This recipe for how to make elderflower salve is an easy-to-make useful flower salve. Making salves from flowers, herbs and other medicinal plants and weeds is a fun beneficial activity. This salve made from elderflowers has many benefits including anti-aging skin benefits!
I recently discovered three elderberry trees on my property. It was exciting, because I had always heard of the health benefits from elderberry syrup and other products made from elderberries. The trees had beautiful cream-colored flowers and that is how I identified them.
Since the blossoms were so big and beautiful and I have been making edible flower jellies and also salves and lotion bars from flowers, I googled and found out that the elderflowers are just as beneficial as the elderberries.
Benefits of Elderflower for the Skin
Elderflowers contains anti-oxidants that protect against sun and other free-radical damage. They are also full of Vitamins A, B, C, and E which when used on the skin makes it firmer improving complexion. Elderflower also has astringent properties which will help reduce pores and tightens the skin contributing to healthier looking skin. The anti-oxidants and flavonoids in elderflowers are know to combat the early signs of aging, including wrinkles! (source)
Benefits of Elderflower Salve
The elderflower salve can be used on your skin for many benefits. Elderflower is used in many skincare products including for dry skin, sun damage, sensitive skin, eye salve for puffy eyes, dark circles under the eyes, hand cream and a variety of other skin issues (source)
The anti-aging properties and anti-wrinkle properties of elderflower make the salve beneficial for older skin and mature skin. (source)
The elderflower salve can be used for all around skin health and for many skin conditions. (source)
How to Make Elderflower Salve
To make salves, balms, lotions and lotion bars, you need to start with an infused oil.
How to Make an Infused Oil
The first step to make an oil infusion is to dry the flowers or herbs. You can let the plants air dry by spreading them in a single layer on a dish towel or paper towel and let them dry for several days. The other option is to use a dehydrator set at a low setting.
I used my dehydrator to dry the fresh elderflower blossoms.
The next step is to make an infused oil with the dried flower or herb by steeping the flower or herb in a carrier oil. Different kind of oils can be used includingsweet almond oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, sweetgrass oil, olive oil,sunfloweroil, jojoba oilor coconut oil.
Add the dried elderflowers to a glass jar. The amount of oil you want will depend on how much lotion that you want to make. You will add about twice as much oil as your dried flowers or herbs. For example you can add the flowers or herbs to a pint jar about halfway and then fill the jar almost to the top. If you want less, you can fill the jar about 1/4 up with herbs and then 1/2 way with oil. Also, you can make more than you plan to use for now and save the additional oil for later.
There are several options for making the infused oil:
Slow option: Just add the lid to the jar and put it away in a cabinet for 4 to 6 weeks. Shake the jar every once in a while. You can also put the jar in direct sunlight for a couple weeks to infuse the oil.
Fast double boiler method: Place the jar in a saucepan of a couple inches of hot water and heat the water on low for about 2 hours
Fast crockpot method: Add your dried herbs or flowers and oil to the crockpot, make sure that the oil covers the herbs. Heat the oil slowly and keep the crockpot on warm. Try to keep the temp between 120-130 F. Let it heat for several hours.
Making the Elderflower Salve
The next step is to strain the dried elderflower from the infused oil.
Once you have the elderflower oil, add the desired amount to adouble boiler, then add the beeswax and shea butter. My measurements are 1 cup infusion oil to 2 Tbspbeeswax and 1 Tbspshea butter. I used 1/2 cup infusion oil to 1 Tbsp beeswax and 1/2 Tbsp shea butter for the peony salve. It made 2 2-oz tins. A lot of recipes for salves that I have seen use measurements in grams and oz. I feel it is easier with simple measurements and the salve turned out great.
Stir until the beeswax and shea butter melts.
When the beeswax and shea butter are melted, pour the mixture, which will be in liquid form, into 2- ouncetins or glass jars. Option is to add essential oils or scents and also to add mica powder for color.
Let the homemade salve set up and harden. It does not take very long.
Enjoy!
Enjoy making and using this salve made from natural ingredients and medicinal flowers. It is very easy to make small batches of these salves. I plan to continue to explore making salves, balms, lotions, and other similar items from plants and flowers found in nature and also from herbs and flowers that I grow.
I have made a couple of herbal salves including salve from purple nettleandasalve made from sage and also peony salve from flowers. I have also made some flower and herbal lotion bars includinglotion bars from rose petalsand lotion bars fromsageandpeony.
See my website atwww.HawkPointHomestead.comto learn more and for additional made from nature recipes, such as my flower jellies including mydandelion jelly recipe,redbud jelly recipe,lilac jelly recipepeony jellyandapple blossom recipe.
The website also includes canning recipes and other favorite great recipes, plus posts about other homestead-type activities, such as gardening and raising chickens.
For updates, please follow my Facebook page atHawk Point Hobby Homestead.
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Elderflower Salve Recipe
Yield: 4 2-oz tins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
This recipe for how to make elderflower salve is an easy-to-make useful flower salve. Making salves from flowers, herbs and other medicinal plants and weeds is a fun beneficial activity. This salve made from elderflowers has many benefits including anti-aging skin benefits!
Ingredients
- Dried elderflower blossoms and a Carrier Oil, which can include sweet almond oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or olive oil, to make your infused oil
- 1 cup of the infused oil
- 2 Tbsp. beeswax
- 1 Tbsp. shea butter
- Optional: Essential oil of your choice
- Optional: Mica Powder for Color
Instructions
- Create the elderflower-infused oil with the dried elderflower blossoms and the carrier oil- See Notes
- Heat the infused oil in a double boiler
- Add the beeswax and shea butter
- Heat and stir until the beeswax and shea butter are completely melted
- Pour the liquid into 2 oz tins or jars
- Optional: Add essential oil of your choice, Add mica powder for color
- Let the salve set up
Notes
There are several methods for creating the infused oil which are described in the article.
This recipe makes 4 2-oz tins. I cut the recipe in half and made 2 2 -oz tins.
