Crafting Herbal Salves

Herbal salves can have so many different benefits, depending on which herbs you choose to use, and are so incredibly simple to make. Here is my go to method along with some helpful hints and tips to help you make your own.

Herbal salves can have so many different benefits, depending on which herbs you choose to use, and they are incredibly simple to make, although they do take time. The basic method makes use of dried plant material, which is placed in a carrier oil and left to infuse for a minimum of around 6 weeks - you can leave it longer for a stronger infusion and you can cut that time short but it will effect the results. The infused oil is then mixed with a butter and a hardening wax, which is then melted together and poured into containers while still hot. The mixture will cool and harden to leave a buttery salve which can be applied to skin.

Which carrier oil to choose?

can be chosen to suit your own needs and requirements, but they can be as simple as olive oil, sunflower or vegetable oil, if you prefer to use what you already have to hand. If you're planning to make a salve will be used as part of a regular skin care regime, then it is worth doing a bit of research into which oil will suit your skin type best. Some oils are heavier than others, such as avocado, coconut and olive oil, while others are lighter and often reserved for face skin care such as argan oil and almond oil. You'll need to take allergies into consideration as well. I tend to prefer almond oil as it's a relatively light oil, and also pale in colour which leaves the finished salve looking quite creamy.

Carrier oils can be chosen to suit your own needs and requirements, but they can be as simple as olive oil, sunflower or vegetable oil, if you prefer to use what you already have to hand. If you're planning to make a salve will be used as part of a regular skin care regime, then it is worth doing a bit of research into which oil will suit your skin type best. Some oils are heavier than others, such as avocado, coconut and olive oil, while others are lighter and often reserved for face skin care such as argan oil and almond oil. You'll need to take allergies into consideration as well. I tend to prefer almond oil as its a relatively light oil, and also pale in colour which leaves the finished salve looking quite creamy.

Which herbs to use?

The herbs you decide to use will depend on what you would like to use your salve for. There are a number of plants and herbs which are wonderful for use as part of a daily skin care regime. Calendula, roses, yarrow, plantain, dandelions and lavender as just a few which can be used for general skin care, but herbs like yarrow and plantain also have a few unique benefits as well, such as helping sooth itchy skin or helping to heal minor cuts and scraps. Whichever herbs you choose to use, its best that they are dried first before adding to an oil, as fresh plant material can cause the oil to go rancid and lead to bacterial growth. Flowers and petals can be laid out to dry and plants like plantain or yarrow can be hung to dry, but for quicker results a dehydrator can used to dry most things. The general rule of thumb for knowing how much plant material you will need, is to fill no more than half of the jar you are using for the oil infusion, so usually only a small amount is needed.

Which wax and butters to use?

When it comes to crafting herbal salves, there are a number of different options for wax and butters, but essentially the wax is what causes the salve to set and the butter give it a more creamy texture. They will both bring added benefits to the salve, depending on which on your choose. The most common wax for salves is beeswax, but there are other options available such as soy wax, candelilla wax, all of which will help thicken and set the salves for storage and easy use. For butters the most commonly used are mango or coconut butter both of which have skin nourishing properties and be found quite easily in craft shops or soap specialist online shops.

Method for Crafting Herbal Salves

When you are out in the garden, or out walking the hedgerows, it’s inevitable that your skin is bound to suffer from cuts and scrapes, insect bites or nettle stings. This recipe and method below is my go to blend for a general healing herbal skin salve. It makes uses of wild Yarrow and Plantain to help nourish and heal the skin, with the binding ingredients of wax and mango butter. The amount of ingredients you need will depend entirely on how much salve you want to make. I like to use a ratio of 6:1, so for every 6oz of oil, I will add 1oz of both the wax and the mango butter, to mix together 8oz of salve.

Ingredients

Dried Yarrow leaves or flowers

Dried Plantain leaves

Carrier Oil - I like to use avocado oil, but any plain oil will work.

Soy Wax, Beeswax or similar

Mango Butter

1. In a clean jar, add your dried herbs and flowers and cover them with oil, making sure they are completely submerged. I try to keep an even mix of herbs in my oil infusion, but the amounts can be changed to suit what you have gathered.

2. Seal with the lid and store for at least three weeks, in a warm, sunny location. This will allow the flowers and herbs to infuse the oil with their healing properties.

3. After three weeks, strain out the herbs and flowers from the oil, using a funnel or a strainer, lined with a muslin cloth. Give the flowers a gentle squeeze to remove as much of the oil as possible.

4. Add your oil to a pan, along with the mango butter and wax.

5. Heat the pan over a low heat, just enough to melt the wax and the mango butter. You want to avoid excessively heating the oil.

6. Keep a careful watch over the pan, stir occasionally, until all of the wax and butter has melted and has become thoroughly combined with the oil.

7. Remove from the heat and carefully pour into your containers while it is still hot, and set them aside to cool.

8. Once the salve has completely cooled, it will solidify and you can seal with a lid.

9. Store in a cool dry place and it should last for several years.