Sustainably Harvesting Conifer Resins & Conifer Resin Salve — Milk & Honey Herbs

Ingredients:1 cup olive oil1 tbsp conifer resin (Pine, Spruce, and Firs can all be used here)8 tsp grated beeswax or finely chopped beeswaxDirections:Combine the resin and olive oil in a pan on the stove and gently warm. It’s fine if the resin has debris stuck to it, such as tree bark, leaves, dirt, etc, as we will be straining the final salve. Warm the oil on low and let the resin melt into oil. Once it’s completely melted, add the beeswax and again heat on low until it’s melted. Let cool for a few minutes and then strain it all through a mesh strainer and/or a few layers of cheesecloth into a small glass jar to remove any debris that was attached to the resin. It will harden in the jar as it cools!Use:Conifer resin has a whole host of topical applications including splinters, sores, boils, sore muscles and rheumatism, cuts and swellings, and is sometimes also mixed with butter or fat for this. It has powerful drawing powers and contains abietic acid which stimulates topical circulation, the inflammatory response, and the “foreign body response”- meaning pus and fluids will build up much more quickly on a wound that is dressed with conifer resin.  BUT the other side of the coin is that one moves through the healing process much faster and avoids serious infection as the infection is quite literally drawn out of the wound.  Conifer resin is also quite high in many essential oils which contain immune-stimulating properties, promote localized circulation, and have anti-microbial properties. This is wonderful as an all purpose salve and you can also add resin to any salve you’re making using this same method. Happy medicine-making!