Oil and Salve
Both the oil and salve can be used externally for a wide variety of skin irritations. Known for its anti microbial and anti fungal properties, reports show that calendula also increases collagen production, making it a choice herb to use for healing the skin.
Making Calendula Oil:
Pack a clean dry glass jar with chopped up or ground organic calendula flowers. Aside from a knife and cutting board, a coffee grinder or food processor works well as a tool for chopping. Recently dried flowers are best, but fresh can also be used. If using fresh calendula, wilt for 12 hours to remove most of the moisture before adding to the jar. (Too much water from the plant will cause the oil to go rancid) Fill the jar with organic oil (olive or jojoba are best) making sure to cover the flowers by at least 1” of oil so they will have space to expand. Stir well and cap the jar tightly.
Allow to infuse for 4-8 weeks, stirring once per week. After stirring, always make sure that the plant material is below the surface of the oil before re capping the jar. This will prevent mold. Add more oil if necessary to cover.
Strain through cheese cloth. Bottle and store in a cool, dark, dry place, away from temperature fluctuation.
Use calendula oil externally to soothe acne, bruises, nerve pain, stretch marks, and dental pain, including sore gums and exposed nerves. This flower oil is most effective used daily while treating these conditions. It is also good to use regularly as preventative maintenance for conditions like acne, stretch marks and nerve pain.
To make salve: Pour 4oz of calendula oil into a clean, dry pan. Add 12 grams of chopped beeswax and heat on low until wax is melted. Pour into clean dry jar and add 10 drops of lavender or petitgrain essential oil. Cover and let cool.
benefits do not escape in the steam. I usually use about 2 heaping tablespoons of flowers per cup of water. Allow to cool to room temperature. Another method is to pour the hot water over the herb, cover and let sit over night. Strain in cheese cloth, wring out plant material and reserve the liquid. Drink 1 to 4cups each day.
To make a compress: soak a clean cloth in the tea and apply topically. This preparation is very gentle, yet effective and can be applied several times per day. When using the tea in this manner I suggest stronger tea, using 1 ½ to 2 times the amount of flowers per cup of water than the recipe above. If necessary, chop the flowers, to fit into the amount of water being used. Another option is to just only use the petals, removed from the center
To make a sitz bath: Use equal parts calendula, plantain leaf and nettles leaf
To one ½ part each lavender flowers, rose petals and yarrow flower.
(See instructions above for making tea)