Beeswax Balm for Your Feet-DIY
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Beeswax is a beneficial ingredient in many skin soothing recipes. In fact, making a homemade beeswax balm is a great way to show our feet some love. The moisturizing properties of this natural wax are well known. This recipe for beeswax foot balm is a favorite for dry, cracked heels. It is easy to make and store and makes a great gift too.
Make Your Own Beeswax Balm
Everyone knows that beekeepers harvest honey from their beehives, but that is only one product of the hive.
After the honey harvest some wax is left over. The wax is quite valuable and actually sells for more per pound than honey
A natural wax made by honey bees, beeswax is used for many purposes in the food industry, as well as, health, beauty and manufacturing.
But, it is the home craft area where this natural wax really shines. It is so easy to melt and use and mix with other products.
In addition to making beeswax candles, beeswax is used in the creation of many skin care products. These include lotions, ointments, salves and more.
This is not a new trend. Beeswax has been used in homemade projects for hundreds of years. From lip balm to furniture polish, this wax brings some wonderful qualities to our DIY products.
Why is Beeswax Good for Cracked Heels?
Do you suffer from rough cracked heels? I do, especially during the Winter – though it happens in the Summer too!
The use of a cream or balm with moisturizing properties can help. However, it never seems to be long lasting and I forget to apply it every day.
This is why a recipe for a homemade beeswax balm works so well. The wax sooths the cracks by holding in moisture that is already in your skin.
I believe it is especially soothing for cracked heels because it rubs into the cracks and stays put. Because this product is thicker – it doesn’t rub off as easily as a thinner product might.
Beeswax helps keep the soothing sensation on your heels for longer. I do recommend using it under socks at night – you don’t want to slip and fall.
Supplies Needed:
- 4 oz net weight of Raw Beeswax (1/2 cup)
- 4 oz net weight of Raw Shea Butter (1/2 cup)
- 5 oz net weight of Coconut Oil (1/2 cup)
- 3 drops of Vitamin E Oil (optional)
- 10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil (optional)
- 10 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil (optional)
Buying Beeswax for Foot Balm
In order to create your foot care masterpiece, you just need to combine just a few ingredients. We start with raw wax from the hive.
If you have ever held a bar of fresh wax, you will know that it is a solid that can not be rubbed into your skin. This wax needs some help from other ingredients to become useful for skin care.
Perhaps you are a beekeeper with some extra beeswax on hand. If so, you only need to clean your beeswax before beginning your recipe.
Tools Needed:
Very little equipment is needed for this recipe. It is best to used a double boiler (stove top) or glass container (microwave safe) for melting the ingredients.
I prefer to not use the microwave so my instructions will involve melting ingredients on the stove top. If you want to use a microwave, that is okay.
Go slow, using very short times to safely melt your ingredients – and constant supervision.
I use a pot, a simple double boiler insert and a wax pouring pot. Some craft sticks of wood are useful to mix our ingredients. And, don’t forget you need a container to pour our foot balm into.
How to Make Beeswax Balm for Your Feet
Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Directions for making a foot balm with beeswax and and moisturizing oils to sooth cracked heels.
- Melt the beeswax and other Ingredients
If you have a standard double boiler that you want to dedicate to wax melting, put water in the bottom half and your beeswax in the top.
Those of you without a standard double boiler and improvise one use the above mentioned insert. The melting container or “wax pot” is the top pot that holds our wax. It sits on the insert- surrounded by water.
Another option is to purchase one of these little double boiler inserts and use it as the top pot – placed in a pot with water. I love them and have several.
Place the beeswax and shea butter in the top melting container. Once the wax and shea butter are half melted, you can add the coconut oil.
Coconut oil melts very quickly. Beeswax takes longer to melt. Cutting it into smaller chunks will speed melting.
- Prepare working surface and containers
Working with hot beeswax can be messy. Cover your work surface with a large piece of aluminum foil, wax paper or parchment. This makes clean up a breeze.
You also need some type of containers to hold your finished product. If you are making this recipe for yourself, a wide-mouth pint jar is fine. Smaller containers are good for gift-giving.
If you are using glass, pre-warm them with hot water and dry – before pouring hot wax into them. Metal tins and plastic cups are other good choices for containers. - Add Vitamin E and essential oils then pour
When all the ingredients have completely melted, remove from the heat source. It is a good idea to avoid over-heating your ingredients. This can harm some of their beneficial properties.
Add Vitamin E and essential oils – if desired. Neither is necessary. However, the vitamin e helps your beeswax balm last longer. The essential oils offer a pleasing fragrance and has some soothing qualities too.
Carefully, pour your ingredients into their final containers. While the pouring pot is hot, a quick wipe with a paper towel to remove any residue left inside. - Allow Beeswax Balm to cool and seal
Leave the lids off until the beeswax foot balm has cooled. It should become semi-solid in an hour or so.
Then, put lids on your jars (or other containers) and your product is ready to use. Be sure to add a label so you will remember what it is for.
Change the Recipe to Fit Your Needs
This recipe is a general formula. It is very forgiving, you can remelt and tweak the ingredients a bit. If you want a less solid product – remelt and add a bit more coconut oil.
If you find it to be to liquid in warm weather, adding a bit more beeswax should help. That is one of the wonderful properties of working with beeswax.
It mixes well with other oils and it very forgiving if you need to try again. If you do not have access to raw wax, that’s okay, you can purchase clean wax online. It is okay to use beeswax pellets for ease of measuring or melting.
Our goal is to mix solid ingredients with softer oils such as coconut oil, shea butter etc. The resulting combination is a product that is harder than lotion – yet pliable enough to spread.
How to Use
Apply your beeswax balm to dry heels before bed. Do a thorough job and really rub it into the cracks around the heel.
Cover with socks to prevent stains on clothing or falls – it will feel slick-don’t walk without socks. By the next morning most of the balm should be absorbed into your skin.
Repeat as needed and you should see a big difference in your skin.
Benefits of Using Beeswax Balm
Using homemade recipes to making your own products is a good way to know exactly what you are putting on your body. You do not have to worry about possibly dangerous chemicals being in your balms.
Creating natural beeswax products for home use is also a great lesson in sustainability. Making use of every resource produced by our hives is one way of respecting the bees.
A beekeeper can make and sell products like this to customers when out selling honey. Or, write up the recipes to share with customers.
Educate others on the contributions of honey bees and the many ways to use beeswax and other hive products.
More Natural Wax Products to Try
If you enjoyed making this project, it’s time to consider pampering your lips now. Beeswax lip balm is so easy to make or perhaps a hard beeswax lotion bar with essential oils.
Healing salves can be made with plant materials: dandelion salve, calendula salve and a balm made with plantain oil to name a few.
Planning to spend some time outside? Try this DIY beeswax bug bite stick uses essential oils to soothe irritated skin. And if Rover is experiencing some paw dryness – you can make your own dog paw balm too!
**This information is shared as one way to use beeswax for natural products. Use all safety precautions to avoid burns or other possible effects of using the product. I am not a doctor – use this product at your own risk. **