Calendula flowers are renowned for their soothing effect on the skin. If you have dry or itchy skin, bug bites or stubborn rashes, making a salve of calendula flowers may be just the thing to help you. You should always consult a doctor about unusual medical conditions, and skin irritations are a common side effect for some medications; but for everyday concerns, there's nothing simpler than having a tin of calendula salve on hand for a home healing remedy.
Note: This project takes one to two weeks, to allow time for the calendula flowers to sit so you can make your own extract oil.
Step 1
Place the calendula flowers in a glass canning jar, cover them with the olive oil and stir the mixture together; make sure the oil completely covers the calendula. Screw a lid onto the jar and set it in a sunny window. Leave it there until the oil turns a deep gold color, usually between one and two weeks.
Step 2
Wash your hands thoroughly, then place several layers of cheesecloth in a bowl large enough to comfortably hold all of your calendula mixture. Open the jar of oil and flowers, pour the contents onto the cheesecloth, then set the jar aside to clean later.
Step 3
Gather the cheesecloth up around the oil and flower mixture and lift it a few inches out of the bowl. Oil will drip through the cheesecloth and into the bowl. You can speed the process by squashing the cheesecloth with your hands to express the oil, or tie the bundle closed with some sturdy string and hang it from a convenient hook or cabinet handle, suspended over the bowl, until it stops dripping.
Step 4
Melt the grated beeswax in a double boiler or, if you have no double boiler, use a glass or enamel pan. Once the beeswax is melted to a liquid form, turn off the heat and mix in the calendula oil; stir until combined thoroughly. If you'd like to add any other ingredients, such as essential oils or other herb oils, now is the time to do so.
Step 5
Pour the mixture into tins or small jars with lids. Cover these loosely with cheesecloth until they're cool, then put the lids on and store the salve in a cool, dark place. It should last about a year.
Tips and Warnings
- If you don't want to make your own calendula oil extract, you can usually purchase a pre-made extract in most health food stores.
Things You'll Need
- 1/4 cup calendula flowers
- Glass canning jar with lid
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Cheesecloth
- String (optional)
- Double boiler
- 1/8 cup grated beeswax
- Small tins or jars with lids
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