Making salves and balms is one of my favorite things about getting to work with medicinal plants. Herbal salves are a great way for your skin ( the largest organ on you body) to get the oppertunity to obsorb all of those good medicinal properties from you herbal infused oil with the benefits of the wax to help to make a barrier over the area helping to keep the extra moisture in and extras out.
Once you've created your herbal oil, you're just a few simple steps away from your finished salve! See our basic salve recipe below, and follow along with herbal educator and author Maria Noël Groves for a comprehensive video how-to demonstration!
Makes 5 ounces.
Ingredients
1 oz. beeswax (use carnauba wax for a vegan salve)
4 oz. herbal infused oil(s) of your choice (choose one or a combination)
10-20 drops essential oil of choice (optional)
Directions
Wrap beeswax bar in an old towel. On a sturdy surface, use a hammer to break bar up into small chunks.
Place beeswax in a double boiler and gently warm over low heat until the beeswax melts.
Add herbal oils and stir over low heat until well-mixed.
Remove from heat and add the essential oil(s).
Quickly pour warm mixture into prepared tins, glass jars, or lip balm tubes and allow to cool completely.
Store in a cool location for 1 to 3 years.
Pro tip: The consistency of salves can easily be adjusted depending on your preferences. Use less beeswax for a softer salve and more beeswax if you’d like a firmer salve. You can test the consistency by placing a spoon in the freezer before making your salve. When the beeswax melts, pour a little salve onto one of the cold spoons and place it back into the freezer for 1 to 2 minutes. This will simulate what the final consistency will be like. Once cooled, you can make adjustments by adding more oil (for a softer salve) or more beeswax (for a firmer salve).
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