Calendula oil is made from infusions of either olive oil or soybean oil and the flowering, colorful petals of edible marigolds, also known as Calendula officinalis. You can easily make your own infusion of this healing elixir at home, with dried petals and some good quality olive or soybean oil. The petals must be completely dry before being placed in the oil to avoid mold from growing. In a two quart jar, cover the blossoms completely with the oil and place in a sunny window to infuse. Give it a shake once or twice a day and leave until the oil is a nice shade of yellow or orange. Then carefully drain the liquid out to another jar, using some cheesecloth to catch the petals and cap the oil tightly.
You can also use your slow cooker to infuse the petals and oils if you want it ready quicker than sitting in the window. Place the mixture in the slow cooker on low power overnight and you should have some excellent oil in the morning. Strain it the same way and try to use sterilized jars, as you don’t want anything to touch your skin that is not beneficial.
You can now find calendula oil as a super-concentrated “CO2 extract”. Using cooler temperatures than steam distillation, the result is essentially a “calendula essential oil”, which can be then added to other oils for the same effect as an infused oil. There’s actually a significant amount of research using this extract for skin healing, and it makes for a very simple way to impart calendula’s healing action in your formulas.
Your newly created oil can be used in many ways to benefit and help heal your skin. It can be used straight out of the bottle on unbroken skin as an excellent topical relief for skin irritations and inflammations, as well as the primary ingredient in a base with beeswax and other beneficial ingredients to make a lotion or salve. In the era of home remedies, it was known to help with eczema and other skin problems, as it is gentle and calms the irritated skin areas.
Another wonderful use is for the soft, sensitive skin of babies. Carefully put on painful diaper rash, starting sparingly to ensure there are no allergies. You can also use it for a relaxing massage for your baby or anyone with sensitive skin that needs some pampering. For massage, Sweet Almond Oil makes an excellent base oil with the petals for an extra gentle and soothing experience for all.
Calendula oil can be a lifesaver for severely dry, parched skin that other lotions have not been able to soothe. This is especially true in winter months, when feet can get cracked and sore from being bundled up in wet boots, etc. And since you know exactly what is in this herbal concoction, you can feel confident in using it to help heal your dry and painful skin.
Another way to use this amazing oil is for bruising or minor strains and sprains. The anti-inflammatory ingredients can promote faster healing, especially with irritants like insect bites and even bed sores.
If you don’t have access to the ingredients, you can always buy it ready to go from your local health food store or one of many online natural product stores. It can come in many forms, including salves, balms, soaps and lotions, but make sure you check all ingredients so you know what else in in the product.
Whatever usages you find for this versatile oil, you will be happy you discovered calendula oil and its many purposes.
Aromatherapy essential oils give you a huge number of medicinal actions. Discover more regarding single oils like wildcrafted amyris essential oil and tuberose oil.