A homemade black drawing salve combines activated charcoal, clay, and herb-infused oils into a thick paste designed to pull splinters, dirt, and debris from the skin. The dark color comes from the charcoal, which is also what gives the salve its drawing action. Making one at home takes about 30 minutes of active work, plus time to infuse your oils if you go the herbal route.
Before diving into the recipe, one critical distinction: the term “black salve” also refers to a completely different product containing bloodroot and zinc chloride, which is sold as an alternative cancer treatment. That version is dangerous, and this article is not about it. The salve described here is a gentle, topical preparation for minor skin irritations.
Bloodroot Black Salve Is Not the Same Thing
Products marketed as “black salve” that contain bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) and zinc chloride are corrosive. They destroy tissue indiscriminately, meaning they burn healthy skin just as aggressively as anything else. A review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology documented permanent cosmetic disfigurement from these products, along with burns, infections, and interference with cancer diagnosis and staging. In 2019, the manufacturer of one widely sold black salve issued a voluntary recall because the product contained ingredients the FDA determined to be caustic. These products are not approved by the FDA despite being advertised as safe and natural.
The drawing salve you can make at home uses activated charcoal and clay as its active ingredients. These are adsorbent, not corrosive. They work by binding to impurities near the skin’s surface rather than by chemically burning tissue.
What You Need
A basic charcoal-and-clay drawing salve uses four core components: an infused oil, a thickening oil, activated charcoal, and cosmetic-grade clay. Here’s a reliable starting recipe:
- 6 tablespoons herb-infused olive oil (or plain olive oil if you skip the herbal infusion)
- 2 tablespoons castor oil
- 3 teaspoons activated charcoal
- 3 teaspoons clay: kaolin, French green, or bentonite all work
You’ll also need about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of beeswax to set the salve into a solid form. Without beeswax, you’ll end up with a loose paste that won’t stay put under a bandage.
Castor oil is included because it has a thick, sticky consistency that helps the salve adhere to skin and enhances the drawing effect. The clay and charcoal do the heavy lifting: both are highly porous materials that pull moisture and small particles toward them through adsorption.
How to Infuse the Oil With Herbs
Infusing olive oil with dried herbs adds skin-soothing properties to the salve. The most commonly used herbs for drawing salves are plantain leaf, calendula petals, and comfrey. Plantain is traditionally used for insect bites and stings because it helps relieve burning and irritation. Calendula supports healing on broken skin. Comfrey is used for bruises and sore muscles.
To make the infusion, fill a clean jar about halfway with dried herbs (a single herb or a mix), then cover completely with olive oil. You have two options from here. The slow method is to seal the jar, place it in a sunny window, and let it sit for 4 to 6 weeks, shaking it every few days. The quick method is to place the jar in a small saucepan with a few inches of water and heat on the lowest setting for 2 to 3 hours, keeping the oil well below a simmer. Strain out the plant material through cheesecloth when finished. The oil should have a golden or greenish tint and a mild herbal smell.
If you don’t want to wait on an infusion, plain olive oil works fine. The charcoal and clay are the functional ingredients. The herbs are a bonus.
Putting It Together
Melt the beeswax in a double boiler or a heat-safe glass measuring cup set in a pan of simmering water. Once the beeswax is fully liquid, stir in the infused olive oil and castor oil. Remove from heat.
While the mixture is still warm and liquid, add the activated charcoal and clay. Stir thoroughly. Charcoal will clump if you dump it in all at once, so sprinkle it in gradually while stirring. The mixture will turn deep black almost immediately.
Pour into small tins or glass jars. The salve will begin to firm up within 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. If it sets too hard, you can remelt and add a bit more oil. If it’s too soft, remelt and add a small amount of beeswax. The ideal consistency is similar to a thick lip balm: solid at room temperature but softening easily with body heat.
A note on workspace: activated charcoal stains everything it touches. Lay down newspaper or paper towels, and avoid wearing anything you care about.
How to Use Drawing Salve
Apply a thick layer of salve directly over the splinter, bite, or boil. Cover with a bandage or adhesive gauze to keep the salve in contact with the skin and protect your clothing. Leave it on for several hours or overnight. For shallow splinters, one application is often enough to bring the fragment close enough to the surface that you can remove it with tweezers. For deeper splinters or boils, you may need to reapply with a fresh bandage two or three times over a day or two.
The salve works by creating a moist, drawing environment under the bandage. The charcoal and clay pull fluid and debris toward the surface, while the oils keep the surrounding skin from drying out.
Ichthammol: The Pharmacy Alternative
If you’d rather buy a drawing salve than make one, ichthammol ointment is the standard pharmacy option. It’s a tar-like substance derived from oil shale, and it’s been used as a drawing agent for over a century. Commercial ichthammol ointments come in 10% and 20% concentrations. The 20% version is more commonly used for skin conditions like boils and is available over the counter. Its base is typically lanolin and petrolatum, which keep the ointment spreadable and help it stay on the skin.
Ichthammol has a strong, distinctive smell that most people find unpleasant. The homemade charcoal version is nearly odorless by comparison, which is one reason many people prefer to make their own.
Storage and Shelf Life
Homemade salves made with oil and beeswax generally last about a year. Some last longer, especially if stored in a cool, dark place and kept free of contamination. The biggest factor in shelf life is what gets introduced into the jar: bacteria from fingers dipping into the salve will shorten its usable life faster than anything else. Using a small spoon or spatula to scoop out the salve helps it last longer.
Signs that a salve has gone off include a rancid or sour smell, changes in color, or a grainy texture that wasn’t there before. If any of these show up, make a fresh batch.
What’s Normal vs. What’s Not
When you remove the bandage, you may see some redness or slight swelling around the area. That’s a normal response to having an occlusive (airtight) bandage on the skin for hours. The area under the salve will look dark from the charcoal residue, which washes off with soap and water.
What isn’t normal: increasing pain that gets worse rather than better, green or yellow discharge, foul smell coming from the wound, or fever and chills. These are signs of infection, not a reaction to the salve. A splinter wound that’s becoming more painful over 24 to 48 hours, especially with discolored drainage, needs medical attention rather than another round of salve.