I know I know...they are all the same thing! Whatever you choose to call your herbal skin remedy, there is a sense of satisfaction in producing a healing balm for your own ailments and those of your family. Many can be made using a simple formula and ingredients available in your own kitchens and yards. The one I use is a calendula salve that was described in an issue of Rural Delivery. Pick callendula blossoms before they are fully openned and only just openned. Place in a nonreactive container (jar) and cover with olive oil. Cover but not tightly incase pressure builds in the container. Set the works on a sunny windowsill for 3 weeks. Strain your oil, squeezing every bit you can out of the vegetable matter. Strain again into a pot and gently heat to warm the oil. Add some grated beeswax (1 ounce per cup oil), stirring until melted, and either Vitamin E oil or lavender oil as a preservative. Stir to blend and pour into your jars. When cool the mix will set into a salve. If its not stiff enough for you, remelt and add more wax. If too stiff add more oil (maybe a dash of sweet almond oil?).

And there you have it. Simple and effective salve for your skin care needs (diaper rash, ecxzema, chapped skin, cracked heels and fingers....)

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), June 08, 2002

Answers

Thanks Alison. The salve sounds great! Thanks for posting. One question... Where would one get a supply of beeswax?

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), June 08, 2002.

Annie, my near-by health food store carries beeswax beads in bulk just for this sort of thing. If you or anyone else needs an on-line source, I can post a few that I know but basically any place that carries soap making supplies should have beeswax, too.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), June 08, 2002.

Yay! This is great, and SO easy sounding! I betting you can have all sorts of fun with ingrediants.

Thankyou ladies!!!

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), June 08, 2002.

Thanks Bren. We've got a health food store in town. I'll check it out.

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), June 08, 2002.

check with a local bee keeper,, if you cant find one,, I sell beeswax, for 4.00 a pound,, and Ill cover the shipping

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), June 08, 2002.

Stan, I would love to. You wouldn't happen to also have beeswax candles? If so, let me know how much. My e-mail is valid if you'd send me your snail mail address. Thank you!

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), June 08, 2002.