squeeze into oil mixture.
- Add essential oils and mix well.
- Immediately pour into desired containers and cover with a piece of paper towel so nothing weird gets in there.
- Do not disturb for several hours and preferably overnight. Once completely cooled, put lids on and store at room temperature.
Where do you get your beeswax pastilles? Are they from your bees? I was looking on Amazon. Some reviews were bad (smell).
Hi Jolene–thanks for your question. I do harvest wax from my beehive but it’s not enough for all the products I make. I buy it from aromatools.com. because it is inexpensive and great quality.This is also the site where I buy all my containers. Beeswax does have a mild scent although I have never found it to be a bad. I always used yellow beeswax because it isn’t refined but you can buy white beeswax which has been a bit refined and has no scent. Hope that helps.
–Leah
I look forward to getting more oils and trying this. I never sleep!
I hope you get more oils soon Kate! There’s nothing worse than a sleepless night and it sounds like you’ve had your fair share. This sleep salve has really helped my family so I recommend you give it a try. Good luck!
–Leah
Yeah, the sandman hates me. I wish I wasn’t allergic to coconut because I’d love to try this.
Hi Leslie–thanks for stopping by. There are 2 choices if you can’t use coconut oil. The first choice is to replace it with another oil such as sweet almond, avocado, jojba or more EVOO. The other option is to replace the coconut oil with babussa oil which comes from the babussa palm that grows in Brazil. It is a non-drying oil that has similar properties to coconut oil and can be used in the same context. Babassu oil boasts super moisturizing properties that heal dry skin and improve skin’s elasticity. I found several sources of it online or you might also check your local health food store. It is comparable in price to coconut oil. the first option is easier and the second option gives a slightly better salve consistency. Hope that helps.
–Leah
For the sleep salve,how much lavender oil and avocado oil do I add to the basic skin salve ? Thank you
Hi Nancy–thanks for stopping by. There is no avocado oil in this sleep salve recipe. The recipe is the same as the skin salve but replaces the melaleuca with marjoram and roman chamomile. The amounts of the essential oils are listed in the recipe above. Have a great day!
–Leah
I’m allergic to coconut, is there a substitute you can recommend for this recipe?
Thanks, Amy
Amy and Leslie,
I hope Leah doesn’t mind me piping up on this….she does talk about oil substitutes in the comment section of other recipes. I believe you can substitue with a variety of oils if you do not want or cannot use coconut oil. Some common options are JoJoba oil, avocado oil, or grape seed oil. I have never used avacado oil myself. But jojoba and grape seed make great carrier oils. ( My personal preference between those two is jojoba oil.)
Hope this helps! – Anne
I don’t mind at all, Anne–thanks for helping out and you are right about using other oils in place of coconut oil. There are 2 choices if you don’t want to use coconut oil. The first choice is to replace it with another oil such as sweet almond, avocado, jojba or more EVOO. The other option is to replace the coconut oil with babussa oil which comes from the babussa palm that grows in Brazil. It is a non-drying oil that has similar properties to coconut oil and can be used in the same context. Babassu oil boasts super moisturizing properties that heal dry skin and improve skin’s elasticity. I found several sources of it online or you might also check your local health food store. It is comparable in price to coconut oil. the first option is easier and the second option gives a slightly better salve consistency. Hope that helps everyone.
–Leah
Can I replace Roman Chamomile with the Wild Orange ?
Hi Jeannette–thanks for your question. You can absolutely replace roman chamomile with wild orange. Wild orange not only smells great but a lot of people have reported that it helps with insomnia. One of the things I love about essential oils is that they have so many cross-over benefits and many different oils can help with the same problem. Let me know how it works for you. Have a great week!
–Leah
The sleep salve sounds lovely!
Thank-you Akaleistar and since I use it every night I have to agree. Thanks for stopping by!
–Leah
Well, this looks amazing. I just bought my first container of coconut oil because I’ve been hearing such good things about it.
Good for you Melissa–you won’t regret it. After you make the Sleep Salve check out my post on 10 Uses For Coconut Oil to get lots of ideas on how to use it. It really is amazing stuff! Have a great week!
–Leah
Can’t wait to make this sleep salve. I not only have chronic insomnia but also have sleep apnea. Sometimes, I simply do not get sufficient sleep to function properly. Help, if you have other suggestions. I love your webinars Leah & your blogs.
Hi Leah..
I’d like to try your recipe, but I’m running out marjoram and cedarwood. Can you give me another options?
Thanks
Susan
Hi Susan–thanks for your question. The great thing about essential oils is that they have such cross-over benefits. Many different EOs can be used to achieve the same goal. You can replace any of the oils in the sleep salve with another oil known for it’s calming and relaxing qualities. I recommend trying frankincense, ylang ylang, wild orange, sandalwood, geranium, clary sage or cypress. If you have more than one of those and you don’t know which one to pick, choose the one(s) with the fragrance you like the best. Hope that helps.
–Leah