Homemade Hand Salve

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Gardening season is here! That means most days my hands will be in the dirt doing something. Planting flowers, pulling weeds, and picking vegetables can all take their toll on our hands. The solution…homemade hand salve.

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Homemade hand salve is the perfect way to moisturize your dry hands after a long day of outdoor work. Whether you have a large garden, a couple of flower pots, or just spend a lot of time outdoors, this moisturizing salve is sure to soften your skin.

But it doesn’t have to be used exclusively on your hands. It can be used for cracked heels also. A DIY hand salve would make a nice Mother’s Day gift if Mom is a gardener or spends time outdoors.

But put a different label on it and it would be perfect for the Dad who is a mechanic, works outside a lot, or has unusually dry skin. This homemade hand salve uses only natural ingredients and if you have made any of my other DIY projects, you probably have most of the ingredients on hand.

I use this frequently on my own skin if I get a cut or an insect bite. It seems to quickly lesson the pain and itching associated with bug bites.

What Is a Hand Salve?

homemade hand salve and lip balm
A tin of hand salve makes a lovely gift alongside a lip balm for your favorite gardener.

A salve is an oil-based formula used to soothe dry, cracked, rough skin. It is typically made from various moisturizing oils and butters, sometimes with beeswax and sometimes without.

The salve is applied to the skin and forms a protective layer to keep moisture in.

Most recipes floating around the web call for you to purchase dried herbs and flowers. (Some even have you drying fresh herbs first.) You then infuse the oil with the dried plants and strain out all the dried plant material after a period of time. This can take several days to several weeks.

As a busy Mom, I don’t have time to do all that. To keep it simple, we are using essential oils. This is an easy way to get the healing properties of herbal-infused herbs without all the hard work.

And even if you don’t have lavender essential oil, you can use different essential oils. However, the salve will still work just fine without any essential oils at all.

Supplies for Homemade Hand Salve

If you have made any of my DIY projects from earlier, you may already have most of these ingredients in your pantry. If not, most can be found reasonably priced on Amazon.

  • beeswax – using beeswax pellets makes this easier.
  • coconut oil
  • grapeseed oil or jojoba oil or sweet almond oil
  • shea butter Cocoa butter also works well.
  • essential oils-I used lavender, but tea tree, rosemary, eucalyptus, and/or peppermint would also be nice. Plant Therapy is my favorite brand.

Tools:

free essential oil blend box to get the list free

How to Make an Easy Hand Salve

First, measure the grapeseed oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax into the pyrex container.  Set aside. Add about 2″ water to a saucepan and place the pyrex container in the saucepan.

Be sure that the water will not splash into the pyrex container. Set this make-shift double boiler over medium heat. As the mixture melts, stir occasionally. The coconut oil will be the first to melt and the beeswax will be the last.

Remove the pyrex container from the water bath when the beeswax is almost melted. Stir to finish melting.

Once everything has melted, allow the mixture to cool slightly. Stir in the lavender essential oil. Dry the bottom of the pyrex container. Then, pour into the tins while the mixture is still warm.

This makes enough for 3 tins of homemade salve. Leave the lids off the tins until the salve is completely cool. Once cool, put the lids on and label as you would like. I used the Avery Design & Print Software to make these labels.

You can get a free printable copy of this easy hand salve recipe at the bottom of this post – no email required.

Clean Up

It is easiest to clean up the measuring cup and spoon while everything is still warm. Using a paper towel, wipe out the pyrex measuring cup and the spoon and wash in warm soapy water or toss them in the dishwasher.

How to Use This Homemade Hand Salve

Using this homemade hand salve is easy. After coming in from the garden, wash your hands well. Dip a finger into the container and remove a small amount.

Rub over hands to condition and protect them. It is also a good idea to apply another layer before bed. You can also use this on your feet to condition dry heels.

More Gift Ideas

homemade hand salve
Hand salve and lip balm.

A homemade bar of exfoliating soap  or a lip balm would make a nice addition to this gift, especially if you are planning on gifting this to Mom for Mother’s Day. There are also plenty of other great gifts for Mother’s Day under the DIY tab on my blog.

free essential oil blend box to get the list free

Making homemade gifts doesn’t have to take very long. It shows family and friends how much you care. Do you ever make homemade gifts? What is your favorite gift to give?

Homemade Hand Salve
Cook Time
15 mins
 

This easy homemade hand salve is perfect to soothe dry winter skin.

Course: DIY
Cuisine: DIY
Keyword: homemade hand salve
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
  • 3 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 Tablespoons shea butter
  • 2 Tablespoons beeswax
  • 30 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
  1. Measure the grapeseed oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax into the pyrex container. Set aside.

  2. Add about 2" water to a saucepan and place the pyrex container in the saucepan. Be sure that the water will not splash into the pyrex container. Set this make-shift double boiler over medium heat.

  3. As the mixture melts, stir occasionally. The coconut oil will be the first to melt and the beeswax will be the last.

  4. Remove the pyrex container from the water bath when the beeswax is almost melted. Stir to finish melting.

  5. Once everything has melted, allow the mixture to cool slightly. Stir in the lavender essential oil. Dry the bottom of the pyrex container.

  6. Then, pour into the tins while the mixture is still warm. This makes enough for 3 tins. Leave the lids off the tins until the salve is cool.

Related DIY Recipes

homemade hand salve
Gardening can really dry out your hands. This easy homemade hand salve will soothe your skin with nourishing ingredients.

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6 Comments

  1. Did you have a link for your beautiful labels? I have trouble navigating Avery Designs to get what I want.

  2. I’ll have to try this out. I will be spending a lot of time in the garden this year, and my skin gets really dry. This seems really easy to do and has ingredients I can find. Thanks Julia

  3. This might be just the perfect gift to make for the women at our table we are hosting at our Ladies Tea!! Your recipes always turn out and are simple to follow.