Winter wreaks complete havoc on my hands. I’m talking peeling and cracking, itching, and lots of irritation. It’s such a bummer and makes me kind of cranky. I’ve tried loads of different moisturizers and lotions, and though they’ve helped, they’ve also fallen short.
A while ago, a friend shared some beeswax salve with me. My hands were in heaven. I decided I needed to start making my own version at home so I could always have a jar next to the kitchen sink and my bedside. This lavender calendula healing hand salve really helps keep my hands soft and supple. What more could I ask for?
How to Make a Healing Hand Balm
Calendula, also known as pot marigold, is a very skin-healing herb—and the scientific community agrees, as studies have shown its use in wound care [source]. Salves and poultices made with calendula have been used for hundreds (and probably thousands!) of years.
The dried petals are available in bulk in some health stores and online. But the infused oil is usually easier to find. If you can find the dried petals, it’s super easy to infuse olive oil with it to make your own skin-soothing oil. (And it’s quite a bit cheaper too.)
Lavender is another favorite when it comes to healing salves and balms [source]. Plus, it smells amazing.
The oils and butters in this recipe are also very healing for the skin. Beeswax helps seal in moisture, while shea butter and olive oil replenish essential fatty acids and repair the skin’s moisture barrier. The coconut oil also adds antimicrobial benefits to keep skin healthy [source].
Best Herbs for Wound Healing
Although I rely on calendula and lavender to give this salve its healing powers, there are a lot of other herbs you can use instead. We like to use peppermint for headaches! If you’d like to experiment, try some of these:
- Burdock
- Astragalus Root
- Angelica
- Camphor
- Turmeric
- Myrrh
[source]
Lavender Calendula Hand Salve
This salve is a little oily (it’s mostly oils, after all!) as it melts on your skin, but I find that it gets absorbed pretty quickly. Use it as often as needed to keep cracks and inflammation at bay.
Oh, and it isn’t just for hands either—use it on your feet, lips, elbows, knees, or anywhere that needs some TLC.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces olive oil
- 2 ounces coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender
- 1 tablespoon dried calendula flowers
- 2 ounces beeswax pellets, white or yellow
- 2 ounces shea butter
- Glass measuring cup
- Pan of simmering water
- Fine mesh strainer
- 8-ounce jar with lid
Instructions
1. Combine the olive and coconut oils in a small pan or glass measuring cup and microwave in 30-second intervals until just melted.
2. Add the lavender and calendula to the warm oils and let steep for about 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently to extract as much oil as possible.
3. Pour back into the glass measuring cup and add the beeswax and shea butter. Heat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently. (If you’re worried about breaking down the beneficial properties in the herbs, place the measuring cup in a saucepan filled 1/3 of the way with water and heat on low until the beeswax and shea butter are melted.)
4. Let cool for a few minutes, then add the lavender essential oil, if using.
5. Pour into a heat-safe, shallow jar with a tight-fitting lid.
How to use
To speed up healing, apply at night before bed and wear gloves to lock in the moisture.
The consistency of this hand salve can be adjusted depending on your preferences. Use less beeswax for a softer salve and more beeswax for a firmer salve. To test the consistency ahead of time, place a spoon in the freezer right before making your salve.
After combining all your oils (step 4 above), dip the cold spoon in the oil mixture and quickly pull it out. The salve should solidify on the spoon within a few seconds, letting you test the consistency. Simply add more liquid oils for a creamier consistency and more beeswax for a firmer one.
Homemade hand balm FAQ
Can you put this healing hand salve on an open wound?
To keep the infection risk to a minimum, I recommend waiting a day or two for the wound to scab over before applying a homemade salve.
Is there a vegan wax I can use in place of beeswax?
Carnauba wax is my favorite vegan wax. Since it has a slightly different texture than beeswax, feel free to adjust the measurements until your balm reaches the right consistency.
Are the measurements in this recipe by volume or weight?
I measure by volume with measuring cups.
How long will the recipe last?
This healing salve will keep for 6 months to a year.
Can I add honey?
Yes! Try this honey hand balm recipe.
Want more balms?
Check out these 13 Homemade Herbal Balms and Salves
Lavender Calendula Healing Hand Salve
Equipment
- Glass measuring cup
- Pan of simmering water
- Fine mesh strainer
- 8 ounce jar with lid
Materials
- 3 ounces olive oil
- 2 ounces coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender
- 1 tablespoon dried calendula petals
- 2 ounces beeswax pellets white or yellow
- 2 ounces shea butter
Instructions
- Combine coconut and olive oils in a glass measuring cup, and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted.
