This homemade garlic salve uses garlic's natural benefits to treat a cough. Make this healing recipe at the first sign of infection and use it with confidence, knowing it’s safe for a baby and effective for older children, too.
Why You’ll Love This Garlic Salve
When it’s cold and flu season, it’s inevitable to have a cough roll through your home, and when you have a large family, it tends to get passed from one person to the next. That’s why we like to focus on boosting our immune systems as a first line of defense.
However, when a cough does settle in, we try to catch it at the onset in hopes that some of us are spared. For older members of the family, using an oxymel or sipping on an immune-boosting tea works well. (Try this best tea for a cough.)
But when you need something for babies and little kids, garlic salve is a wonderful go-to remedy as soon as you hear a cough in your home.
- Antimicrobial - Since garlic is a natural antibiotic and antiviral, it’s the perfect go-to when you’re not sure what’s causing your cough.
- Simple Ingredients - This recipe uses simple ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.
- Easy to Make - This easy remedy can be made in just a few minutes. It will last about two weeks in the refrigerator, so adjust the recipe and scale up or down as needed.
- All Natural - This drug-free remedy is safe for adults, toddlers, and even babies.
It’s important to note that I am not a certified medical practitioner. This post is not intended to diagnose or treat, but is for informational purposes only. Please contact your healthcare professional before introducing new herbal and natural remedies into your wellness routine.
What Is Garlic Salve
Garlic salve is an infusion of garlic in oils used topically to soothe a cough. Due to garlic's antibacterial properties, this salve is also effective for use on minor abrasions to prevent infection.
Though not technically a salve because it doesn’t include beeswax, this garlic remedy sets up in the refrigerator and resembles a salve, which is why we’re calling it “garlic salve.”
Benefits of Garlic
The health benefits of garlic reach far beyond the antimicrobial properties mentioned above. If you would like to do a deep dive to learn all about these benefits, check out our guide on growing garlic for culinary and medicinal purposes.
It covers in detail the health benefits of garlic and also includes a description of the different varieties of garlic, culinary and medicinal uses for garlic, and how to grow, harvest, and even preserve garlic!
Ingredients Needed
A full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Oil - I use a blend of coconut and olive oils, but you can also use avocado oil or sunflower oil if that’s what you have on hand.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves - Learn how to plant garlic here.
- Essential Oil - You can optionally add lavender essential oil for its soothing and calming properties.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Peel the garlic and place it in a high-powered blender with the oils. Blend, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed and continue blending until it's nice and smooth.
Step 2: Pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
How to Use Garlic Salve
To use the garlic salve for a cough, simply apply a dime to a quarter-sized amount to the chest, neck, back and soles of the feet and rub in well. You’ll want to wear a shirt and socks you don’t mind getting stained, as the coconut oil may seep into the shirt or socks just a bit.
Apply at least four times per day to the chest, back, neck and soles of the feet, and do not discontinue use as the cough responds and starts to slow down. Continue applications at least four times daily until the cough has completely resolved.
If the cough is persistent in adults and older children, check out this tutorial on how to make a mustard plaster.
Please Note: This salve is not recommended for whooping cough.
For a fungal infection, such as a diaper rash, apply garlic salve with every diaper change until the rash resolves completely.
FAQs
Garlic salve is a natural remedy made with garlic and oils like olive or coconut oil. It's known for its antibacterial properties. People use it to soothe a cough and heal minor wounds.
Yes, garlic's beneficial effects can be absorbed through the skin with garlic salve. It's effective for coughs and skin irritations like fungal infections and diaper rash.
Garlic's potent antimicrobial properties of allicin are readily absorbed through the feet and into the bloodstream. So much so that in just 15 minutes, the garlic can be smelled on your breath without ever eating it!
Rubbing garlic salve on your skin can help clear fungal infections and heal minor wounds. Adding lavender oil can make it even more soothing.
The Herbal Medicine Cabinet
Now that you know how easy it is to make a garlic salve, are you ready to ditch over-the-counter medications and start stocking an herbal medicine cabinet with your own natural, plant-based medicine?
Join me in my Herbal Medicine Cabinet: Colds and Flus Masterclass, where you’ll learn EVERY SINGLE step and technique of basic herbal medicine making, including many of the secrets your great grandma knew about healing her family, like:
- Understanding a few herbs really well is much more effective than knowing a little bit about many herbs.
- A few simple, common herbs that you can easily grow or source can be much more effective than a lot of exotic, expensive ones.
- You can’t treat an herb like a pharmaceutical drug… dosing with herbs is much different. Think early, often and after!
- Having simple, multi-functional remedies on hand is the most effective way to battle common health challenges.
If you’re interested, sign up for my cold and flu masterclass to receive instant access and get started today!
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Did you make this garlic salve? If so, please leave a star rating and your comments in the recipe card below. Then snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!
Garlic Salve Cough Remedy
Equipment
- High-Powered Blender or a food processor
- sharp knife
- Wooden spoon
- Glass Jar
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup coconut oil slightly warm
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic learn how to plant garlic here
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
- Measure out all ingredients and peel the garlic.
- Add all ingredients into a high powered blender and blend.
- Scrape down sides of the blender as needed and continue blending until it's nice and smooth.
- Pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Apply multiple times daily to the chest, back, neck and soles of the feet.
