Homemade Dandelion Salve
Put the weeds in your garden to work in this homemade dandelion salve. Great for dry hands, cracked heels, a sore muscle rub, or even to help relieve eczema or arthritis symptoms.
Equipment
- double boiler
- 1 ounce tins
Materials
For the Dandelion Oil
- 2 cups dandelion flowers dried
- 1 cup olive oil
For the Dandelion Salve
- 1 cup infused oil
- 2 ounces coconut oil
- 1 ounce beeswax pellets
- 20 drops essential oils lavender, tea tree or frankincense
Instructions
To Make the Infused Oil
- Pick dandelions fresh in the morning in the early spring when they are in season. You only need the flowers for this salve.
- Pop the flowers off the stems.
- Spread the flower heads out in a single layer on the counter and let them air dry for a day or two.
- After you’ve dried them out just enough, pack them into a jar (a Mason jar works perfectly for this), and once you’ve packed as many of them as you can in the jar, top with a liquid oil. I use olive oil which is incredibly moisturizing. Also, most of us have olive oil sitting in our pantries already. But you could also use jojoba oil, sweet almond oil or any other liquid oil you choose.
- Cover the jar with a lid to protect against dust or insects in your infused oil.
- Let it infuse for 2 to 6 weeks. I like to allow mine to infuse for a few months. Still, a few weeks is sufficient to extract much of the medicinal properties out of dandelions.
- Once you’ve sufficiently infused your oil, pour it through a sieve and use a pestle or the back of a wooden spoon to press on the flowers and squeeze out as much oil as possible while separating them from the oil. Reserve the oil and compost the dandelion flowers.
To Make the Dandelion Salve
- Measure out your dandelion oil, beeswax and coconut oil in a heat-proof melting container, like a glass measuring cup, using a food scale for accuracy. If you don't have a kitchen scale, melt 1 cup of coconut oil and add 1/2 cup of beeswax pellets (or 1 cup of grated beeswax) and 1 cup of dandelion oil.
- Add all the ingredients, except the essential oils, to the top section of the double boiler. Add a few inches of water to the bottom portion of the double boiler. Heat on medium until all the oil and beeswax melt together. Stir to mix well.
- Let it cool in the pot for about 5 minutes, and then add 20-30 drops of essential oils (if using). I suggest using lavender, tea tree, or frankincense, as they also support healthy skin.
- Carefully pour the mixture into small tins or jars and let them cool for a few hours until completely solid.
- Throw a lid on, add a pretty label, stock your medicine cabinet, and stash a few away to give as gifts.
- Store at room temperature away from any heat source. The oils can melt in high temperatures.
Notes
- Pro Tip: When infusing your oils, be sure your flowers are completely dry. Infused oils will grow mold if you use fresh flowers with moisture in them. But at the same time, dandelions easily go to seed if left to dry out for too long. If they go to seed, you don’t want to use them because the oils diminish once the flowers go to seed.