• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Motherhood
    • kiddos
  • DIY
  • lifestyle
    • Style
    • Travel
    • recipes
    • Parties
  • Gift Guides
  • Subscribe
  • About Me
    • Collaborate
    • Disclaimer & Privacy Policy
  • Nav Widget Area (Left)

My Mountain Wild

a montana motherhood & lifestyle blog

December 12, 2021 / DIY

Pine Resin + Calendula Hand Salve

The first time I read about the wonderful benefits and uses of pine resin, I was surprised that I had never thought of using the abundant amber sap that dripped along the bark of several of our trees! As a child, I learned my lesson early on to steer clear of the sticky mess. I remember my Mother not thrilled the time I came home with sap ALL over my clothes and in my hair. Whoops! SoI started looking up different recipes and ways to use pine resin and after a couple tweaks and trials and errors, I have created a very simple hand salve using the pine resin. I decided to gift these to all the men in my family along with a beard oil, a pine scented soap, and an essential oil rollerball.

What is pine resin?

Pine resin is the harvested tree sap of a pine tree. It is usually flowing out of a cut branch or damaged part of the tree. I see it as a kind of scab as the pine resin is actually helping to heal the tree. It is produced as a protective layer to seal physical wounds. We have several large pine trees in our back yard that my husband had cut some low branches off of so he could get the mower under them. All of these cut branches have an abundance of sap covering them and even dripping down the bark onto the ground.

This post may contain affiliate links. To see my full disclosure, click here.

How to harvest

Collecting the sap is fairly easy, but messy. I collect it on the areas it is excessive and flowing underneath the ‘wound”. If you collect in the Summer, it will be softer and in my opinion, much more of a sticky mess. Harvesting the sap in the Fall and Winter months is a bit easier. I just use an old butter knife and kind of saw it off. If it’s cold enough outside, the sap could just pop off because it will be pretty hard. I use an old spaghetti jar to collect it. I took just a little from each tree so the resin could keep doing what it was meant for- healing the tree.

What can you use this salve for?

This salve can be used on cuts, scrapes, rashes, and dry cracked hands. It can be used as a lip balm, as a first aid ointment in the wilderness (pine resin has antimicrobial properties), and even as fuel for an emergency torch or to start a fire.

How to make a pine resin + calendula hand salve

I made a larger batch of this hand salve to gift for Christmas. If you are looking for a smaller batch, just cut this recipe in half. For this batch, I used a calendula-infused oil that I made back in the Fall, but you can use any oil. If you want to use calendula-infused oil, check out this article that has a simple tutorial to follow. I love using calendula-infused oil in a lot of my herbal recipes because calendula is so calming to the skin and has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 C pine resin
  • 1 1/2 C oil (olive, grapeseed, avocado, jojoba, hemp seed etc. or any herbal-infused oil of your choice) I used 1 C of a calendula-inufused oil I had on hand + 1/2 a C of grapeseed oil)
  • slightly rounded 1/4 C of beeswax pastilles

Directions:

  1. Melt the resin a bit in a double broiler (or to start I used this thick glass spaghetti jar I used to collect the resin and had is sitting in about 2 inches of water.) Keep the temperature low.
  2. Add the oil and give it a stir and let the entire mixture melt. I had some large chunks in there so it took about an hour to fully melt.
  3. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (I did this twice and had a lot of bark and pine needles and dirt to strain out) I had just over 2 C liquid oil/resin left
  4. Return the melted resin and oil to the double broiler and add in the beeswax pastilles
  5. Gently heat and once melted, pour into jars or containers
  6. Let sit to cool and solidify
  7. Don’t forget to label !
Pine Resin + Calendula Hand Salve melting in jar
Pine Resin + Calendula Hand Salve straining
Pine Resin + Calendula Hand Salve with beeswax pastilles

I made simple labels “pine calendula” on the lids with my favorite embossing label maker, and on the bottom of the containers I glued on a round label I made that gives instructions on how to use the salve.

You can print off the instruction labels HERE.

Pine Resin + Calendula Hand Salve printable gift labels
finished Pine Resin + Calendula Hand Salve

This recipe filled 10 of these tin containers perfectly!

