How to Make Homemade Chickweed Salve
Learn how to make soothing chickweed salve with this easy step-by-step tutorial. Chickweed salve can help calm skin irritation and conditions including rashes, eczema, minor burns, insect bites, poison ivy or oak, psoriasis, razor burn, and more!
Servings: 10 ounces
Equipment
- A double-boiler, or make-shift double boiler (such as a glass pyrex bowl or stainless steel bowl perched on top of a saucepan with water below)
- Glass storage jars or salve tins
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chickweed-infused oil (dried chickweed previously soaked in sweet almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, or other carrier oil of choice - see infusion instructions in post)
- 4 tbsp Beeswax pastilles. 4 Tbsp = approximately 1 once if you're using shaved, block, or other forms of beeswax. (vegan option: replace with the same amount of organic soy wax or slightly less candelilla wax)
- 1 tbsp Shea butter (optional)
- 20-25 drops Essential oil of choice such as lavender, peppermint, or eucalyptus - all great choices for skincare. (Feel free to scale up or down, but the maximum concentration or safe dilution ratio = up to 96 drops EO max per 1 cup oil)
Instructions
- Have your chosen salve tins or small glass storage jars ready and waiting.
- Add 1 cup of strained chickweed-infused oil along with 4 level tablespoons of beeswax to the top portion of a double-boiler (or DIY double-boiler, see photo below). Optional: also add 1 tablespoon of shea butter and/or a few drops of vitamin E oil if you choose to use it.
- Heat the mixture on the stovetop over medium-low heat (without a lid) and only until the beeswax melts. Stir frequently.
- As soon as everything melts and is thoroughly combined, remove from heat.
- Add essential oils once removed from heat. They're highly volatile and prone to dissipating.
- While it is still hot, carefully pour the liquid salve into your chosen containers. (If it starts to solidify while you’re still filling containers, simply put it back on medium-low heat until it liquifies again.)
- Set the full chickweed salve containers aside (lids off) and allow them to fully cool.
- The chickweed salve will harden as it cools, and then it is ready to use. Use either clean fingers or a salve spoon to collect a small amount of salve, and apply to your skin as needed. A little goes a long way!
- Store your salve containers in a cool, dark location. Homemade chickweed salve can “stay good” for several years. However, it's medicinal potency may decrease with extended time and age.