Do not boil or you will burn the herbs. I often put the herbs into a covered container and put it in my unheated oven for a day or two. The pilot generates enough heat to extract the herbs' properties. If you use perishable oils like almond or canola, add one drop of benzoin tincture per cup of oil as a preservative. You can buy benzoin tincture at drug stores.
Beeswax turns black on contact with metal, so always use nonmetallic utensils.
Pour into wide-mouth jars or lip balm containers. Roots such as alkanet can provide pink to red coloring for lip balms, if desired. The salve should keep for about two years. You can buy unbleached wax, which is difficult to find in craft- and fabric stores, from a beekeeper. Herbal Baths Herbal baths can be used in place of infusions or decoctions.