Liquid Gold: Make Your Own Calendula Oil

In my increasingly self-sufficient life, I get a kick out of making my own household staples wherever possible. I DIY my cleaning products, soaps (naturally!), kitchen basics, and even random things like dog food and fabric softener.

I must confess, I am a bit of a ‘make your own’ nut!

In the Summer months, the mozzies and bugs were plentiful.  That is when I began researching a healing oil.  One that would ease itchy bites and soothe skin. Along the way,I stumbled across the amazing herb Calendula.  Calendula (also known as Marigold) is a supreme herb with an astounding amount of healing properties. This humble flower is known to be wound-healing and anti-inflammatory.  On top of this, it is also anti-microbial and anti-fungal. What is equally as exciting is that I have a friend whose amazing garden produces heaps of these spectacular golden flowers.

Amazing Healing Properties

Calendula, or Marigold as it is also known, is a hardy plant that grows easily in most environments and doesn’t need much care. Calendula’s sunny blooms are an external remedy for practically every manner of skin complaint. For optimal strength, be sure you’re using the whole flower. By this, I mean including the green flower base – instead of the “petals” only. Calendula-infused oils and salves are some of the most acclaimed topical applications for soothing and repairing the skin. More on that later…

Let's make some oil!

Now that you know a bit about the amazing properties of this flower, let us get to work! The best way to start using Calendula is to infuse it into a base oil. Once you have this done (and it's so easy to do!) you can use the oil to make salves and balms. Which oil you use is up to you, just make sure that it is a cold-pressed oil as these will have the most health benefits for your skin. If you decide to use Olive oil the smell will be a bit stronger so for my recipe I’ve gone with Virgin Sunflower or Macadamia oil.

Health Benefits of Calendula