Solar Infused Calendula Oil
Growing a garden doesn't have to be difficult, if at first you don't have a green thumb, keep gardening; eventually, you will. I believe some of the most powerful herbal medicine comes from your very own garden. When you place a plant or seed into the soil, you take care of it; you watch it grow and flourish you soon realize your garden becomes an integral part of your life. As Green (2000), so eloquently puts it, we must not forget, our most valuable herbal teachers are plants. They are there, patiently waiting to be noticed. Calendula is one such herb I would like to introduce you to.
Calendula officinalis also known as marigold, is a bright flower that will grace your garden year after year. It's not a fussy plant, it's easy to grow and it will self-seed given the right environment. So once you have it growing, I doubt you'll need to replace it. Its flowers can be continually harvested and can be dried and made into a tea, tincture or a herbal infused oil. I will often add the petals to salads and broths, or I will collect and dry them and make an infused oil. The more flowers you harvest, the more she will produce. If there is a plant worth having in the garden, I'd say it's calendula, and I am pretty sure most herbalist would tend to agree.
Making a herbal infused oil is a beautiful way to utilize this particular plant, and is necessary for creating your skincare, salves, and balms. For best results harvest your flowers and allow them to dry on a drying rack for a day or overnight. Alternatively, you can purchase quality dried herbs from a good health food shop. When buying dried calendula, to ensure a good quality infused oil, make sure the petals are brightly coloured. Always use clean, sterilized jars to reduce spoilage, you can add a few drops of vitamin E to help preserve the oil. I personally choose to use the traditional method of infusing this oil, using time and warmth from the sun.
Uses
Whether its in an oil base or cream, I always have calendula in the house. Calendula helps to promote the healing of epithelial tissue. It acts as an antimicrobial, antibacterial and an anti-inflammatory. Calendula can be used externally for wounds, inflammatory skin conditions, boils, bruising, acne and of course, nappy rash. Calendula provides a wide range of therapeutic effects that help to stimulate the process of healing, and it is affordable and easy to use (Pereira & Bartolo 2016). As a rule, I use olive oil as a base if I am planning to make a balm as it is quite thick and can have a stronger smell, or a lighter oil such as almond oil if I am going to add it to a skin cream. You can even use it as part of your skin routine, adding a few to your face cream before bed. With two boys in the house, you can probably see why I find this herb so useful.
Ingredients Olive oil or a lighter oil such as almond oil (depending on what you are going to use it for) Dried calendula flowers from a health food shop or pick the buds just as they are opening and dry overnight
Method Fill a jar three-quarters full with calendula flowers, cover with oil leaving about two and a half centimeters free from the top. Place the lid on, give a gentle shake and place on a ledge in the kitchen, or somewhere you won't forget it. Some sources suggest placing the jar in direct sunlight.
Shake daily, let the flowers infused three-four weeks.
Once you have let the flowers seep long enough, strain the flowers from the oil. I do this using a clean sieve over a pyrex jug, squeezing the flowers to get all of the oil out. You can use a muslin cloth to do this as well. If you want a double strength oil, add a fresh batch of calendula flowers to the strained oil and repeat this process.
Store in a cool dark place, or in the fridge. Use within a year.
This beautiful oil can be made into a balm, added to skin cream, or applied topically on inflammatory skin conditions, sunburn, nappy rash cuts, and bruises.
Happy infusing fellow herbalists!
References Gladstar, R 2012, Medicinal Herbs, A Beginners Guide, Storey Publishing
Gladstar, R 2008, Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, Storey Publishing
Green, J 2000, The Herbal Medicine-Makers Handbook, A Home Manual, Crossing Press, Berkeley
Herbal Academy of New England course notes 2016
Pereira, R & Bartolo, P 2016, 'Traditional Therapies for Skin Wound Healing', Advances in Wound Care, vol. 1, no. 5, pp.208-229, viewed 21 November 2017,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4827280/
