DIY Foot Salve Recipe for Healthy Feet

Let's talk about a topic that often gets overlooked in the world of DIY skin care – our feet. We're all about making our own natural, plant-based goodies for our skin, but have you ever thought about giving your hard-working feet the TLC they truly deserve?

Our feet are the unsung heroes of our daily lives. They carry us through countless steps, supporting our entire body along the way. Yet, we tend to ignore them until they scream for attention. That's where our DIY Foot Salve comes into play – the ultimate DIY foot treatment that your feet have been secretly begging for.

But why is foot care so incredibly important? Let's break it down. Did you know that neglecting your feet can lead to various health issues? Foot pain can throw your entire body off balance, causing discomfort in your knees, hips, and back. Plus, those calluses and cracked heels? They're not just unsightly; they can also be a breeding ground for infections.

So, taking care of your feet isn't just about aesthetics; it's about your overall well-being. And the best part? You can do it naturally, right in the comfort of your own home, using a DIY healing salve packed with the goodness of essential oils and other plant-based ingredients.

In this blog post, we're going to share a simple yet effective DIY foot salve recipe for healthy feet that you can easily whip up. Say goodbye to tired, achy feet, and hello to a new level of self-care. Ready to pamper your feet and elevate your overall health?

Here is what you’ll need to make your DIY Foot Salve Recipe for Healthy Feet:

• 5 one ounce aluminum salve tins or glass jars - you will need these to pour your salves into once you make them. Like these.
• Heat source, like an electric hotplate or your kitchen stove top - you need this to help slowly melt all the ingredients together.
• Double boiler or bain-marie - you need to gently “cook” all the ingredients. A double boiler, or bain-marie is a kind of kitchen pot that uses steam to gently warm ingredients. The bottom pot holds about an inch or 2 of water, and is placed directly on the heat source. A special double boiler pot has ridges around the edges of the pot that can easily stack another pot on top of it, allowing the steam from the bottom pot to gently warm the ingredients in the upper pot.  If you don’t have access to this special double boiler pot, you can use a set up that’s called a bain-marie, where you place a glass or metal bowl over the bottom pot so that the steam from the pot can warm the ingredients in the bowl.  The whole point of a double boiler or bain-marie is not to heat the ingredients directly, but to use steam instead. Here is what one looks like.
• Mixing tools, like a stainless-steel spoon, or disposable wooden sticks, like popsicle sticks.
• Various small glass bowls, measuring cups and spoons to place your ingredients in.
• A digital scale that can measure amounts to .00, and has a “tare” feature and can easily switch between grams and ounces.
• Paper Towel
• Oven Mitt
• Parchment Paper
• Blank address labels, or stickers to apply to each jar as your label.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make 5 one ounce homemade DIY Foot Salves using essential oils:

• ½ ounce of beeswax, we recommend using beeswax pellets so you can get a more accurate measurement. We use beeswax in the recipe because beeswax gives the salve its nice creamy texture, and feels soft and protective on the skin.

• 2 ounces of Tamanu Carrier Oil. We are using Tamanu Oil in this recipe because it has been shown to fortify and support a healthy immune system, fortifying our feet against infection.

• 2 ounces of Jojoba Carrier Oil. We are using Jojoba Oil in this recipe because it offers a smooth and nourishing experience and doesn’t leave the skin feeling greasy or oily.

• 1 tsp of Vitamin E Carrier Oil. We are adding this to our recipe because Vitamin E is a great antioxidant and can help your salve stay fresher longer.

• Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martini) Essential Oil is steam distilled from the leaves of the grass like bush that grows in humid swampy geographical areas around the world. It’s a botanical relative of essential oils like lemongrass and citronella, so it contains within it molecules that are both infection -fighting, fortifying and protective to the skin, while offering an aroma that relaxes our mind and body.

• Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) Essential Oil is steam distilled from the fragrant leaves of this herbaceous bush. Its rose-like floral aroma calms our mind and soothes our skin, and can be used to cleanse, rejuvenate and restore the skin’s vibrancy and health. Calming and restorative, Geranium oil offers balance to skin that feels out of whack and has been shown to support and encourage the skin’s innate ability to heal and rebalance.

• Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) - steam distilled from the slightly dried and fermented Patchouli leaves. It has an earthy, grounding and slightly musky aroma that is both warming and grounding. Its molecules are known to be strong against germs and microbes, and offer protection and fortifciation against pathogens.

• Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) is steam distilled from the leaves of the tall tree native to Australia. Tea tree essential oil has been shown to cleanse away bacteria, neutralize odors and improve the health and wellbeing of our skin’s resiliency. It also offers the experience of boosting our mood and our immunity.

• Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) Essential Oil is steam distilled from the dried buds of the clove tree. The essential oil has been shown to soothe away pain, and encourage a warm feeling in the body that can help with improving circulation. Plus like Tea Tree it offers support to boost our resiliency.

Here are the Essential Oils for salves:

• 10 Drops of Palmarosa Essential Oil
• 8 drops of Clove Essential Oil
• 20 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil
• 20 drops of Patchouli Essential Oil
• 10 drops of Geranium Essential Oil

 Here is how you make it:

1. Thoroughly clean and disinfect a counter or table top in your kitchen, and line a 18 inch area with parchment paper
2. Open up all the jars and tins you’ll be using, and set them on top of the parchment paper.
3. Using your digital scale, measure out the beeswax and set aside
4. Measure out the Tamanu Carrier Oil, Jojoba Carrier Oil and Vitamin E and mix them together in a separate measuring cup and set aside.
5. In a small glass cup, or bowl, or measuring cup, mix together all the essential oils and set aside.
6. Fill the bottom pot piece of your double boiler with 1 to 2 inches of water and warm over your heat source until it starts to steam.
7. Place the top piece of your double boiler pot, or set up a bowl like a bain-marie so it rests above the steaming water in the bottom pot.
8. Add the wax to the top pot, or bowl and let it melt thoroughly.
9. Once it is melted, add the blended Carrier Oils and stir thoroughly over the heat until everything is melted and well incorporated
10. Turn off heat, and using your oven mitt, lift the top pot, or bowl, off the bottom pot and wipe the sides and bottom dry with your paper towel, so no water is left dripping.
11.  Add your essential oil mixture to the melted mixture and stir well.
12.  Carefully pour the mixture into each jar or tin and cap quickly.
13.  Let the salves set on your table or counter top for at least 4 hours.
14.  Label each jar or tin: Now it's ready to use!

How to use your DIY Foot Salve for Healthy Feet:

Think of your “DIY Foot Salve” as your very own homemade 100% natural version of a deeply nourishing, infection busting, health promoting foot treatment!  Whenever your feet are feeling dry, sore and vulnerable, all you need to do is apply 1- 2 finger full of your salve on the soles of your feet, and massage and rub the salve into every nook and cranny! 

And for extra nourishing and soothing I recommend slipping on a warm pair of socks after your massage your feet with the salve, to help the healing molecules penetrate more evenly and effectively.

Of course, as with any essential oil product, you should first do a patch test, to make sure your skin doesn’t react badly. But overall this salve is safe for children above 8 years old and those who are very sensitive.