DIY Chai spice balm

Warm your skin and your senses this winter with chai spice.

Chai spice balm. A warming lip balm, hydrating  hand and cuticle balm or exotic, spicy natural perfume.

Spices can easily be infused together to simplify the process, or use your favourite chai tea.

Individually infuse organic cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove and madagascar vanilla beans in sweet almond oil or carrier oil of choice, blend together and add beeswax. Separate infusions allow you to make further creations like cinnamon oil and cocoa butter for a Valentine’s foot rub. Or use the clove oil for a sore muscle and joint rub.

• Infused in food grade organic carrier oils such as olive or sesame, clove oil can be used as a mouthwash or to soothe toothaches.
• Cardamom provides an aromatic base for natural perfume. Add a small amount of essential oils of sandalwood and bergamot for a warm citrus blend or try neroli or rosewood.
• Blend cardamom with the vanilla infusion for a simple, exotic scent. Vanilla on its own is deliciously relaxing.

To get more spice from your spices, lightly muddle or crush them while you gently heat them in oil in your water bath, ensuring no water gets into your oil. Or shake them daily while infusing them in jars over 30 days or more. 1/4 cup of spices in 1 cup of oil should do the trick. If using the 30-day method, ensure your oil fills the jar to the top and it is capped tightly, with a dish towel underneath to allow for any leakage. Vanilla beans provide the best infusions when the beans are split and the caviar scraped into the oil with the pod.

Once you have your strained, infused, warm oil, add melted beeswax. The rule of thumb for a soft salve is 4oz of oil to 1/4 oz wax. I like to use at least 1/2 oz wax for a nice solid balm. Test the consistency by removing the spoon with a little of the mixture on it. It will cool quickly and give you an indication of how hard it will be once set. I allow a drop to fall on my skin and cool to check its consistency.

If it is softer than you’d like, add more beeswax and continue to heat until melted. If it is too hard, add more infused oil and repeat the test until you reach the consistency you desire. Keep some of the infused oil aside for a spicy body oil or addition to a warm bath.

Remove the mixture from heat, making sure absolutely no water from the bath gets into your blend. Add a splash of vitamin E if you have it, for a natural preservative, and pour the mixture into clean, dry containers. Once cooled, cap the containers and gift them to others or enjoy the spice blend yourself.

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About our guest: Stephanie Hrehirchuk is the owner of atONE Holistic Living. Stephanie has a 15 year background in personal training, nutrition and wellness, with additional training in yoga, meditation, herbology and ayurveda. Stephanie coaches clients and writes about wellness, health, spirituality, natural remedies and ancient practices for modern living. Website | Blog | Facebook

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