Calendulas are not only a decoration of our gardens where their orange and yellow flowers shine and light up every corner, but they are also an integral part of the medicine cabinet of any herbalist.
Easy to grow from seeds, calendulas belong to one of the most popular herbs used internally as well as externally in herbal medicine.
Calendula tincture has a large spectrum of uses from sore throat inflammations to healing open wounds and hemorrhoids. Its spasmolytic effect helps treat abdominal cramps and constipation.
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Whether you grow your own calendula or you get your desired marigold (calendula) flowers from a shop, what can you do to harness their power?
The gentle and versatile way of preparation is a classic herbal tea.
When you feel sad, tired, low in energy or fractured from the troubles that life can bring, a warm cup of calendula tea will revive in you the healing power, energy, and optimism you need.
However, where we need to achieve a higher concentration of the active substance and wish to receive a stronger effect on our body, I prefer tincture.
I also use in cases where active substances dissolve better in ethanol than in water.

What is tincture?
Tincture in herbal medicine means an extract of the plant in various ethanol concentrations (20 - 90%) that you make by soaking herbs in alcohol for several weeks.
After that, the herbs are strained and the concentrated liquid full of active ingredients is ready to be used. Tinctures are a traditional way of preparing herbs.
The word "tincture" was originally used in pharmaceuticals and derived from the Latin tingo, tinctus - stained, meant dye or drug.
Tinctures are made of single plants or mixed plants. Depending on the herb one can use various parts - roots, bark, petals in fresh or dried form.
This calendula tincture is made of calendula petals however I made it wild spruce tips or nettle roots.
Herbal tincture has many advantages
- simple dosing
- fast onset of action - ethanol helps faster absorption of active substances into the blood and into the whole body
- concentrated tinctures can be diluted in water to hide the taste
- compact
- portable - convenient for travel, and for carrying in a handbag so you can administer your herbs wherever you are
- Tinctures are a great option for those who lead a busy lifestyle and don’t have time to prepare herbal teas daily.
- long shelf life (ethanol acts as a preservative) - up to 5 years
How to make a tincture?
Making your own tincture is very easy and all you need are two ingredients:
alcohol - you can use ethanol 60% (synonyms: ethyl alcohol or grain spirit) that is available in a pharmacy
alternatively use vodka, rum or brandy
Substitutes for Ethanol: Ethanols is an excellent solvent for both constituents (acidic and alkaline). However, you can replace it with glycerol or apple cider vinegar (non-alcohol)
calendula - use dry or fresh calendula petals. To get the maximum medicinal properties from the herb I use smaller pieces of the herb. So bruise or grind the herbs in a mortar and pestle to help maximize the extraction process.
If you don't want to prepare your own calendula tincture you can buy one here

RATIO
the ratio for dry herbs: 1:5 (one weight part of the calendula petals and 5 weight part of alcohol)
the ratio for fresh herbs 1:2
DOSAGE
The typical dose is 3 times 20 drops/day of tincture
Apply in the forms of drops under the tongue or drops diluted in juice, water or tea

Uses of Calendula tincture
Gargling
for gargling to reduce inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth and sore throat. (1)
to soothe a sore throat and stop infections, laryngitis and tonsillitis, coughs, dryness of the lungs, and digestive upsets (2)
Similarly, works this violet sore throat spray.
to clean the lymphatic system
The lymph is filtering and eliminating waste products and bacteria and therefore helps keep our immune system strong. Calendula tincture raises immunity by stimulating lymphatic drainage (3)
Ulcers
for treating sore or broken tissues such as gastric or duodenal ulcers (4)
cramps and constipation
its spasmolytic effect is used for the treatment of abdominal cramps and constipation (5)
wound healing
You can apply locally to reduce pain and swelling (inflammation) and to treat poorly healing wounds and leg ulcers. Or apply to the skin (used topically) for nosebleeds, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and inflammation of the rectum (6)
excellent antimicrobial activity against fungi and most of the bacteria tested while comparing with Fluconazole (7)
Acne
Calendula contains astringents such as tannins that are used topically on the skin for the treatment of acne. Calendula tincture reduces inflammation and prevents further spread of the infection over the skin. It also promotes rapid healing of the skin (8).
You can apply directly on the skin to ease acne or impetigo-simply add a few drops of the tincture to any kind of neutral skin cream you use every day just before applying to your face, or you can add a few drops of tincture to every application of face wash.
Alternatively, make acne mask from calendula tincture, cinnamon, and essential oils
A mouthwash
as a mouthwash for infected gums and other mouth problems -. You can dilute a few drops of tincture in a glass of water and use as a mouth rinse or gargle for sore, inflamed throat and gums.
in a bath
Calendula tincture can be added to bath water or a hair rinse to help itching or irritated scalp and skin conditions.

