Making a salve is all about the ratio of wax to oils/butters.
My go-to ratio for salve is 1:4 wax to oil, but 1:5 is also common for salves.
Oils + Butters
- 1 part - carrier/nourishing oils
- 2 parts - unrefined shea butter
- 8 parts - unrefined coconut oil
Wax
- When I follow the 1:4 ratio, 3x the amount of carrier/nourishing oil = approximately the amount of beeswax needed
Instructions
- Start by melting down the coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax. My simple home setup is a clean wide mouth glass jar in a pot of water. Add ingredients to jar, place pot of water with jar over medium heat, stir occasionally.
- Once these ingredients are liquid, stir in the nourishing oils.
- Finally, remove jar from heat and stir in any essential or fragrance oils.
- Pour into a small glass mason jar or other container and cool to at least room temperature before putting on a lid.
Customization Notes
- During the warmer months, I add a little extra beeswax to my recipes to counteract the increased indoor temperature and keep salves more solid. Or, you may find that you prefer a 1:5 salve for your needs. Experiment!
- Oil ideas:
- extra moisturizing: jojoba & a small amount of vitamin e oil (try 80/20 jojoba/e)
- medicated: infuse your carrier or coconut oil with beneficial herbs before using in salve