by Jan Berry
See picture here.
Variation: Other flowers that work well in this recipe include chamomile, calendula and rose.
Thyme & Raw Honey Mask
This mask is ideal for irritated or blemished skin. Thyme is a classic antibacterial and antiacne herb, and raw honey heals and soothes a variety of inflamed conditions. Tamanu is a well-researched and amazing oil that’s been added to the recipe for its ability to repair damaged skin, scar tissue and a variety of other skin ailments. French green clay rounds out the mix and helps draw out impurities from within the skin. This mask will leave your skin feeling clean without stripping away moisture.
YIELD: 1 APPLICATION
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
½ tsp French green clay
½ to 1 tsp raw honey
¼ tsp tamanu oil
Using an electric coffee grinder or traditional mortar and pestle, grind the thyme leaves, then sift through a fine mesh strainer. This should yield around ½ teaspoon thyme powder.
Stir the thyme powder and clay together in a small bowl, then stir in the honey and tamanu oil. If your skin is extremely oily, you may want to skip the oil and add more honey instead, if needed, until a thick paste is formed.
Using your fingers, generously spread the mask over your face and neck and leave on for 5 to 10 minutes. The honey makes the mask somewhat sticky, so it’s okay if it doesn’t go on perfectly smooth and even.
To remove, wet a washcloth in very hot, but still comfortable, water. Lay the cloth over your face and neck for around 30 seconds, then wipe the mask off. You may need to repeat this process a few times until the mask is no longer visible on your skin. Rinse off any remaining residue with clean running water.
Variation: If French green clay isn’t available, try kaolin or another type of cosmetic clay instead.
Dried Flowers & Herbs Mask
Because of their ability to draw out dirt and deep-clean pores, cosmetic clays make terrific face masks. Try combining your favorite clay with ground flowers and herbs for an added boost of healing, soothing or bacteria-fighting properties. Below are a few recipes to get you started, but look at the list of flower and herb properties here and get creative with what you have available!
To turn dry clay into a mask, you’ll need to add enough liquid to it to form a paste that’s easy to spread over your face. Those with dry or sensitive skin may choose to use moisturizing honey, milk or aloe, while someone with oily or acne-prone skin may use witch hazel.
Sage is a drying, antimicrobial herb, making the Sage Green Mask best suited for oily skin. Try mixing with witch hazel and apply to areas plagued with blackheads.
Inflammation-taming cornflower and soothing lavender pair up nicely in the pretty Lavender Blue Mask featuring Cambrian blue clay. This mask could be mixed with aloe for dry or combination skin or with witch hazel or water for oily complexions.
Powdered rose petals and pink kaolin clay make up the lovely Rose Pink Mask with astringent properties. Try mixing it with yogurt or milk to enjoy the benefits of their skin-softening alpha hydroxy acids.
YIELD: AROUND 2 TABLESPOONS (17 TO 20 GRAMS)
FOR THE SAGE GREEN MASK
1 tbsp (1 g) dried sage leaves
1 tbsp (16 g) French green clay
FOR THE LAVENDER BLUE MASK
1 tbsp (3 g) dried lavender flowers
1 tbsp (1 g) dried cornflower (bachelor button) petals
1 tbsp (16 g) Cambrian blue clay
FOR THE ROSE PINK MASK
1 tbsp (1 g) dried rose petals
1 tbsp (16 g) rose kaolin clay
Water, witch hazel, milk, yogurt or honey as needed to form a paste
Using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the dried flowers and herbs to a fine powder, sifting through a fine mesh strainer if necessary. Stir the resulting powder into the clay until fully incorporated. Store in small jars or containers. Shelf life is 1 year.
To use, place a pinch in the palm of your hand. Add a few drops of your chosen liquid until a paste is formed. Apply to your face and leave for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse well with warm running water. Use once per week or spot treat problem areas as needed.
Naturally Soothing Salves & Balms
Salves and balms are soft, spreadable preparations for your skin consisting of herbal oils and beeswax. They can be applied to help heal, soothe or improve various skin and health maladies.