I made enough for all 4 brother-in-laws, my dad, my father-in-law, and a couple left for my family. These are a wonderful addition to a wilderness first aid kit and to just have sitting on your nightstand to patch up your kiddo’s scraped knees or your hubby’s chapped hands. You’ll find that in the Summer, the salve will be softer and in the Winter, it will be harder. If you store this salve in a cool dark place, it will also last much longer.

If you try this pine resin + calendula hand salve, I would love to see it! Tag me @mymountainwild on Instagram.

Pine Resin + Calendula Hand Salve gift box for men

A peak at one of the Christmas gifts I made this year. The pine resin salve, a homemade beard oil (recipe HERE), handmade pine needle goats milk soap and coffee cinnamon goats milk soap, and a stress away essential oil roller bottle.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you check out: DIY Gentleman’s Spa Gift Basket For Your Hubby DIY Beeswax Food Wraps DIY Lavender Detox Bath-in-a-Jar

Next Post
Previous Post

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome! I’m Natalie, a mountain momma sharing all things motherhood & lifestyle. I am so glad you are here! Grab a cup of coffee and stay awhile

Follow My Mountain Wild

Categories

Join the Tribe

Popular in Lifestyle

October Favorites + My Fall Essentials

Popular in Travel

travel toiletries checklist

Travel Toiletries Checklist + What’s In My Carry On

Popular in Food & Drinks

A Cooking Class at Uncorked Kitchen Denver + Recipes for Quinoa Salad, Tempeh BLT + Lime Mango Sorbet

Archives

Follow Along @mymountainwild

What a beautiful sunny day that is long overdue ! What a beautiful sunny day that is long overdue !
The energy coming out of church today was buzzing with love and excitement because after lots of rain and blizzards, it feels like Spring again today 🙏
9 months with Theodore Jackson 🤍 He can stand 9 months with Theodore Jackson 🤍

He can stand up unassisted for a second or two
He is eating more and more every day 
Loves bath time
Loves to climb
Loves his big brother
"Talks" a LOT
And brings a smile to everyone who meets him. 

My how time flies!
Have you ever heard of a nursing strike ? I had no Have you ever heard of a nursing strike ? I had not until I experienced this with Theo the past 2 days 😩 He refused to nurse for over 40 hours and I have been an absolute mess. He would be screaming one minute, happy as a clam the next. Waking up at 4 AM and not napping all day & would push me away and scream every time I tried to nurse him. I was in so much pain and beyond engorged. I tried pumping every few hours and the first day that worked just fine but then today my milk just would not let down and it took 45 minutes to get just over 2 ounces of milk! Last night he did finally take a bit from a sippy cup of my milk and was eating purees and snacks like normal, but just would not nurse. I called his Dr. yesterday and she had no idea what it could be. I was afraid I was going to get mastitis or that my milk would dry up or that there was something really seriously wrong with me or with Theo. I was texting my best friend just utterly exhausted and frustrated and at my wits end. 
Then around 2:00 just 15 minutes after I texted her to vent, I tried ONE more time to nurse him and he nursed!! I cried happy tears and thanked Jesus over and over. 
I never got to breastfeed my first, so this has been an all new journey with Theo. Lately nursing seemed to be getting more difficult and I was getting a bit burnt out with it- being the only one that can feed him and that he still wakes 3+ times a night to nurse... but I will never take it for granted again. What a blessing it is to be able to nurse. I am so tired I could cry again just typing this out😭 
After trying EVERYTHING it suggested to do online, he finally nursed and I can breathe again. I have no idea what was wrong, but he's nursing again normally and took nice long nap this afternoon 🙏 
Anyone experience anything like this before ?
My first Mother's Day with two boys and my heart i My first Mother's Day with two boys and my heart is so full 💕 

Happy Mother's Day !
Today is the day! The Summer release from @alpineb Today is the day! The Summer release from @alpinebabyco is here and oh-so cute as always. 
These leggings go quick, so don't wait. 
This local Montana brand handmakes all their organic leggings and is the OG creator of the knee patch. Get your little wildlings some comfy well-made pieces and know you're supporting an amazing small shop.
 The adorable prints and stretchy soft fabrics make these our favorite baby leggings ever. 🤍

#childrenofmountains #runwildmychild #wildandfreechildren #wildandbravelittles #montanaliving #childhoodunplugged #babyleggings #shopsmall #shopmontana #letthembelittle

Copyright © 2022 · My Mountain Wild · Designed by Bella Creative Studio