How to Make Salves Lotions & Tinctures With Essential Oils
Everyone wants to save money these days, so turning to homemade and homegrown products is a natural, but just how do you make those fancy creams, salves and balms? They really are not hard to do. With a few simple tools and some very ordinary ingredients, anyone can concoct their own cosmetic formulas. By following an approved recipe in an herbal recipes or formulary book, such as "Gifts from the Herb Garden" by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead, you can ensure that only the safest ingredients and your favorite fragrances go into the preparations.
Things You'll Need
- Solvent (comestible alcohol; glycerin or vinegar)
- Essential oils
- Distilled or spring water
- Light-resistant, dark-colored bottles
- Beeswax
- Liquid oils (olive, almond, jojoba, etc.)
- Double boiler
- Large-mouth containers
- Solid oils (coconut, shea butters)
- Kitchen blender
Instructions
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Make tinctures traditionally by soaking herbs in solvents like food-grade alcohol (vodka, gin, grain alcohol or brandy), glycerin, vinegar or some combination of those, plus water to release water-soluble compounds. Depending upon the plant material and solvent used, this can take a few weeks to months. Achieve immediate results by making tinctures using concentrated essential oils in solvents. A few drops are usually enough, but consult your recipe.
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Using pure water. dilute resulting tinctures as per recipe recommendations. Distilled water, spring water or untreated well water are preferred over tap water because they do not contain chlorine or other chemicals found in city water. Store tinctures in light-resistant, dark-colored bottles.
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Make basic salves using beeswax and oil. Melt 1 part beeswax and 2 to 3 parts oil (less oil for a firmer salve) together in a double boiler (or place ingredients in a small pot; set inside a larger pot containing an inch or two of water). Heat until wax melts completely. Remove from heat, and add essential oils according to the recipe or preferences when the mixture is still warm but not hot. Pour immediately into large-mouth containers to cool; put lids on to prevent volatile oils escaping.
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Create your own hand and body lotions by combining room-temperature liquid oils like olive, almond or jojoba oils, hard oils (solid at room temperature --- coconut and shea butters are good examples) and wax mixtures with water in an ordinary blender. Use a double boiler to melt 1 part beeswax and 3 parts solid oil in 6 parts liquid oil. Cool to body temperature. Put 9 parts of body-temperature water in a blender and turn the blender on. Slowly drizzle the oil mixture into the water with the blender on high speed until mixture thickens. This may take five or six minutes and is a lot like making homemade mayonnaise. Add your favorite essential oils, blend briefly, pour into containers and seal.
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Tips & Warnings
Collect vintage bottles and jars. Fill them with lotions or salves to give as beautiful and thoughtful homemade gifts.
According to Annie's Remedy, "The most versatile and easy system for measurements is the simplers method, because it is based on ratios, measurements are referred to as 'parts,' for instance 3 parts dandelion, 1 part nettle, 2 parts raspberry, is a very common 3:1:2 synergy. This simple way of measurement lets you make your formulation in any volume you wish, whether ounces, tablespoons, cups, liters, grams etc."
Some essential oils can be too potent for children or persons with sensitive skin, and many may be toxic to pets -- cats are especially susceptible to allergic reactions -- so always research individual oils before using.
Never apply essential oils directly to the skin, as they are concentrated and may burn. Mix with a carrier oil like almond, coconut or olive oil first.
