Do you suffer from dry, itchy skin during winter? Our Soothing DIY Dry Skin Balm recipe is full of nourishing and hydrating ingredients that soothe dry skin!
Winter can be a rough time for the skin. It has a greater tendency to dry out since the air is often quite dry, especially where we live in the mountains. For many people, this lack of humidity can cause flakiness and itchiness as well.
You can make your own salve at home with a combination of some good base ingredients that will help feed and nourish the skin, plus essential oils to help keep it happy and healthy.
This recipe calls for five essential oils that make a powerful salve. All of them are wonderful for the skin and will result in a fantastic scent, but more importantly, just what your skin needs when it is struggling.
This dry skin balm has a firmer texture because of the high ratio of beeswax. If you’re looking for something a bit softer, try our Calendula Lavender Skin Salve. I find it’s easier for the kids to work with, but not as portable as this balm.
If you’re suffering from dry, itchy skin, we hope you’ll give this winter dry skin relief salve a try and let us know what you think! Of course, if you don’t have time to DIY, you can purchase a natural skin balm.

How to Make a Dry Skin Balm to Soothe Winter Skin
Supplies
- 5 ounces beeswax pastilles or chopped beeswax if you have a brick
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon jojoba oil
- 1 teaspoon witch hazel
- 5 drops myrrh essential oil
- 5 drops frankincense essential oil
- 3 drops geranium essential oil
- 4 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 drops tea tree essential oil
Instructions
- Place your pre-measured beeswax into the top half of a double boiler. Fill the bottom half about ½ to 2/3 full of water and place over low to medium heat. Heat the pan slowly until you hear it start to come close to a boil, then turn the heat down to low to where the water is simmering.
- Once the beeswax has melted fully and is clear, stir in the coconut oil and jojoba oil and continue stirring until the salve is clear.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool just slightly (you don’t want it to harden!), then you can add in the essential oils. The myrrh is a thick oil, and it takes a minute to get going, so be prepared for that. The rest of the oils are very runny, so be careful to not overdo it on the essential oils.
- Pour your dry skin balm into the containers until it reaches just under the top edge.
- Let the containers sit, uncovered, at room temperature until they are completely cool. Feel the centers of the bottom of the containers to tell for sure. It may take up to an hour, depending on the size of the containers you used. The containers I used were the 2-ounce size and it took close to an hour. You don’t want to put the lids on early, as it will cause moisture to build up inside which can cause issues with the balm down the road. Once you are sure the containers are completely cool, go ahead and put on the lids. They’re now ready to use or gift!
Notes
How To Use Dry Skin Balm
- Apply the dry skin balm to any areas that need moisture, or are flaky and dry. For itchy skin, do the same.
- You can repeat this process as needed, and if you are really having major issues, apply a drop or two of the recommended essential oils themselves on top of the salve as well and rub in.