How to Make a Salve
The most simplest of herbal medicine...everyone should know how to make one!
Yield: 4 ounces
Materials
- 3.5 oz liquid oil infused with herbs if wanted. See notes for more
- .5 oz beeswax, grated, finely chopped or pastiles
- Essential oils optional
Instructions
- Warm your oil and beeswax together on low heat in a small heavy bottom pot, double boiler, or a pint jar in a pot with a couple inches of water as a makeshift double boiler.
- Warm until your beeswax is just about melted, then take off the heat for it to continue to melt.
- If you're adding essential oils, make sure the oil/wax mixture is cool enough that you can hold your finger in. If not adding, pour your mixture into small jars for storage.
- Label it! You think you'll remember...but you wont.
- Let cool, and tuck away for when you need it.
Video
Notes
On oils- What oil you use will determine how "heavy" your salve feels.
Olive oil has lovely healing benefits of its own, but will create your heaviest salve.
Sunflower oil is my most commonly used oil for price and it feels lighter.
You can get into fancy cosmetic oils that are luxurious...but come with a higher price tag. Figure out what youre willing to spend, maybe start with what you have on hand...and experiment from there!
For infusing-
This is the fun part! Do you have medicinal herbs in your garden, yard or forest around you? I bet you do! Learn about whats growing and infuse herbs like calendula, plantain, arnica, roses...you'd be surprised whats growing around you.
For more info on properties of oils and preservatives, I highly reccomend Jan Berrys book 101 Easy Homemade DIY's.