what do you use your homemade salve for?

[3bees~1flower]

just lookin' for ideas here....thanks!

[pottermamma]

Hi 3boyz4us ~ thought since you didn't get a response yet, I'd reply!!!
We use our calendula salve for Dh and Ds's excema, they use it every time they come out of the shower and Ds loves to help put it on!!! They never have any problems iwth excema when that stuff is around!!! i use it on my heels (which are often dry and cracked) and it clears that up in about a day or 2 and they are smooth, I also suse it as just a scented hand cream. I use it on cuts, scrapes etc under the bandaid (but I don't use any essential oils in this mixture I do for the other uses, but I make at least one without for this use), Diaper rash......It works great for any skin problems!!!!!

[3bees~1flower]

hi, pottermomma! thanks for the reply! i am excited to get all my stuff so i can get to makin' some! i just had a few random questions...do you mind me asking?

how do you decide how much of something to put in if you are trying something different? i want to use cocoa butter, but haven't found any recipes that say want ratios to use for this?

how do you weigh you stuff? all the recipes give ounces...i don't know how/have anything to measure in oz...do you just use a kitchen scale?

when heating stuff up, making the oil infusion and then melting wax/butters and what-not, is it ok to use a teflon pan? all i have are the pampered chef pans? i know you can melt the wax in the microwave, but what about the oil infusion? would those pans be ok?

that's all i can think of that has been swimming in my head wondering about......thanks again for the reponse and for all your great info!!

btw, i ended up ordering tins and plastic jars from that www.mountainroseherbs.com site...did you find any you like?

talk to you later!!

edited to add: woohoo!! i just got my herbs this afternoon, lavender, calendula, and chamomile!! WOW, 16 oz is A LOT of dried flowers......i can't wait to get the rest....man they smell good...i can't believe how much the lavender *actually* smells like my lavender eo...i always thought all herbs smelled like weeds... ...anyway, just wanted to share....oh, can you take one more question? how do you reccomend i store all these dried flowers? thanks so much!!

[pottermamma]

That is great you got all your herbs yesterday!!!!! How fun!!!!! They all do smell beautiful huh!!!!!
I've not made any using cocoa butter yet..but it would seem to me (and I KNOW someone else would have a better answer) that you could use a bit of cocoa butter in place of some of the oil cause when you melt it down it turns into an oil (at least that is what I remember from using some on DS when he was a babe)..When I make mine I just go for it and use tablespoons of oil and wax, trying to remember what I used that worked...It is so forgiving though.. If it is too hard or too soft once it drys, jus re-melt and add more oil or wax. I know on that other thread I mentioned below though some people posted their recipes...so definately check that out.
I'm not sure about measurements cause I use fresh herbs and measure nothing. I fill a glass jar (been recycling my jars and use some other kerr jars I have around) with the flower then fill it again with the oil and let it sit for about 6 weeks..so..I think you can do this with dried flowers..but I 'd check with those that recommended their use in that thread that was linked to the other thread you found just recently(I don't know how to make links or I'd do it for you).
I use cast iron, cause that is what I have..I'm not sure about the teflon. Could it ruin the coating??? and it may release some of that into your salve... but it also may no and would be totally fine.
~ I'm not much help so far huh!!!! I'll keep tryin though!!!!
OH, I know this one..I store all my herbs (I use a lot of dried herbs for tea and such from the store) in glass jars. Again, I just save my jars from jelly, salsa, etc (not spaghetti sauce though cause I can never get the smell out), wash them out really well, take the alabel off and put my herbs in there wiht homemade lables on them.

Any other questions I'll try to help as best I can...So... just ask!!!!! Happy Salve Making!!!!!

[3bees~1flower]

thankyou!! i'll look in my old pans for a stainless steel one, just to be sure...i think i still have them.

i just dug out all my jars out of my recycle sacks... :LOL ....i *really* hope i can make this work and be able to sell some of it....

why don't you do the oil infusion on the stove like some suggest? have you had bad luck with that?

have you ever grown herbs inside in the winter time? would any of them grow?

what EOs do you use? i ordered frankinsense, clary sage, and lavandin...i also have a bunch of others from another company that i'm a distributor for...i don't sell them to other peole tho, just for my own use...i have always had trouble knowing what to do with the oils...now i can make salve with them...maybe branch out into lotion or creams...

ok, i'll stop rambling.... ...

bye...

[pottermamma]

I don't do the infusion on the stove only because I read this recipe that I use from Susan Weed's Herbal for the childbearing year and 1). I really like her and trust that she is an accomplished herbalist and 2). I feel the same is probably true with cooking herbs as is true with cooking food, the more you cook it the less nutrition is in it (beneficial properties for the herbs). I'm not saying this is true, just my own thoughts..you cook it at such a low temp, I am probably wrong, but I like the way I'm doing it and it came out so nicely last year (plus for me it is actually easier this way as I can just pick the herbs, chop them up and put them in the jar with the oil and boom, I'm done...I do have to wait for it to be done, but for me that is the only draw back
I haven't ever tried growing them inside during the winter..I stasrte many of my plants inside by March, but I don't know if the light would be correct in the winter KWIM(I believe that plants need a certain amt of light per day to bloom)...I have thought about trying it though...I have some great southern exposure windows and get plenty of sun being in NM + I have some calendula in pots like I told you...so..maybe I'll try it this year???? I'll probably go ask someone in the gardening forum first...It is so nice to be able to share in the wisdom of others here huh!!!!
I used lavender EO, gardenia and lilac last year. I used them in combos also. The combo I liked the best was lavender and gardenia. Straight lilac was great though too!!! Many oils smell so good though..I don't think you could go wrong...just depends on if you are looking for the different properties of the oils ie: I used lavender in the ones I made for friends babies cause it is calming...othe than that I think many of them would make nice additions to salves!!!
And if you figure out how to make homemade lotion I'd love to share the recipe...Dh really wants me to learn how to do this, but I just can't find any kind of recipe out there!!!!
You have to let me know how your stuff comes out...I hope it works out really well for you (I'm sure it will, it really is so easy!!!) and I bet you will have no problem selling it...everyone I shared it with last year loved it!!!!!!

[pottermamma]

OK ~ just wanted to tell you I'm totally wrong on the coca butter thing, it was coconut oil we used...worked really well though..wonder what kinda salve that would make?????????? Maybe I'll try it???? Sorry to throw you off though..I have no idea about making the salve with the butters:

[PJsmomma]

can you please !!! tell me where is this recipe and how do I make some!!