- Add the dried calendula petals and lavender buds.
- Let stand for 30–60 minutes then strain. (Warm again if it's too thick to strain.)
- Place the infused oil back into the measuring cup, and add the beeswax and shea butter. Heat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently. (If you're worried about breaking down the beneficial properties in the herbs, place the measuring cup in a saucepan filled 1/3 of the way with water, and heat on low until the beeswax and shea butter are melted.)
- Remove from heat, and add the lavender essential oil (if using).
- Pour the mixture into a heat-proof glass container and let cool completely.
Notes
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Gina Jansheski, a licensed, board-certified physician who has been practicing for more than 20 years. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
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No, they are not. Calendula is also known as pot marigold. That is not the same as the French marigold that many use in landscaping.
Yes! French marigold, the common flower in many gardens, is NOT calendula also know as POT marigold. This is very important as French marigold is not edible and doesn’t contain the healing properties of calendula and should never be used in its place.
Can you use arrowroot powder to soak up some of the greasiness?
Hi I made the lavender, calendula salve feels great, maybe a little solid ? But great. Does it need to be refrigerated in hot weather?
How many 2 oz tins would this recipe fill?
In the above ingredients list it asks for an 8 ounce jar so guess you would get 4 two ounce tins. Hopefully this does help anyone wondering about the yeild
yvonne
Are these ounces by weight or volume? Thanks!
How much does the final product weigh?
Please do not put anything you want to use as an antibacterial/antimicrobial into the microwave! Microwaves kill beneficial microorganisms. It would be better to melt the solid oils in a pan on low, low heat.
I’m wondering if I could use lavender essential oil instead of the lavender petals? Has anyone tried subbing oils for the flowers?
I make salves and yes you can. Just make sure you use organic or truly pure products! I love lavender infused oil but def infuse some oil with calendula and you can add some good lavender at the end once it’s cooled down. Even frankincense or geranium would be really helpful :)
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe! My five kids and my husband have had the stomach flu this week, so I have been doing A LOT of hand washing. We’ve also had really dry, windy weather, and we’ve been running the heat. So, you can imagine how chapped my hands have gotten.
I reached my breaking point tonight- my skin was itching and cracking, bright red, and almost bleeding. I couldn’t help but scratch, and I was almost in tears because the itching was so bad.
I hopped on Pinterest to find a salve recipe, and yours was one of the first I found. You had me at calendula. I warmed the oils and added the flowers to steep, and waited impatiently with ice packs on top of my hands. I was so thrilled when the timer went off! I added the beeswax, and then added cocoa butter instead of shea butter, since I didn’t have shea (I only used 1T, as I was afraid the cocoa butter would make it too hard, since it’s harder than shea butter). I poured it in a jar, waited another impatient fifteen minutes or so, and then it was cooled enough. Hoorah!
I slathered my hands, and felt instant relief. Ten minutes later, my husband pointed out how much better my hands looked already. I couldn’t believe how much better they felt! Now, an hour or so later, they are only a fading red, and they feel soothed, not unbearably itchy. I am so grateful that you shared this recipe with the world!
As a side note- my substitution worked out quite well. It’s the perfect consistency/texture; not to soft, and not too hard. Solid enough for a salve, but not at all hard. Soft enough to easily slather on the skin, but not at all greasy.
Ah, I made a typo! I meant that I used 1oz cocoa butter, not 1T. :)
Didn’t see an answer to this: is it volume or weight ounces in your recipe?
Thanks!
I’m excited to try this salve! Are the recipe measurements by weight -or- fluid ounces in a measuring cup?
Thanks!
Is your recipe in ounces as in measuring cups or weighed ounces?
Is this a soft and ‘scoopable’ salve?
In winter or when weather cools that is…
It’s not scoopable, it’s more like the texture of lip balm. It can be made more scoopable if you add more oil or less wax. You might have to experiment a bit to get the texture just right.
Hi! Just made the recipe last night. Smells great but it’s too greasy for my liking. Do I just add more beeswax? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Have u tried it on dry and cracked feet
Yes! It works great. Both my husband and I use it and it’s worked a miracle on my son’s cracked (and bleeding) hands.
Hello — how much does this recipe yield??? Thank you!