Calendula is one of our go to herbs! This medicinal flower is an essential part of our green cabinet and we think everyone should know how to make their very own calendula infused oil.

Calendula has warming actions in the body and a long history in both folk medicine and culinary traditions. In the tutorial below we share two methods of infusions with you. The goal is the same—mixing the dried flower with oil so that the oil can draw out the helpful and healing properties within the flowers.

Herbalist Chris Hafner describes Calendula as “herbal sunshine.” It refers to Calendula’s actions upon the lymphatic structures where “the sun don’t shine” (such as the armpits, the nodes along the neck, and the inguinal region. ) It also influences the psychological sphere. Calendula not only cleanses cold/depression and dampness from the tissues and organs, but also from the mind—gently but effectively lifting up our consciousness, shining the light into those darkened recesses of the self, and clarifying the senses.

how do I use calendula oil?

Calendula’s soothing properties make it great for skin irritations, nourishing skin and promoting gut health. It is often used as:

1. First aid for cuts, scrapes, burns, sunburns, bug bites and other minor skin irritations.
2. Face and lip care – Infused calendula oil is the “secret ingredient” behind many beloved face serums and lip balms.
3. Dry or chapped skin – Calendula allows the skin to retain moisture and nourishes the skin.
4. To aid in comforting a "leaky gut"
5. As a tonic for uplifting your mood.

The action of Calendula is helpful as a topical in wounds, but also in its internal effects upon the GI. Whenever there is the presence of a food allergy or intolerance, the digestive system will be inflamed which will typically reflex to systemic inflammation elsewhere in the body. This can manifest as joint pain, autoimmunity, or chronic skin conditions like eczema and acne.

how to make calendula oil

INGREDIENTS

• Organic dried calendula flower petals (use the whole flower and pod underneath)
• Extra Virgin Olive oil or any another organic oil that you prefer and if using for a salad dressing, make sure to use an oil that is edible, such as olive oil, almond or avocado oil.

instructions (slow method)

This is the traditionally preferred method as it preserves the delicate constituents found in calendula best. However, sometimes it’s just not practical to wait 4-6 weeks for a batch. For those times, we've included a quicker method below.

1. Place the whole calendula flowers in a clean, dry glass jar. Next, pour in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil – add enough so that the petals are covered by about one inch of oil. The petals expand as they soak up the liquid, so make sure to add as much oil as needed to ensure that the petals stay covered.
2. Cover the jar with a tight fitting lid and give it a good shake. Place the jar in a paper bag and store near a warm, sunny window. (Some people skip the paper bag, but others believe it helps protect some of the valuable constituents from breaking down due to UV light exposure.) Give the jar a good shake daily.
3. Once the oil has been infusing for 4-6 weeks, strain out the herbs using cheesecloth and pour the oil into a clean, glass jar. Store your oil in a cool, dark cabinet until needed.

instructions (quick method)

1. Place the whole calendula flowers in a clean, dry glass jar. Next, pour in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil – add enough so that the petals are covered by about one inch of oil. The petals expand as they soak up the liquid, so make sure to add as much oil as needed to ensure that the petals stay covered.
2. Cover the jar with a tight fitting lid and give it a good shake.
3. Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of your crockpot and place your jar inside. Add enough water to cover about half the jar and set to the lowest setting for 2-6 hours. We set ours to the warm setting.
4. Strain out the oil using cheesecloth and pour the oil in a clean, glass jar. Store your oil in a cool, dark cabinet until needed.

shop our calendula oil infused products

Our CBD wands have all of the uplifting properties of calendula oil because they are made in-house using handmade oil through the same processes as shown above!