So a few...two? Weeks ago I ran to a couple local hippy/pagan shops and picked up a few essential oils with a couple friends in order to attempt to make home made Tiger Balm for my brother and another friend. They both have chronic back/shoulder injuries so much so that they've both undergone physical therapy and treatment. Aaaanyway.
So I had all but one of the essential oils called for (Cinnamon, I thought I'd picked it up at the first shop we visited so I didn't look at the second shop, whoops) which was fine 'cause this was a dry run anyway, right? Right.
So the recipe called for a particular measure of a carrier oil (I used Sweet Almond with a touch of Vitamin E as a preservative a la Scott Cunningham's Incense, Oils, and Brews) then four ounces of beeswax - I was making two portions so I half assed 8 ounces by sight and feel.
I melted the carrier oil and the wax then poured them into containers and waited. When the edges were congealing and cooling I added the essential oils (if you add the EOs too soon they can boil off) then capped them right quick as I wasn't sure if the wax/oil was still too hot and my noodle brain figured, wtf, at least with the caps on the moisture will stay in.
Then I put them aside and enjoyed a tasty meal with my friends.
The next day I uncapped them and took a look. It smelled alright - very tiger balmy - but it wasn't a creamy ointment, it was more like a lotion bar. Alas it seems (obvious in hindsight really) that eyeballing the beeswax had been inaccurate. Still, it might still work, right?
So I passed off one container to my friend - I haven't been in the same room at the same time w/my brother since I made his portion, busy lives and all. I don't know if he has used it but his wife used it when she banged an arthritic knuckle at work and she was very delighted with it. So, functionally it seems effective at least!
I've resolved to keep an eye out in future for an inexpensive accurate food scale to prevent future incidents like this.
I also picked up a huge mass of raw dark brown beeswax from a local fella on Craigslist a few weeks ago. Can't wait to start using that for candles etc. I may try to make some lotion/ointment with it but I'm not too sure of it's consistency etc for that sorta work as it doesn't seem to have been filtered too much so may be too sticky etc. Still, it'll be fun to find out! :D
So the recipe called for a particular measure of a carrier oil (I used Sweet Almond with a touch of Vitamin E as a preservative a la Scott Cunningham's Incense, Oils, and Brews) then four ounces of beeswax - I was making two portions so I half assed 8 ounces by sight and feel.
Then I put them aside and enjoyed a tasty meal with my friends.
The next day I uncapped them and took a look. It smelled alright - very tiger balmy - but it wasn't a creamy ointment, it was more like a lotion bar. Alas it seems (obvious in hindsight really) that eyeballing the beeswax had been inaccurate. Still, it might still work, right?
So I passed off one container to my friend - I haven't been in the same room at the same time w/my brother since I made his portion, busy lives and all. I don't know if he has used it but his wife used it when she banged an arthritic knuckle at work and she was very delighted with it. So, functionally it seems effective at least!
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| Like this but DARK brown |
I also picked up a huge mass of raw dark brown beeswax from a local fella on Craigslist a few weeks ago. Can't wait to start using that for candles etc. I may try to make some lotion/ointment with it but I'm not too sure of it's consistency etc for that sorta work as it doesn't seem to have been filtered too much so may be too sticky etc. Still, it'll be fun to find out! :D
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