Raise your hand if your skin takes a beating during the cold winter months. Unless you’re lucky enough to live in the tropics, it’s safe to say that your hands are most likely chapped from frequent washings and in need of a little extra TLC. But one thing you learn rather quickly during the winter is that high-quality hand balm can cost a small fortune–especially if you’re looking for something thick and creamy but also non-toxic. Luckily this homemade honey balm is the perfect antidote for all your dry-skin woes. Just slather on a little bit in the morning and wave goodbye to dry, cracked, irritated hands.
Rich Honey Hand Balm
Trust me when I say that this stuff works miracles. While it makes an amazing hand balm, you can also use it as an after-shower lotion, cuticle cream, hair conditioner, and on anything else that might need a little extra moisture this winter. My husband even has a jar of his own that he uses as a beard balm and sparingly as a hair gel. But the real beauty of this balm is that it’s made with beeswax and raw honey so it’s thick (and I do mean thick!) enough to lock in moisture while the honey helps heal wounds and calm irritation.
In addition to its calming and healing properties, here are several other ways honey helps combat dry winter skin:
Antimicrobial
Honey is naturally anti-bacterial and antimicrobial, so it can help to calm inflammation and help prevent future infections.
Balances skin pH
Because it’s slightly acidic, honey help regulate skin pH, thus promoting healing and regeneration.
Natural moisturizer
Natural moisturizerThe sugars in honey act as a natural humectants, meaning they help increase moisture in the skin and reduces dryness, even after being washed off.
High in nutrients and antioxidants
Honey delivers key amino acids, vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants to skin cells, helping to nourish the skin and prevent free-radical damage.
When it comes to texture, this recipe is somewhere between a firm wax and a creamy oil. But if you would like a thicker, more solid balm, increase the amount of beeswax. If you would like a creamier, more spreadable balm, add more oil. It’s a rather forgiving recipe so feel free to play around with it until you find the texture that is right for you.
A note about choosing scents: This time of year something wintery is always a good choice. Try adding eucalyptus for the sinuses or something simple and classic like lavender and vanilla. I would stay away from cinnamon because, while it smells super warm and festive, it can be rather irritating on the skin. And peppermint, to a lesser degree, falls into this category too—a little goes a long way.
Rich Honey Hand Balm
Yield 8 ounces
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup almond oil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 tablespoons beeswax pastilles
- 1 tablespoon shea butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey
- Essential oils
- 8-ounce glass jar or several small tins with lids
Instructions
- Combine everything except for the raw honey in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second increments for 2 minutes, until the oils and beeswax have completely melted.
- Whisk in the raw honey and 10-20 drops of the essential oil of your choice and immediately pour into a glass jar.
- Let cool to room temperature before testing. If you would like to adjust the texture, re-melt the balm and add either more beeswax or more oil until the desired texture is reached.
Just made this and used a tad before setting. It’s wonderful and luxurious. No problems with the honey but I used a whisk and the oil mix was very hot.
One thing I have noticed is that the shea butter smells overpowering and even though I used a lot of drop a of lemon eucalyptus and a little lavender oil, I can still smell the shea on my hands and in the kitchen.
What can be used as a preservative to keep this from going bad. Also what is a good emusifier?
Hi! I was wondering if I can use simply grated beeswax instead of pastilles thank you!
I’d imagine so, the beeswax is just melted in with the oil mix so grated would be fine.
Thank you for this recipe! I have tried making this balm and it is great but I cannot get the honey to mix with the oils. It starts separating into tiny little bubbles and won’t mix. Does anyone know what I did wrong? Please let me know thank you!! :)
This happened to me, too, Kerin. :( Quick online search says we need to use an emulsifier, but I didn’t have anything on hand that would work. Also I found a suggestion to use a preservative to prevent mold or bacteria growth in recipes calling for honey.
I’m going to look into both of those before trying this recipe again.
Thank you for the recipe! I can’t wait to see how it helps my hubby’s poor cracked hands! But my honey wouldn’t dissolve, just spread out on the bottom. How can I avoid that next time?
Sitting here with cold and dry hands… I guess I really have to try this one. :) Cannot rate the recipe yet though, as I haven’t tried it yet. It does sound really good though!
Oh my goodness, what a great balm. Haven’t used it on my hands yet, still too hot, the balm, not the weather, but, it’s the best lip balm I’ve ever used. Thanks and Happy New Year!
As I have gotten older my face (mainly forehead) dries out at night. Have made several batches of lotion and none have worked. Till now… I have used this recipe with a couple of tweaks (drops of E and Argan oil) and it has worked wonders! My face no longer feels like stretched leather in the morning. Especially with the heat on. I may not need during summer but for now, yippee! I did find that letting oils cool slightly and then whipping honey in made it mix better. So my skin and I thank you.
How many drops of vitamin E did you add?
This is such creamy, luxurious lotion. I love it!
Can you whip this into a body butter for a lighter texture?
Sounds like a great recipe and easy to make! I even have everything on the list at home, so maybe i give it a shot!
xoxo,Biene
http://lettersandbeads.de
I’ve been looking for a good winter balm recipe, this one looks simply perfect!
My hands are always so dry! I’ll have to try this out sometime soon.
– goloveyrself.com
THIS IS GREAT. I REALLY LOVE IT. GOD BLESS YOU REAL. CAN I USE ANY OTHER OIL IN PLACE OF ALMOND OIL?
How long is the shelf life of this product? How to keep this product?
THIS IS GREAT. GOD BLESS YOU REAL.
I love making hand salves and lotion bars. The addition of honey is something I never thought of, but it sounds amazing.
This really sounds like something I need since my hands are very, very dry. I never use hand lotions (oops, too lazy)…
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com