Well, I promised this post last night, then promptly fell asleep with the kids at 8:00pm.  I know, I live a wild and crazy life.

I first came across this recipe on Pinterest, you can find it on my soap-making board.  You can also go directly to the website Frugally Sustainable.

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 ounces beeswax,
-1 cup olive, almond, or coconut oil
-1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil
-1/2 teaspoon tea tree oil
-20 drops lavender essential oil
-10 drops lemon essential oil

 Where to get the ingredients locally:  For my local readers I’m giving a breakdown of where I purchased all of the supplies, for those of you not in our area, all of these are easily accessible via the internet.

-Beeswax – we had our own, but you can contact Simpson’s Bee Supply in Danville to purchase local honey.  Be prepared to strain your wax!  This is an easy process using either cheesecloth or pantyhose.  You can also purchase beeswax at Pat Catan’s in Mount Vernon in the candle making section, in pellets.

-Coconut Oil, Almond Oil, or Olive Oil – Some of these are easier to find than others, however Down to Earth in Mount Vernon has all 3.  Kroger’s has Organic Coconut Oil on sale right now.

-Essential Oils & Vitamin E – I purchased all of my essential oils at Down to Earth foods in Mount Vernon.  They are very helpful and carry a wide array of all-natural and organic grocery items.

What to do with them:

First place a pot for melting your beeswax inside a larger pot with water.  You will be creating your own double boiler.  I suggest using a tin can that you have thoroughly washed.  If you can round up some 10# tin cans from a local school or restaurant you’ll be set for this project and my candle making projects.

You will want to melt your wax and oil over low heat.  Please use caution when heating wax and oils as there is a fire hazard if they reach too high of a temperature.

When the wax and oil are melted remove your pot from the heat and add your vitamin E and essential oils.  Stir with a chopstick.

Now pour into your sterilized jars.  At this point you can use small canning jars, baby food jars, or small tins that can be found in the soap and candle making section of the craft store.  You do not need to further process the jars, just make sure that they have a tight fitting lid.

Label your jars and put away in a cool, dark place.  These ointments will last 5 years.

This recipe will make enough to fill 2 1/2 pint (jelly) jars.  I recommend making a batch every couple of months and dating them so that you will have a continual supply.  Of course, if you or your family are more accident prone you may want to make a couple of batches at once!