Learn how to make a homemade Arnica Oil for bruises, swelling, pain and muscle soreness. Arnica is one of the top effective and natural first aid remedies for fast relief!
My 1 year old son, Sam has been on the move for a few months now. Although he’s 100% supervised the vast majority of time, my husband and I are consciously “hands off” parents (but very observant and supportive!) while he’s exploring so he can learn on his own terms. That includes allowing him to test his physical limits without our intervention.
I’ve noticed that many caregivers jump in as soon as they see that a fall, stumble or smashed fingers could take place, but not me….much to the nervousness of my mom, grandma and almost all other moms I’m around.
I sit back, watch closely, keep my own fear in check (deeps breaths!!!), and allow him to figure it out for himself without saying anything so he can focus on his task. Obviously, if he’s ever in any real danger (broken bones, etc), I’ll step in when or if necessary. And when he asks for for help, I help. But I try to help as minimally as possible. For example, if he’s stuck, instead of removing and/or saving him, I’ll tell him where he can place his foot so he can get “unstuck” and remind him that I know he has what it takes to do it on his own.
As a result of my conscious, hands off approach and basic trust in his innate ability to know what he can and can’t do, Sam is extremely in tune with his body and his physical limits.
That kid’s body wisdom is downright astounding! Compared to most infants and toddlers who move quite recklessly and are seemingly unaware of their own body, Sam is the exact opposite. He’s calculated, agile, balanced, focused, centered, aware and confident. He moves with ease and efficiency and has tremendous judgement about what his body can and can’t do. When he’s in what some would call a “risky situation,” it’s truly amazing to watch him attempt and/or accomplish it with so much focus, grace and confidence.
Babies innately know what they can and can’t do – we just have to relax, trust and allow! (Which is way easier said than done!!!)
But as expected, a few of his explorations and limit testing has eventually led to some bumps, bruises and smashed fingers. Interestingly, most of his bumps and bruises have come from other kids falling into him.
Arnica Oil for Bumps, Bruises and Pain
That’s when Arnica Oil has saved the day. I’m so impressed with this stuff!
Arnica flowers and roots have been used for hundreds of years as an herbal medicine first aid treatment. It’s a well known remedy for bumps, bruises, swelling, inflammation and pain. Many professional athletes even use topical arnica oils and creams for sports related injuries and muscle soreness. It’s a wonderful natural remedy to have in your first aid kit!
I rub my homemade Arnica Oil onto a bruise or injury and within a few hours it’s completely gone! I’ve noticed a significant difference in pain, swelling and healing time from the times I’ve used it and when I haven’t. So much so that it’s now a staple in my first aid kit and the first thing I pull out when an injury takes place. (It’s important to note that Arnica oil should not be used on open wounds)
How does Arnica work:
Arnica helps increase blood flow to the damaged area. The extra blood flow is key to healing because it brings nutrients to support healing and it helps carry waste away from the affected area. Arnica oil also aids in stimulating the flow of white blood cells, which process congested blood and help disperse trapped fluid from the joints, muscles and bruised tissue.
Benefits of Arnica:
Arnica oil can be used for:
- inflammation
- bumps
- bruises
- swelling
- pain relief
- muscle pain and muscle soreness
- menstrual pain
Arnica Oil Safety
This is not safe to use on open wounds. Arnica should also not be used daily for prolonged periods of time. This is a natural remedy best used for acute conditions.
My favorite way to make a medicinal herbal infusion is the solar infusion method. It uses the wondrous and healing energy of the sun to extract the beneficial properties of the herbs. Solar infusions contain an added level of energetic healing that stovetop methods could never duplicate. It’s double the healing!
While it’s true that light and heat make oils go rancid, the oil is protected while the herbs steep in the sun rays. Once the flowers are strained, the oil is susceptible to rancidity like any oil, but during the actual steeping process, the oil will remain stable. This is how our ancestors made medicinal oils for centuries and it’s always worked wonderfully.
Ingredients for Arnica Oil:
- Glass jar
- Dried arnica flowers (You can find them HERE)
- Oil of choice (Although you can use any oil to infuse herbs, I typically recommend olive, avocado or fractionated coconut oil for infusing herbs because they are very shelf stable)
Directions:
- Fill your glass jar 3/4 of the way full with arnica flowers.
- Fill your jar with oil. Cover.
- Place the jar in a warm sunny spot for 2 weeks, shaking once every day.
- Strain the flowers out of the jar. Your medicinal Arnica oil is ready to use!
Ways to Use Arnica Oil
- Rub a small amount on a bump, bruise or area of pain. Repeat 3-4x a day until the area is healed.
- For acute muscle soreness, arnica oil may be used as a massage oil over the area(s) of pain.
- Arnica oil may be used as a preventative for muscle soreness when used before or after a workout. Using Arnica oil will prevent stiffness that often occurs the following day(s).
- Rub Arnica Oil over your abdomen for relief of menstrual pain and discomfort.
Where to buy Arnica Oil
If you don’t have interest in making your own homemade Arnica Oil, but want the benefits, THIS is a great quality, store bought Arnica Oil.
Pin How to Make Arnica Oil HERE:
