Many of those who like to steer clear of painkilling medications in order to dodge their pesky side effects as well as serious health risks such as bleeding stomach ulcers and liver and kidney damage often reach for a bottle of liniment and then massage a generous amount of it on achy, swollen and stiffened muscles or joints.
You can easily get your hands on liniment these days. Because a lot of people are experiencing all sorts of body aches and pains due to chronic stress, regular trips to the gym and osteoarthritis, liniment is practically available everywhere you look — pharmacies, supermarkets, convenience stores.
So what is liniment? Well, it is a medicated product that’s intended for topical use in order to alleviate muscle and joint pain, swelling and even stiffness. Most of the time, the primary ingredient found in a bottle of liniment is camphor, and it works by creating a warm sensation that can mask the pain and at the same time facilitate relief of inflammation.
These days, you can also easily run into liniment that contains capsaicin, a chemical that’s naturally found in chili peppers which possesses superb anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, scientists say.
No matter the star ingredient, the fact remains that so many people who are wary of popping painkilling medications in their mouths opt for liniment use. Also, the fact remains that liniment is greasy — the solitary reason why some people abhor slathering it on their skin.
What if you’re told that you can benefit from the use of liniment without winding up with greasy skin ever? Such liniment is the kind that’s alcohol-based instead of oil-based.
You may scour the entire city but you may fail to come across an alcohol-based liniment that can help get rid of your muscle or joint aching, swelling and stiffness without leaving the affected body part of yours greasy. Worry not because reading on will allow you to come across a very easy-to-follow recipe for making non-greasy liniment that can work just as effectively as the top-selling oil-based liniment on the face of the planet.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of 70 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol
- 2 tablespoons of lavender essential oil
- 2 tablespoons of peppermint essential oil
- 2 tablespoons of comfrey essential oil
- 2 tablespoons of arnica essential oil
- 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger root (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon of menthol crystals
Directions:
- In a small mason jar, combine essential oils, fresh ginger root and menthol crystals.
- Add rubbing alcohol.
- Allow the mixture to sit in a cool and dry place in your kitchen for about 4 weeks.
- Strain out finely chopped ginger root and then transfer to a bottle
Because this homemade liniment is non-greasy, you can actually stash it in a small spray bottle which allows for trouble-free application — you simply have to spray on muscles or joints that are aching, swollen and stiffened.
What’s so nice about this DIY alcohol-based liniment is it can stay around for a really long time — it can be used even after a few years have passed.
Just make sure that you do not take this homemade gem by mouth. Liniment, whether oil-based or non-greasy, is meant for topical administration only. Also, refrain from applying it on broken skin. Make sure that you first get the permission of your doctor before using an herbal product or preparation — homemade or otherwise — if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. And if the aching, swelling and stiffness you have refuse to go away after a few days, it is a good idea for you to let an expert see it.
Share this article on your various social media sites so that your family and friends may also whip up their very own non-greasy liniment at home!
