I haven’t shared an essential oil recipe in a while, but I got out my supplies to make a fresh batch of skin salve over the weekend and thought I’d pass the instructions a long. I’ve been making this for a couple years now and it’s my go-to salve for minor scrapes, little cuts and assorted skin irritations. It’s quick and simple to make and works like a charm.
Disclosure: I received containers from Infinity Jars in exchange for writing this review, but all opinions are my own.
To make the skin salve you’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon calendula-infused oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated beeswax
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
- 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
- 5 drops rosemary essential oil
- 1 capsule vitamin E
- A 15 ml glass jar
If you don’t want to buy calendula-infused oil, you can use 1 tablespoon of almond or safflower oil and add 1 teaspoon of very finely chopped calendula petals to mix. I’ve made the salve both ways and it’s equally effective, but I like using the infused oil better than having the little bits of herbs in the salve.
Prick a hole in the vitamin E capsule with a pin and squeeze the gel out into a small glass bowl. Add the beeswax and oil, and microwave until the beeswax melts. You don’t want to overheat it; microwave at 30-second intervals and stop as soon as the wax melts.
Add the essential oils (and the finely-chopped calendula petals, if you’re using them), give everything a quick stir and pour into a 15 ml glass jar. Let the salve cool completely before capping the jar.
When it’s cool, the salve is harder than commercial salves like Neosporin but it softens quickly from the heat of your skin. To use, just scoop out a small amount and rub the salve directly onto minor skin injuries to speed healing and help prevent infection.
An important note about containers: Because homemade remedies don’t contain any preservatives, you need to store them carefully. Plastic containers can break down when exposed to some oils, and clear glass containers allow exposure to light that can cause oils to oxidize. I recently tried several containers from Infinity Jars and I love that they are airtight, block out harmful visible light rays and are laboratory proven to preserve and extend the shelf life of my essential oils and recipes. I used a 15 ml wide mouth jar for this salve and it’s much thicker and sturdier than the clear glass jars I’ve bought in the past. I have no worries about carrying this container in my bag so I’ll have the salve for little day-to-day ouchies.
Check out the Infinity Jars website for more information. They carry everything from itty bitty 5 ml jars to a ginourmous 2 liter apothecary jar. I’ve also used their roller bottles and and larger screw top jars and highly recommend them. You can read more about the screw top jar in this post.
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