Personal Care Recipe: Simple Calendula Herbal Oil

This recipe is a simplified version of my Calendula Infused Herbal Salve.  I have removed coconut oil and all of the essential oil to make this recipe usable to us in our current state.  We are continuing an extended break from all things coconut.

Remember the blog post by Mountain Rose Herbs concerning the healing aspects of Calendula?  We have been using calendula for healing skin rashes since I read that particular post.  I try not to run out of the dried flower.  My goal is to grow my own, but that hasn’t come to fruition as of yet.

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Why Calendula?  From MRH

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Calendula officinalis, also known as pot marigold or garden marigold, has been used for centuries to heal wounds and skin irritations. Calendula has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, astringent, antifungal, antiviral, and immunostimulant properties making it useful for disinfecting and treating minor wounds, conjunctivitis, cuts, scrapes, chapped or chafed  skin, bruises, burns, athlete’s foot, acne, yeast infections, bee stings, diaper rashes, and other minor irritations and infections of the skin. Plus, it stimulates the production of collagen at wound sites to help minimize scarring and assist with stretch marks. This versatile botanical can be incorporated into baths, creams, compresses, washes, salves, ointments, massage oils, baths, facial steams, tinctures, and teas. It is also gentle enough to use for babies, children, or animals. Internally, gargling with Calendula infused water may ease a sore throat, sores in the mouth, and inflammations in the mouth and throat.

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This oil is very easy to make and very important to keep on hand.  It smells absolutely wonderful but it is very oily and makes for a slippery Yipiyuk until it is absorbed into her skin.  I keep one bottle in the cabinet for daily applications and one in the refrigerator for those rashes that seem to be uncomfortable, and a little coolness is desired for comfort.

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Simple Calendula Herbal Oil

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Ingredients:

• Dried, organic calendula flowers (about 2 cups or so)
• Enough Organic Olive oil to cover flowers

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Materials/Utensils

• Ceramic or glass bowl for flowers and oil (make sure it fits nicely into pot)
• Small pot, to be used as the base of “double boiler”
• Small strainer
• Clean, sterilized glass container for storing oil
• Water

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Procedure

• Add flowers and oil to ceramic or glass bowl.  Make sure the oil covers the flowers.
• Place water into the pot and put that on the stove on the low setting.
• Place bowl over pot (make sure it never runs out of water).
• Let it simmer for at least 1 hour
• Remove from heat, let cool.
• Strain into glass storage container

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Directions From MRH:

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This medicinal oil is simple to prepare and has so many uses. The gentle, soothing, and healing oil is perfect for cradle cap, diaper rash, chapped or chafed skin, bruises, and sore or inflamed muscles. The oil can be used alone, or incorporated into salves, massage oils, lip balms, ointments, creams, and lotions.

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Organic Olive oil
Organic Calendula flowers

1. Place Calendula flowers in a clean, dry glass jar. If using fresh Calendula, wilt for 12 hours to remove most of the moisture (too much moisture will cause the oil to go rancid) before adding to the jar. Pour olive oil into the jar, 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.

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Heat Method: … heat can be applied if you need the oil quickly. To prepare, follow step 1 from above, but place the Olive oil and Calendula flowers in an uncovered container. Warm over low heat at approximately 100 degrees F for at least 3-5 hours, the longer the better. A yogurt maker, double boiler, or inside the oven with a pilot light on are all effective ways to heat the oil, just make sure to check the temperature occasionally to ensure that the oil isn’t getting too warm. Once the oil has infused, strain out the herbs using cheesecloth and package the infused oil into glass bottles.

Personal Care Recipe: Calendula Infused Herbal Oil

Mountain Rose Herbs posted a great herbal infusion using calendula flowers and olive oil.  I’m happy I made this, recently Yipi developed an awful upper body rash after being exposed to fumes from non-safe “corn free” meat.  She was itchy, the bumps were red and swollen and she actually looked miserable.  Into the kitchen I go…  This was fairly easy to make.  I started it one evening, turned it off at bedtime, and restarted it the next morning.  Within one day of multiple applications the swelling and redness has subsided.  Within two days the majority of the itchiness had gone away.  Now we’re just waiting for the remainder of the bumps/hives to vanish.

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Homemade Calendula Salve for Rashes

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I apologize for some of the blurry pictures, she moves rather quickly and she wanted the camera.  It was much easier to get her right side than the left, she lost her desire to cooperate after the first 3 minutes.  These pictures are from the first day that I noticed the rash.  I only used the oil once and it only slightly improved by day two.  Day two I lathered her up every two-three hours.  It has been one week today.  The swelling is gone, the redness is gone, and only a few of the bumps are lingering (she managed to get a few bug bites on her little legs).  I would have uploaded additional pictures showing the reduction in allergic reaction, but she was not interested in cooperating.

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Ingredients:

• Dried, organic calendula flowers (about 3 cups or so)
• Dried, organic honeysuckle flowers (about 1 cup)
• 2 parts coconut oil and 1 part olive oil (enough to cover flowers)
• Organic Lavender essential oil
• Organic Tea tree essential oil
• Ceramic or glass bowl for flowers and oil
• Small pot, to be used as the base of “double boiler”
• Small strainer
• Clean, sterilized glass container for storing oil

Procedure

• Add flowers and oil to ceramic or glass bowl.  Make sure the oil covers the flowers.
• Place bowl over pot (should contain water – check to make sure it never runs out of water).  Bring the water to a boil and turn it down to simmer.  I let it simmer for 6 hours.
• Remove from heat, let cool.
• Strain into glass storage container.
• Add essential oil and gently stir.
• Put into the refrigerator and use as needed.

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I plan to use a similar procedure (with additional ingredients and steps) to make our homemade bug repellent.

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From MRH:

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This medicinal oil is simple to prepare and has so many uses. The gentle, soothing, and healing oil is perfect for cradle cap, diaper rash, chapped or chafed skin, bruises, and sore or inflamed muscles. The oil can be used alone, or incorporated into salves, massage oils, lip balms, ointments, creams, and lotions.

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Organic Olive oil
Organic Calendula flowers

1. Place Calendula flowers in a clean, dry glass jar. If using fresh Calendula, wilt for 12 hours to remove most of the moisture (too much moisture will cause the oil to go rancid) before adding to the jar. Pour olive oil into the jar, 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.

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Heat Method: … heat can be applied if you need the oil quickly. To prepare, follow step 1 from above, but place the Olive oil and Calendula flowers in an uncovered container. Warm over low heat at approximately 100 degrees F for at least 3-5 hours, the longer the better. A yogurt maker, double boiler, or inside the oven with a pilot light on are all effective ways to heat the oil, just make sure to check the temperature occasionally to ensure that the oil isn’t getting too warm. Once the oil has infused, strain out the herbs using cheesecloth and package the infused oil into glass bottles.