I love this stuff! Works on scrapes, cuts, and burns. Lasts up to 12 months in the medicine cabinet. So easy to make and use, and I don't have to worry about the ingredients. 100% natural!

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Photo Note: If you’re coming from Google or Pinterest and you notice the photos look different in this post from what you clicked on, it’s because I recently updated the photos. The boo-boo cream recipe hasn’t been changed. Enjoy! 

I’m a disaster in the kitchen.

I know, right, not exactly what you want to hear from the mouth of a food blogger.

I can cook up a mean batch of brownies, a to-die-for meatloaf, or the best collard greens the south has ever tasted. But,  the moment fire, heat, and pots are involved, I’m a pure mess. Burns, bruises, and cuts have been well-earned on my petite hands and arms. They are battle-wounds from creating delicious dishes day in and out. Battle wounds I proudly wear and probably a good hint I need to invest in a better pair of oven gloves.

Boo-boo’s are my specialty, served with a side of meatballs.

Homemade Healing Boo Boo Cream: Like Neosporin

I take a laid-back approach in life when it comes to ouchies. After all,  birthing two natural babies, one weighing over ten pounds, can definitely give you a “I got this” approach to any pain life may throw my way. A burn? A cut? Who’s got time to care for such minor afflictions?

Last year, after burning my wrists one too many times pulling out delicious crusty bread (so worth it), I noticed the scars looked pretty bad. I have sixty, seventy years still to live in this little body of mine, so having scars covering half my wrists all from baking glorious bread, just didn’t seem like the best idea.

Treatments like neosporin®, which are filled with synthetic toxins, just don’t fly in our home anymore. Nothing like rubbing mystery ingredients on an exposed wound. No, thanks. I tried coconut oil, my go-to wonder product, and while it helped, I needed something more powerful. Something that soothed the burns and helped with the healing process.

My best thoughts often come while blow drying my hair, on the rare occasion that happens, which means I actually had a shower for the day. Anyway, the point being, one day while drying my hair, the thought occurred, why not make my own neosporin®? A neosporin®-like cream used to help heal and soothe my “boo-boos”.  A salve I can feel good about.

I love this stuff! Works on scrapes, cuts, and burns. Lasts up to 12 months in the medicine cabinet. So easy to make and use, and I don't have to worry about the ingredients. 100% natural!

I love this stuff! Works on scrapes, cuts, and burns. Lasts up to 12 months in the medicine cabinet. So easy to make and use, and I don't have to worry about the ingredients. 100% natural!

This homemade neosporin®-like cream (all thanks to my blow dryer) is my go-to salve. Made with the herbs calendula and lavender, along with coconut and olive oil. With a few soothing drops of tea tree and lavender essential oil. Raw honey is also added to this salve.  A salve that’s easy to make and free from toxins found in store-bought tubes.

I love this stuff! Works on scrapes, cuts, and burns. Lasts up to 12 months in the medicine cabinet. So easy to make and use, and I don't have to worry about the ingredients. 100% natural!

This salve sits on my counter and makes a debut regularly. I use it on my boo-boos, my kiddos ouchies, or just to help moisturize extra dry hands (dishes are my specialty along with meatballs).  It will last a year, however, our salve is always gone within months.

I love this stuff! Works on scrapes, cuts, and burns. Lasts up to 12 months in the medicine cabinet. So easy to make and use, and I don't have to worry about the ingredients. 100% natural!

Homemade Healing Boo Boo Cream: Like Neosporin
4.76 from 25 votes

Homemade Healing Boo-Boo Cream

This homemade neosporin®-like cream (all thanks to my blow dryer) is my go-to salve. Made with the herbs calendula and lavender, along with coconut and olive oil. With a few soothing drops of tea tree and lavender essential oil. Raw honey is also added to this salve. A salve that’s easy to make and free from toxins found in store-bought tubes.
Kristin Marr
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course DIY, Homemade
Cuisine Body
Servings 16 oz

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a double boiler, combine the coconut oil, olive oil. Allow the coconut oil to melt over low heat. Once melted, add in the dried lavender and calendula. Keeping the heat on low, allow the herbs to infuse for 30 minutes. If you don't have a double boiler, you can use a large glass or metal bowl set over a pot of boiling water
  • After 30 minutes, prepare a small bowl with a coffee filter or cheesecloth. Pour the mixture through the filter, filtering out the herbs. With the infused oil in the bowl below.
  • Return the infused oil to the double boiler (be sure to clean out any remaining dried herbs). Over low heat, add the beeswax, stirring until melted. Add the honey, stirring for about a minute. Turn off the heat and add the essential oils (tea tree and lavender).
  • Pour the mixture into one large jar or two small jars (2-4oz. jars work well for me). The mixture will begin to solidify. If you're using honey, stir every minute or two. The mixture takes about 5-10 minutes to fully set. Once set, it's ready to use and will keep for 12 months at room temperature.

