One of my favorite homemade products is our salves. I love blending the scents of specific plants along with the health benefits they promote. In our June Out of the Woods Apothecary Box, we put a new spin on our salve blend by infusion some fresh dandelion. Since dandelions are most prominent earlier in the spring – April and May – we were able to forage a ton of them in preparation for our salve creation. Of course, I had to stash some away before Matt ate them all. Remember, he does call them his favorite weeds! He loves kicking off the spring and summer months by indulging in his dandelion salads. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!
Dandelions are one of the most overlooked treats in nature. They are easily found and more easily ignored, even though they offer so many perks with regular consumption. Most people are unaware that dandelions can help with digestive issues, kidney and liver problems, and lower cholesterol. In fact, those that indulge regularly can see positive effects with diabetes, high blood pressure, and even some cancers. With all these health perks, I am kind of shocked that more people aren’t indulging regularly.
Anyway, our dandelion salve started with about six weeks of infusing some organic olive oil with the dandelion flowers. We then combine the infused oil with organic beeswax until we reach our desired consistency to form the perfect solution to assist with your skin ailments. In general, salves can help soothe rough, cracked skin and ease the pain of boils, cuts, bruises, and other pesky conditions. We went with a dandelion infusion on this one because of its antioxidant qualities and anti-inflammatory abilities. When you get caught up in the sun a bit too much this spring and summer, feel free to smooth on some of our dandelion salve to moisturize, hydrate, and soothe your dry, burned skin.
