This plantain salve recipe is one of the simplest and most useful herbal remedies you can make at home. Made from the humble plantain leaf (often dismissed as a weed), this soothing salve has been used for generations to calm bug bites, minor cuts, and skin irritations. It's the kind of remedy you'll want to keep on hand year-round, right alongside staples like arnica salve!
Plantain is a common wild plant found in lawns, trails, and disturbed soil throughout North America. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with the banana-like fruit. Instead, this hardy little plant has been valued in herbal traditions for its ability to support skin healing, reduce irritation, and soothe inflamed or itchy areas.
Plantain grows all over our Montana property. I find it when I take my buddy, Winston, on walks and while working in the garden. For some reason, it loves growing around one of my grapevines and comes back year after year. I don't mind-I just harvest and dry it to make more plantain salve.
Jump to:
- What Is Plantain?
- Benefits of Plantain Salve
- How to Identify Plantain
- Other Plantain Uses
- Foraging Plantain Safely
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Make Plantain Salve (Slow Infusion Method)
- Fast Infusion Method
- Plantain Salve Uses & Precautions
- Helpful Equipment
- Storage
- Pro Tips
- FAQ
- Final Thoughts
- More Salve Recipes
- Comments
What Is Plantain?
Plantain (Plantago species) is a powerful medicinal "weed" that grows just about everywhere and has a long history of use for soothing skin irritations, bites, stings, and minor wounds. Despite its humble appearance, plantain is one of the most useful herbs you can forage for homemade salves.
Benefits of Plantain Salve
- Helps soothe bug bites and stings
- Supports the healing of minor cuts and scrapes
- Calms skin irritation and rashes
- Traditionally used to draw out splinters and toxins
- Used to treat 2nd-degree burns
- Gentle enough for most skin types
This study found that Plantago major ointment was a safe option for treating second-degree burn wounds and showed wound-healing benefits, along with pain-relieving and antimicrobial properties.
How to Identify Plantain
While there are many species of plantain, broadleaf and narrowleaf are the two most commonly used medicinal varieties. Both offer powerful skin-soothing benefits and can be used interchangeably in homemade remedies.
All common plantains share three key features:
- Leaves grow in a low rosette
- Strong parallel veins running from base to tip
- Distinctive upright seed stalks
If you're unsure by leaf shape alone, look for the seed stalks.
Plantain seeds grow on leafless, upright stems, never branching, and stand well above the leaves-making them one of the easiest ways to confirm you've found plantain and not a look-alike.
Broadleaf (Wide-Leaf) Plantain
Plantago major
- Wide, oval leaves that hug the ground
- Smooth or slightly wavy edges
- Thick, edible flower stalk with tiny green seeds that later turn brown
- Often found in lawns, garden paths, and compacted soil
Narrowleaf (Ribwort) Plantain
Plantago lanceolata
- Long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves
- Very pronounced ribs
- The seed head looks like a tiny brown drumstick with white stamens when flowering
- Common along roadsides, fields, and meadows
The combination of parallel leaf veins and upright seed stalks makes plantain one of the easiest medicinal plants to identify once you know what to look for.
Other Plantain Uses
In addition to topical use, plantain leaves are also edible and have traditionally been brewed into tea. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, while dried or fresh leaves are commonly steeped for a mild herbal tea.
These internal uses have a long history in traditional herbal practices, though plantain is most widely known today for its skin-soothing properties when used in salves and poultices.
Foraging Plantain Safely
Only harvest plantain from clean, chemical-free areas.
Avoid roadsides treated with herbicides, dog-heavy zones, and areas exposed to pollution.
- Pick young, healthy leaves
- Harvest away from foot traffic
- Rinse thoroughly before use
- When in doubt, don't harvest
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Plantain: Dried plantain leaves. Drying the leaves first prevents mold from forming during the infusion process. Crush or cut the dried leaves with scissors before infusing them in oil.
- Carrier Oils: Grapeseed oil, or any other oil low on the comedogenic scale. Some people like to use olive oil or coconut oil.
- Beeswax: Beeswax pellets ot bars; pellets melt more easily, but either can be used.
- Shea Butter: Shea butter gives the salve a luxurious texture.
- Optional: Vitamin E (great for your skin & extends the shelf life). and essential oils for fragrance.
How to Make Plantain Salve (Slow Infusion Method)
- Add dried and crushed plantain leaves to a jar and pour grapeseed oil over them.
- Label the jar and date, then store it in a cool, dark location. Shake daily while the plantain infuses in the oil (4-6 weeks).
Pro Tip: You can chop the leaves finer or even blend them into a powder, but they will be harder to strain out, and your infused oil will be less clear, unless you use something like a coffee filter.
- Strain the infused oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a candle melting pot. Add beeswax and shea butter; stir over very low heat until completely melted.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in vitamin E and essential oils. Pour into tins and allow to harden before screwing on caps and labeling.
Pro Tip: To check consistency, place a small spoon in the freezer before preparing the salve. Dip the cold spoon into the still liquid salve, then remove it quickly. Add more oil or beeswax to achieve consistency.
