My Blue Tansy & Oat Oil Super Soothing Summer Salve is a DIY skincare essential that’s a must-have for your summer holidays. This versatile, multipurpose salve is perfect for:

• Soothing sunburned skin
• Acting as an effective after-depilation balm
• Calming skin after mosquito bites
• Keeping mosquitoes away thanks to the blue tansy essential oil
  
  

Key Ingredients and Benefits

I formulated this salve with a blend of highly soothing and skin-regenerating ingredients:

• Cupuacu Butter: Known for its anti-inflammatory, regenerating, and antioxidant properties, cupuacu butter is an ideal choice for after-sun skincare. It helps repair sun damage, retains over 240% of its weight in water for long-lasting hydration, and restores the skin's lipid barrier. This ingredient is highlighted in this YouTube video where I also compare it with cocoa butter.
  
  
• Phys'apaise (Physalis angulata CO2 Extract): This extract is excellent for soothing, healing, and restoring the skin. It helps soothe itching and has a butter-like consistency. You should use it in the heating phase of the formulation. Mine is from Aroma-Zone.
  
  
• Phytosterols Concentrate: This active is known for its healing, regenerating, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It repairs UV damage. You can find it at Aroma-Zone, or substitute it with butters rich in phytosterols, such as avocado or shea butter.
  
  
• Oat Oil: Though not easy to find (buy it here), oat oil is now one of my favorite oils. It's rich in oleic and linoleic acids, has great skin affinity and is ideal for very sensitive and reactive skin. Oat oil helps restore the skin barrier with compounds like ceramides and offers anti-itching properties, making it perfect for soothing skincare.
  
  

• Blue Tansy Oil: This  essential oil is anti-inflammatory, soothing, and antioxidant. It contains chamazulene, which reduces histamine production and gives the oil its distinctive blue color (though in formulations with yellow ingredients, it results in a green hue). The scent of blue tansy oil also repels mosquitoes. To enhance this effect, consider adding 1% geranium oil and reduce the oat oil by 1%.
  
  
• Bisabolol: Known for its soothing and healing properties, bisabolol is a must have in many of my formulations.

This salve has a medium hardness—neither too liquid nor too hard—offering a creamy texture that stays in place. You can adjust the beeswax percentage to tweak this characteristic as needed.

Usage and Additional Information

The Blue Tansy & Oat Oil Super Soothing Summer Salve is extremely effective in healing sunburns and provides rapid relief for irritated and recently depilated skin.

I recommend making a 100 g batch because you’ll likely fall in love with its effectiveness. But if the scent doesn't win you over (it's a bit of an acquired taste), a 25 g batch is great for quick fixes. I have to admit, the scent isn’t my favorite—I always say it's a love-hate relationship, with the "love" part being everything but the smell!

All ingredients in this formula are safe for summer use as they are not photosensitizing.

What makes this recipe truly special? The unique color and its impressive ability to alleviate itching and irritation spark joy, bringing a delightful sense of comfort and care. 

Ingredients

• Cupuacu Butter: 30% - 30 g
• Beeswax: 12% - 12 g
• Physalis angulata Extract: 0.5% - 0.5 g
• Phytosterols Concentrate: 3% - 3 g
• Oat Oil: 52.7% - 52.7 g
• Blue Tansy Oil: 0.8% - 0.8 g
• Bisabolol: 0.5% - 0.5 g
• Vitamin E: 0.5% - 0.5 g
  
  

How to make the Blue Tansy & Oat Oil Super Soothing Summer Salve

• Melt Cupuacu butter, beeswax and Physalis angulata extract in a double boiler.
  
  
• Once fully melted, incorporate the Phytosterols Concentrate.
  
  
• Allow the mixture to cool slightly before gradually adding the oat oil, stirring thoroughly. If the mixture starts to solidify, gently reheat it as needed.
  
  
• Add the remaining ingredients when the temperature is below 50°C.
  
  
• Pour the mixture into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours to set.
  
  
  

Looking for more soothing skincare formulas? Check my Enriched Aloe Vera Gel recipe!