Step 1: make the herb infused oil
Recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs
Place dried herbs in a clean, dry glass jar. Leave at least 1 to 3 inches of space above the herbs for the oil.
Fill the remaining space in the jar with an oil of choice (I use olive oil), make sure to cover the herbs by at least 1 inch. If the herbs emerge above the surface of the oil at any point during the infusing period, top off with more oil to ensure the herbs are submerged.
Cap the jar tightly and shake well.
Place jar on a sunny windowsill and shake at least once per day.
After 2 to 3 weeks of infusion, strain the herbs out of the oil using a cheesecloth or a mesh strainer. Make sure to squeeze out as much of the infused oil as possible!
Pour into a clean glass container.
I label all my herbal jars with the date strained and stored, the type of oil, and the herbs used.
Store in a cool, dark place. The oil may keep for up to a year. Vitamin E oil at a concentration of up to 1% may also be added to prolong shelf life for oils to be used topically.
Recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs
1 oz beeswax (local preferred)
Herbal oil for preferred consistency: 4 oz for a standard salve, 5 oz for a soft salve, 6 oz for a gooey salve
10-20 drops essential oil of choice for scent (optional)
I buy the 1 lb beeswax bars for cheaper. Wrap the beeswax bar in an old towel that you're willing to sacrifice for the cause. On a sturdy surface (I do this on my kitchen floor), use a hammer to break the bar up into small chunks. Then measure out 1 oz with a kitchen scale.
Place beeswax in a double boiler and gently warm over low heat until the beeswax melts completely into liquid. You can get a double boiler for pretty cheap on Amazon. Or you can improvise by filling a bigger saucepan with a couple of inches of water, put a smaller sauce pan in it and let it sit over the water, bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to as low as the water will continue boiling.
Add the herbal oil and stir over low heat until well-mixed.
Remove from heat and add the essential oil (optional).
Quickly pour the still warm mixture into prepared containers (I highly recommend using a drizzle spoon), let cool completely to room temperature before putting the lids on.
Let the salve set overnight before using. Store in a cool location.
The salves I have made so far are stinging nettle, peppermint, lavender, and arnica. For the ouchies that tend to come with the cold months of the year (especially for us arthritis spoonies), stinging nettle and arnica salves are soothing reliefs. Peppermint and lavender salves are lovely healing for those pesky cold weather skin conditions.
Here is a comprehensive how-to demonstration video on salve making by Maria Noël Groves (I have one of her books) that you can follow along:
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