Salve/Cream question

Howdy!  I made my salves with beeswax and coconut oil with a touch of olive oil.  I like the smoothness of the olive oil, and the coconut oil keeps it softer and easier to absorb into the skin! :) If I were the measuring type, I'd share that info, but I just slop stuff in the pot and see what happens.

I've never done creams, so can't help you there.  I'm sure someone else can, though!

I use olive oil to make herb/flower oils that I then use in creams and salves. But my salves/creams also contain other oils for their various properties - extra healing, absorption, etc. If I'm using 6 ounces of oil, maybe 2 - 3 of that would be the herb/flower oil (the exception is for super healing salves that have several herb oils in them), then I'd have fun with others. I use: coconut, mango butter, apricot, sweet almond, rosehip seed, avocado, meadowfoam seed, jojoba, you get the idea. Oils like jojoba, rosehip seed, meadowfoam seed are quickly absorbed by the skin and just so luxurious they are worth the extra $. And since I make my creams/salves to sell, I want them to be very special and not at all greasy. For certain things I add a bit (usually no more than an ounce) of castor oil for when I want the cream/salve to have a nice "slip" - this is for butters or massage creams, not for creams that are used on the face.

Creams are made using a 50/50 blend of oils to waters and beaten with a blender like mayonaise. They can be tricky when you're starting out. The oils and waters (hydrosols, aloe vera, witch hazel, distilled water - not tap water!) need to be room temperature or a bit warmer and they must be the same temp as each other. Don't add cooler waters to warmer oils or vice versa. You pour the waters in slowly while the blender is going. A stick blender works better than a regular blender and I never use the blender or containers I make creams in for food or vice versa. There are many recipes for creams on line, but I first started many years ago using Rosemary Gladstars basic face cream recipe. You can use any oils you like, adding essential oils to the cooled oils before blending. And don't overdo the beeswax in either creams or salves. The exception is if you're making a lip balm - you need more beeswax so it's very firm.

Hope this helps! Good luck and have fun.

Susan

Thank you all so much for all the tips. I am actually going to try all of these ideas to fiure out which works best for me. I love making salves but have had a couple of requests for creams. Haven't decided if I am going to go that route since my salves seem to be my top request. I look forward to perfecting my recipes and product line and joining the ranks of poppy swappers.

Long live the Blue Cat!

Stephanie

I also like to use other oils for creams, particularly sweet almond, jojoba, coconut, pomegranate (precious oil), rose hip seed, apricot kernel. It depends for what skin type what I'm formulating. I make an olive oil cream which is mostly herbal-infused olive oil but add coconut oil to that too. And then the water phase I also like to get creative, using flower waters, like rose, lavender, rose geranium, patchouli, and green tea extract too.

One thing to consider with creams is preservation since you are adding water. With salves, oxidation is a concern but I've rarely had an issue with that. Water-based products can be a breeding ground for bacteria and such (though I've rarely had a problem there either!). Oh, and separation. It's definitely one of the trickiest products to make, hence why people use all sorts of synthetics to bind and preserve. It's not necessary though :)