In late 2020 I purchased "The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies - The Healing Power of Plant Medicine" by Nicole Apelian, PhD & Claude Davis. I happened to see Dr. Apelian in the Alone series when I started binge watching every Alaskan based survival show I could find in mid 2020.  This was a pandemic viewing obsession, and I wasn't sure what drew me to these shows. I think the impending doom I felt as the pandemic spread throughout the world made me want to know how to field dress a moose/deer/bear and make my own shelter if it ever came to that. But I was inspired by Dr. Apelian, uplifted by her love of life, ingenuity, gentleness and the plant knowledge she demonstrated on the show. When I saw an ad on Facebook for her book, I remembered her and made the purchase. By the way, this book is fabulous! It contains so much information on so many plants and would be a wonderful edition to any library.  And it led me to the base recipe I started with for this fabulously fragrant salve.

I have been making my own massage oils, lip balms and lotions for over 25 years now. And a fortuitous mass email from Dr. Apelian with details of her research into which essential oils had antifungal properties was the starting point I used for this salve. There were several oils mentioned and I chose 2 pair sets in my recipe (Oregano/Cinnamon Bark and Tea Tree/Lavendar)– both of which have been shown to be affective (when used together) on both types of fungi that cause nail fungus in humans. I also learned that the absorption rate of the carrier or base oil in the salve is integral to the success of the salve. Soybean oil has been shown to improve the absorption rate through the skin, so I am using a base of soybean and olive oils along with a wee bit of beeswax as a thickening agent and arrowroot powder as a drying agent. 

The first batch I made started working immediately and I no longer had a stinging or itchy sensation in that toe. I used the salve morning and night for 3 months and had remarkable improvement in my toenail. The new portion at the base of the nail was growing in healthy and I was able to clip off the affected portion as it grew out.  After six months of twice daily use, my toenail was completely healthy. Since a single batch made enough to fill several jars, I gave away the extra to friends and family who were experiencing issues with either nail fungus or athlete’s foot. The salve seemed to help all who tried it - so I thought I’d turn it into a business. 

The salve is all natural and very easy to make, but investment in all the ingredients for a single jar seems a bit out of most people’s price range. And the process of creating the salve is somewhat time consuming. However, since I enjoy the process, I realized I could spend my spare time doing something I enjoyed and bring a potentially beneficial product into the market at the same time.  At best, this salve appears to help people rid themselves of nail fungus and at worst, is simply a fabulously fragrant salve for the feet.