Fast Infusion Method
- Gently heat plantain in oil over very low heat. A small crock pot on the lowest setting works great for this.
- Infuse plantain for a few hours.
- Proceed with steps 3 and 4 as described above.
Disclaimer
This blog post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using herbal remedies, especially if you're pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition. If you're foraging in the wild, be sure you've correctly identified the plant. When in doubt, source from reputable suppliers.
Plantain Salve Uses & Precautions
- Apply to clean skin.
- Use as needed for minor skin issues, such as rashes or bug bites, or apply to minor cuts and scrapes.
- Patch test first: Especially if you have sensitive skin.
Helpful Equipment
Here are the products I recommend for salve-making:
One 1-pint or quart-sized mason jar, a soup bag or fine mesh strainer for straining the oil, and a wax melting pot with a spout for easy and precise pouring.
A kitchen scale is also essential for weighing your ingredients. You will also need tins to store the salve. I prefer 1-ounce tins; however, you can also use 2-ounce tins.
If you plan on making labels for your salve, a label maker comes in handy. Just be sure to get the round labels instead of the rectangular ones!
Storage
Store plantain salve in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Since heat and sunlight can break down herbal compounds, store your salves in tins, away from heat, to preserve their potency. Discard if smell or texture changes.
Pro Tips
- Just a teaspoon of vitamin E oil not only nourishes skin but also helps extend the shelf life of this plantain salve recipe.
- When straining your infused oil, do it while it's still warm (but not hot) so it flows easily and leaves less mess behind in the cheesecloth or strainer.
- Try blending with other herbs, such as calendula or yarrow, for added skin-soothing benefits.
- Essential oils like lavender or tea tree add extra antimicrobial benefits to this plantain salve recipe.
- Don't forget to label your tins with the date and content. Your future self will thank you!
FAQ
Plantain salve is used to soothe irritated skin, reduce inflammation, and support healing. It's commonly applied to bug bites, stings, minor cuts, scrapes, rashes, and itchy skin. It's also known for a gentle "drawing" action that helps pull out splinters or irritants.
Plantain salve is not considered a strong antifungal remedy. While plantain) Plantago species) has traditional soothing and skin-supporting properties, it should not be relied on as a primary antifungal treatment. Plantain salve is best used to soothe, protect, and support skin healing rather than to actively treat fungal infections.
It's very easy to fix the consistency of any salve, including plantain salve, to your liking. If the salve is too soft, reheat and add more beeswax. If it's too hard, add additional oil until the desired texture is achieved.
Plantain salve may help soothe eczema symptoms, such as itching, dryness, and minor skin irritations, thanks to plantain's traditional skin-calming properties. However, it is not a cure for eczema, and results can vary from person to person. Many people find it helpful as a gentle, supportive remedy for mild flare-ups, but it should not replace prescribed treatments for moderate to severe eczema. As with any topical product, it's best to do a patch test first.
Native American tribes traditionally used plantain leaves as poulices for wounds, bites, stings, and skin irritation, and occasionally prepared plantain as tea for internal support.
Final Thoughts
Making plantain salve is a simple way to turn a common backyard plant into a practical, homemade remedy. Whether you forage your own leaves or grow plantain intentionally, this salve is one of those recipes that proves homesteading doesn't have to be complicated to be incredibly useful!
More Salve Recipes
If you enjoy preparing this plantain salve recipe, consider trying these other salves as well!
How to Make Plantain Salve
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried crushed plantain
- 1½ cups carrier oil (grapeseed oil)
- 1 ounce beeswax pellets
- ½ ounce sheabutter
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- 10 drops essential oils (optional)
Instructions
- Add dried plantain leaves to a jar and pour grapeseed oil over them.
- Label the jar and date, then store it in a cool, dark location. Shake daily while the plantain infuses in the oil (4-6 weeks).
- Strain the infused oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a candle melting pot. Add beeswax and shea butter; stir over very low heat until completely melted.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in vitamin E and essential oils. Pour into tins and allow to harden before screwing on caps and labeling.
Fast Infusion Method
- Gently heat plantain in oil over very low heat. A small crock pot on the lowest setting works great for this. Infuse plantain for a few hours.
- Proceed with steps 3 and 4 as described above.
Notes
- You can chop the leaves finer or even blend them into a powder, but they will be harder to strain out, and your infused oil will be less clear, unless you use something like a coffee filter.
- To check consistency, place a small spoon in the freezer before preparing the salve. Dip the cold spoon into the still liquid salve, then remove it quickly. Add more oil or beeswax to achieve consistency.
- Just a teaspoon of vitamin E oil not only nourishes skin but also helps extend the shelf life of your salve.
- When straining your infused oil, do it while it's still warm (but not hot) so it flows easily and leaves less mess behind in the cheesecloth or strainer.
- Try blending with other herbs, such as calendula or yarrow, for added skin-soothing benefits.
- Essential oils like lavender or tea tree add extra antimicrobial benefits.
- Don't forget to label your tins with the date and content. Your future self will thank you!
Hilda Sterner says
I hope you give this salve a try and let me know what you think!