Pine Needle tea has recently emerged as one of those IYKYK remedies. Pine needles (and resin and bark) have been used for ages to support cardiovascular health and immune function.
I really love trees and natural medicine. When pine needles popped up on my radar recently, I dove into the research about them and decided that I needed a way to incorporate a little more pine into my life.
I made tea, I infused oil, and then I decided I wanted to make a salve. Something to have on hand for when a winter cough or cold was brewing, a natural way to support my littles’ respiratory and immune systems, something easy that I could make myself.
Let’s make pine needle salve!
First you need some pine needle oil. How the heck do you get that?
I live on the West Coast of Canada, and white pine trees are abundant here. I have a specific forest that I like to visit and harvest my pine needles from. Don’t take a saw to your neighbour’s trees – if you can’t gather pine needles in the proper way, you can search online and get them that way.
After you have rinsed and dried your pine needles, add 1.5 cups of a carrier oil to a mason jar. Add 1 cup of pine needles to the jar, and place the lid on. Swirl the pine needles around and place the jar in a cool place for a few weeks. When you check on your pine needle oil, move it around in the jar a little bit. I notice that my oil takes on a green hue as the pine infuses the oil. Smells really nice, too (yes I crack the lid and sniff). Wait a few weeks. Now you have pine needle oil.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pine needle infused oil
- 1 oz beeswax (candelilla wax for a vegan option)
- 1 oz shea butter
- 12-24 drops essential oil (recommendations below)
Note: you could easily cut this recipe in half to make a small batch/test batch. Full recipe makes 4 individual 2oz tins.
What went down:
- In a double boiler, melt your pine needle oil, beeswax and shea butter together.
- Remove from heat, add your essential oils, and stir.
- Fill your containers and leave them in a quiet place to set (lids off).
You made pine needle salve! Tell a friend!
Essential Oil Combinations I Love:
- Black Spruce + Arborvitae – a deeply woodsy 1,2 punch for the respiratory system.
- Eucalyptus + Rosemary – smells like a spa, opens your airways, gloriously mentholy.
- Frankincense + Lime – a very gentle congestion-soother.
- Peppermint + Lavender – so soothing and cooling.
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Laura Taylor 
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