A few Januarys ago I went all-in on starting plants from seed, and I had a whole makeshift greenhouse going, with melons and squash, tomatoes, beans and flowers. I learned a lot from that project, and got a better sense of what plants are instantly gratifying (hello, nasturtium and zinnias) and which ones really shouldn’t be started in containers (beets and carrots). One plant that did really well was calendula. I had a nice group of them that spring, and then next, and now, 3 or 4 years later, I’m still getting volunteer calendula – or Pot Marigold – popping up in the garden.
Calendula is one of those plants that has a host of uses – it is edible and adds a nice flavor and pop of color to salads, it can be used to make dye, it is dried and uses as a tea to soothe sore throats and upset stomach, and it also has compounds that help to regenerate and heal skin. When you cut the blossoms you’ll notice a fragrant, sticky sap that is packed with phytochemicals: some that promote cell regeneration and collagen production, some work as anti-oxidants, some help to protect from UV damage, and some work as anti-microbial and anti-fungal elements, protecting skin from infection. Because of theses little dynamo compounds, calendula is often used in skincare recipes and homemade first aid remedies.
I’ve been collecting and drying the flowers for several months now, and my stash has gotten pretty big, so I decided to try a simple healing salve. (Also, I made the mistake of pruning the roses without gloves the other day, and I have several small wounds that could use some magic). It turned out pretty well, so I thought I’d share the process here.
The first step is to infuse the calendula into a carrier oil of your choice. There are lots of good options, but here are a few of the best choices:
Olive Oil – deeply moisturizing, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory
Almond Oil – deeply hydrating, lightweight, non-comedogenic
Grape seed Oil – deep moisturizer, lightweight, non-comedogenic
Avocado Oil – thicker oil, good for dry and mature skin
For this batch I used almond oil. There are two ways to infuse it with the calendula. The simplest is to pack the (well-dried) flowers into a jar, pour the oil over to completely cover the flowers, and let it sit in a cool area for 4-6 weeks. For this method, it is important to ensure that the flower blossoms are completely dry to prevent any kind of spoilage.
I really wanted a batch of the salve right away, so I did another batch the second way: heat-activated with a long, slow steep, about 4 hours instead of 4 weeks. To do this, you need to heat the blossoms and oil together in a double boiler for 2-4 hours. I don’t have a double boiler, so I put the oil and flowers in a heatproof glass bowl and suspended it over gently simmering water (the bowl shouldn’t touch the water), and heated it for 4 hours.
I also added dried chamomile blossoms, as they are also really good for skin. Once the flowers had steeped long enough, I strained out the flowers and returned the oil to the glass bowl, and set it back on the double boiler.
To about 1 cup of the strained oil, I added 2 Tbsp. of beeswax pastilles, and 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Once the beeswax was thoroughly melted, I spooned it into clean jars.
Once the salve cooled, it became opaque and a really pretty yellow color. It smells good too! I’ll let you know how it works on my rosebush scratches!
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