Video

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

As always, please consult a medical professional about serious injuries.

I love this stuff! Works on scrapes, cuts, and burns. Lasts up to 12 months in the medicine cabinet. So easy to make and use, and I don't have to worry about the ingredients. 100% natural!

More Resources:
Essential Oils 101
A randomized, controlled trial of tea tree topical preparations versus a standard topical regimen for the clearance of MRSA colonization.

91 Comments

  1. This looks like a great ointment to use for all those nicks and scrapes I seem to get. I’ll have to try it.
    My ‘go to’ for burns though is plain white vinegar. I swear by it and keep a bottle next to the stove. The trick is to pour it on fast enough. It quickly cools and soothes the burn and very rarely blisters or leaves a mark. (Usually if it does it’s because I missed a spot)
    I was draining a pot of boiling water and it accidentally flipped the wrong way and poured over my arm. I used the vinegar right away and went to the emergency clinic. I had 2nd & 3rd degree burns all over my arm and the Dr. told me I would be badly scarred. I’m happy to say there is absolutely no mark on my arm except if I get really cold or take a hot shower it shows up as a slight purplish tinge. It’s a definite must try. You won’t believe how well it works.

  2. Hi, I just want to say that this is great
    I am going to try this,
    I was wondering do you have to use beeswax
    Or can you just use more coconut oil

    1. Hi Kim, The beeswax solidifies the liquid and creates a creamy lotion vs. just an oil. You are welcome to leave out the beeswax, but you I’m not sure the mixture will solidify.

  3. Is there anything that can be used besides coconut oil in this salve recipe? I am severely allergic to anything coconut. Or can it be omitted?

  4. While I’m happy to have a recipe for homemade neosporin, I want to pass on something even better for burns. Mustard. The yellow stuff you put on hot dogs. I know it sounds crazy, but I speak from experience. We used to own a restaurant, so I have experience with burns, even one especially bad one. (I probably should have gone to the er with it.). Just slather on the mustard and the burning will go away. If the burning sensation starts returning, rinse of the mustard and apply more. The only time I have even had a blister or scar is with the one really bad burn I mentioned. I promise, if you try this, you won’t be sorry.

  5. This looks like a wonderful recipe! I make one that’s very similar, but I also add some neem oil. It has almost magical healing properties! Neem oil has a strong scent, but it’s masked pretty well by the lavender and tea tree oils. I never thought to put honey in mine! I’ll have to try it! Honey is excellent for healing! My similar recipe works even better than Neosprin, in my opinion! Great post!!

  6. If I may, I would suggest that you use a double boiler when melting the coconut oil and infusing with the dried herbs. This takes the danger of burning the oils right out of the mix. Great recipe though!

  7. Why do you use dried herbs instead of just more essential oils? Just curious. I’ve made an all purpose salve using coconut and olive oils, and beeswax but used lavender, tea tree oil, lemon and was just wondering the difference in adding the herbs. Thanks!

    1. Hi Maria, Calendula is usually an infused herb vs. an essential oil. The calendula is essential for the recipe, for it’s healing properties. The infused lavender also provides great benefit, but if you choose to leave it out, I’d up the essential oil a few drops.

    1. Hey Sarah, Thank you so much. That shop looks fabulous. Great prices, I’ll have to look at all they offer for herbs and order a few. Thank you. Enjoy the Neosporin :).

    2. Hi
      I believe the salve will last quite much longer than that, especially kept out of the sun. The essential oils won’t go rancid, just some oils lose their potency after a while, usually citrus oils. Others last much longer. So your salve will be good for a while even without the benefit of essential oil .

  8. Would this be okay in the freezer? Say if you made it in bulk and then put the little jars of it in the freezer, taking them out to thaw when you run out? I’m getting ready to try this, and that would be great if I could do a bunch all at once.

    1. Hi Shawna, I’m not sure how well this would defrost. It will last about a year at room temperature, possibly a bit longer. The time line is due to the essential oils in the recipe, most companies recommend using them within a year.

