Vegan salves allow you to enjoy the skin-nourishing benefits of herbal-infused oils in a convenient herbal salve without beeswax.
At this point, I have dozens of herbal salve recipes posted here on Practical Self Reliance, and time and time again, I’m asked for advice on adapting these recipes to turn them into vegan salves without beeswax.
I’ve searched high and low for a simple answer, but there just isn’t a one-to-one substitution for beeswax in salves. Vegan waxes just work differently in skincare products, and crafting a good vegan salve recipe is tricky.
Carnauba wax, one of the most commonly used vegan cosmetic waxes, can make for brittle salves if you just try to replace it one-for-one with beeswax. You have to balance its properties with other oils to create a smooth salve, and getting the mix right can be tricky.
When I came across this luscious vegan salve recipe in The Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care, I knew I’d found the answer.
This tested recipe for an herbal salve using carnauba wax combines skin-nourishing plant butters with vegan carnauba wax to create a spreadable, easy-to-apply herbal salve.
In this case, the recipe calls for using calendula-infused oil, but you can use any herbal-infused oil (depending on your goals).
Calendula happens to have skin nourishing and antimicrobial properties, and it’s wonderful for all manner of skin conditions, from simple dry skin and sunburns all the way up to cuts, scrapes, and stings.
I asked Timber Press for permission to republish this recipe, and they graciously agreed to allow me to share it with you.
Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care
Taken from The Mountain Rose Herbs Book of Natural Body Care © Copyright 2023 by Mountain Rose Herbs and Shawn Donille. Published by Timber Press, Portland, OR. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Vegan Salve with Carnauba Wax
Carnauba wax is one of the hardest natural waxes available. It creates a salve that is extremely durable with a lovely glossy finish. Carnauba wax can be somewhat brittle when used by itself, but it softens nicely when combined with natural butters, and is a particularly good choice if you prefer your salves to be on the firmer side.
Due to its hardness, carnauba wax is not a one-to-one swap with beeswax in formulations. When substituting, it is also important to keep in mind that carnauba wax is typically combined with plant-based butters.
Vegan Herbal Salve Recipe
This simple vegan salve recipe uses calendula for its skin nourishing and wound healing properties, but it can be adapted to use any herbal infuse oil to suit your needs.
Materials
- 3 Tablespoons organic calendula-infused oil (or other herbal infused oil)
- 2 Tablespoons organic mango butter
- 1 Tablespoon kokum butter
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon organic carnauba wax
- 1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- 9 drops organic lavender essential oil (optional)
- 9 drops organic Roman chamomile essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- Place the calendula oil, butters, and wax in a double boiler over medium heat, and slowly and gently melt the butters and wax.
- Once the ingredients are fully melted, remove from the heat and quickly stir in the vitamin E oil and essential oils.
- Immediately pour the mixture into jars or tins, as it will start to set as soon as you remove it from the heat.
- Allow the salve to fully set at room temperature before putting on the lids or using it. Because carnauba is a slow-setting wax, we like to give this salve 3 days to set.
- When stored in a cool, dark place, this salve will last up to 2 years.
Notes
Carnauba wax has a melting point of about 180°F, which means it can take a while for it to melt. Rushing this process may scald the oils, so be sure to heat the mixture slowly.
Herbal Salve Recipes
Now that you know how to make a vegan salve, try turning any of these herbal salve recipes into the vegan version!
Herbal Medicine-Making Tutorials
Looking for more homemade herbal medicine guides?
- How to Make Herbal Tinctures
- How to Make Herbal Salves
- How to Make a Herbal Oxymel
- Homemade Herbal Shampoo
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