How to Make Homemade Lavender Salve
Learn how to make highly-healing lavender salve with this easy step-by-step tutorial. Lavender salve can help to calm nerves, ease stress, reduce inflammation, soothe skin irritation, eczema, burns, bites, scars, rashes, and more!
Equipment
- A double-boiler, or make-shift double boiler (such as a glass pyrex bowl or stainless steel bowl perched on top of a saucepan with water below)
- Glass storage jars or salve tins
Ingredients
- 1 cup Lavender-infused oil (OR plain oil such as sweet almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, or other carrier oil of choice)
- 3-4* tbsp Beeswax pastilles, or approximately 1 once if you're using shaved, block, or other forms of beeswax. *If you opt to also add shea butter, use only 3 level tbsp of beeswax pastilles. However if you skip the shea butter, use 4 tbsp beeswax. (vegan option: replace with the same amount of organic soy wax or candelilla wax)
- 2 tbsp Shea butter (optional)
- 20-25 drops lavender essential oil, if using lavender-infused base oil. (Use up to 12 drops essential oil per ounce of base oil, or 96 drops per cup (maximum) if using plain carrier oil. I suggest starting at half that and scaling up based on personal preference/aroma)
- 4-5 drops Other essential oils of choice, such as chamomile, rose, ylang ylang, sweet orange, lemon, rosemary, or others (optional)
Instructions
- Have your chosen salve tins or small glass storage jars ready and waiting.
- Add water to the bottom pan of your double-boiler. Now add 1 cup lavender-infused oil (or plain oil), and 3-4 tbsp of beeswax (see sliding scale notes above).
- Heat the mixture on the stovetop over medium-love heat - only until the beeswax melts, and stirring frequently.
- As soon as everything melts and is thoroughly combined, remove from heat.
- Add essential oils once removed from heat. They're highly volatile and prone to dissipating.
- While it is still hot, carefully pour the liquid salve into your chosen containers. (If it starts to solidify while you’re still filling containers, simply put it back on medium-low heat until it liquifies again.)
- Set the full lavender salve containers aside (lids off) and allow them to fully cool.
- The lavender salve will harden as it cools, and then it is ready to use. Use either clean fingers or a salve spoon to collect a small amount of salve, and apply to your skin as needed. A little goes a long way!
- Store your salve containers in a cool, dark location. Homemade lavender salve can “stay good” for several years. However, it's medicinal potency may decrease with extended time and age.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!