Basic Balm and Salve How-to

from Janice Sheplar, soap and toiletries maker extraordinaire (and the creator of our wonderful Baby Powder, from My Grandmother's Garden.)

For those of you who want to make something to soften your skin but are afraid or don't want to go the Cream/Lotion route which involves water and preservatives, there are balms and salves.

A Basic Salve starts with:

2 oz. Wax of your choice (Beeswax or for those allergic to it or opposed to animal products, Candelilla Wax)

8 Oz. Carrier Oil Of your choice

Essential Oil of your choice ( for this amount of ingredients @1-1/2%, it would be 90 drops) You can infuse your oils with herbs if you wish.

Directions:

Melt all ingredients together, when melted, blend thoroughly, let cool to about lukewarm, add Essential Oil and then cool completely. Your personal choice of oils will determine the end product (For dry flaky skin, oily skin, damaged skin, normal skin, etc.,)

A Basic Balm is simply a choice of hard & Liquid oils whipped together. I also add cornstarch to give it a "dryer" feel.

4 oz. of one or combination of the following - Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Coconut Oil (76 degree)
1 to 2 oz. Liquid Oil of your choice (Depends on what you want to accomplish)
1 oz. Cornstarch
2 Teaspoons Antioxidant (Grapefruit Seed Extract, Vitamin E, Low Alpha Tochopherals.)

Combine the oils and beat on high in your mixer or with hand beater until light and creamy looking. Start adding cornstarch and beat in thoroughly until complete.

I keep mine @ room temperatures and it is fine. It appears to melt into your skin and feels like velvet.

(I thank Janice for sharing her secret Balm recipe. I make a lot of salves, and they DO tend to leave your hands a bit greasy feeling. She's right; the balm leaves a wonderful soft velvety feeling behind it. I've experienced it in some wonderful solid perfumes that Janice has shared.)

And if you want to create a smaller amount of the Balm:

2 oz. Shea or Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
1 oz. Calendula or Rose Hip Seed Oil (fixed oils)
1 Capsule Flax Seed Oil
1 Capsule Vitamin E.

Start with .5 oz. Cornstarch & go up to 1 oz. Use the same procedure as above.

Source: http://www.naturesgift.com/hints_skincare.htm