Calendula (Calendula Officinalis, a.k.a. “Pot Marigold”) has its well-defined place in the herbal world. It’s not only the bright color and sweet smell that distinguish this plant from the others. But mainly it’s healing power and capability to cleanse wound made it internal as well as external number one choice of herbal healer.

In this article you will learn:

2 ways to extract medicinal properties from calendula
8 incredible benefits of calendula infused oil
How to make calendula oil recipe and video
Its uses with simple recipes

“Calendula strengthens the heart exceedingly.” ~Nicholas Culpepper

There are several ways one can extract calendula’s various medicinal properties.

for internal use we can prepare calendula in form of tincture (extract of the plant in alcohol), calming tea (extract its calming properties in hot water) or capsules.

For external use, we make infused oil (macerate the herb in oil) that can be further used in salves, balsams, ointments, lotions or lip balms. Calendula infused oil is prepared by maceration of calendula petals in oil where the herb releases its oil-soluble substances. Calendula possesses excellent skin care properties when applied topically and therefore is very often used in natural health products in the market. As this miracle plant is easily available let’s make our own calendula oil.

Similar healing effect to calendula oil has ribwort plantain oil that is often used for bruises, wounds, eczema or other skin inflammations.

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Healing and soothing calendula oil is effective in the treatment of diaper rash or ear infection. Its anti-inflammatory activity is beneficial in the treatment of acne or dermatitis. This natural herbal infused oil is an essential item in homemade first aid kit to heal scars, wounds or insect bites.

Calendula oil benefits

Excellent healing properties of calendula enable the use of its herbal oil for healing wounds, scars, burns, and bruises. [1]
its anti-inflammatory properties are effective for the treatment of diaper rash or ear infection. Calendula is ideal to use for babies and toddlers. [2]
Calendula oil for acne treatment – Calendula contains terpenoids, volatile oil, glycosides, and flavonoids; later one is the most important constituent responsible for anti-inflammatory activity beneficial in the treatment of acne. To reduce inflammation apply topically to the dark acne spots. [3]
this study found that calendula helps in the treatment of dermatitis in people receiving radiation for breast cancer. [4]
might be useful for the treatment of psoriasis however further research needs to be conducted to confirm this hypothesis. [5]

6. There is a significant acceleration of wound healing on the epithelialization of lower leg venous ulcers when applied twice a day for 3 weeks. [6]

7. As a sunscreen – this study suggested that calendula oil cream can be used to protect the skin from UV radiations in the form of sunscreen cream and to maintain the natural pigmentation of the skin. [7] If you are planning to make your own sun screams calendula oil should definitely be considered as one of the sun protectors.

8. Calendula for hair treatment -used to moisturize dry scalps, has an anti-dandruff effect and improve the condition of the scalp. According to a study from the International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical science, calendula oil has regenerative properties that help the hair follicles to grow and the antioxidants to protect the hair and scalp against cell-damaging free radicals. [8]

How to make Calendula Infused oil

You can use dry or fresh calendula petals. In case you use fresh flowers make sure they are not wet from rain or from morning dew. The best way is to collect them at noontime on a sunny day and let them stay for one day on the sun before infusing them in the oil
select oil of your choice. The advantage of making your own is that you can select the carrier oil as per the type of skin you are going to use the product on. So if you intend to use it on dry skin – go for oils rich in fatty acids that nourish your skin and help fight aging like macadamia, wheat germ, avocado or neem oil. Consequently for oily skin is better to choose oils that have a high percentage of linoleic acid like sunflower and grapeseed oil. As a result, I selected olive oil for my normal skin that is packed with antioxidants and therefore good to fight the wrinkles. https://www.julesaron.com/2018/01/16/best-oils-for-your-skin-type-infusion-techniques/

How long the calendula oil last?

If stored in a dry and dark place calendula oil can last over 1 year.

How to use calendula oil?

for hair

for instance, make a hair mask with banana – mix 1 banana with 2 spoons of calendula oil and create a banana paste. massage into wet hair and cover with plastic folium for 30 minutes. Subsequently, wash with shampoo and a lemon juice afterward. This mask nourishes and softens dry and damaged hair.

or calendula oil helps to moisturize dry scalps and keeps the hair follicles to grow. Apply this oil directly on your scalp.

to calm insect bites

healing calming cream for insect bites

in a bath

bath oil for babies – mix sunflower oil with calendula oil 1:1 and few drops of mandarin essential oil. use 2 tablespoons for 1 bath. This calming and moisturizing oil is ideal for dry and soft skin.

massage oil for babies – mix sunflower oil (5 tablespoons) with calendula oil (4 teaspoons) and 8 drops of lavender essential oil and 6 drops of chamomile essential oil. This calming and healing oil is suitable for babies from the age of 3 months.

soaps

lip balms -Likewise, in this recipe, just replace rose oil with calendula oil

salves

Calendula oil

Active Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 42 days

Total Time 42 days 10 minutes

Materials

Instructions

Fill your jar about halfway with calendula petals.
Pour olive oil into the jar until it’s just about full. Make sure that herbs are covered completely with oil, if some oil evaporates just add more to cover them.
Close the jar with a piece of cloth and rubber band so it can breath and place in a sunny spot.
Shake occasionally to redistribute the jar’s contents.
After 4-6 weeks, pour the jar’s contents through a small strainer or a muslin bag in a jar with lid which is dry and clean. Don't forget to squeeze a muslin bag before discarding as every drop of this valuable oil is counted.
label well and store

Collection of other infusion oils you might want to try

DIY rose oil for skin and hair

This highly scented and effective rose oil is a must have item in your household. Our DIY rose infused oil goes a little bit further with ultra rich grape seed oil and petals from Rose Damascena.

Scented Lavender infused oil

Elderflower infusion oils are known for their soothing effect, improving skin complexion and are especially useful for older skin. However they are also very effective in treating acne and sunburns.

DIY Dandelion oil to heal your cracked hands

Dandelion oil is used in salves, lotions, and lip balms to soothe dry and cracked skin. Thanks to its capability to speed up the healing process of scars and calm down skin irritations dandelion oil is also efficient in acne treatment.

Uses and benefits of Calendula oil

How to make & use red clover oil

purple blossoms of the red clover make an outstanding nourishing oil that, by increasing collagen production, improves the elasticity of your skin and reduces wrinkles. Its anti-inflammatory properties can also help with eczema or psoriasis.

Powerful Elderflower infusion oil to soften your skin

Elderflower infusion oil has a powerful soothing effect on the skin, improves skin complexion and is especially useful for older skin. However, it is also very effective in treating acne or sunburns. It's anti-inflammatory and anti-wrinkle properties made the elderflower infusion oil very popular in the cosmetic industry.

Read the Guide

Comments

Tessa Zundel says

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I’ve never thought to use calendula on scalps! My daughter had horrible cradle cap as a baby and, even now as a teen, still struggles with it. It’s not dandruff, really – much more like the dried sores and flakes of skin from cradle cap. Maybe calendula oil can help! Her diet is so clean and her hygiene is good, so we’ve had a hard time trying to think of something. She’s currently using a rosemary/ACV mix. Hmm…time to infuse some calendula – thank you!

- Simplybeyondherbs says
  
  at
  
  Hi Tessa, I would definitely try calendula oil! it is very often used for dry scalp and works really well. Let me know how did it go. Vladka
  
Laina says

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This is awesome! I have a jar of calendula flowers I should use up. I’ll definitely use these recipes, thank you!