Learn how to make this easy garlic salve out of just a few ingredients. A great home remedy to keep on hand to help with colds, runny nose, and more.

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homemade garlic salve in a glass jar on a woven place mat with garlic cloves and flower surrounding the jar

My daughter has never been to the doctor for an illness. Very different story than my childhood, for sure.

Praise the Lord that she has been generally healthy with a minor cold here and there.

On the rare occasion that a cold comes up (which almost always happens when we are out of town), I like to have some natural remedies to use first. Our go-to is elderberry syrup and essential oils.

These things can really do wonders, but I wanted something to really nip her cold in the bud, so we added this homemade garlic salve to the mix recently.

Let’s be honest here folks, dealing with a sick kid is never fun, and seriously… I just don’t want to catch it.

Selfish parenting at its best, no less.

I’m not going to claim here that I came up with the idea for this garlic salve. My friend Ariel, who is a natural remedy wiz, told me about it. You should check out her shop – she has great stuff for really reasonable prices.

So, I came up with my own recipe and added essential oils to create something I believe truly helps with colds and coughs.

August’s running nose, nasty cough, and cranky “sick kid” attitude was gone in about half a day by using this recipe, some Sniffle Stopper and elderberry syrup. Pretty good.

Fair warning though, you or your child will smell like a pickle, breadstick, Italian dressing or anything else you can think of with a heavy garlic smell.

But what’s more pleasant? A pickle-smelling child or a sick, miserable kid? I chose the pickle.’

This is not medical advice.

Benefits of Garlic

Garlic is amazing for your health, and it helps boost your immune system. It is a natural antibiotic.

It has been shown to help decrease cold instances and decrease the length of a cold. Although we add garlic to just about everything around these parts, it can be hard to get any kid to eat a couple cloves of garlic.

This salve helps this without having to ingest actual garlic. You just rub it on the bottom of the feet and back or chest.

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overhead photo of a jar full of garlic salve on a woven placemat with garlic cloves and herbs surrounding the jar

Tips:

To easily peel a clove of garlic, simply place it on a cutting board, place a chef’s knife on top flat side and smash it with your fist.
This is a great thing to keep in your stash of home remedies especially for cold and flu season. I also love to keep it with homemade elderberry syrup.
Do not use it on children under 12 month old.
Because of the garlic, this has a very strong scent. You and or your child will smell like pickles for a while.
Of course, seek medical attention for any serious illness or if mild symptoms that don’t resolve.

Ingredients

Fresh organic garlic bulb:

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Extra virgin coconut oil: Coconut oil is liquid at room temperature above 74 degrees.

Essential oils (optional): Like lavender oil, or blends like sniffle stopper, germ destroyer, Snifflease, etc. I prefer blends that are specifically for coughing and illnesses. Make sure they are kid safe if planning to use them on kids.

Tools you will need:

Blender or food processor

Storage container: I like to use a glass jar

Knife

Cutting board

hand holding a jar of garlic salve with garlic cloves in the background

How To Make Garlic Salve

Peel fresh garlic cloves.

In a blender or food processor, add coconut oil (partially melted works best) and garlic cloves that and blend until completely completely smooth – about 2-3 minutes.

Pour into the container and mix in essential oils. Cover and store in the fridge. This will help it last longer.

How To Use:

For topical use only. Direct application of a small amount of salve to the back, chest, or bottoms of feet every few hours until symptoms resolve.

I like to place socks on after applying to the feet. Obviously, if symptoms do not improve, take your child to the doctor.

Storage:

Store in a cool, dark place. I like to store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Keep out of reach of children

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back, comment on the post, and give it 5 stars! Please and thank you. Tag me on Instagram @ablossominglife