Herbal Branch 19:

Happy Valentines Day!

Kimberly here. This holiday presents each of us with a terrific opportunity to once more integrate herbs into our lives. For this branch we want to offer you a simple recipe for caring for your…LIPS.

Yes, we are making lip balm. Why is it sweet? Because this lip balm is made with honey! The recipe is simple and my friend Rachael and I played around with it so we could offer you our best suggestions for making it perfect the first time.

How is honey herbal?

Well, if you think about it, bees were nature’s first herbalists. They make all of their amazing creations from plants.

Honey has some amazing healing properties. Here are a few facts…

• Most harmful bacteria can not survive in hydrogen peroxide, which honey contains. It disinfects and heals skin wounds.

• Honey provides a moist healing barrier between wound and dressing with no sticking issues and no tissue damage.

• Honey supplies nutrients necessary for healthy tissue regeneration, stimulates growth of new blood capillaries and increase the oxygenation of tissue.

• Honey provides an anti-inflammatory action, which reduces welling, pain, and odor.

• Honey is effective on cuts, wounds, burns, insect bites, skin conditions like eczema, and even fungal infections like athlete’s foot.

SO… with that in mind, it certainly sheds a new light on making lip balm with honey, right? We are not only providing you with this recipe because it is sweet and it is Valentine’s Day, we are also sharing it with you because it is herbal and incredibly healing.

Ready to make your lip balm? If you need any almond oil, essential oil, beeswax, or tins and can’t find them locally, then click here to purchase high quality ingredients.

Rose Scented Honey Lip Balm

• 4 Tablespoons almond oil

• 2 Tablespoons grated beeswax

• 1 Teaspoon Honey

• 10 drops of rose essential oil

If you haven't already, grate your wax.

First warm the almond oil and beeswax in a double boiler (or a small pan will do if you stir it constantly and use very low heat) until the wax melts.

Remove from the heat, add the honey, and stir thoroughly. (We found that a more refined honey (like you buy from the grocery store) worked better than our raw honey from a local friend’s beehive. Still some of the honey seemed to settle as bubbles at the bottom of the pan.)

You can add the 10 drops of essential oil at this point and then pour the lip balm into tubes.

Our recommendation for this recipe, however is to pour it into tins or a small wide-mouthed glass jar so you can stir it as its cooling. This helps that settled honey get distributed throughout the mixture. Once the mixture is in the tins or jar (if that's what you are using), you can then add the rose essential oil.

Stir a few times while it’s cooling (it will harden within a half hour at room temperature).

Enjoy smoothing it onto your lips. The Almond oil and beeswax will make a protective barrier against wind and cold. Besides tasting sweet on your lips, the honey will actually help your lips retain their moisture.

Feel free to play around with the amount of beeswax to get the consistency you like. This was just right for us, but you may like yours softer or harder.

Making lip balms with healing herbal oils!

This is for Herbal Medicine Making Kit & Roots and Branches students (or anyone else who makes their own salves). To make a lip balm with a healing herbal oil like cottonwood or calendula, make it JUST LIKE A SALVE, but you need to DOUBLE the beeswax amount. And, if you want a better lip balm, use almond oil instead of olive oil. It is less greasy. You can even use different kinds of essential oils like citrus or mint flavors!

 

Happy experimenting, and Happy, healthful, sweet VALENTINES DAY!

-Kimberly

 

Once again, get your almond oil, essential oils, beeswax, tins/containers, books, bulk herbs and LOADS more...