In the wintertime, when I’m washing my hands every-other-minute in order to avoid the nasty flu that seems to be hitting everyone we know, my hands can get dry. Even my boys, with their gorgeous young skin, can get rough, itchy patches. These months of cold dry air, forced air heating, and lots of washing are tough on our body’s largest organ. In order to combat this, we pull out our Healing Skin Salve and we all use it regularly. While we sometimes use it during warmer times of year for skin dryness or minor skin irritations, we find it especially helpful during the winter.
All of the ingredients in this salve are super nourishing for skin. And while they’re each helpful on their own, the synergy between them when combined is quite amazing. While it takes a bit longer to absorb than commercial lotions, this salve will help your skin to look and feel better almost immediately. It is super clean as well as completely free of chemical nasties. Importantly, it doesn’t take long to make.
As a note, I find this salve too thick for my face, even if it’s feeling dry. However, this Homemade Face Serum (recipe HERE) is fantastic if you want something moisturizing for your face and neck. Also, remember that the salve you make will only be as pure as the ingredients you put into it. Make sure you’re using clean ingredients for the best quality product. (You can read more about the essential oils I use HERE; there are links to the other ingredients below.)
Here’s how I make the salve:
Ingredients
- ½ cup unrefined Shea Butter
- ½ cup Avocado Oil
- 3 tablespoons Beeswax Pellets, or a beeswax block roughly chopped
- 20 drops Lavender Essential Oil
- 10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
- 10 drops Melrose Essential Oil
Instructions
- Put the shea butter, avocado oil, and beeswax into a glass measuring cup. Place the measuring cup in a saucepan filled with water that comes roughly half-way up the side of the cup, thus creating a warm water bath.
- With the pan set over medium-low heat, stir frequently until the ingredients are completely melted.
- Remove the glass measuring cup from the heat.
- Once the mixture has cooled slightly, add the essential oils and stir.
- Pour the mixture into your desired containers (I use glass jars) before it cools. If you wait too long to pour, it will turn into a semi-solid before you get it into the containers.
- Let the salve cool completely before use.
- Store covered in a cool, dark place.
Healing Skin Salve
½ cup unrefined Shea Butter
½ cup Avocado Oil
3 tablespoons Beeswax Pellets, or a beeswax block roughly chopped
20 drops Lavender Essential Oil
10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
10 drops Melrose Essential Oil
Put the shea butter, avocado oil, and beeswax into a glass measuring cup. Place the measuring cup in a saucepan filled with water that comes roughly half-way up the side of the cup, thus creating a warm water bath.
With the pan set over medium-low heat, stir frequently until the ingredients are completely melted.
Remove the glass measuring cup from the heat.
Once the mixture has cooled slightly, add the essential oils and stir.
Pour the mixture into your desired containers (I use glass jars, but metal containers also work well) before it cools. If you wait too long to pour, it will turn into a semi-solid before you get it into the containers.
Let the salve cool completely before use.
Store covered in a cool, dark place.