By Hannah Schenker and Go Native
These days we want to know what’s going into our bodies – the foods we eat, what we put on our skin, face, hair, bodies – and those of our children. We look for products that contain no nasties, but have you ever considered making your own? It’s easy. Start with a basic balm as it’s impossible to fail, and when you’re comfortable with that you can move on to more other things like massage oils, deodorants, shampoo and conditioner, even soap. Making your own balms is SO easy, there’s no need to ever buy a balm again. If you can make toast, you can make a balm! Here are four basic balms to get you started – and please note: be sure to research your essential oil/s first to make sure they’re suitable for use on the skin.
Lip balm basic recipe:
(Makes 100g)
- 85g olive oil
- 15g beeswax
- Essential oil/s of choice
Melt the first two, add a few drops essential oil, stir, pour into a container and leave to set. Done!
Go Native Winter Balm – for coughs and colds
Vicks VapoRub has long been a staple in many cupboards for many years. But do you know what’s actually in it? Apart from the natural ingredients like camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol, there is also petrolatum (petroleum jelly) in there. Petrolatum comes from crude oil, a non-renewable resource, and while it’s long been used in skincare (Vaseline anyone?), there are plenty of other alternatives. So…time to make your own winter balm!
(Makes 100g)
- 40g olive oil
- 15g castor oil
- 15g beeswax
- 12g camphor essential oil
- 10g menthol crystals
- 8g eucalyptus blue gum essential oil
Melt the olive oil, beeswax and castor oil gently. Add the menthol crystals and stir until they have melted. Add the rest, pour into a container and leave to set. Easy!
See next page for calendula nappy balm and shea butter balm recipes!
