Winter has come to us! It’s getting colder outside and the fireplace is blazing inside. Many of us suffer from dry and chapped skin during the cold season. But our four-legged friends sometimes have to struggle with the cold. We will tell you how you can make a nourishing paw balm yourself.
This is how you can make paw balm yourself
When the paws walk over the cold ground, they become dry or cracked from the frost and road salt. This can be painful for your dog. That’s why you should be active beforehand. You can find various types of paw balm on the market, but these often contain undesirable additives.
We will show you how you can easily make your own paw balm from natural ingredients. Try it!
For a small jar of paw balm (about 150 grams) you need:
- 80 ml olive oil
- 30 g shea butter (available from health food stores or online)
- 15 g beeswax (from local beekeepers or online)
- 20 g spruce, pine or fir resin (collected yourself or online)
- 3 teaspoons dried marigold petals (if you don’t have any on the balcony, just ask for two or three petals in the nearest garden center)
- small screw-top jars or ointment jars for storage
- small linen bag or old nylon stocking
- fine sieve
- Coffee or tea filter for straining
Make your own paw balm step by step
First put the resin in the stocking or linen bag and seal it. We do this so that no solid residues go into the oil when the resin is liquefied.
Pour the petals, olive oil, and resin (including the sachet) into a heatproof glass.
Leave to stand on the stove in a water bath for 30 minutes at a maximum of 60°C. This can also take a little longer because the resin can take time to dissolve.
Remove the linen bag containing the resin residue.
Strain the oil extract through a sieve.
Put the extract together with the beeswax again in a heat-resistant glass and slowly heat in a water bath until the wax has melted. The water must not boil!
Now you can take the glass out of the water bath and melt the shea butter in it and stir well. Do this until you get a homogeneous mass.
To check the consistency you can put a few drops on a cold plate. If it feels too thick, you can add a bit of olive oil. If it’s too runny, you can add some beeswax.
The paw balm is already ready and can be filled in jars. Leave to cool without a lid.
It is best to keep the paw balm cool and protected from light. Then it can last up to two years.
Application of the paw balm
Before you start the daily walks with your dog, you simply apply the paw balm to the paw pads and rub it in. The balm protects the skin from cracks. The balm can also be helpful after a walk. If, for example, small injuries have occurred, the paw balm can make a positive contribution to self-healing.
