Calendula Oil

Calendula is such an easy and fun flower to grow. Besides being beautiful to look at, it offers a wealth of beneficial healing properties for your skin. It is an herb that will definitely earn its place in the garden!

Creating calendula oil
What you will need:
• dried calendula petals;
• carrier oil (sweet almond, cold pressed sunflower, or golden jojoba oil); and
• a sterilized glass jar with lid.

How to infuse the oil:
There are two different methods to infuse your oil with the healing properties of calendula. We’ll look at the two different methods below and talk about the pros and cons to each method.

1. Cold Infusion Method
As heat damages the delicate calendula petals, cold infusion is the preferred method. Steps for the cold infusion method are as follows:

• Place desired amount of dried calendula petals in glass jar
• Fill the jar with your carrier oil of choice to cover the petals by one inch.
• Place in a window (sunshine preferred) to infuse for 4 weeks.
• Drain petals from oil and store oil in a container with a lid for up to one year.

Simple! Voila. If getting the oil is time sensitive, then refer to hot infusion method.

2. Hot Infusion Method
Again, this method will contain healing properties, just not to the same extent as the cold infused oil.
Steps for the hot infusion method are as follows:

• Place desired amount of dried calendula petals in glass jar
• Fill the jar with your carrier oil of choice to cover the petals by one inch.
• Now place oil/petals in small saucepan and place on stove (low heat) for 4 hours
• Stir occasionally and allow to cool.
• Drain petals from oil and store oil in a container with a lid for up to one year.

Uses for your calendula oil:
Now that you have the oil, the things that you can do with it are almost limitless. Here is a list of ideas to get you started.

• Use as a body oil after bathing
• Make a calendula salve
• Use oil as a carrier for homemade lotion
• Apply to specific problem areas; or dry skin, inflammation or rashes.

Enjoy!