Unleash the Power of Nature: How to Make Black Salve at Home

How to Make Black Salve (aka Cancema, Cansema, Bloodroot Salve)

Updated: Dec 12, 2023

Due to many, many people asking how to make black salve, I’ve decided to put a short instruction together. Black salve is also commonly referred to as Cancema or bloodroot paste (Note by Zenith Herbal: Wrong, bloodroot paste is a different product). Please note that I cannot give you advice about what this is for, how to use it or any other piece of information that could be deemed a claim. You are encouraged to do your due diligence and understand fully what you are doing in full before making this or using this.

What you need (the traditional recipe)

• • 25g Bloodroot powder

• • 25g Chaparral powder

• • 25g Galangal powder

• • 25g Graviola powder – – find the four herbs blended (see “Things to know below) >> here or here

• • 12ml DMSO 70% – find it >> here, here or here

• • 125g Zinc chloride – find it >> here

• • 250ml Distilled water

• • 25ml+ Vegetable Glycerine – find it >> here or here

• • Glass saucepan, wooden spoon, stove (ebay or op shop for glass saucepans)

• • Glass storage jars (enough to hold 450g approximately ie – 5 x 100g jars or 13 x 30g jars)

• • Safety glass, gloves and an apron.

Makes >>	500g approx	400g approx	1Kg
Bloodroot	25g	20g	50g
Galangal	25g	20g	50g
Graviola	25g	20g	50g
Chaparral	25g	20g	50g
OR Four Herb blend with chapparal insead of bloodroot	100g	80g	200g
Zinc Chloride	125g	100g	250g
Distilled water	250ml	200ml	500ml
DMSO	12ml	10ml	25ml
Vegetable glycerine	25ml	20ml	50ml

Things to know…

Galangal, graviola, chaparral, bloodroot: In Australia, bloodroot has been scheduled in such a way as it may not legally be sold anymore. You can substitute the “Four herb blend” for the four herbs in this recipe. There is no bloodroot, but greater celandine has been formulated into the recipe.

Glass saucepan: yes it needs to be glass. You can purchase one on ebay, or in a Lifeline store if you look around a bit. Alternatively you can put a pyrex jug in a saucepan of water on the stove. If you do this be sure the pyrex jug is not sitting on the bottom of the saucepan, we don’t want an explosion! Use a tea towel or something under it to insulate. You won’t reach as high a temperature doing it this way, but it still works.

Water: Distilled water, not demineralised. It can be demineralised, only if it is demineralised via distillation only, not with chemicals. (Note from Zenith Herbal: The Zinc Chloride will sterilize the salve, so don’t worry about a sterile environment)

 

What to do

• • Firstly, check you have everything you need, once you start you cannot stop.

• • Safety Safety, your safety glasses, gloves & apron need to be on before starting to make black salve, and right to the end.

• • Add your water to the saucepan, bring to boil.

• • Add your zinc chloride. There will be spitting and bubbling, so do this slowly & gently while stirring. I pour the zinc over the spoon to lessen the splatter.

• • Once dissolved, add your herbs progressively as you stir. It will thicken substantially.

• • Once well mixed (this may take 10-15 minutes of stirring on the heat)

• • Add your DMSO (care with measurements here) and mix in well.

• • Now add your vegetable glycerine. Take off the heat and give it a really good stir so it is a nice consistency.

• • Cover with glass saucepan lid and set aside for a day.

• • Next day, stir well again and pour into your jars.

 

DISCLAIMER

Again, please note this information is for research purposes only. We cannot and do not imply that this makes a product that is legal to sell. We cannot and do not make claim that this product will do anything medically. (Note from Zenith Herbal: bloodroot has always been very popular in Australia, and the recent regulations have made it impossible to make black salve commercially. Sad situation.)