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

  1. 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.
  2. Once these ingredients are liquid, stir in the nourishing oils.
  3. Finally, remove jar from heat and stir in any essential or fragrance oils.
  4. 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