Learn how to protect, hydrate and soothe dry hands with this simple, homemade winter hand salve recipe. It’s made beeswax, coconut oil and natural peppermint and pine essential oils. These ingredients then all come together to create a natural product that’s perfect for your winter skin care routine. 

Winter Is Hard On Hands: Care for Them Naturally

As I’ve aged, my hands have aged as well. While the rest of me can still pass for at least a decade younger, my hands are definitely the one true sign that I’m older than I look. And with winter weather drying out my skin worse than usual, I really have to pay extra attention to them. Add to that the extra hand washings to avoid getting winter colds or flu, and there are days my hands actually look crepey. It’s pretty freaky. I’m not a fan. So in addition to drinking extra water this winter, I’m also slathering on moisturizer and hand creams like there’s no tomorrow.

However, sometimes my hands need a LOT more than what traditional moisturizers can offer. So in addition to using a skin softening hand scrub, I also reach for a winter hand salve to care for winter skin care. This year, I made my own natural hand salve recipe with both beeswax and natural essential oils to add to my winter skin care routine. (You can find this winter hand salve recipe below.)

Why Use Beeswax as an Ingredient in a Hand Salve?

I love how easy it is to make this winter hand salve recipe. It’s also pretty great that I don’t have to use this salve on just my hands. This homemade hand salve is also perfect for feet, cracked heels, dry elbows and pretty much anywhere else skin needs a little extra love. If you’re skin is really bad off, you can easily beef up this simple, homemade hand salve recipe by adding a small amount of lanolin to the formulation. (I tell you how further down!)

Why This Hand Salve Works

Beeswax offers a number of natural skin care benefits. These natural properties make beeswax a popular addition to skin care products. 

Cosmetic & Skin Care Benefits of Beeswax

• Hydrating
• Skin Softening
• Non-Comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores)
• Soothing
• Collagen Enhancing (due to Vitamin A content)
• Protective
• Skin Smoothing
• Strengthening
• Regenerative

In addition to the skin care benefits of beeswax, it also has medicinal properties that help support skin health. Specifically, beeswax is also anti-allergenic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral.

Information on the Benefits of Beeswax in a Hand Salve

Produced by the worker bees in honey hives, beeswax can is well known for its ability to promote healing and often skin. Beeswax also has naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory skin care properties. As such, it’s an often used ingredient in skin care products for dry or problem skin. Additionally, as beeswax is also rich in vitamin A, it is also able to support cell reconstruction and health.

As a humectant, beeswax helps to lock in moisture to soothe dry skin. So skin is not only better hydrated, it also feels and looks softer. By locking in moisture, beeswax also adds a level of skin protection against external irritants. So dry hands have time to recuperate from the ravages of winter elements and dry skin. I also love that beeswax eases some of the symptoms of dry skin such as itchiness and redness. (The itching it the worst, right?!)

Skin Care Benefits of Pine Essential Oil

According to Healthline, pine essential oil has been used for centuries in traditional medicines — including natural skin care applications. Like tea tree oil, pine essential oil also has antimicrobial properties. Fortunately, its smells SOOOooo much better than tea tree oil. Therefore it’s a great natural alternative if you ever need to make substitutions to your recipes in the future.

In addition, pine essential oil, like beeswax, also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help with both irritating skin conditions, such as eczema or acne, as well as soothe pain caused by arthritis or muscle pain. 

Skin Care Benefits of Peppermint Essential Oil

Like pine essential oil, peppermint essential oil also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore it able to offer relief from muscle pain or headaches. Additionally, peppermint essential oil has been shown to also soothe itching in part to its natural cooling sensation from its natural menthol content. Plus, it smells amazing!

Ready to make a homemade hand salve recipe for your winter skin care routine? Below is the recipe from the December Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box for making a natural, essential oil peppermint & pine salve. (Also be sure to check out their DIY coffee body scrub with mandarin essential oil, also part of the December essential oil recipe box. Want your own box? Be sure to use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to score a $40 off coupon good on your next purchase. Get it now.)

Peppermint & Pine Hand Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1.5 teaspoons beeswax
7 drops Scotch Pine essential oil
7 drops Peppermint essential oil

Hand Salve Optional Additions & Substitutions:

You can both soften this hand salve recipe and add an additional layer of skin protection by adding lanolin to the recipe. Simply add 1.5 teaspoons of lanolin in addition to the other hand salve ingredients.

If you’d like to make this hand salve recipe vegan, then simply swap out the beeswax with one teaspoon candelilla wax. (You’ll use less of this plant-based, vegan wax as it has a higher melting point than beeswax.)

Instructions:

Measure out the beeswax and coconut oil. Then combine the ingredients in a double boiler and heat until melted. (If you’re using lanolin, then you would also add it at this time.)

Once melted, remove from heat. Add the essential oils and stir to combine.

Finally, pour the melted hand salve into a 2 oz. tin. Allow to cool and harden completely. Then screw on the lid and label as desired for personal use or gifting.

If you like this easy hand salve recipe, be sure to pin it to Pinterest for later. You can also sign up with Simply Earth to receive a monthly essential oil recipe box, with projects just like this one! Sign up here and don’t forget to use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to get a $40 coupon good on your next order. (You can seriously use this coupon code on ANYTHING. Even that diffuser you’ve been eyeing, essential oils you missed out on or additional ingredients you’ve run out of.)

More Winter Skin Care Recipes with Beeswax

Want more ideas for your natural, winter skin care routine? Try one of these other great recipes from Soap Deli News.

• Peppermint Lip Balm Recipe with Lanolin
• Natural Beeswax Lip Tint Recipe with Lanolin
• Snowflake Hard Lotion Bar Recipe
• Cranberry Chutney Lotion Bar Recipe
• Simple Plantain Salve Recipe for Natural Skin Care
• Lanolin Salve Recipe for Dry, Damaged Skin

If you’re ready to discover more great, natural skin care recipes, then be sure to follow Soap Deli News across all your favorite social media platforms. Find and follow Soap Deli News blog now via Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up via feedburner to receive an email every time I share a new post.