In this chapter, I share a few of my favorite salve and balm recipes, such as Regenerating Rose Balm, loaded with skin-healing rosehip seed oil, and soothing Sunflower Salve, perfect for rubbing over areas that tend to get dry and rough, such as knees, elbows and heels.
Learn how to combine peppermint and pine to make a powerful salve that helps massage away headaches, or turn lavender into a sweetly scented and calming balm ideal for using right before bedtime.
Once you’ve tried a recipe and seen how simple yet effective salves and balms are, check out the section on building your own salve and share your new creations with friends and family!
Lavender, Coconut & Honey Balm
The raw honey in this balm is a wonderful skin-regenerating agent, making it perfect for rubbing over rough, dry areas such as elbows, knees and feet. Coconut oil helps moisturize and protect skin while lavender adds a sweet scent and calming element. This balm might be slightly sticky when you first apply it and takes a bit of time to fully absorb, so apply a thin layer before bedtime and enjoy waking up to noticeably smoother, silkier skin!
YIELD: ½ CUP (120 ML)
¼ cup (9 g) dried lavender flowers
½ cup (100 g) coconut oil
2 tbsp (20 g) tightly packed beeswax, grated or pastilles
2 tsp (10 ml) raw honey
Lavender essential oil (optional)
Infuse the lavender in the coconut oil using the Quick Method here. Once it has sufficiently infused, strain the oil. You can store this infused oil for around 9 to 12 months before making the balm, if you’d like.
When you’re ready to make the balm, combine the lavender-infused oil and beeswax in a heatproof container such as a canning jar. For easy cleanup, you can repurpose an empty tin can for this project. Set the jar down into a small saucepan containing a few inches of water, then place the pan over a medium-low burner until the beeswax has melted.
Remove from heat and stir in the honey for 3 to 4 minutes. Allow the balm to thicken, undisturbed, for around 5 to 10 minutes, then stir thoroughly for several more minutes. This extra amount of stirring will help prevent the honey from separating out of the balm.
If desired, add a few drops of lavender essential oil for scent, then spoon the finished balm into a glass jar. Massage into dry areas before bedtime and wake up to softer smoother skin.
Shelf life of the salve is 6 to 9 months, if stored in a cool location, out of direct sunlight.
Variation: Not a fan of lavender? Try using chamomile or calendula for their skin-soothing properties. If you’re allergic to coconut, try using another oil such as sunflower, avocado or sweet almond instead.
Sunflower Salve
When drying sunflowers for seed, don’t forget to save the beautiful yellow petals for projects such as this one! The sunny flowers are skin soothing and anti-inflammatory. Paired here with sunflower oil, which has been shown to be especially effective at healing broken or damaged skin, this double sunflower combo is perfect for smoothing over areas of dry, chapped skin.
YIELD: FILLS 3 (2-OUNCE [60-ML]) TINS
¼ cup (5 g) dried sunflower petals
Around ½ cup (120 ml) sunflower oil
1½ tbsp (15 g) tightly packed beeswax, grated or pastilles
Lemongrass or orange essential oil (optional)
Infuse the sunflower petals into the sunflower oil using one of the methods here. Once it has sufficiently infused, strain the oil. You can store this infused oil up to 9 to 12 months before making the salve.
When you’re ready to make the salve, measure or weigh the sunfl
ower-infused oil and make sure you have ½ cup (120 ml). If needed, add a little more plain sunflower oil to reach that total. Place the infused oil and beeswax in a heatproof jar or container. Set the jar down into a small saucepan containing 1 or 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of water, then place the pan over a medium-low burner until the beeswax has melted.
Remove from heat. If you’d like, add 4 to 5 drops of essential oil for scent at this time. Lemongrass and orange are two choices that match the bright and sunny nature of this salve perfectly.
Carefully pour into tins or jars. Shelf life is around 6 to 9 months, if stored in a cool location, out of direct sunlight.
Variation: Instead of sunflowers, you could also try sunny calendula, another wonderful skin-healing flower.
