Salve Making

Herbal salve, beginning to set up.

Spent Sunday with some friends making herbal salve.  I had a ton of herbal infused oil that needed to be transformed.  Maurisa and I had gone to Zenith Supply in Seattle last week to stock up on containers and beeswax.  We were thrilled to find the big fat roll up containers that look like extra huge chapsticks!

I had infused olive oil with Balm of Gilead, St. John's Wort, Yarrow, Comfrey and Calendula.

Weighing out the beeswax.

Measuring out the oil.

Mama to be, Maurisa, stirring the pot!  Melting the beeswax into the oil.

We liked watching the beeswax melt into the oil.  Most recipes call for the beeswax to be grated but since we were doing it by weight, we just left it in litte chunks.  After the wax was completely melted in the oil, we put a little spoonful in the freezer so it would set up and we could then test its consistency.  We wanted a little more solid of a salve so it would hold up in our chapstick containers and not be too mushy.  So we discovered that we needed to add a bit more beeswax after the first freezer test.  The final oil to beeswax combo was perfect and we began pouring it into our containers.

We ended up having to top off a few containers to make them look pretty but otherwise it was easy, normal and fast.  Once you have infused your oils, the rest is easypie.  You just have to have your supplies handy and, Voila!, just like that you have salve for your cuts and bruises, healing tattoos, and baby butts!

Salve makes great gifts.  You can add pretty labels and your friends will think you are some kind of witchy she-shaman with super powers! 

I recommend a few books for anyone just getting started.  Check out Gail Faith Edwards Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs, Susan Weed's Healing Wise, and James Green's The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook.  These will give you basic recipes and get you started on the path to righteousness!  Ha!

I started out several years back making tattoo salve for myself and my friends.  I continue to make tattoo salve but it is also good for general use. From my perspective, anything that is not a petroleum product is good for healing! 

MAKE HERBAL SALVE!

You won't be sorry!

Just do it, already!

Go on!

Give it a try!

Happy salve making lovelies,

happy, happy,

xoxox

Jennette