      1. Hi
        I believe the salve will last quite much longer than that, especially kept out of the sun. The essential oils won’t go rancid, just some oils lose their potency after a while, usually citrus oils. Others last much longer. So your salve will be good for a while even without the benefit of essential oil .

      2. Hey Loannka, You’re correct. I keep my homemade salve for much longer than a year, but due to the potency issue it’s generally recommended by EO companies to use recipes containing EOs within a year.

  9. Just FYI for megan— if you buy the cheaper coconut oil –I think its lou-ana maybe? It has no smell at all! Thanks for postings this— was wondering if you do use it on burns?

    1. Hi, I use this all the time on burns. It’s very multipurpose. I’ve used it as a lotion, burns, minor cuts, acne, and more. It’s my go-to salve for just about anything.

  10. is there anything else that can sub out the coconut oil. EVERYTHING i find has coconut oil in it and while i love eating it, the smell makes me want to vomit. I literally will get headaches and queasy from the smell of it lingering on me 🙁 Is there a way to mask it? I made some lovely lotion today, so excited but i can still smell the coconut so therefore i can not wear it 🙁

    1. Hi Jennifer, The honey just helps work as an antibacterial and healing agent, but you can leave it out. In fact, I have many times when running low on honey.

  11. 5 stars
    What a great recipe! Where do you find the time to create all these wonderful DIY things? I’ve just discovered your site through a friend who recommended it in an email and I’m happy she did. 🙂

    1. Thank you :). The nice part about all these DIY projects is they are shelf-stable. So, I only have to make say foundation powder ever 4 months (how quickly I use it) or this salve twice a year. It seems like a lot at first, but now it’s pretty easy. Thanks for checking us out :).

      1. I have all those except for celendula, tho I won’t die as I have other stuff till then. Looks like a great recipie! What do you think of Bag Balm? I have some of that and its amazing for cracked hands, it lasts forever but still a few things I’ not sure of like petroleum.

      2. Hey Abbi, I’ve never heard of Bag Balm, so I’m not sure. The calendula is really important in this recipe. If you decide to make it, you may be able to find it at a health food store in a bulk spice area.

  12. 5 stars
    Thank you for your great recipe.

    Just wondering, though, if you’re not concerned about violating trademark law – I’m not sure which country you’re in – might be better to say something like ‘antibiotic cream’ rather than Neosporin (even with the registered symbol).

    Here’s something from the UK government trademark site: “….allows Trading Standards Officers or Police to bring criminal charges against counterfeiters if they use your trade mark…”

    Just saying.

    1. Thanks, it’s a great recipe. We absolutely love it. Thank you for your concern. We did seek counsel when considering the post and name. We are comfortable with the way it stands.

    1. Feel free to use it however you’d like. I also use it as a lotion and it works great that way. After researching the best ingredients I’ve used it on my wounds and it soothes and heals wonderfully too. The ingredients make it a wonderful antibacterial salve as well as super soothing.

  13. I attended a class at our local Tilth back in September and picked a few comfrey leaves that I then stuffed into a small jar with what turned out to be about 1/2 cup of olive oil. It has been infusing ever since. I used it in place of the calendula since I didn’t have any of it in my skincare kit but did have everything else. I know it has different medicinal purposes but it is a healing herb and can help skin cell regeneration for particularly dry cracked skin. I have three small jars of this salve cooling on the stovetop right now and have already tried some on my hands as lotion and it feels wonderful. Thanks for working out the proportions! I’m going to give myself a pedicure and put some on my feet tonight too. Oh, I also added a little squirt of vitamin E oil because I put that in just about everything I make for myself. Mmmmm, heavenly!

  14. Help! I’m on this journey of real food, only to find that most homemade things, especially hygein related are using coconut oil. With a son who has a severe allergy to coconuts I’m lookoking for alternatives. Any ideas. Could I use palm oil instead of coconut for this neosporan?

    1. Hi Moriah, I would recommend using 1 cup of olive oil to replace the coconut oil. So, one cup total, instead of the 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup coconut oil. 🙂

    2. Babassu oil is a perfect substitution for coconut oil. It also has a lot of healing abilities:)

    3. Hi Kristin! This salve looks great, I can’t wait to try it! I was wondering if you’ve ever thought of adding witch hazel to your recipe. It’s supposed to be good for healing.

Comments are closed.