Look at those beautiful petals! The calendula flower is part of a medicinal plant with the official name Calendula officinalis. Many people refer to it as marigold, or pot marigold. However, it is actually different from the typical garden marigold with the official name Calendula tagetes. This is an important distinction, especially if you plan to grow this plant to use for your own medicinal purposes.
Calendula has had a long time use in the traditional cooking of a few different regions of the world. It had ancient uses as well, from fabric dye to cosmetics. But what I find particularly interesting are the ways in which it has been used medicinally, especially for skin care.
I first began making calendula salve when I was in college. I just loved the beautiful, bright color of the flowers and I found the salve especially soothing for the skin. It quickly became part of my skin care regimen. This summer, our family has been using the salve for all sorts of skin ailments like bug bites, scrapes, cuts, eczema, dry skin, chapped lips, and sunburn.
We love adding essential oils to the salve recipe. Well, who am I kidding – I love adding essential oils to just about anything! Some essential oils that work nicely with this salve are:
Lavender
Tea Tree
Elemi
Chamomile
Frankincense
Geranium
Rosemary
Cedarwood
If you have questions, you can learn more about essential oils here.
Many recipes out there call for dried calendula petals to make a calendula infused oil, but I prefer to use the entire dried flower, because it is much more potent. It is actually at the base of this particular flower head where most of its natural medicinal oils are found.
The petals are edible, so the last batch we made, the kids enjoyed using them to make tea and to sprinkle on a salad. Calendula petals are rich in antioxidants and very nutritious.
So, are you interested in trying to make the salve yourself? Here are the instructions for the entire process.
*The recipe for the salve calls for calendula infused oil, which you will need to make at least 4 weeks in advance. I prefer to use this method of infusion, without heat, but it does take patience. I’ve learned that calendula doesn’t need a lot of heat to extract the resinous compounds. Also, when you choose a no-heat method, you can choose more delicate carrier oils that don’t necessarily stand up well to high heat.
I’ll begin by giving you the recipe to make the oil infusion.
Ingredients and Materials:
- Dried calendula flowers (We have found dried, organic flowers both on Amazon and at local herb shops.)
- At least 4 oz of almond or avocado oil (or a combination of both)
- Glass container with a lid (We used a mason jar.)
- Cheesecloth
Directions:
Place the dried calendula flowers in a glass container and cover them with oil. Allow the oil to rise to about an inch or two higher than the flowers to accommodate for the flower head and petals expanding. There is no exact measurement for the dried flowers. If you use the guideline I just mentioned, it will be enough for any amount of oil you choose. Close the container tightly with a lid. Let this mixture sit for at least 4 weeks in a sunny spot. Some herbal infusion methods recommend an opaque covering to protect from UV exposure, and some recommend a cool, dark place instead. Obviously, there are varying opinions, so feel free to experiment. Occasionally shake or swirl the jar around throughout the 4 weeks. When the infusion is complete, strain the oil through several layers of cheesecloth. Store in a glass container until needed. It can be placed in a cabinet or pantry. It does not need to be refrigerated.
Here is the recipe to make the calendula salve.
Ingredients and Materials:
- 2 oz tin containers or something similar to store the salve
- About 3 tablespoons beeswax pellets (which is a little over ½ ounce by weight)
- 4 oz of calendula infused oil
- 20-25 drops of essential oils
Directions:
Heat the beeswax in a double boiler until completely melted. Then, add the calendula infused oil and let that heat for about a minute, gently stirring. Remove from the heat and let sit before adding the essential oils and stirring again. You want to add the essential oils when the mixture has cooled, but not so much that it starts to become cloudy. Pour into the 2 oz. tin containers. The salve will harden as it cools. The containers can even be placed in the refrigerator to speed up this process.
Lastly, in my research, I came across some safety notes to consider, which I wanted to be sure to include.
* Ingesting calendula is not recommended during pregnancy.
* If you have a known allergy to asters like dandelion, chamomile, sunflowers, daisies, etc., I would avoid calendula.
Let me know if you make the salve and how you like it!