Regenerating Rose Balm
This soft balm harnesses the skin-calming properties of rose petals and the reparative action of rosehip seed oil. Shea butter is high in vitamins A and E and excellent for treating weathered or damaged skin, while sweet almond oil provides beneficial fatty acids and helps soften skin. At bedtime, dab this balm around your eyes, on laugh lines, your forehead and anywhere else you’d like to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, aging or scars.
YIELD: FILLS 3 (2-OUNCE [60-ML]) TINS
2 tbsp (1 g) dried rose petals, crumbled
Around ¼ cup (60 ml) sweet almond oil
¼ cup (35 g) shea butter
1½ tbsp (15 g) tightly packed beeswax, grated or pastilles
1 tbsp (15 ml) rosehip seed oil
Geranium or rose essential oil (optional)
Infuse the rose petals into the sweet almond oil using one of the methods here. Once it has sufficiently infused, strain the oil. You can store the finished infused oil for several months before making the balm.
When you’re ready to make the balm, combine the rose-infused oil, shea butter and beeswax in a canning jar or other heatproof container. Since rosehip seed oil is heat sensitive, we’ll add that later. Set the jar down into a small saucepan filled with 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of water, then place the pan over a medium-low burner until the beeswax has melted.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the rosehip seed oil. You can add 4 to 5 drops of geranium or rose essential oil at this time for scent or leave it unscented.
Carefully pour into 3 (2-ounce [60-ml]) tins or a small 4-ounce (120-ml) canning jar. Shelf life of the salve is 6 to 9 months, if stored in a cool location, out of direct sunlight.
Peppermint Pine Headache Salve
This salve contains mint to cool inflammation and pine for its mild pain-relieving properties. Tamanu oil is a wonderful addition to pain-relief salves, but if you don’t have any, just use more infused oil instead. While the mint infused oil will have a light scent of its own, peppermint essential oil adds a deeper cooling sensation that really helps make this salve more effective. Massage the salve onto your temples, forehead, back of neck and between your shoulder blades when suffering from a headache. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and consciously allow the muscles of your face, jaw and shoulders to relax.
YIELD: 4 OUNCES (120 ML)
2 tbsp (2 g) dried mint leaves, crumbled
2 tbsp (2 g) dried pine needles, chopped
⅔ cup (160 ml) sunflower or olive oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) tamanu oil
0.5 oz (14 g) beeswax
½ to ¾ tsp peppermint essential oil
Infuse the mint leaves and pine needles into the sunflower or olive oil using one of the methods here. Once it has sufficiently infused, strain the oil. You can store this infused oil for up to 9 to 12 months before making the salve.
When you’re ready to make the salve, combine ½ cup (120 ml) of the infused oil with the tamanu oil and beeswax in a canning jar or other heatproof container. Set the container down into a small saucepan containing 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of water, then place the pan over a medium-low burner until the beeswax has melted.
Remove from heat and stir in the peppermint oil. Carefully pour the hot mixture into tins or jars.
Depending on your preference, you may want a softer or firmer salve. If so, just remelt the product and add a pinch more beeswax for a firmer consistency or a little more oil for a softer salve.
If your pain persists, is chronic or gets worse, check with your health care provider for further advice.
Shelf life of the salve is around 6 to 9 months, if stored in a cool location, out of direct sunlight.
Tip: Gather pine needles from the trees around your house and spread them out on a clean dishtowel for a day or two to dry. If you don’t have pine trees in your area, try using a few drops of fir needle essential oil in your salve instead.
Dandelion Cuticle Balm
Try massaging this soft balm into the area around your nails several times a day to heal rough, dry cuticles and to strengthen nail beds. Dandelion flowers are a superb remedy for cracked, damaged skin. Tamanu oil has been widely studied for its remarkable abilities to treat tough skin conditions, but if it’s not easily available, you can substitute with more dandelion-infused oil instead.
