Calendula oil is something you should be making an using regularly. The healing properties of calendula infused into oil is easily made and can be used in a variety of ways; it will quickly become a staple in your herbal remedies supply.
Calendula has been used since ancient times and can be seen in medicinal uses in European, the Mediterranean, Egyptian and Native American medicines, just to name a few. It has healing properties that can benefit the skin, inflammation, muscle spasms, healing of wounds, oral health, and is both antiviral and antimicrobial. The components of calendula have been shown to inhibit the HIV virus and some tumors.
Calendula can be easily grown in pots in your backyard and dried for your own medicinal purposes. You can also purchase it, ready to use, online. It can be prepared in a number of ways; as a tea, in salves and my favorite, as calendula oil.
Even if you are just getting started with herbal remedies – calendula oil will be easy for you to make and use.
How to Make and Use Calendula Oil
Making Calendula Oil – What You’ll Need
- A clean quart-sized jar (I typically use a mason jar) with a lid
- Enough dried calendula flowers to fill your jar about 3/4 of the way
- A good quality olive oil
How to Prepare Your Calendula Oil
- Add your dried calendula flowers in the jar until it is about 3/4 of the way filled.
- Pour the olive oil over the flowers until is reaches about 1 inch from the top of the jar.
- Clean the rim of the jar so it is free from oil and flower residue.
- Place your lid on the jar.
- Now find a warm, sunny window where your infusion can rest quietly for about 4 weeks.
You want a gentle warming, not hot. - After the 4 weeks use a mesh strainer with cheese cloth, over a jar to strain out the flowers.
- Keep your calendula oil in a cool, dark, cabinet for up to a year.
How to Use Your Calendula Oil
Use your oil to treat skin conditions, rashes, wounds, bed sores, eczema and varicose veins. It can aid in treating itchiness, sores, inflammation and skin softening. It is also fabulous for a massage oil (consider adding in some lavender essential oil for this as well). Calendula oil can also help breast cancer patients being treated with radiation as it can help reduce swilling and irritation when applied to the skin.
I like to use the oil quite often on my hands. As a gardener, home chef and regular hand washer – my hands can become quite dry. If yours are severely chapped consider rubbing your hands with the oil right before bed and sleeping with cotton gloves on.
Calendula is a wonderful medicinal herb and the oil it produces has amazing uses. I love that is easily and fairly inexpensively made (especially if you grow and dry your own). I think you’ll find it is a home remedy you’ll always want to have on hand.
My QUESTION was ACTUALLY what part of the plant do I use- .. But this answered n a round about way- leaving the question R the leaves of any healing values? Should/could they also b used or I’d it JUST THE FLOWERS?
THANK U, