Drawing Salve

The old remedy for what lies beneath.

This is the one most people have never heard of.

And then they need it — and they never want to be without it again.

Drawing salve is one of the oldest preparations in the herbal tradition, built on a principle that healers across cultures arrived at independently: that certain plants and minerals have the ability to draw foreign matter toward the surface of the skin, where the body can address it naturally. The splinter that won't come out. The sting that left something behind. The early stages of a skin irritation that needs to come up before it can resolve.

This is what drawing salve is for. This is what it has always been for.

Ours is jet black — visibly, unapologetically black — because the ingredients that make it work are the ingredients that give it its color. Activated charcoal, known for its remarkable drawing and adsorptive properties and long used in traditional and modern practice alike for its ability to bind to and draw out unwanted substances. Bentonite clay, a volcanic mineral clay known for its powerful drawing and purifying properties, long used in traditional wellness practice for its ability to pull impurities toward the surface.

Into that drawing base we fold the botanical wisdom of the herbal tradition: plantain (Plantago major), one of the most widely used drawing herbs in Western herbalism, known for its traditional use in exactly these situations; calendula (Calendula officinalis), known for centuries for its gentle, skin-soothing properties; and lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia), long valued for its skin-supportive and calming properties.

All of it set in organic beeswax and a base of rice bran and sunflower oils — lightweight, skin-compatible, and free of common allergens. Made by hand in small batches on our land in Renton, Washington.

My grandmother kept a tin of drawing salve in her medicine cabinet my entire childhood. I didn't fully understand what it was for until I needed it. Now I never go without it — and neither will you.

HOW TO USE Apply a generous amount to the affected area and cover with a bandage or clean gauze. Leave on for 4–8 hours or overnight for best results. Remove, clean the area gently, and repeat as needed. For splinters, the drawing action typically brings the splinter close enough to the surface to remove easily within 1–2 applications.

For external use on intact skin only. If signs of serious infection are present — spreading redness, significant swelling, fever, or red streaking — please seek medical attention.

STORAGE & SHELF LIFE Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Best used within 12 months of opening. Use a clean spatula or cotton swab to apply — keeping the tin clean extends shelf life and prevents contamination.

INGREDIENTS Oryza sativa (Rice Bran) Oil and Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Oil slow-infused with Plantago major (Plantain) Leaf and Calendula officinalis (Calendula) Flower; Cera alba (Organic Beeswax); Activated Charcoal; Bentonite Clay; Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Essential Oil.

⚠️ Disclaimers: For external use on intact skin only. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Do not use on deep puncture wounds, serious burns, or infected tissue requiring medical attention. If in doubt, consult a healthcare provider.

A Note From Briana: "My grandmother kept a tin of this in her medicine cabinet my entire childhood. I finally understand why."