YIELD: 2 OUNCES (56 G)
1.75 oz (52 ml) dandelion-infused olive or sunflower oil (see for how to infuse oil)
0.25 oz (7 g) beeswax
1 tsp tamanu oil
Few drops of lavender or other favorite essential oil (optional)
Combine all of the ingredients in a heatproof jar or upcycled tin can. Set the jar down into a small saucepan containing 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of water. Place the pan over a medium-low burner and heat until the wax is melted. Remove from heat.
If you’d like, stir in a few drops of essential oil. Lavender is a good choice because it helps heal damaged skin, but if you’re not a fan of lavender, use another favorite scent instead. Pour the balm into small tins. Shelf life is around 6 to 9 months.
Massage into your cuticles and nails several times a day, or as needed.
See photo here.
Tip: When picking dandelions, make sure they’re from an area that hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals. Also, save a few for the bees to enjoy, since they’re an important early food source for them!
Create Your Own Salve
Now that I’ve shared a few of my favorites with you, I’d like to show you how to create your own customized salve.
YIELD: 4 OZ (113 G)
BASIC RECIPE
3.5 oz (103 ml) infused oil (see here for how to infuse oil)
0.5 oz (14 g) beeswax (or 7 to 9 g vegan candelilla wax)
Look over the list of common herbs and flowers and their benefits at the beginning of this book (here) and determine which one sounds good to use in your salve. You could try calendula for diaper rash, lemon balm for cold sores or plantain for a first aid salve, but don’t let those few suggestions limit you.
Choose an oil that sounds like it best fits your skin type, or perhaps one that’s easily available to you, such as olive or coconut. Infuse the oil with your chosen herb or flower.
Next, decide if you want to add any essential oils for scent or their therapeutic properties. If you’re making this for a baby or someone who is pregnant or nursing, it’s usually best to skip the essential oils. However, for the general population you could try skin-soothing lavender, germ-fighting tea tree oil or perhaps a few drops of refreshing peppermint.
Finally, combine the oil and beeswax together in a heatproof canning jar or, for easiest cleanup, an upcycled soup or other unlined tin can. Place the jar in a saucepan containing a few inches of water to form a makeshift double boiler. Heat the water over a medium-low burner until the oil and wax melt together.
Remove from heat, stir in the essential oil if you’re using one and pour into a jar. A 4-ounce (120-ml) canning jar should be just the right size for this recipe. Allow the salve time to setup, then cap and store in a cool, dark area. Shelf life is around 6 to 9 months.
If you find that your salve is too soft, you can melt it back to a liquid state and add more beeswax to fi
rm it up. Likewise, if it’s too solid for your taste, add more oil instead.
That’s all there is to it! From that basic framework, you can branch out and make bigger and better batches as you go along.
Exotic Body Butters & Lotion Bars
Body butters and lotion bars are super simple to whip up and make wonderful gifts for friends and family!
Lotion bars are something like a salve or waterless lotion, only in a more solid form. They’re perfect for rubbing over dry hands, elbows, feet and heels. If you work outdoors or with your hands a lot, you’ll find that lotion bars are one of the best treatments around for healing cracked, damaged skin.
While body butters share a similar ingredient profile with lotion bars, along with the same ability to nourish your skin, they have a light and fluffy consistency instead. They work well when applied after an evening bath or shower, and help to seal moisture in your skin all night.
Dandelion Body Butter
Apply a thin layer of this airy body butter at night for smoother skin in the morning. Body butters are rich, so remember that a little bit goes a long way! Dandelion flowers were chosen for this recipe since they’re especially effective at relieving chapped, dry skin. Mango butter softens and helps skin retain moisture, but if it’s not available, shea butter makes an equally lovely stand-in. Sweet almond oil is high in healthy fatty acids and absorbs into your skin nicely, but if you’re allergic to tree nuts, grapeseed is another excellent choice. Two popular essential oil choices for a clean citrus scent are litsea cubeba or lemongrass, but feel free to use your own personal favorite or omit altogether.
YIELD: FILLS 3 (2-OUNCE [60-ML]) JARS
