Easy Five Step Herbal Salve Recipe

Justene's Herbal Musings

I'm sharing my tried and true herbal salve recipe. Treat yourself to this healing gift or make some and give it to your friends!
I know it sounds involved and messy, but salves are actually pretty simple to make and very satisfying.
It does require a few pieces of 'equipment', but the ingredients are readily available, online or in bulk at your local health food store.

Here's what you'll need to make this basic healing salve recipe:

Tools:
-small crockpot
-double boiler or stainless steel mixing bowls and a pot
-strainer or cheesecloth
-measuring cup
-whisk
-spatula
-small jars or tins for the finished product

Ingredients:
-1 cup olive oil
-2 Tbsp Calendula flowers
-2 Tbsp Comfrey leaves
-1 Tbsp St. John's wort
-1 Tbsp Echinacea root
-1/4 cup beeswax
-a few drops of pure lavender essential oil

I chose to use Calendula flowers and Comfrey leaves for their strong soothing, healing and antibacterial properties. The Echinacea and St. John's wort for their ability to heal wounds, burns and bruises. The lavender oil is a strong antibacterial and has a soothing aromatherapy action.

A few essentials for the herbal cabinet.

STEP ONE: First you must infuse the herbs in the olive oil, combine them and heat them in the crockpot on the LOWEST setting for 3 to 6 hours. The oil should turn a greenish colour and smell strongly of the herbs.
You can also infuse the oil on the stovetop with the double boiler method, the stove should be set to the LOWEST temp, making sure not to boil the oil. Heat for 3 hours and DO NOT leave it unattended!

STEP TWO: Once the oil is infused, strain it using a fine strainer or cheesecloth. Squeeze the cheesecloth so as to get as much of the oil out as possible.

STEP THREE: With the oil in the stainless steel bowl (or double boiler), add the 1/4 cup of roughly chopped beeswax and gently heat them, whisking the mixture as you go. When all the wax is melted and evenly mixed with the oil, turn off the heat and add a few drops of pure lavender essential oil, whisk again.

Sweet smelling beeswax.

Melting beeswax with the herbal oil; double boiler method.

STEP FOUR: You can test to see if the salve is the consistency you want by dipping a spoon in the warm mixture and putting it in the fridge to set. Give it a test, and add more beeswax if you'd like.

STEP FIVE: Now pour the warm salve into your chosen vessels, let it set and enjoy!

Add a few drops of pure lavender essential oil for the soothing properties.

This particular recipe is very lovely, it's not too greasy, goes on well and soaks in nicely.

Enjoy, and please feel free to comment with questions etc...

Be well my friends!