After taking my herb class at Midsummer Farm in New York State,(I've mentioned how much I love Barbara and Mark in the past) I learned the basics of making a great salve. From there, I started to think about the products that I used on my skin, every day, and realized that some were really really good products, free of harmful chemicals, but others, were not. Every day, when I use up a product that has some "not so good" chemicals, I think about how I can make my own, if not, buy a better version of a commercially available product that meets my needs of being sans harmful chemical/fragrance. This lead me to think about my need for a good, soothing hand product for the harsh winter months. For a long time, I had a love affair with the thick body butter type products from the big name body stores you find in the mall. Between the fragrances and chemicals, I knew that I was going to stop using these and make something that would give me nice smooth skin when the weather started beating up on it!
So, today I whipped up a batch of Skin Soothing Salve with calendula, rose petals, lavender and cocoa butter. This is a super simple and quick recipe I concocted (on the fly) and excellent for beginner salve makers, so lets get started!
You will need:
2 - 3 oz containers for storing the finished product (or 1 - 6oz)
1/3 cup bees wax (I like the pastilles from Mountain Rose Herbs )
1/3 cup cocoa butter (I like the wafers from Mountain Rose Herbs)
1/3 cup calendula infused olive oil (I will explain this process)
10 drops lavender essential oil
some dried rose petals and calendula petals (Optional)
double boiler
a wooden skewer for stirring (makes clean up easier)
To make:
Lets start with the calendula infused olive oil. You can do this one of two ways.
Method 1: fill a jar half way with dried calendula petals then fill the rest of the way with olive oil and let sit for at least 6 weeks at room termperature, shaking a few times daily to mix it up. Strain out the petals for the amount you need. The one in the picture below has been infusing since December of 2014!! Its like women, they get better with age (or thats what I tell myself) :)
Method 2: 2:1 ratio of olive oil to calendula petals in a sauce pot over very low flame for 4-6 hours stirring occasionally (do not let this boil) or same ratio in a crock pot on low for approx. 6 hours.
Next, chop up a bit of dried rose and calendula petals. This is going to be used more decoratively but still serving skin soothing properties.
Now, bring a double boiler to boiling then turn the heat down to medium. Add the bees wax and stir continuously with the wooden skewer until melted.
Once melted, add in the cocoa butter (I chop my wafers because it is easier to get an accurate measurement that way) and stir until melted together with the beeswax.
Once this is fully melted, you are going to add in your strained calendula infused olive oil. If the oil is at room temp or cooler, it will start to harden when it hits the hot cocoa butter/ beeswax but not to worry, just stir until it all becomes liquified again. Turn off the heat and quick stir in the lavender essential oil.
Quickly pour into the containers and immediately wipe the bowl of the double boiler clean with a dry paper towel. THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT! You do not want wax going down your drain pipe so wipe as much of the residue out of the double boiler bowl before it hardens.
This mixture will dry quickly so add the petals a little bit at a time and gently push them down in the container with the skewer. Repeat this every minute for a layering effect until the mixture looks like this.
As the salve is hardening, the petals become suspended in the salve making it look really luxurious. I mean serious - we want this to look like it came from a real shee-shee chic boutique after all!
Normally I recommend giving the containers a little tap-tap while the mixture is hardening so that their aren't any air bubbles, but this is not needed in this recipe since we are pushing the petals down every few minutes.
Leave the containers be so everything settles and hardens nicely and then.... TA-DA! You are all done! Darling little Skin Soothing Salves - one for you and one for a friend!
As always, comment with any questions you may have.
Enjoy and Happy Salve Making
-Danielle
Note: This is not a sponsored post. The companies mentioned in this blog are those that I use and fully support. No royalties were obtained from these companies. If you have sensitive skin or are allergic to any of these ingredients, try on a small patch of skin first. Not intended to heal any skin conditions or diseases. Always consult with your medical professional. This recipe was created by me so please use it as much as you like, for personal use, but please do not make this recipe and sell finished product.
