How to make lavender hand salve? It’s so easy. All you need are three ingredients, plus a little bit of lavender essential oil.

The end result is a luxurious salve that will last for months, or maybe even longer. It holds up really well, even in warm weather.

You can use it yourself. Or you can make some extra, to give away. Trust me, your family and friends will love it.

Last Christmas, I sent my parents a box filled with healthy gifts. Included was some all-natural hand balm.

The hand balm was a hit. My parents are elderly, so their hands tend to get dry. My mother still does a lot of cleaning, so her hands are in and out of water many times a day. My father still works at a shop, and his hands are (unfortunately) exposed to harsh chemicals.

I liked the fact the hand balm was made with just plant and animal ingredients (botanical oils and beeswax), and didn’t contain potentially dangerous chemicals, such as parabens. Parabens are now found in a wide range of personal care products. In fact, it’s hard to escape these compounds unless you buy all natural products. Although these are a little more costly, it’s money well spent. Parabens are called hormone disruptors for a reason. They mimic estrogen. So there’s fear they can fuel an estrogen dependent cancer.

Knowing what I know about parabens, I buy only natural personal care products for myself and for my loved ones. Or, I make my own non-toxic cosmetics. (Keep reading and I’ll tell you how easy it is.)

How to Make Lavender Hand Salve

(This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything, I receive a commission, at no extra cost to you.)

Since my parents liked the all natural hand balm I sent them, I placed a second order. Then, I decided I could also make them my own DIY version, almost just as easily.

In the last few years, I’ve started to make my own cosmetics. It’s really easy. All you need to do this are a few ingredients, such as coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax pellets, which gives your product consistency. Beeswax is what gives your products that store-bought look and feel. You can then add the essential oils of your choice.

Aromatic oils, such as lavender essential oil, add scent. These oils also have potentially therapeutic properties. Lavender is often added to hand balms because it’s so soothing, and has a special affinity for the skin. That’s why it’s often included in skin healing essential oil recipes.

DIY Lavender Hand Salve

To make lavender hand salve, all you need are the salve ingredients, plus the lavender essential oil, and a little bit of time. Actually, you can do the entire project in about 20 minutes, start to finish. Once you make your first batch of balm, it becomes addicting.

Here’s a post about my first attempt at making an essential oil sleep balm. (Because lavender is so soothing, it’s often used as a natural sleep remedy. So you can also use your hand balm as a sleep balm.)

My DIY balm was very similar to what you buy at the health food store, or order online, for a fraction of the cost. Making your own anything almost always saves you money.

You can use different kinds of essential oils in the basic balm recipe below. But lavender makes so much sense. That’s because lavender oil is considered a good skin remedy. There’s historical evidence it can help heal burns. Maurice Gattefosse was a famous French chemist who died in 1950. He suffered severe burns on his hands. However, after plunging them in a vat of lavender oil, they healed quickly ,with barely a scar.

This story has since been followed up by scientific research. A study published in the BMC Complimentary & Alternative Medicine journal found that lavender accelerated wound healing in animal models. Other findings suggest that various essentials (lavender included) can potentially help play a role in treating skin disease.

Lavender Hand Balm Recipe

The lavender hand balm recipe below is identical to the sleep balm recipe I made earlier, with the exception of the choice of essential oils. Here’s how to make it.

1/4 cup USDA-certified organic coconut oil (You can get it here)

1/4 cup of organic shea butter (You can get it here)

1/4 cup of beeswax pastilles (You can get them here)

6 drops of lavender essential oil (You can get it here)

Lavender Hand Salve Recipe

Put the first three ingredients in a sturdy stainless steel pain and melt over very low heat until they become liquid. (You may want to add the beeswax pellets first, since they take longer to melt.) Remove from heat and add the lavender essential oil just before the mixture starts to harden. Pour into an empty tin. (I used a clean mint tin.)

How to Make Hand Cream With Lavender

By definition, a salve or a balm has a more rigid consistency than a cream. If you want your finished product to be more cream like, add less beeswax than the balm recipe I’ll show below. You can even do without the beeswax altogether if you want more of a body butter. Body butter is also very easy to make, and here’s an easy recipe if you’d like hand cream, instead of a balm. (Just substitute lavender oil for the palmarosa oil used in the original recipe.)

Just remember that since your hand cream contains coconut oil it will become less firm in the warm weather. So it may need refrigeration.

Disclaimer

These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.