As you may know I just love making homemade recipes to see if they really save me money. It’s just so much fun to try to re-create products and find ways to be more natural. Plus the survivalist in me wants to know how I can make something like homemade natural chest rub just in case of an emergency. So I really hope you adore this recipe as much as I do. Say hello to a new homemade chest rub recipe that excludes petroleum and turpentine and that soothes naturally.
To make your own homemade chest rub, you’ll need the following:
¼ C coconut oil
1 T beeswax
20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
20 total drops other essential oils of choice. I used 10 drops lemon and 10 drops sweet orange for this mix.
Directions
In a double boiler melt the coconut oil and beeswax together while gently stirring until mixture is smooth and well combined. I obviously need a new double boiler, so I had to go with plan B—Set a metal bowl on top of a pot of gently boiling water. Ta da! Double boiler.
This is what my oil and beeswax looked like about 30 seconds after adding them to the bowl.
When mixture is smooth, remove from heat and quickly add in essential oils before the rub starts to solidify. It won’t become totally solid, but it’s definitely easier to mix while it’s still in liquid form.
Pour into storage jar of choice. I used a leftover baby food jar and it was the perfect (and frugal) fit. I added a strip of Washi Tape around it too.
I find it works especially well if rubbed on the bottom of your feet and covered with socks before bed. This is the same strength as regular store-bought chest rub, so if using on children under 2, be sure to dilute with more oil.
So, how does the homemade vapor rub price compare to store-bought chest rub?
Let’s break it down.
Coconut Oil: $0.58
Beeswax: $0.65
Essential Oils: under $0.50
Total Cost: $1.73
A regular container of chest rub at my local store is $4.75, so our homemade version is 64% cheaper! And no petroleum as an added bonus!
This stuff seriously comes together in minutes, and one jar should last quite a while. Try it out and let me know what you think.
Homemade Chest Rub
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 tbsp beeswax
- 20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
- 20 drops other essential oils of choice.
Instructions
- In a double boiler melt the coconut oil and beeswax together while gently stirring until mixture is smooth and well combined. I obviously need a new double boiler, so I had to go with plan B—Set a metal bowl on top of a pot of gently boiling water. Ta da! Double boiler.
- When mixture is smooth, remove from heat and quickly add in essential oils before the rub starts to solidify. It won’t become totally solid, but it’s definitely easier to mix while it’s still in liquid form.
- Pour into storage jar of choice.
How long is the shelf life?
It should last for 6 months or longer!
Hi, can I apply to my 21/2 your old daughters back or chest or just on bottoms of feet?
HI 😉
how many jars does this recipe make and what size?
Thank you,
Isabel
One little baby food jar size. 🙂
Is closer to a 2 oz or 4 oz jar?
do you have to wash this off before you head for the outdoors
I usually put this on my feet (or my kid’s feet!) at night before heading to bed and by morning it has absorbed. During the day it shouldn’t take long to absorb in your skin either. I think the only time I would be worried is if you were headed out to the pool right after you applied it. Then I would wait until later to apply it.
Where do you buy essential oils?
You can buy essential oils from me if you like – see my favorite brand here: http://bit.ly/1NrhxZ2
I think I’m going to make this with beef tallow, olive oil, and essential oils.
For children- how much more oil? Or could you just use less essential oils? Thanks!
For children I would portion out what I needed and mix in the same amount of coconut oil before applying to my child. Hope this helps!
I make the same thing- but I only use the coconut oil as the base. It still works great, and cuts down on work and cleanup!