Best Massage and Hand Cream yet!

As a Market Gardener, I've had my share of skin cracks near my fingernails, dryness, roughness, and rough looking hands!  Once I started using certified, therapeutic level essential oils… I was also looking for an all natural massage lotion/creme… since I no longer wanted soy (in many massage lotions) on me, let alone artificial anything on the largest organ of  the body.

In developing a massage cream we love… I inadvertently solved the hand problem too!  I've been meaning to share this recipe for a long time… so here is my Christmas gift to all readers  :-).  This recipe will make a 7.5 oz batch that will go into an 8 oz glass jar (I prefer the fat, wide canning jars).

Over low heat, in a glass or steel container, melt and stir together:

4 Tbsp Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil (we use organic… this is the hard white cooking oil)
2 Tbsp Mango Butter (comes in organic form also)
2 Tbsp Shea Butter (comes in organic form also; or use Mango or Cocoa Butter)
2 Tbsp (or less) Extra Virgin Olive Oil (we use organic)

Once the mix is melted, remove from heat and place in the refrigerator on a hot pad to cool.

The mix should become a solid opaque before it is ready.  Either remove from the frig as soon as it is opaque and process immediately…. or remove 10 minutes or so before you wish to process it, so it can soften a little… to a hard margarine consistency rather than a hard butter.  It will store well in the frig for a couple of days.

Chunk up the now-hard mixture with a knife, into a mixing bowl, or leave it sit at room temperature longer for easier mixing.   Whip on low speed with a mixer.  Then add in right away:

30-32 drops of top quality Frankincense essential oil
10 drops of top quality Myrrh essential oil
3-4 drops of top quality Juniper Berry essential oil
Contents of 1-2 capsules of vitamin E, if desired

Keep mixing until you have an even, smooth consistency.  Whip at high speed if you prefer a cream with more volume.   Try adding Arrowroot powder, just a bit at a time, if you prefer a thicker consistency.  Scrape into your jar, and don't waste what's left in the bowl  ;-).

At normal room temperatures, this cream should stay in it's whipped form yet melt in your hands  :-).  It may get super soft in hot areas, or be extra solid in colder homes.  You may wish to experiment with the ingredients if you live in a hot climate (I'm in Montana, so that's not an issue here, lol).

Makes about a 1% dilution cream…. but you still get great benefits from the oils.

If using other brands of essential oils than doTerra, PLEASE make sure they are recommended for topical use.  You may need to add more drops of the non-doTerra brands to get similar results.

Enjoy!  :-)

Incredibly Versatile Salve Recipe to add Essential Oils to

High quality, therapeutic level, pure, unadulterated essential oils are quite powerful.  In an acute situation, most of the essential oils can be used directly, full strength, on a non-sensitive person.  Some of the oils are HOT (oregano and clove, for example) and should be used diluted in everyone.  Many, if not most, of the oils should be diluted in children, elderly, and those who are sensitive by nature to many products.  They are STILL quite effective.  In fact, you don't get skin evaporation (as in neat topical use), so you are getting the full value of your essential oil(s) when you add them to a carrier  :-).

The fastest, easiest way to dilute an essential oil is the "shotglass" method.  Use a shotglass, or a ceramic teacup, to add FCO (Fractionated Coconut Oil = best choice)... or extra virgin Olive Oil...and then add in your essential oils and stir and use.  Store the unused portion in a cool, dark spot (like your medicine cabinet), and it should be effective for a few days.

A rough guide:  1 tsp of FCO is about 100 drops.  So for a 3% dilution rate, put 1tsp FCO in the shotglass and add 3 drops of essential oil.  This is assuming you will be using 1/2 or all of the amount made, for an adult.

If you're just wanting to dilute the essential oils a little, try 50:50 FCO:essential oils.

If you ever topically put on an essential oil that then burns, or feels "too strong", dilute it on the spot by rubbing on FCO or olive oil!  Never water.

All that to say..... there are times when you want a 3% diluted SALVE when a consistent need for the essential oils exists.  Arthritis, reflux and heartburn, large patches of skin conditions, etc.  This easy-to-make-yourself salve will do that for you.  :-)

This is a common salve recipe floating around on the internet, with one change so that it is even richer and more absorbable.

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SALVE RECIPE:
This recipe is for a 4oz jar.  Glass preferred for longterm storage.  Plastic should be fine for short term use.

3 Tbsp extra virgin Coconut oil
1 Tbsp Shea Butter (or use Mango Butter, or Coconut Oil if you don't have this)
1 Tbsp beeswax pellets (or chips off a pure, unscented beeswax candle)
4 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil (less in warmer climates)
vitamin E oil optional
40 drops of essential oil(s)

On low heat, melt the beeswax with the coconut oil and shea butter JUST until all of the beeswax is melted.  Add 3 Tbsp plus 2 tsp of the Olive Oil and stir, over the heat, until the mix is clear again.  Turn off the heat, but leave on the burner for one more minute.  Then remove from the burner.

Add the remaining 1 tsp Olive Oil to the bottom of the jar.  Add in the vitamin E if desired.  Add in 80** drops, IF USING A PIPETTE, of essential oils for a 3% solution [math: 9 Tbsp > 27 tsp > 2700 drops carrier oils ].  Use less drops for a children's salve.

**BUT if using drops straight from the bottles, the drops are bigger (and more variable)... so I stick closer to 40 drops when I skip the pipettes (plastic/glass ones can be purchased at many online stores selling essential oil related bottles, etc).

Slowly pour the warm mix into the jar, while stirring the mix with a chopstick or steak knife or?  Put the lid on loosely and allow to cool.   Label and you're done!

Hint: Cut everything in 1/2 if you'd rather just try a 2oz jar to start with.

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This salve also makes a wonderful, toxin-free massage cream!  :-)  I often add in about 20 drops of  Frankincense essential oil for the health benefits, along with 2-3 drops of Juniper Berry for the skin.