Hand and body salve is so easy to make. Once you make your first batch, you can use an easy basic recipe and add various herbs and essential oils.
Recently, I decided to make a basic salve recipe with dried flowers.
A friend had given me a lovely bunch of light purple lilacs. They were so beautiful, for a few days. Then they began to dry out. They became withered. But they still held their scent.
I was able to capture some of the essence of these amazing flowers by putting them in a salve recipe. You only need three ingredients to make a firm salve that holds up in warm weather. The rest is optional. You can add essential oils or dried flower petals. (You can also add herb infused oils. But I decided to keep it simple. So I”m not including infused oil recipes on this page.)
Basic Salve Recipe With Dried Flowers
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I used to buy bottled lotion to put on my skin. During the winter, my hands would get very dry. I thought the lotion was helping. However, since I stopped using these chemicals, my skin doesn’t crack like it used to. I also use natural soap to rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. The difference is amazing. No more pain cracked skin.
Unfortunately, many beauty products contain parabens. These are used as preservatives. Parabens mimic the female hormone estrogen. That’s why they’re considered “estrogen disruptors.”
You can avoid parabens by buying all natural, non-toxic creams and lotions. This is what I did at first. Until I learned to make my own. Actually, it’s so easy to make your own cosmetics, especially if you already have the ingredients on hand.
Simple Salve Recipe With Dried Flowers
I usually add essential oils to my salve recipe. Typically, I add about 10 drops of lavender essential oil to a salve mixture that will fill an empty mint tin. (You can also find empty glass cosmetics jars online if you plan to give away your salve recipes as gifts.) Using dried lilacs, which retain a soothing smell, I only used a couple of drops of lavender oil.
Before using the lilac petals, I waited until they began to dry on their own. Cut lilacs (sadly) only last a few days. I took the wilted flowers and put them in the sun for a few hours. Then, they were ready to use. I didn’t let them dry so much that the flowers turned brown. So they still had a pretty purple color.
How To Make Salve With Dried Herbs
I wanted to avoid using herb infused oil, which I’d need to do if I were working with fresh herbs. The infused oil would then become part of the salve mixture. Using fresh herbs in a salve would result in too much moisture, and would probably ruin the recipe.
Instead, I decided to use dried herbs (lilac) for my first batch of salve with dried flowers. Lilac has potential benefits, aside from its sweet smell. It’s considered a good skin remedy. It also has an historical use as a tonic, to strengthen the body.
You could use other types of dried flower petals instead of lilac. Dried roses would work great in a salve. Like lilac, rose petals also seem to have an affinity for the skin. Or you could use other types of dried herbs, such as lavender or peppermint. What you add is limited only by your imagination. You could also use dried and grated orange or lemon peels.
DIY Herbal Salve With Dried Flowers
The basic salve recipe consists of equal parts of coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax. I’ve found this creates a firm balm that holds up well in the heat. Shea butter, on its own, is difficult to spread. Adding coconut oil gives it a cream-like consistency. But coconut oil also turns to liquid if the temperature hits 76 degrees F. So beeswax or some sort of wax is definitely needed. So here’s how to make balm.
1/4 cup of pure organic coconut oil (It’s available here)
1/4 cup of organic shea butter (It’s available here)
1/4 cup of beeswax pastilles (You can get them here)
4 drops of lavender essential oil (You can get it here)
Dried flowers of your choice
Put the coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax in a small sauce pain and melt them over low heat on the stove. I’ve seen other recipes calling for a double boiler. But you don’t need this if you put it on low heat and watch it closely. Stir occasionally as the mixture melts. When it turns liquid and all of the beeswax pellets have totally melted, remove from heat and quickly add the dried flower petals. Stir to spread them out. Then immediately pour into a mold. I use an empty mints tin. But you can also use empty glass jars designed for DIY cosmetics.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils.
