Need an ultra-healing balm that will help soothe anything from diaper rash to chapped gardening hands? When I need to bring out the "big guns" to quickly relieve skin discomfort of any kind, this Healing Calendula, Lavender, & Frankincense Balm is the recipe I always turn to!
Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever stop being surprised by the ways essential oils and herbal extracts can help our bodies to heal.
My kids have never been super prone to diaper rashes, for which I'm very thankful. The last time my little one did get a diaper rash though, I tried a different (natural and kinda pricey) diaper cream on him.
The poor little fella! He was so very sensitive to something in that diaper cream, that within hours his poor little bottom was broken out into the brightest, bumpiest, most miserable rash I've EVER seen on a baby. It honestly made this mama's heart cry just to look at it. We were both so sad!
So I gave something a try.
I whipped up a batch of my own healing "tushy cream"...very heavy on the calendula extract, lavender, and frankincense. I slathered it on before bed, and said a prayer.
The next morning, I could not believe the transformation...his poor little bum was almost entirely healed. One more application, and it was smooth and perfect like a newborn. The only reminder I had of the whole miserable event was a bright red splotch on his cheek, from where he'd dipped his little finger in the pricey store-bought cream, and wiped it on his face. ?
For some reason, I'd been hesitant to immediately try the new balm on his face, but within two applications, all sign of that rash was gone too.
Holy cow. Frankincense, I'll tell ya! And the calendula and lavender too for that matter. This recipe is so full of good stuff! And yes...by good, I mean a little bit expensive. Pure essential oils aren't cheap (especially the frankincense) - but then neither was the store bought stuff that instigated the great diaper rash in the first place. I've experimented with a few variations on this recipe, including increasing the calendula and lavender and leaving out the more expensive frankincense...but you guys, that's the magic ingredient. This recipe is just not as amazing without it. Worth. Every. Penny.
In some ways, I have to say I'm almost thankful for the whole diaper rash ordeal - because now I have this amazingly healing frankincense salve in my arsenal. I've used it with outstanding results on anything from burns to bee stings, and it's really amazing stuff. Especially as a mom with little ones, I consider this one of the most important items in my healing cupboard, and I'll never let myself run out.
Where do I get my essential oils for this recipe? Purity and sustainability is super important to me, so I make sure to get the good stuff. Young Living what I use for anything like this, and my dear friend Melissa over at Mearakai Oils is my go-to oily genius. Shoot her a quick line and she can absolutely hook you up!
You might notice that the color and texture of the balm looks slightly different from photo to photo throughout this post. That's because I have variations of this recipe for cold weather and hot summertime. Because our house is fairly cold in winter, and isn't air-conditioned in the summer, I've found that making this balm on the firmer side for summer (so it's not too goopy in the heat) works well. I'll tell you how in the notes below the recipe.
I hope you find this as wonderfully healing as my family does! While we use it for everything around here, it still gets called by the inglorious moniker: "tushy cream". And apt reminder of how mama came up with this in the first place, I suppose.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup beeswax
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 5 Tablespoons sweet almond oil (fractionated coconut oil works too)
- 50 drops calendula extract
- 25 drops lavender essential oil
- 10 drops frankincense essential oil
Instructions
- In a small double-boiler, melt beeswax and coconut oil. Stir frequently until both are completely melted.
- Stir in the sweet almond oil, and remove from heat.
- Let rest about 10 minutes until slightly cooled (the goal here is to subject the essential oils to as little heat as necessary, but incorporate them while the mixture is still fully liquid)
- Add calendula extract, and essential oils, mixing very well. Immediately pour the mixture into small jars, and let sit until fully set.
- If you want it a little on the softer, creamier side, increase the liquid oil by 1T, and reduce the solid coconut oil by 1T. (Making it a tad softer works well if your house is really cold in the winter!)
If you want it on the firmer side, Increase the solid coconut oil by 1T, and decrease the liquid oil by 1T (this works well in the heat of summer, when the standard recipe can get a bit goopy in the heat)
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Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
Judy Lee says
very good recipe!
Anna Chesley says
Thanks for the kind words, Judy!