The Hungry Canary

From Mother’s notebook · Crossed-out experiment

Mother’s Healing Salve

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup organic cold-pressed coconut oil
  • 1 cup quality olive oil
  • 4 Tbsp beeswax pastilles
  • Vitamin E oil: 1 tsp written in the ingredients; 3–4 drops written later on the second page (uncertain revision)

Directions

  1. Place the coconut oil, olive oil, and beeswax pastilles in a heat-resistant quart jar.
  2. Set the jar in a saucepan with a small amount of water and warm gently over low to medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes with a clean, heat-safe utensil until melted. Keep water from entering the oils.
  3. Prepare smaller jars or tins. The continuation page indicates adding essential oils to the individual jars and filling each jar to approximately 1/2 inch below the top.
  4. Transfer the melted salve mixture carefully into the prepared containers. Allow it to cool and set completely before closing.

Notes from both notebook pages

Status: Crossed out by Mother; the reason is unknown. This is a historical experiment, not a tested or recommended healing treatment.

Essential oils written on the first page: 10 drops lavender, 8 drops lemon, and 6 drops tea tree. The continuation page mentions preparing jars with essential oils. It is not clear whether these drop amounts are intended for the whole batch or individual jars, so no essential oil dose is recommended here.

Vitamin E discrepancy: The first page says 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil; a later note appears to say 3–4 drops. Both are preserved rather than silently choosing one.

Other continuation notes: “Meanwhile prepare jars with essential oil”; “fill each jar 1/2 from top” (interpreted as 1/2 inch); “shelf life approx 1 year”; and a partially legible final note that may end with “splash.” The one-year shelf-life statement is an unverified notebook estimate.

Formulation notes

This oil-and-wax mixture is intended to become a soft, finger-applied salve. Its firmness will depend on temperature, particularly because coconut oil softens in warm rooms. Avoid introducing water, and do not assume a one-year shelf life without evaluating the oils, handling, and storage. Lemon and tea tree essential oils can irritate skin; some lemon oils are phototoxic. Do not apply this untested formula to open wounds or damaged skin. The word “healing” is the historical name, not a demonstrated medical claim.