How to make Healing Foot Balm

 

Today, we are going to make a gorgeous foot balm. My mom had cracked heels, we tried different balms but it didn't work for a long time. When I was going through some articles, I got to know that Lanolin is a great moisturizer for dry and scaly skin which is the key ingredient in this balm.

Here are the ingredients used to make this foot balm.

Shea Butter (Emollient): This is derived from nuts of African Shea trees. It is pale whitish color butter with nutty smell. It is anti-inflammatory and has healing properties. 

It can be substituted with Cocoa or Mango butter but the consistency would be different with those.

Hence, percentages need to be adjusted to get required consistency.

Bees Wax: It is a wax secreted by bees. It makes our balm hard and gives good spreading capability. 

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is derived from kernel of coconut fruit. It is a great skin moisturizer.

Lanolin: Lanolin is a wax secreted by sebaceous glands of sheep. It is used to treat and prevent dry, rough and scaly skin. It softens the skin and reduces itching.

Beeswax and Lanolin are not vegan friendly. Instead of Lanolin, Shea butter and coconut oil quantity can be increased or substituted with another oil or butter. But, I suggest not to replace Lanolin because of its great skin repairing properties.

Candellila and Carnauba wax are good alternatives of beeswax but they have different melting points when compared to bees wax. So, quantities need to be reviewed.

Arrow root powder: To reduce the greasiness of oils and butters, arrow powder is added. It absorbs the excess oil.

Corn starch can be used in place of arrow root powder.

Cool Down Ingredients:

Vitamin E oil: Vitamin E oil prevents this product going rancid due to oxidation.

Peppermint Essential oil: It fights bacterial infections and is a great massage essential oil.

Eucalyptus can also be used.

Caution: Essential oils should be used within limits and usage rate differs for various oils.

Weights:

For a 50 gram batch, we need

Heated oil phase:

• Shea butter - 40% - 20 gram
• Bees wax - 5.9% - 2.95 gram
• Coconut oil - 20% - 10 gram
• Lanolin - 23% - 11.5 gram
• Arrow root powder - 10% - 5 gram

Cool down ingredients:

• Vitamin E oil- 0.1% - 0.05 gram
• Peppermint E.O- 1% - 0.5 gram

Process:

• Measure all the ingredients on a scale and pour in a beaker.
  
• Heat the heated phase ingredients using double boiler on stove for 15 minutes or until all the ingredients are melted.
• Once melted, let it come to room temperature or below 30 degree Celsius.
• Give the mixture a good stir and add cool down ingredients ( Vitamin E oil and Peppermint E.O)
• Pour it in a 50 gram container once everything is mixed.
• It takes half an hour to 1 hour time to create a balm type consistency.

Shelf life:

It can be stored and used within 6 months depending on shelf life of other ingredients. Preservative is not added since it is an anhydrous product. Don't introduce water else it will add microbes.

If you want to watch how I did it, here is the video

Click to watch