Of Balms and Baby Bottoms...

I just love making balms.

Hand balm, lip balm, healing balm, baby bottom balm... I just can't help myself!

There's something so magical about creating something that will nurture someone else - it's the same pleasure that I find in knitting, in cooking, in sewing, spinning and gardening...

I am lucky enough to have a wonderful Apiary across the road from my home, where I can source delicious non-heat-treated honey and natural golden beeswax, it smells so incredible!

This year's beeswax is an amazing shade of yellow! The beekeeper tells me it's the unusual range of flowers that flourished this year, it sure is gorgeous :-)

From a local herb farm I've been able to source organic Calendula flowers. Next season I'm hoping to grow and dry my own! 

Calendula is well known for it's healing and soothing properties, so I always infuse my oils with a generous helping of the sweet smelling golden flowers.

Add to these lovely ingredients some really nutritious oils and you're well on the way to making beautiful balm!

For all my balms I use a mix of Avocado oil, Grapeseed oil, Rice Bran oil and Olive oil. I avoid using nut oils in balms for babies, just in case, but in my adult hand balm and lip balm I use Macadamia oil as well for it's wonderful properties.

And lastly  in the lip balms I add a spoonful of honey to make it taste gently sweet - and sometimes some peppermint essential oil for my favourite flavour!

Natural Beeswax, Honey, Avocado oil and Calendula flowers

That's it - no preservatives or additives! Because the balms are only oil and beeswax-based they will last really well, it's only once you add water to make a moisturiser that they have a short shelf life.

My kids love this balm - they call it "Green Cream" because it's rich in avocado oil, giving it a green tint. We use it on all cuts and scrapes, cracked lips, even itchy bites (I don't know that it helps with mozzie bites but the kids seem to think so!).

My youngest even likes to eat it from the jar - I figure it's probably doing him just as much good on the inside!

As a baby bottom balm it really does wonders. I make it a little thicker, more waxy so it lasts well and protects and heals that gorgeous baby skin :-)

And of course I use it on my hands - it really helps with the dry skin I get from gardening and cleaning :-) I even use it lightly on my face after a shower if I can't find my moisturiser, it works very nicely!

I'm planning to whip up a couple of batches for the store opening tomorrow :-)

Holy Mackarel, tomorrow! Can't wait :-)