The Healing Benefits of Calendula

Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) is a flowering plant that sports large, bright orange, and yellow blooms; has an appealing aroma; and attracts a host of beneficial insects. 

Calendula has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties that make it useful in treating small wounds, rashes, redness, acne, and other skin irritations. Conveniently, it is easy to grow from seed and does well in a sunny spot in your garden. 

Source: Morag Gamble: Our Permaculture Life/YouTube

As with other edible flowers, the calendula petals can be used to adorn various dishes and add a little color to salads. More commonly, however, we find calendula extract in many skincare products due to its incredible healing properties. 

To make your calendula skincare products, you need flowers. As mentioned before, you can grow your calendula and start harvesting its petals, or you can find dried calendula petals for sale online. Once you have a supply, you can start to make your skincare products, such as lip balms, salves, and body oils.

Making Calendula Infused Oil

Source: Morag Gamble: Our Permaculture Life/YouTube

The first stage of making any calendula product is to make calendula infused oil. This is a simple process, and once you have the infused oil on hand, you will be ready to start adding it to other recipes.  

1. First, fill a clean, dry jar with petals. If you have cut your flower heads, you don’t need to remove all of the petals, you can just add the whole head.
2. Pour olive oil over the petals until they are just covered. You need to make sure that all of the petals are submerged to avoid spoiling.
3. Screw on a lid, and rotate the jar to ensure full submersion. Then, leave the jar in a dark place for 4-6 weeks. A warm spot will help with the infusion and slightly speed up the process.
4. Give the jar a gentle shake once a day.
5. Once the infusion is complete. Strain the oil through some muslin or cheesecloth to remove the petals and store the infused olive oil in a dark glass container.

What Can I Make from Calendula Infused Oil?

Source: katrien berckmoes/Flickr

• Body Oil-  The calendula-infused oil that you have just loveling made can be used directly on the skin as a moisturizer.  The olive oil helps to lock in moisture while the calendula gets to work soothing and healing any skin ailments.
• Hair Oil-  Once again, use the calendula-infused olive oil as a hair treatment to improve elasticity and reduce breakage. Olive oil contains emollients that help to soften your hair just as a conditioner would, and the calendula will help with dry skin and dandruff. Massage the oil into your dry scalp and hair.  The amount to use will vary greatly depending on how much hair you have.  Wrap your well-oiled hair in a shower cap or towel for fifteen minutes before shampooing.  
• Lip balm– Making a lip balm is as simple as combing oil with a vegan wax. You can add a drop or two of essential oil for extra scent and healing purposes if you wish. Various vegan waxes work well for lip balms, such as soy wax, carnauba, or candelilla wax. For one 2oz glass jar of lip balm, add about two tablespoons of wax and one tablespoon of calendula-infused oil to a double boiler. Allow the wax to completely melt and the wax and oil to be completely combined. You can add a few drops of essential oil at this point if desired.  Pour the mixture into a clean glass container. Let it completely cool before using.  You can add more oil for a glossier lip balm or more wax for a firmer lip balm.
• Salve–  What sets a salve apart from a balm is its texture. A salve tends to be much softer than a balm making it easier to spread on larger areas of the skin. The key ingredient to making a supple salve is some type of butter, such as shea butter, mango butter, or cocoa butter. Add three tablespoons of calendula-infused oil, two tablespoons of cocoa/shea butter, and 1 tablespoon of vegan wax to a double boiler. Melt and combine all of the ingredients. Again, essential oils can be added at this point if desired. Pour the mixture into a slave tin or glass jar and use it once it is fully cooled.

Calendula is a stunning and beneficial plant to have in your garden or pots on your patio. Its abundant flower heads will provide you with enough petals to make all kinds of healing potions for your skin and hair while leaving just enough for the bees and the butterflies.  

Check out some of these calendula products:

1. Ilex Wood Vegan Calendula Salve

Source: Ilex Wood Vegan Calendula Salve/Amazon.com

This Ilex Wood Vegan Calendula Salve comes in plastic-free packaging. It’s also palm oil and petroleum-free! You can buy it for $14.96.

2. Naissance Calendula Infused Oil 

Source: Naissance Calendula Infused Oil/Amazon.com

This Naissance Calendula Infused Oil can be used in lotions, balms, and other homemade skincare, haircare, and massage products. It costs $14.99.

3. Schmidt’s Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant 

Source: Schmidt’s Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant 

Schmidt’s Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant helps neutralize odor using ingredients such as shea butter, magnesium, and essential oils. It costs $6.99.

This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Do skin tests before applying anything new to the skin. Research individual essential oils for usage recommendations. Consult a medical professional before using herbal remedies.

Related Content:

• How to Grow Your Own Calendula to Make All-Natural Moisturizing Cream
• 10 Vegan and Cruelty-Free Skincare Products to Fight Inflammation
• 10 Natural Bacteria and Microbiome Boosting Hand Moisturizers and Balms for Overwashed Skin
• 10 Natural Plant-Based Massage Creams, Lotions, and Oils to Relieve Tension

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