How to make herbal salve
Making your own herbal salve (or balm) is not only convenient and quick, but you can also customize it to your desired effect, aroma, texture, and more. You should definitely give it a try!
What is salve?
Salve are semi-solid or paste-like products made by adding wax to an oil-based base. They are usually combined with essential oils to give them different aromas and functions.
The proportion of wax affects the texture of the salve. For example, if there is less wax, the finished product will be softer, such as bug-bite balm or multi-purpose salve. If the proportion of wax is higher, the finished product will be harder, such as lip balm.
Recipe: Calendula salve
Here's a simple recipe for an herbal salve. Jojoba oil(this article explains how to make infused oil) extracts the skin-repairing components of calendula. The essential oils used are also a gentle, soothing blend. This recipe produces a softer texture. If you want a different texture, try adjusting the amount of wax. If you add 1g of wax, remember to reduce the amount of oil by 1g.
Yield
30g
Ingredients
- 5g organic beeswax
- 25g organic calendula-infused virgin jojoba oil
- 3 drops of Vitamin E oil
- 12 drops of organic peppermint essential oil
- 18 drops of organic real lavender essential oil
- 6 drops of organic tea tree oil
Materials
- Double boiler
- Beaker or stainless steel cup
- Stainless steel spoon
- 3 x 10g salve tins
- Labels
Instructions
- Place the wax and oil into a beaker and heat it in a water bath until the beeswax is completely melted.
- Add essential oils and antioxidants and stir well. If it starts to solidify, repeat the water bath until the ingredients are completely dissolved and evenly mixed.
- Pour into tins and let them sit still to cool.
- Put on and tighten the cap, attach the label, and the calendula slave is complete!