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Perceived mistakes can turn out to be some of society’s more beneficial inventions. Take tea bags, for instance. In June of 1908, a tea dealer by the name of Sullivan sent samples of teas to customers in small silk pouches. The customers didn’t understand what to do with the bags, and reputedly dunked them in hot water. Viola! Tea bags were invented! Thank you, Mr. Sullivan. You sure did make brewing tea on the go easier.

Even after making herbal medicine for decades, I’m still learning. That’s a good thing! Late last year, I was looking in my folder of formulas for my whipped body butter recipe to make for Christmas gifts. There are perhaps a couple hundred formulas that I’ve used and reworked over my years of making herbal medicine in that folder. I noticed that I had several versions of whipped body butter. Hmmmmb. They all looked good to me. One recipe called for adding beeswax. Huh. I don’t remember ever adding beeswax to a whipped body butter, but I thought I’d give it a shot, as I wanted a thicker, more-protective-for-winter body butter, and beeswax would surely accomplish that. I did what I know to do to make a fabulous whipped body butter. The beeswax and cocoa butter were melted and put in my trusty mid century Sears and Roebuck mixer bowl along with the unmelted shea, medicinal and essential oils. I turned on the mixer to medium, gradually turning up the speed to whip over a couple minutes as the melted oils incorporated with the unmelted shea. Whip, whip, whip went those beaters for 10 minutes, and no volume was created! Gah! Awesome/not awesome.

I don’t make the amount of medicinal oils anymore that I used to when I made products for sale. I make only what I will use in a year, to ensure not wasting plant material or oils, as medicinal oils will go rancid after a few months to a year. The thought of having to start over with the small amount of oils I had left was not in my plans. I threw caution, or perhaps my frugal nature, in the wind, and poured the resulting mixture into jars. After they cooled and solidified more, I tried some on my winter dry hands. Oh my word! It was THE best salve I have ever made, and that is really saying something. I handed jars out to my family for Christmas, and my oldest niece Beth says she’s obsessed with it.

If you’d like to make my uber moisturizing salve, follow the recipe below. Even though the volume didn’t expand, the next time I make this salve, I’ll still whip it for a few minutes to fully incorporate all the ingredients.

Suzanne "Queen Bee" Tabert 🐝

Suzanne "Queen Bee" Tabert 🐝

Suzanne Tabert, bioregional herbalist, speaker, and author, is director of herbal education and herbal mentor at the Cedar Mountain Herb School. An herbal medicine instructor for 35+ years, Suzanne teaches with great passion and excitement, bringing her wealth of herbal knowledge to students in an engaging and vibrant manner. She is the primary instructor at CMHS and an adjunct faculty at Bastyr University. Taking students to wild places and giving them tools to engage and connect with flora, fauna, and the exquisite beauty of nature is the icing on the cake of life, and one way that Suzanne is making a difference in the world, one person, one group at a time. Cedar Mountain Herb School is a member of the American Herbalists Guild, Partnership in Education with United Plant Savers, and the American Herb Association.

2 Comments

  • Kristina says:

    YUM!! I cannot wait to make this. I love all of your recipes.. they seriously are a doorway into such a pure and beautiful way of life. Thank you!

    • Suzanne Tabert says:

      Hello Kristina!
      You are most welcome, my dear. Our motto is “get the medicine to the people in ways they’ll delight in taking so that healing can occur!”

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