This recipe for how to make peony salve is an easy-to-make useful flower salve. Making salves from flowers, herbs and other plants and weeds is a fun beneficial activity.
Peonies are such beautiful wonderful smelling flowers and they are known to have so many health benefits. It is so amazing what we can do with flowers, herbs and weeds from nature!
Benefits of Peonies for the Skin
Peonies are known to possibly provide many health benefits as discussed in this article: “Peony: Amazing 10 Health Benefits.”
As stated in the article, peonies can be beneficial to the skin. They have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and are rich in antioxidants. They can also fight aging skin and sooth skin rashes. They contain an active chemical called paeonol which has an antioxidant effect similar to Vitamin E, helping to neutralize free radicals, support the skin barrier, and nourish the skin. Peonies are also good for moisturizing dry skin. The salve is great for putting on itchy rashes or bug bites. Due to the anti-inflammatory properties the salve could also be used on sore muscles and achy joints.
How to Make Peony Salve
To make salves, balms, lotions and lotion bars, you need to start with an infused oil.
How to Make an Infused Oil
The first step to make an oil infusion is to dry the herbs or flowers. You can let the plants air dry by spreading them in a single layer on a dish towel or paper towel and let them dry for several days. The other option is to use a dehydrator set at a low setting.
I used my dehydrator to dry the peony petals.
The next step is to make an infused oil with the dried flower or herb by steeping the flower or herb in a carrier oil. Different kind of oils can be used including sweet almond oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, sweetgrass oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil or coconut oil.
Add the dried peony petals to a glass jar. The amount of oil you want will depend on how much lotion that you want to make. You will add about twice as much oil as your dried flowers or herbs. For example you can add the flowers or herbs to a pint jar about halfway and then fill the jar almost to the top. If you want less, you can fill the jar about 1/4 up with herbs and then 1/2 way with oil. Also, you can make more than you plan to use for now and save the additional oil for later.
There are several options for making the infused oil:
Slow option: Just add the lid to the jar and put it away in a cabinet for 4 to 6 weeks. Shake the jar every once in a while. You can also put the jar in direct sunlight for a couple weeks to infuse the oil.
Fast double boiler method: Place the oil in a double boiler and heat on low for 1 to 2 hours. Make sure the oil does not boil. Another option is to place the jar in a saucepan of a couple inches of hot water and heat the water on low for 1 to 2 hours.
Fast crockpot method: Add your dried herbs or flowers and oil to the crockpot, make sure that the oil covers the herbs. Heat the oil slowly and keep the crockpot on warm. Try to keep the temp between 120-130 F. Let it heat for several hours.
Making the Peony Salve
When ready to use, strain the infused oil from the peony petals.
Once you have the infused oil, add the desired amount to a double boiler, then add the beeswax and shea butter. My measurements are 1 cup infusion oil to 2 Tbsp beeswax and 1 Tbsp shea butter. I used 1/2 cup infusion oil to 1 Tbsp beeswax and 1/2 Tbsp shea butter for the peony salve. It made 2 2-oz tins. A lot of recipes for salves that I have seen use measurements in grams and oz. I feel it is easier with simple measurements and the salve turned out great.
Stir until the beeswax and shea butter melts.
When the beeswax and shea butter are melted, pour the mixture, which will be in liquid form, into 2- ounce tins or glass jars. Option is to add essential oils or scents and also to add color. I added peony essential scents and used pink mica powder.
Let the salve set and set up. It does not take very long for it to harden.
Enjoy!
Enjoy making and using this salve made from natural ingredients and medicinal herbs. It is very easy to make small batches of these salves. I plan to continue to explore making salves, balms, lotions, and other similar items from plants and flowers found in nature and also from herbs and flowers that I grow.
I have made a couple herbal salves including salve from purple nettle and and a salve made from sage. I have also made some flower and herbal lotion bars including lotion bars from rose petals and lotion bars from sage and peony.
See my website at www.HawkPointHomestead.com to learn more and for additional made from nature recipes, such as my flower jellies including my dandelion jelly recipe, redbud jelly recipe, lilac jelly recipe peony jelly and apple blossom recipe.
The website also includes canning recipes and other favorite great recipes, plus posts about other homestead-type activities, such as gardening and raising chickens.
For updates, please follow my Facebook page at Hawk Point Hobby Homestead.
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Peony Salve Recipe
This recipe for how to make peony salve is an easy-to-make useful flower salve. Making salves from flowers, herbs and other medicinal plants and weeds is a fun beneficial activity. This salve made from peonies has many benefits.
Ingredients
- Dried Peony petals and a Carrier Oil, which can include sweet almond oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or olive oil, to make your infused oil
- 1 cup of the infused oil
- 2 Tbsp. beeswax
- 1 Tbsp. shea butter
- Optional: Essential oil of your choice
- Optional: Mica Powder for Color
Instructions
- Create the peony-infused oil with the dried peony petals and the carrier oil- See Notes
- Heat the infused oil in a double boiler
- Add the beeswax and shea butter
- Heat and stir until the beeswax and shea butter are completely melted
- Pour the liquid into 2 oz tins or jars
- Optional: Add essential oil of your choice, Add mica powder for color
- Let the salve set up
Notes
There are several methods for creating the infused oil which are described in the article.
This recipe makes 4 2-oz tins. I cut the recipe in half and made 2 2 -oz tins.
