Starting with a sidenote: How do you pronounce the word salve? Is it more like s-ALL-ve or s-AHH-ve? I say the latter, which I realize is definitely not the correct pronunciation of the word, but the woman who first taught me to make salves said it that way, so it’s engrained in my brain forever and ever. Feel free to read it in whatever pronunciation you like.

I’ve been making salves for almost ten years. Woah. That’s wild to say out loud. When I made my first salve in 2013 I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I did it anyway (much like how I started my farming career). We were managing a farm in Connecticut at the time and I grew and dried some beautiful calendula flowers. Naturally I decided to make calendula oil and, along with beeswax collected from my hive, calendula salve. The process came naturally and felt rewarding in a similar way to farming. A feeling that comes from creating something nourishing and healing from plants I grew with my own two hands. There’s nothing like it.

Then I started using my salve and very quickly realized how special it was.

It became my go-to for practically everything - my dry, chapped farmer hands, my face, mosquito bites, sunburn, scars, even on my pregnant belly to prevent stretch marks. A true jack-of-all-trades.

Here we are, almost ten years later and I’m now selling my salves online - a very small offering, for sure, but selling them nonetheless. And (not to toot my own salve-making horn, but) they’ve only gotten better over the years. I wanted to give a quick breakdown of how I make my salves and what makes them so special. So here we go…

My salves start with plants. Over the years, I’ve branched out beyond calendula and started making multiple herbal oils from a variety of plants - comfrey, dandelion, plantain, and yarrow. Some are grown from seed in my garden (calendula and yarrow). Some are planted perennials that grow back every year (comfrey). And some are wild-foraged around the farm (dandelion and plantain). I harvest each plant slightly differently depending on which part of the plant is used (blossoms, leaves, or roots) and dry them on handmade drying racks in my house. When they’re completely dry, they’re added to jars of organic sweet almond oil and placed in direct sunlight for thirty days. I check on them daily and shake the jars to encourage an even infusion. In the case that solar infusion isn’t an option (say, when the sun isn’t strong enough in fall or winter), I utilize my slow cooker for an indoor infusion - 110 degrees for at least 48 hours. Once the infusion is finished, the herbs are strained and the oils are ready for salve-making. The herbal-infused oils are combined with pure melted beeswax, carefully poured into jars, and a salve is born.

Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients and their benefits…

Calendula - The real MVP of herbal oils. It’s super soothing and eases skin irritations. It’s anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal, which makes it a go-to for bites, burns, cuts, rashes, scratches, etc.

Comfrey - Also called knitbone, Comfrey’s name comes from the latin word for “knitting together”. It’s ability to heal wounds is unlike any other herb. It can help rejuvenate old cells and promote the growth of new cells. It can also help soothe bumps, bruises, sprains, arthritis, etc.

Dandelion = This common “weed” is actually an herb with tons of benefits, especially for your skin. It’s full of antioxidant vitamins; A (anti-aging), C (brightening), and E (moisturizing).

Plantain - Traditionally used as a poultice directly on the skin, plantain has a cleansing and drawing effect making it especially helpful for bites, stings, and rashes. It soothes itching and burning and can help heal wounds.

Yarrow - A calming and cleansing herb. It helps balance blood flow and helps repair damaged tissues. It’s Latin name achillea comes from the Greek hero Achilles because it’s said yarrow was used to help treat his soldiers’ wounds.

Sweet Almond Oil - The base of all my herbal-infused oils is cold-pressed certified organic sweet almond oil. This stuff is full of fatty acids and vitamins A & E. It’s gentle, yet powerful and is beneficial for all skin types

Beeswax - One of the oldest raw ingredients used in skincare. Beeswax creates a barrier to help seal in moisture and protect the skin from the elements, but is not suffocating or pore-clogging. It’s also naturally anti-bacterial and anti-viral.

All in all, it’s a pretty straightforward process. I think what makes my salves stand out is the time I take to slowly dry and infuse the oils and the care and love I put into each jar. Sounds sappy, but I think it’s true. I’m proud of the effort I’ve put into these and I’m excited to keep making them and see how I can continue to improve.

My Salve Process

On Birthdays, Identity, and Motherhood.