multipurpose balm
The best items are ones that can be used for everything, and this balm does exactly that. It can be used around the house, in a beauty routine, and for rashes, small cuts etc. It's incredibly simple to make and uses ingredients that are relatively easy to get plastic free around the world, and in many places package free as well.
I used to use papaw cream religiously and I was pretty sceptical about finding a good alternative but I absolutely love this balm, I use it everyday and for a huge range of different things, for example:
as a face moisturiser (I use this everyday morning and night, a tiny amount goes a long way)
on nails & cuticles
as a lip balm
on eyes and brows; keeps em healthy n can be used as a type of makeup as accentuates and darkens lashes and brows
as a highlighter
on patches of dry skin as a moisturiser
for scratches, scars, small wounds etc (no need for bandaids)
on the ends of hair for a bit of conditioning and to style it (as an alternative to gel)
to polish furniture, gives shine
polishing leather
darkening wood
as a base for a whole other variety of DIY products
It's made with olive oil and beeswax. I used one beeswax bar pictured above and 170ml of olive oil (in other words 1:5 ratio). You can also use other oils although the end product will be slightly different. In Hong Kong you can get beeswax package free from just green.
Heat both products in a saucepan until they are melted and then put the mixture in a container to cool. I reckon this amount will last me over a year but it depends on how often you use it. This consistency is harder than papaw cream or vaseline, but if you want it to be more gel like similar to them then just add more olive oil (or less beeswax). The best consistency will be different depending on the climate you live in so you may have to experiment a bit. For reference I live in Hong Kong with a tropical climate and have found this works well during both summer and winter. If you have experimented with other consistencies that work well for different climates then share them with us and we can add them here!