Hand Salve for Dry, Cracked Knuckles

When you have dry, cracked knuckles, it can feel like you're constantly applying moisturizer but not experiencing much benefit from it.

I have a hand salve that can really help!

You can apply this hand salve as often as you need throughout the day. Some people even layer it on thick before bed at night and wear gloves while they sleep, so their dry, cracked knuckles and nails will absorb as much of the healing components as possible.

This recipe makes 7 oz (196 gm) of hand salve. You can make it in an 8 oz (240 ml) glass jar or in two 4 oz (120 ml) jars.

If you'd like to add essential oils, add them just before pouring your salve into the jar. Here's a blend that can add so much healing power to your hand salve:

• 30 drops Frankincense Oil (Boswellia carterii)

• 17 drops Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia)

• 14 drops Helichrysum Oil (Helichrysum italicum)

• 7 drops Patchouli Oil (Pogostemon cablin)

• 2 drops Ylang Ylang Oil (Cananga odorata)

Dry, Cracked Knuckles Salve

Apply often as needed throughout the day.

Ingredients

• 1 oz (28 gm) Beeswax (Cera flava)

• 2 fl oz (60 ml) Argan Oil (Argania spinosa)

• 1.5 fl oz (45 ml) Neroli-infused Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)

• 1.5 oz (42 gm) Kpangnan Butter (Pentadesma butyracea)

• 1 oz (28 gm) Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii)

Equipment

• Two 4 oz (120 ml) glass jars

• Several small bowls (to measure your ingredients)

• Kitchen scale

• Glass stirring rod (or a stainless steel spoon)

• Pyrex measuring cup

• Cooking pot that can hold the Pyrex

Directions

• Put the Pyrex in a soup pot that's a quarter full of water, so the boiling water will warm the Pyrex and melt the butters and oils gently.
  (I like to let the handle of the Pyrex hang over the side of the pot that way it doesn't get too hot.)

• Melt your beeswax in a Pyrex measuring cup over the stove. 

• Add the neroli-infused jojoba. You can add this before the beeswax is entirely melted.

• When the beeswax is melted, add your kpangnan butter. Remelt, stirring gently

• Add the argan oil.

• Remove the blend from heat, then add the shea butter, stirring gently.

• Once the shea butter is all melted, you can add your essential oils (if you're going to add them). This blend is very healing even without essential oils, though.

• Pour your melted blend carefully into your jar. Let it cool for a few hours (two or three hours should be long enough).

Give this hand salve a try for a few days and see how your knuckles feel. Cracked nails can take a little longer to heal, so be sure to apply this to your cuticles. (PS: Try it on your feet, too!)

If you would like an all-over body butter that can help dry, chapped skin, I have a recipe on the blog for that as well: Dry, Chapped Skin Butter. Do you have joint pain? We've written a blog about how to make an essential oil body butter for joint pain you might like.