How to Make a Healing Skin Salve
Herbal oils are easy to make and are the basis for both salves and lip balms, as well as massage oil. Salves are also called ointments and are simply a preparation made from herbs, oil and beeswax. When you apply a salve to your skin, it stays in place due to its thick consistency.
Things You'll Need:
1 pint olive or other oil
<br>Clean pint jar with fitting lid
<br>Herbs such as comfrey, plantain, echinacea, calendula
<br>Strainer
<br>1/4 cup beeswax
<br>Essential oil
1
Make an herbal oil first: Grind 1/2 oz. of fresh or dried herbs in a blender or mortar and pestle.
2
Place your herbs into a clean pint-size glass jar, and then add your preferred oil to fill the jar.
3
Cap tightly, and then heat for 3 hours at a low temperature in your oven--150 degrees is a good temperature if your oven goes down this far. If not, 170 degrees is fine.
4
Cool and strain before using.
5
Heat about 1 cup of your herbal oil using a double boiler or glass measuring cup placed in a pan of simmering water.
6
Melt beeswax in a separate pan, which you have also placed in a double boiler or a glass measuring cup in a pan with a small amount of water, at the same time you're heating the oil.
7
Add about 1/4 cup of melted wax to the hot oil and stir to mix it thoroughly.
8
Add essential oil to the containers in which you'll be pouring your finished salve; 16 drops per ounce of salve is a good amount.
9
Pour the hot mixture into small jars or lip balm-sized tubs and, when cool, use on wounds or as a lip balm.
Tips & Warnings
In general, it is preferable to use fresh herbs, but if you have only dried plants, use good quality dried herbs that haven't been sitting in your pantry for too long. If you use a fresh herb from your garden or from the grocery store, make certain that it has not been sprayed with any pesticides or herbicides.
<br>The type of oil you choose depends on its future use: olive oil is excellent for moisturizing and healing wounds; grape seed oil is preferred for massage; and almond or apricot oil are favored for cosmetic uses.
<br>To make sure you have added the proper amount of beeswax to your salve, do the "freezer test": simply dip a metal spoon into the hot mixture and then place it in your freezer on top of a paper towel for about two minutes. You can then use it on your skin to determine if it is the consistency you desire. If it's too waxy for your taste, add a bit more oil; if it's too liquid, add a bit more wax. Repeat the freezer test as many times as necessary until you get a blend of oil and wax that you like.
<br>
Lavender
essential oil is recommended for skin healing.
For serious skin problems or if bleeding is occurring, consult a medical professional.
<br>When working with hot oils and wax, always supervise
children
closely due to the danger of scalding.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2277714_make-healing-skin-salve.html
Herbal oils are easy to make and are the basis for both salves and lip balms, as well as massage oil. Salves are also called ointments and are simply a preparation made from herbs, oil and beeswax. When you apply a salve to your skin, it stays in place due to its thick consistency.
Things You'll Need:
1 pint olive or other oil
<br>Clean pint jar with fitting lid
<br>Herbs such as comfrey, plantain, echinacea, calendula
<br>Strainer
<br>1/4 cup beeswax
<br>Essential oil
1
Make an herbal oil first: Grind 1/2 oz. of fresh or dried herbs in a blender or mortar and pestle.
2
Place your herbs into a clean pint-size glass jar, and then add your preferred oil to fill the jar.
3
Cap tightly, and then heat for 3 hours at a low temperature in your oven--150 degrees is a good temperature if your oven goes down this far. If not, 170 degrees is fine.
4
Cool and strain before using.
5
Heat about 1 cup of your herbal oil using a double boiler or glass measuring cup placed in a pan of simmering water.
6
Melt beeswax in a separate pan, which you have also placed in a double boiler or a glass measuring cup in a pan with a small amount of water, at the same time you're heating the oil.
7
Add about 1/4 cup of melted wax to the hot oil and stir to mix it thoroughly.
8
Add essential oil to the containers in which you'll be pouring your finished salve; 16 drops per ounce of salve is a good amount.
9
Pour the hot mixture into small jars or lip balm-sized tubs and, when cool, use on wounds or as a lip balm.
Tips & Warnings
In general, it is preferable to use fresh herbs, but if you have only dried plants, use good quality dried herbs that haven't been sitting in your pantry for too long. If you use a fresh herb from your garden or from the grocery store, make certain that it has not been sprayed with any pesticides or herbicides.
<br>The type of oil you choose depends on its future use: olive oil is excellent for moisturizing and healing wounds; grape seed oil is preferred for massage; and almond or apricot oil are favored for cosmetic uses.
<br>To make sure you have added the proper amount of beeswax to your salve, do the "freezer test": simply dip a metal spoon into the hot mixture and then place it in your freezer on top of a paper towel for about two minutes. You can then use it on your skin to determine if it is the consistency you desire. If it's too waxy for your taste, add a bit more oil; if it's too liquid, add a bit more wax. Repeat the freezer test as many times as necessary until you get a blend of oil and wax that you like.
<br>
Lavender
essential oil is recommended for skin healing.
For serious skin problems or if bleeding is occurring, consult a medical professional.
<br>When working with hot oils and wax, always supervise
children
closely due to the danger of scalding.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2277714_make-healing-skin-salve.html
