Skin Salve - All Purpose

This recipe is from my old blog when we used to live on a homestead.  

One of our go to salves is what we call the skin salve.  A simple name for a simple salve because that's what it's for.  It's not complicated to make but with anything it takes some time but worth it!

I recommend people use dry herbs when infusing with oil as using fresh can result in molded salves. 

This is the recipe we like best as it helps all sorts off skin issues such as itching, bumps, stings, cuts, bruises etc.  I've had many testimonies from people who have been thankful for all it can do.

There are many recipes out there for various salves, you feel free to use what you like but if you're looking for a baseline recipe to start, feel free to use this one.  I either gather our herbs from our land if available and if not I purchase them.

In making this recipe I use 'parts', not cups or other measurements when referring to the herbs because it doesn't matter if there is some variance to quantity, this is just how I use it.  So for reference if it says 1 part and you use cups, that would be 1 cup.  If it says 2 parts that would be 2 cups.

INGREDIENTS:
2 parts Plantain
1 part Chickweed
1 part Comfrey leaf
1 part St. John's Wort
1 part Calendula flowers
Olive oil (can use part coconut oil in combination as well)
Beeswax-grated or chips
Vitamin E 
Tea Tree Oil
Lavendar Essential Oil (optional)

Put your herbs in a large glass container and cover with oil so the oil is a few inches over the top of the herbs.  Let it sit 6 weeks and gently shake, swish it every day if you remember.  (No big deal if you forget once in a while.)

If you are impatient, you can gently heat this concoction for a couple hours and then move on to the next step, I prefer to let it sit and take it's time extracting the properties.  Just a note here, you don't have to make the salve using all the above ingredients but I would recommend at least using the plantain, chickweed and comfrey. 

After the oil has done it's job, you strain out the herbs making sure to squeeze all that precious oil out from it.  Toss the strained herbs out.

The ratio I use for my salves is 1 pint of oil to 1 1/2 oz of beeswax so that will be what this recipe is based on.  The consistency of this salve will not be soft, nor will it be hard.  It's an in between salve that does not drip nor is it hard to spread at all. Feel free to make a small batch and see if it's to your liking then adjust the beeswax more or less depending on how firm or soft you like it.

Once you have your oil and the rest of your materials you just warm the oil only to the point that it will melt the beeswax. When the beeswax is melted you can add in the Vitamin E.  I like to use 800 IU Vitamin E per cup of oil.  This helps preserve the salve as well as add additional healing properties from the Vitamin E.   (You can find Vitamin E capsules at most stores or online and all I do is poke it with a pin and squeeze it out.) 

I also like to add 1 drop of tea tree essential oil per cup of oil as it adds antifungal properties to help preserve the oil as well as help skin issues.
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You can also add whatever essential oil you like to make it smell nicer, I choose lavendar because of it's soothing properties and the smell is pleasant.  I drop maybe 10-15 drops in per cup.

Pour this into your waiting containers....

(I used these containers because I had an online store that I sold them but you can use any containers you like.) 
Let them sit until the salve firms up and cools. (This picture shows the salve in it's warm state, it turns a lighter color as it cools. ​