Recipe for paw wax or balm?
- Thread starter corky
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Natural Paw Balm Recipe from Canine Spa Products
My friend, Chris Sertzel, sells this Natural Paw Balm, and has made the recipe available to other groomers as well:
Natural Paw Balm
1 part beeswax
1 part olive oil or avocado oil
1 pinch borax
Purchase cosmetic grade beeswax and follow the manufacturer's instructions for melting (this is often sold at craft stores for making homemade lip balm). Once the wax is melted, slowly add the olive oil or other edible oil, mix this until it is of a whipped consistency and add the pinch of borax. Remember that the dog will lick its feet after the balm is applied, so all of the ingredients must be edible and of current non-spoilage date. Store the balm in an airtight container to avoid spoilage or discoloration. Just a few smudges of this on each pad will go a long way. Rub it is well, and be sure not to make a mess of the hair around the pads.
She also suggests soaking your pet's paws in Epsom salt and purified water (1-2 tbs per gallon of water) for 5 to 10 minutes before applying the paw balm. Hope this helps! If you don't feel like making the balm yourself you can purchase it here. All proceeds go to the Wisconsin Assn. of Professional Pet Stylists.
My friend, Chris Sertzel, sells this Natural Paw Balm, and has made the recipe available to other groomers as well:
Natural Paw Balm
1 part beeswax
1 part olive oil or avocado oil
1 pinch borax
Purchase cosmetic grade beeswax and follow the manufacturer's instructions for melting (this is often sold at craft stores for making homemade lip balm). Once the wax is melted, slowly add the olive oil or other edible oil, mix this until it is of a whipped consistency and add the pinch of borax. Remember that the dog will lick its feet after the balm is applied, so all of the ingredients must be edible and of current non-spoilage date. Store the balm in an airtight container to avoid spoilage or discoloration. Just a few smudges of this on each pad will go a long way. Rub it is well, and be sure not to make a mess of the hair around the pads.
She also suggests soaking your pet's paws in Epsom salt and purified water (1-2 tbs per gallon of water) for 5 to 10 minutes before applying the paw balm. Hope this helps! If you don't feel like making the balm yourself you can purchase it here. All proceeds go to the Wisconsin Assn. of Professional Pet Stylists.
This is what I found on a non-scientific site. Aparently the borax is a stablizer.
Sodium Borate, also called Borax, is used in products that contain high levels of beeswax. The Borax reacts with the beeswax to form an emulsion, a stable mixture of oil and water. Most emulsions, like your typical skin lotion, are “oil in water” emulsions which means that the oil drops are dispersed in the water. Borax-beeswax emulsions are unusual – they’re “water in oil” emulsions so the water drops are dispersed in the oil. That type of emulsion tends to be more water proof. Because the borax – beeswax combination forms a stable emulsion without the help of additional emulsifiers, this type of formula supports the position of not using excessive chemicals. It’s only toxic to humans at very high levels – in fact it has the same toxicity profile as common table salt. So a little bit in your lip balm is perfectly fine.
Sodium Borate, also called Borax, is used in products that contain high levels of beeswax. The Borax reacts with the beeswax to form an emulsion, a stable mixture of oil and water. Most emulsions, like your typical skin lotion, are “oil in water” emulsions which means that the oil drops are dispersed in the water. Borax-beeswax emulsions are unusual – they’re “water in oil” emulsions so the water drops are dispersed in the oil. That type of emulsion tends to be more water proof. Because the borax – beeswax combination forms a stable emulsion without the help of additional emulsifiers, this type of formula supports the position of not using excessive chemicals. It’s only toxic to humans at very high levels – in fact it has the same toxicity profile as common table salt. So a little bit in your lip balm is perfectly fine.