If you want to create a non-alcoholic tincture, then you can simply replace the alcohol with Apple Cider Vinegar.
Pour the apple cider vinegar over the herbs and cover them by 2-3 inches, and then seal the jar with a tight-fitting lid. Then, place the jar in a warm, sunny spot, and let the herbs soak (macerate) for 4 to 6 weeks, shaking daily.
This vinegar-based tincture will keep for at least 1 year.
The medicinal compounds in tinctures are both light-sensitive and air-sensitive so they may break down with prolonged light exposure. If kept correctly tincture shelf life is more than 5 years.

Calendula tincture

Calendula tincture has a large spectrum of uses from sore throat inflammations to healing open wounds and hemorrhoids. Its spasmolytic effect helps treat abdominal cramps and constipation.
Materials
- organic calendula petals
- Grain alcohol of your choice 60%
Tools
Instructions
- Place calendula petals in the glass jar
- Select alcohol of your choice and cover the petals completely
- Close the jar tightly. Place parchment paper between the lid and the jar to prevent the rubber seal from dissolving
- Label the jar
- Place your jar in a cool dark place and shake it occasionally. Check the alcohol level and make sure the herb is submerged completely. If needed add additional alcohol.
- Let calendula release their medicinal properties for 4-6 weeks
- Strain the calendula petals from the alcohol. Ideally pour the tincture into a dark bottle with dropper.
- Label the bottle with CALENDULA TINCTURE with 60 % ethanol and date
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Addie | Old World New says
Oh wow! I could use this for a lot of the reasons you listed. And it's so simple to make. Thanks for compiling this post!
Jennifer Cook says
Great ideas. I make this tincture with glycerin and find it is wonderfully good in taste as well as medicinally sound. I grow my own flowers so it is easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Karen @ The Simple Life Simplified says
Calendula is one of my favorite flowers/herbs, but I never thought of making a tincture with it. Great information in this post and so many ways to use the tincture! I love using natural remedies and may have to try this one out.
Tessa Zundel says
I've never thought of ingesting calendula! I always just add it to salves and lip balms. Thanks for this information! Another reason to grow more calendula this year.
Shaindy says
Can an alcohol tincture be added when heading oils of the salve so the alcohol will evaporate and just the medicinal qualities left behind?
If so, what is the recommended ratio?
Simplybeyondherbs says
In order for alcohol to evaporate you need to warm up the oils up to 80 degrees celsius and that would destroy all medicinal benefits of infused oil. A much better alternative is to use glycerin instead of alcohol if you want to avoid using alcohol.
Elizabeth.Hebe says
Luck can never last a lifetime
Monique Milne says
I made a calendula tincture a few months ago. I now have a lot of white stuff at the bottom of my jar. I'm not sure if it's mold or not - hard to find info on the net about what mold in tinctures looks like. I used fresh flowers including the centre - so I'm wondering if that's the problem? It was 80 proof vodka.
I also made a salve from dried calendula flowers and that turned out amazing!
Simplybeyondherbs says
Hi Monique, it could be mucilage, calendula has some. The more water you use to make the tincture, the more gloopy it is. You said you used 80 proof vodka which is 40 % alcohol and 60 % of water. This is why I use 60 % alcohol.
Donna Wall says
Please email me how to make calendula salve. Thank you.
Donna Wall
Simplybeyondherbs says
Hi Donna,
I made this healing calendula salve with honey https://simplybeyondherbs.com/calendula-honey-salve-recipe/ that is ideal for dry hands in cold autumn/ winter time for people that work manually in the garden, frequently wash their hands or use harsh cleaners.