Introduction

Ointments may be used as skin conditioners and as a means of treating skin conditions, they are mostly simple to make with the base ingredients being readily available.

Definitions

• Ointments are fatty preparations of a softer consistency than waxes.

• Compound ointments are a mix of different oils and waxes as the principle ingredients. They are generally much "greasier" than creams and may be used for skin softening, skin protection, as a water repellent and for the application of medications to the skin surface.

• Waxes are generally solidified oils at room temperature.

Ingredients for ointment bases:

• Vegetable oils
  As heat is used in the preparation of most ointments it is better to choose more saturated oils that are stable to heat such as Coconut and Olive oil to make the ointment base.

• Beeswax
  White beeswax is chemically treated to clean and bleach it. Yellow beeswax is filtered and has had the honey removed by washing in water. Beeswax is added to the vegetable oils to "set" the oil giving the ointment its consistency. 

• Lard and other animal fats.
  The use of lard (pig fat) and other animal fats has fallen out of fashion, being mostly replaced by the more cosmetically acceptable and readily available vegetable oils.

• Paraffins and other petroleum products.
  These also have fallen out of favour but are still used in some commercial products.

• Medicated oils - Herbs such as Calendula, Chamomile and St. Johns wort may be infused into oils such as Olive and then used as the base oil or as an additive. Detail of how to infuse oils with herbs is given in another document on this web page.

• Jojoba oil - this is really a wax and may be added at around 5% to give the ointment a "slip" texture that is useful for massage.

• Herbal tinctures - Approximately 5 -10% of the total weight can be successfully added when the ointment is close to setting.

• Fragrant oils - Approximately 0.1 - 1% of the total weight can be added when the ointment is close to setting.

• Antioxidants - These slow the oxidation of oils especially unsaturated oils such as Sunflower, Almond and Safflower. They extend the shelf life of the ointment. Examples of anti-oxidants are:
  - Vitamin E oil (available as either oil capsules or in Wheat germ oil). 
  - Rosemary frond extract known commercially in Australia as "Amiox."

• Preservatives - Bacteria and yeasts (moulds) grow mostly in aqueous mediums thus ointments generally do not require preservatives.

Quality and efficacy  
The ingredients used in making an ointment directly influences its quality and efficacy.

For optimum quality use:

• Cold pressed and virgin (un-processed) oils and waxes.

• Extracts made from fresh herbs.

• An added anti-oxidant.

Ointments containing unsaturated oils (omega 6 and especially omega 3) must be kept away from light, air and kept cool. In warm to hot climates they are best kept refrigerated.  A batch number and the expiry date should be included on the label. 

• Caution: Applying heat to oils and waxes should ONLY be achieved using a water bath. Keep the oil mix away from direct heat especially naked flame. Always have a suitable fire extinguisher and a wet blanket nearby. 

• Medications should be added at the lowest possible temperature. 

• It is easier to measure ingredients by weight using scales sensitive down to 1gm rather than measuring by volume. This avoids ingredient loss to the measuring vessels and clean up time. 10mL of a vegetable oil approximates 9gm by weight.

• Suitable mixing vessels are either stainless or enamel, having straight sides and an open pouring spout.

A cosmetically acceptable, efficacious compound ointment is made with olive oil and beeswax. Both these ingredients are reasonably stable to heat, are inexpensive and readily available. They are easily used at home to make lip salves and herbal ointments, formulas for which are given below. The proportion of the beeswax added gives the ointment its consistency, a "solid" ointment requiring around 20% beeswax and a softer ointment as little as 5%.