Breathe easy with this winter balm

Don’t let winter scare you away!

Winter is not the easiest time. Between the cold, never-ending snow removal, days that are far too short, and other amusements, we’re not always in top form… far from it! And then when poor health gets added to the mix, it’s the drop that makes the cup (or nose!) run over. When that happens, we just want to be able to do one thing: Breathe! This homemade chest balm should help.

Formulated with essential oils used in commercial decongestant balms, Breathe will become your best friend this cold season. All of us here at Coop Coco have already adopted it. We recommend dividing it into a few small containers so that you can take it with you and use it whenever you feel the need.

This winter, make sure you can Breathe!   

How do I make my own winter balm?

Before you begin

This balm is very concentrated in essential oils in order to take advantage of their volatility (tendency to evaporate) and help the respiratory tract. It is therefore important to take the following precautions:

• Apply a thin layer to the upper chest and upper back.
• Do not cover a large area of skin with this balm.
• Do not swallow.
• Do not apply on or near eyes, or mucous membranes.
• Wash hands after use.
• Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, or children under seven years of age.

Ingredients

• 1.9 g (4.8%) cetyl alcohol
• 3.1 g (7.8%) candelilla wax
• 11.5 g (28.8%) jojoba oil
• 16.1 g (40.4%) caprylis oil
• 2.3 g (5.8%) tapioca starch
• 0.8 g (2%) menthol crystals
• 0.3 g (0.8%) rosemary oleoresin
• 0.9 g (2.3%) camphor essential oil
• 1.1 g (2.8%) eucalyptus radiata essential oil
• 0.8 g (2%) ravintsara essential oil
• 0.8 g (2%) balsam fir essential oil
• 0.3 g (0.8%) tea tree essential oil

Tools

• 1 small stainless steel bowl
• Components to make a double boiler
• 1 mini silicone spatula
• 1 scale, accurate to 0.1 g
• 1 mini-mixer with frothing attachment (the small wheel)
• 1 pipette
• 3 ramekins
• 3 metal tins, 15 ml each

Good to know!

• If you would like a milder homemade balm, it is possible to reduce the quantity of the essential oil mixture. However, we advise against modifying or increasing the proportions of essential oils. You can only reduce the overall quantity of the essential oil mixture. Make sure to retain the proportions of each essential oil provided in the recipe.
• The recipe for this balm must be followed precisely.
• It is possible to transform this winter balm into an oil. To do so, replace the candelilla wax, cetyl alcohol, and tapioca starch with the equivalent quantity of jojoba oil by weight. Heat the oils to dissolve the menthol crystals, leave to cool, then add the essential oils.

Steps to follow

1. Prepare and sterilize your equipment and workspace.
2. In the small stainless steel bowl, weigh the wax, cetyl alcohol, and the oils. Gently melt over low heat in the double boiler.
3. In the meantime, weigh the menthol crystals in a ramekin.
4. In another ramekin, weigh all of the essential oils and the rosemary oleoresin. Mix together.
5. In a third ramekin, weigh the tapioca starch.
6. When the contents of the bowl have melted, mix together, and then add the menthol crystals. Remove the bowl from the double boiler.
7. Add the tapioca starch and mix with the mini-mixer to break up any clumps.
8. Add the essential oil mixture. Stir with the spatula to combine.
9. Continue to stir until the mixture cools. When it begins to congeal on the sides of the bowl, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well. Continue to stir until the mixture takes on a creamy texture, then pour your homemade balm into the metal tins.
10. Let set at room temperature. Place the lids on the tins once the balm has cooled.

Conservation

This homemade winter balm will keep for several months, even up to a year.