Thursday, February 21, 2013

What the... salve?

My friend from college, Purrincup, suggested that I do a info session on SALVES!
What an awesome idea :)

What is an all-natural salve? What is it made from?
Salves ointments that help sooth body surfaces.  There are all sorts of salves on the market, but the ones I'm referring to here are the all-natural ones, made from a general base of beeswax, butters, oils and infused oils/essential oils.  Commercial salves often consist of synthetic hardeners, fragrances and fillers.  In the last year I've spent learning about hazardous substances at my day job, it's been really eye opening to see exactly what is being used in modern personal care products!

What are salves used for?
Depending on the ingredients used, the uses are endless.  A base of oils and beeswax makes the product inherently moisturizing.  Some salves are used as moisturizers, some for burns, others to sooth irritated skin.

Let's use He Qi Naturals' Vanilla Lavender Multipurpose Salve as an example:

I tried to formulate a multipurpose balm-- kind of a one-balm-addresses-most-common-bothers kinda product.  I MAY consider 1 other formulation in the future but until pen hits paper and oil hits the glass.... that's for another time.

The base of beeswax, shea butter, mango butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado and grapeseed oil really helps provide moisture and nutrients for your skin. This base allows this product to be excellent for healing cracked elbows/heels.  I added lavender essential oil (in a very small amount, since essential oils are highly concentrated) to help soothe and provide a bit of scent.  Vanilla infused jojoba oil has an aromatherapy benefit to help calm and relax. 

A little goes a long way. There's no need to layer it on-- rub your fingers on the balm, rub onto area to be "treated" and apply as often as you want.  So long as you're not allergic to the ingredients, these products are safe for all skin types!

A few people who have used this balm have noticed the following:
- heat rashes are soothed
- no more dry elbow skin
- excellent as cuticle moisturizer, this size would last forever
- spot moisturizer for certain dry areas of the face throughout the day
- great lip balm

Salves with essential oils like mint and eucalyptus can help alleviate chest aches/pains associated with asthma, coughs, etc.  Yes, salves are quite holistic!  These are products (in their all natural form) that do not cause harm to the body.  No fillers, no weird chemicals. 

I just made a fresh batch of our MultiPurpose salve, which you can get HERE.

Thanks for reading!  If you have any questions about salves, please don't hesitate to ask!


Lisa
lisaHQCD@gmail.com


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