There are many creative ways to use this oil! But first things first, here’s How to Make Calendula Oil at home!
The yellow blooms of calendula look fantastic and are also prized for their medicinal properties. The best way to benefit from these is using calendula oil. Don’t worry; you won’t have to burn a hole in your pocket because we’ll teach you how to make calendula oil at home and creative ways to use it.
How To Make Calendula Oil At Home
There are two ways to make the oil at home. Both are easy and will give you a potent oil, so it’s more about the process you want to go with.
1. Cold Calendula Infusion
Ingredients
- A pint-sized glass jar
- Dried calendula flower petals
- A carrier oil (sweet almond oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil)
- An amber-colored glass bottle, preferably with a dropper
Steps
- Fill the glass jar halfway with dried calendula petals. Do not use fresh flowers, as they can cause your infusion to turn rancid. Then, pour any carrier oil of your choosing into the jar so that it is just an inch or a half above the petals.
- Stir the mixture well before securing the jar with an airtight lid and letting the oil infuse for at least a month. Shake the mixture every day and store it in a cool, dry place.
- Once complete, strain the oil, label the bottle, and store it away from sunlight and heat. The oil can last up to a year if stored in a refrigerator.
Note: You should use amber-colored bottles to protect the oil inside from UV light, which can cause it to break down and lose potency.
2. Heat Infusion
Ingredients
The ingredients are the same as before, but you’ll need one more thing–a saucepan or crockpot.
Steps
- The first few steps are similar to those of the cold infusion. After pouring the carrier oil into half a jar full of dried calendula petals, stir the mixture well and secure the airtight lid.
- Then, fill a crockpot or saucepan full of water and put it on low heat. Place the jar in the water and let the flowers steep for about five hours.
- After you see the oil take on a rich yellow color, strain it into amber-colored glass bottles.
Note: If you are making calendula oil only for topical use, you can also use jojoba oil as a carrier; it is inedible but just as effective.
Creative Ways To Use Calendula Oil
1. As an Immunity Tonic
Herbalists and natural healers love to use calendula oil to boost immunity. It helps with inflammation, microbial issues, and cellular growth and repair. If you want to use calendula oil as your ‘au naturel’ herbal immune tonic, be sure to use edible carrier oils such as olive oil when making your infusions.
2. For Moisturizing Your Face
Have you ever wondered why you see calendula as one of the active ingredients in so many skincare products? Well, it is because of the amazing moisturizing properties. So, you could use a few drops of calendula oil on your face to moisturize or add a few drops to your usual moisturizer.
Do not use too much, which can make your face look too oily. When using only the oil as a moisturizer, spread it evenly and massage it into your skin.
3. As a Body Butter
Are you already using calendula oil as your face moisturizer? Why not use it to moisturize your body as well? You can apply calendula oil to all other body parts, like your arms, legs, and back—basically, every area that feels dry to you.
If you plan to use the calendula infusion as a body butter, jojoba oil is especially beneficial. This carrier oil is the most nourishing and does not leave your skin feeling greasy.
4. For Skin Infections, Scrapes and Burns
You cannot miss out on the healing properties of calendula oil! Whether you get minor cuts and scrapes or even burns, a few drops of calendula oil are all you need to promote healing in the areas.
Apply a few drops of the oil and spread them thinly over your wounds. It also works for sunburns.
Note: Do not use it on major wounds before consulting a doctor first.
5. As a Natural Body Scrub
Now that we have covered body and face moisturizing, let’s move on to exfoliation. A sugar or salt scrub with just a few drops of calendula oil effectively removes dead skin from your body. A homemade calendula oil body scrub can also make a lovely gift.
6. For Salad Dressing
The beauty of infused calendula oil lies in how easily you can make it into a salad dressing! The mild flavor will remind you of saffron if you make it with an edible carrier oil. Since calendula pairs beautifully with citrus flavors, add mandarins or other citrus fruits to your salad to improve the taste.
So what are you waiting for? Try out these easy methods for making calendula oil, and let us know how it goes in the comments below!