Gardening Hand and Skin Salve
Make your own hand salve for healing rough dry skin!
Equipment
- Double boiler
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil great for your skin
- 1/4 cup sweet almond oil nourishing
- 5 tbsps beeswax beads thickening
- 1 tbsp vitamin E oil healing
- 25 drops oregano essential oil antibacterial
- 25 drops tea tree essential oil antifungal
- 25 drops peppermint essential oil cooling, pain relief
- 15 drops lemon essential oil cleansing
- 15 drops sweet orange essential oil scent
Instructions
- Put enough water in the bottom pan of a double boiler so that it doesn't quite reach the bottom of the top pan. Place on medium-low burner and begin heating water.
- Add the olive oil, sweet almond oil, and beeswax to the top pan of the double boiler. (For a softer ointment, use 3 - 4 Tbsps of beeswax. For a stiffer salve, use 5 Tbsps of beeswax.)
- Gently stir the mixture until the beeswax is completely melted. Turn off the burner and remove the pan from heat. Using hot mitts, remove the top pan from the double boiler and wipe the bottom of the pan dry.
- Add Vitamin E oil and essential oils to the mixture and stir.
- Allow the oil to cool for a few minutes, then pour into tins or other containers. Allow the salve to cool completely.
- Store salve in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight for best results.
Notes
You may use another oil in place of the olive oil if desired. Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, and avocado oil all work well.
If you are allergic to nuts, substitute a nut-free oil for the nut-based oils. Grape seed oil or mineral oil may also be used.
You may leave the essential oils out entirely, or replace them with essential oils of your choice.
For extra healing, infuse your olive oil with dried plantain, burdock, or yarrow leaves, or with dried dandelion flowers.
Always test products made with essential oils on a small patch of skin to test for sensitivities before applying to a large area of skin.