Friday, April 11, 2008



HAND AND CUTICLE BALM

I live in a very dry climate and I can't stand knitting with dry hands. This is a pretty all-purpose recipe; I also use it to make lip balm and even foot cream. I recently ran out and I noticed that no matter what other other creams, lotions, and even oils I used, my skin felt much drier. I even make DH a version of Burt's Bee's cuticle cream.

I generally double or triple this recipe and I use a variety of little containers for different scents. I am giving the recipe for a small amount because it is up to you how firm you want the finished product - more beeswax will make it firmer and less will make it softer. Experiment and see what works best for you.

I get the containers and the beeswax from Mountain Rose Herbs - their shipping can be high so I wait until I have a large order. You can also just save some little metal containers and check your health food store for beeswax. Vitacost has jojoba oil and Aura Cacia essential oils for the best prices I've ever found.

I wait about 5 to 10 minutes to resume knitting after using this balm.

Makes about 1/4 cup

1/4 cup jojoba oil (you can also use grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil but I think jojoba oil is the least greasy)
4 tsp finely grated, FIRMLY PACKED beeswax (Beeswax is kind of a pain to grate so I make DH do it)
1 capsule vitamin E (this is used as a preservative)
5 drops essential oil of your choice (I use lemon for the cuticle cream, lavender for my hands, and peppermint for lip balm)
Toothpicks for stirring

In a microwave-safe container, stir beeswax into oil so it is completely covered. Microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute until beeswax is completely dissolved. (Cooking this too long will result in a gritty texture.) Mix in vitamin E and essential oils and stir with a toothpick. Pour into metal containers and let cool until solid. If the balm doesn't turn out as thick as you like when cool, you can remelt it down and add a teaspoon or two of grated beeswax to make it firmer.




I'm not quite sure Bubbles approves of purple toenail polish. This weekend with the Red Sox/Yankees series I'm hoping to get a lot done on my current project - the Latvian women's mittens from Knitting in America.