Winter Projects: All-Purpose Balm

We made an all-purpose “winter balm” as our Christmas gift this year, and it ended up working better on my dry hands than anything I’ve ever purchased!  It’s easy to make and has the same components as lip balm, so it can be used to soften and soothe anything chapped from the winter air.   Here’s how you do it at home!

You will need:

• Container(s): This is what we bought from Paper Mart.  You can also use cleaned, used containers that you already have at home.  Test some things out!  Altoids tin, perhaps?  Maybe a small jam jar?
• Clean and dry mason jar with a lid: You can use this over and over again for making your balm
• Cosmetic grade beeswax pellets (white or natural): You can buy these here.
• Grapeseed, almond, or vitamin E oil: We used a little almond and vitamin E oil in ours for their smoothing and healing properties.
• Light olive oil (NO extra virgin!): Olive oil is GREAT for your skin, but you don’t want the scent or color of extra virgin olive oil.  Get the lightest colored oil you can.
• Essential oils (i.e. lemon, sweet orange, geranium, rosemary):Essential oils are used for healing, aromatherapy and for their scent.  You can combine them to create a personal scent or play around with mixtures for their medicinal benefits.

The amount of balm you make it totally up to you.  You can make a fresh batch every time you run out or you can make several to gift to friends.   Either way, the ratio of oil to beeswax is 2:1.   You can combine your special oils with your olive oil in any proportion you want, and then use half of that amount of beeswax.  If you want to make a special balm that is all vitamin E oil and no olive oil, by all means, go ahead!

Or you can just use our recipe:

• 1/2 cup beeswax pellets
• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 1/4 cup vitamin E oil
• 1/4 cup almond oil
• 10 drops each, lemon and sweet orange essential oils

Fill your mason jar with beeswax, olive oil, almond oil and vitamin E oil and screw on the lid.   Place the jar in a pot and fill with water a little over halfway up the side of the jar.    Set pot over medium high heat and simmer until the beeswax has completely melted.  Remove the jar from the water with a pot holder, dry off with a towel and unscrew the lid.  Stir in essential oils and add more if you want a stronger scent.  Carefully pour the mixture into your containers and let set at room temperature.   This recipe makes about 6-8 2 oz. containers of balm.