This was the first herbal salves I ever made, years ago, and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. I use it pretty much daily! Calendula salve softens, heals, soothes, and calms my skin in ways that nothing else can.
Making salve is kind of the gateway herbal bath and body product. Once you realize that you can mix a few natural, quality ingredients and end up with a practical, beautiful, and healing product, it’s empowering. I want you to feel that power too!
At a time when more and more of us are becoming aware of what we’re putting on and into our bodies – along with the carbon footprint the products we use leave behind – making your own salve is a great place to pivot.
These salves also make great gifts! As I am writing it is prime holiday shopping time, yet I’m making gifts from things I already have in my home. Nothing beats a consumable, homemade gift as far as I’m concerned. Bonus that you can use canisters you already have, furthering your commitment to ‘reduce – reuse – recycle’!
Benefits of Calendula Salve
Calendula petals contain anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties, and are used to soothe a long list of skin ailments. Plus, calendula salve is safe to use on babies (yes, even the finished salve with beeswax)! The oils and beeswax are both sustainable and deeply healing in their own right. So being able to swirl and melt them all together can make just about anyone feel like a healer.
There are
two basic steps to making salves.
*Infusing the oil with an herb/flower you’ll be using.
*Adding the thickening + healing agents to that oil.
Flowers First: Best Calendula for Making Salve
Like all recipes, it’s important to start with quality ingredients. Growing my own calendula adds so much to the garden, as both a trap crop for many common garden pests, and as a draw for beneficial insects – plus they’re gorgeous.
I prefer Calendula Resina because it has the highest concentration of petal ‘resin’ aka the good stuff. Calendula is also a great starter plant for savingseeds from annual flowers; Want more? Check out my guide on how to start seed saving. This is all before I snip off the buds to use their medicine. More in-depth info on growing these and other beauties in Companion Planting Flowers for Your Vegetable Garden.
When and How to Harvest Calendula Flowers
Summer is in full swing when it is finally time to start harvesting the flowers. This is both rewarding and a great way to tidy up the garden. Picking them at their peak, with fully opened petals but not drooping, and after the morning dew has dried but not in the heat of the afternoon, will yield the best resin.
So, start with either homegrown calendula or skip that part of the process and buy your calendula from a trusted source. The only place I’ve been consistently happy with is Mountain Rose Herbs. They have an amazing selection and grow things the way I do.
How to Make Calendula Infused Oil
Once the flowers are cut, I usually let my calendula (and any other herbs/petals) wilt for a good day or two. Or sometimes I’ll place them in our dehydrator overnight to reduce the water content. This makes for a more intense infusion and reduces the chance of mold in the oil as you let the plants sit and infuse. After they’re wilted/dried a bit cover the petals with enough oil so the petals are fully submerged. This also helps keep any possible mold at bay. I use a mason jar and screw the lid on. I usually write the date I started the infusion on a dissolving label and let it set for at least 4 to 6 weeks – usually much more. I routinely let my oils infuse for 3 months.
Best Carrier Oil for Calendula Salve
Sweet almond oil was my go-to carrier oil for infusing until I realized that folks with nut allergies are also allergic to almond oil. So while it has the softest feel, a good shelf life, and healing properties of its own, I only use it for recipes I know only my family will use. I now prefer apricot kernel oil. I’ve used a light extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil as well, and they work great too.
Infusing the Oil
Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time, a process often called steeping.
Herbal academy
Think of this as a cold-brewed tea on overdrive. There are quicker methods where you heat the oil. I’ve never tried this, but you can make the infusion in a day using a double boiler. The process is explained in How to Make Herb-Infused Oils. However, it will not be as potent as the slower, lower temperature version.
*You can also slowly add petals to this jar as they bloom. Just make sure they are dried a bit and remember to keep adding oil to cover petals completely.*
By the time I’m ready to make salve, the bulk of my outdoor garden work has slowed down. If you don’t have time to make the salve right away, just try to strain off the oil from the infusion within 12 weeks. Straining is as easy as leaving it to drip through a sieve, until the very end when you’ll want to get in there and squeeze out every last drop of goodness. The oil will be cloudier as you squeeze, this is totally normal.
Alchemy Time: Calendula Salve Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 C calendula infused oil (or less if adding other oils)
- 1 Oz beeswax
- 20+ drops of your essential oil of choice
Here’s a great list of essential oils for salves and their properties.
Now it’s time to get your other ingredient(s) and containers in order. Mainly, beeswax and any other oils you’ll be adding to the mix. One word about beeswax. If you can buy directly from a beekeeper, the raw goodness, plus the smell of honey will add another layer of healing to your salve. Local beeswax will keep the carbon footprint low as well!
I keep my salve recipes pretty simple and just add a bit of jojoba or emu oil to the pot as I’m warming the ingredients. And top it off with essential oils just before I pour it off.
How to Make Calendula Salve
Melt + Pour.
It really is that simple.
In a double boiler (see my cheater version above) or a heavy pan, start warming the infused oil and beeswax. If you want to make a larger or smaller batch a good rule of thumb is 1 ounce of beeswax for every 1 cup of oil. You can play around with these ratios as much as you’d like. Adding more beeswax will result in a harder salve; some like a harder salve for summer so it doesn’t melt.
The only trick is to not let the mixture get above 140. Low heat is the trick here! If adding essential oils (I do love this, but unless capped they lose their fragrance quickly), do so right at the end. I usually turn off the burner and add just before I pour in.
I usually opt for lavender or rosemary, but this time I let my son choose. I make this as much for his eczema as for anything else, so I figured he could choose the scent. And I love that after smelling over 30 bottles he chose frankincense, which is known to be wonderful for your skin!
Let the containers cool and cap them after a few hours.
Congratulations! You’ve just made your first salve.
These are great as gifts, and you’ve solved the dilemma of needing an upstairs + a downstairs + a car + a backpack skin cream without any fake chemicals or plastic packaging. Well done!
I wonder what you’ll dig into next!?!
Michelle
I'd love to hear your thoughts!