Luscious beeswax salve?

September 28, 2022 11:34 AM

How to make a beeswax salve that is mostly beeswax?

I would like to try making such a salve, but the googled recipes have a greater percentage of other oils.
If you have experience making beeswax salves, could you please recommend an oil (not olive) that would let the beeswax effect and perfume shine through?
What percentage of each would help.
Also since this is the first time I've made a salve, all helpful hints will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

posted by Mesaverdian to Health & Fitness (13 answers total)

I've only have experience making it with olive oil and raw linseed oil (as a furniture polish). I still smell the beeswax in both but the next one I'll try will be tea seed oil (camellia japonica). It's an odourless non-drying oil for skin, hair and also fancy Japanese tools/knives.

I think my mixtures are roughly 50/50. Not enough oil and you wind up with a puck that's hard to dig you fingers into. I've used a mason jar in a gently heated pot of water and upgraded to an electric wax heater.
posted by brachiopod at 11:51 AM on September 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

This somewhat abstruse paper in "Eur J Pharm Sci" recommends mixing beeswax with copaiba oil:

Structural changes before and after melting were identified for cocoa butter and shea butter, but not in the beeswax. Beeswax + copaiba oil sample was very homogenous, without polymorphism and stable over 6 months.

posted by jamjam at 12:04 PM on September 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

The problem with beeswax is that it is solid at room temperature, like a beeswax candle is - you can't spread a beeswax candle on your skin. So it needs to be mixed with oils that have unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature. Soybean oil is very commonly used but if you want something you can get easily I suppose you could use canola oil or some other 'neutral' cooking oil.
posted by epanalepsis at 3:22 PM on September 28, 2022 [4 favorites]

I made some using about 50/50 mix of beeswax and coconut oil. In my case, I was looking for something that wouldn't turn to liquid at room temp on hot days, like plain coconut oil does. It seems to be a success, readily melts with body heat, but otherwise stays reasonably firm in its container. If I understand correctly, you want it to smell like beeswax? Coconut oil may not always be good, as it often has a distinct coconut odor. But it can be done.
posted by 2N2222 at 3:42 PM on September 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

I’ve made a 50-50 mix of olive and beeswax, and it’s like a lip balm. It does smell a bit like beeswax although not as strong. I don’t smell olive oil from it.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 5:15 PM on September 28, 2022

I do beeswax with mineral oil for wood finish. I just add enough mineral oil so it can be be worked with.
It's great. Strong beeswax smell. I keep some in the bathroom for dry hands or just to put in my moustache so I can sniff it.

You could use apricot kernel oil or another oil listed as a 'carrier oil'in the same way.
posted by Acari at 7:46 PM on September 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

I make mini-muffin tin-sized pucks of balm from beeswax, coconut oil, jojoba, castor oil, and lanolin. The pucks hold their shape in a tin, but when warmed to human body temperature (by, for example, your fingers), the balm can be spread onto your hands, lips for lip balm, etc. They smell nicely of beeswax.

PM me if you'd like a more detailed recipe.
posted by cnidaria at 10:25 PM on September 28, 2022

My wife makes her beeswax lotions using local lard and tallow. Not for everyone but they work great.
posted by terrapin at 5:18 AM on September 29, 2022 [2 favorites]

I make a salve with jojoba oil (that has had calendula infused in it) and the smell of beeswax comes through very well. You need plenty of oil to loosen up the wax to make it soft and spreadable and luscious.
posted by SeedStitch at 5:23 AM on September 29, 2022

I think jojoba and castor oil are both decent bets, although my memory of working production for a balm company is that castor oil isn't anyone's favorite fragrance when used in large quantities. I wonder about other neutral oils like safflower. I don't know if that's a good choice, but it's readily available and has (to my nose) relatively little odor.
posted by that's candlepin at 6:23 AM on September 29, 2022

You want jojoba oil at a 50/50 ratio.It's neutral smelling, good for skin, and blends well with beeswax. You can also add honey, which is also good for skin, to give the salve some extra scent. If you're up for something creative, you can infuse the oil with honey scented flowers such as honeysuckle, sweet alyssum, or sugar shack button bush.
posted by ananci at 7:47 AM on September 29, 2022

I just did a salve that was just coconut oil and beeswax at a 4 to 1 and it does leave a sheen and feels nice to apply. The oil was infused with medcinal herbs so I cannot attest to the scent.
posted by wellifyouinsist at 8:27 AM on September 29, 2022

Response by poster: Thank you all for your helpful info towards making my first batch of beeswax salve!
Looks like jojoba is the mixing oil preferred over coconut with a 50/50 split.
Thanks again!
May you all have lusciousness to smooth on your face and body!
posted by Mesaverdian at 9:18 AM on October 11, 2022