If you’re anything like me, then you’re the type of person who needs to wear socks lest your feet get cold and clammy even when it’s 90 degrees. I don’t know what it is, but as soon as I stop moving around, my toes are the first thing to get cold, which as you can imagine, can be pretty annoying when you’re a blogger and spend a good 6+ hours at your desk each day.

Nothing short of standing in the bathtub with the hot water running for a few minutes would be able to warm up my toes and restore circulation. Then on go the socks and maybe even my slippers.

I guess I’m just really cold blooded. Well, actually it’s because I have really low blood pressure and bad circulation to begin with but at least my husband likes it. He burns like a furnace so his toes are invitingly toasty when we go to sleep at night and he gets to enjoy my chilly feet.

However, my husband isn’t at home during the day like I am and so I’m at a loss when it comes to husband-powered toe warming. So, in times like these when I need a circulatory boost in my extremities, I reach for a warming foot salve that puts the heat back into my toes.

How to Make a Warming Foot Salve for Chilly Toes

One of the best things about this salve is how delicious it smells! If you have ever shopped at Trader Joe’s during the fall season, then the smell of this salve will remind you of their little “cinnamon broom” décor.

The scent is super cinnamon-y with a spicy undertone of red chili, ginger, and clove essential oil.

Needless to say, it smells incredible and is sure to put you in the mood for the holidays.

Since this recipe uses carnauba wax, which applies in a thin non-greasy layer that absorbs quickly into the skin.

The high potency of essential oils is what gives this recipe its spicy warming feel. Since it is so incredibly strong, I would advise using it only on the bottoms of the feet. If you apply it anywhere else, make sure you haven’t shaved that day because it will create a burning sensation in your pores – not fun! 

And, I think it goes without saying that you shouldn’t apply this near any sensitive areas.

So, without further ado, here’s what you’ll need to make my warming foot salve:

• One 1oz push tube like this one or a glass or metal salve container
• 7g carnauba wax
• 23g of fast absorbing carrier oil like grapeseed, fractionated coconut, hazelnut, apricot kernel, etc.
• 50 drops chili seed essential oil
• 50 drops cassia essential oil or cinnamon bark essential oil
• 20 drops ginger essential oil
• 3 drops clove essential oil
• 2 small pyrex dishes
• A good spatula
• An accurate kitchen scale like this one

Other warming essential oils include:

• Black pepper
• Caraway
• Cardamom
• Juniper berry
• Marjoram
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Thyme

You can sub in these EOs if you don’t have the ones I used in the recipe, though I really do recommend getting your hands on some chili seed essential oil!

This will make 1oz of chilly toes salve.

Loving Preparation – Toasty Toes Salve Recipe

1. Begin by measuring out the wax and the carrier oil using the kitchen scale.

2. Next, place the dish with the wax and carrier oil in a pan of water and bring the water to a simmer. Allow the mixture to melt, stirring on occasion, until everything is nice and melted together.

3. Turn off the heat, and allow the dish with the melted ingredients to hang out for a bit in the pan while you measure out your essential oils.

4. Use the second glass dish to count out the drops your need for each essential oil.

5. Once finished, give the essential oils a stir.

6. Now use a kitchen towel to bring over the melted ingredients and pour them into the essential oils. Try to stir everything together as well as you can since the mixture will begin to harden pretty quickly.

7. As soon as everything is mixed, pour the final mixture into your salve container.

8. I recommend capping it if possible to keep the essential oils in the product as much as possible as it cools. You can do this by gently placing the lid on top without screwing it on to prevent spillage.

9. Allow the salve to cool completely before use.

To Use

Whenever your feet are feeling a bit too chilly for your liking, simply apply a thin swipe of salve to the soles of your feet.

I especially like using a push top bottle because I don’t need to actually touch the salve with my hands, I can just swipe it on and rub my feet together a bit to work it in.

But if that’s too awkward for you, then, by all means, massage it in with your hands. Just make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before touching any sensitive areas and mucous membranes or it won’t feel very nice at all!

I like to use this warming foot salve to help restore circulation and warm up my chilly feet during the cooler winter months. I especially recommend putting on some socks afterward to help increase its effects.

The essential oils used in this recipe are known for their particularly strong warming properties and their ability to increase circulation and enhance blood flow.

Have you ever made a warming salve before? What essential oils did you use? I’d be interested to know!

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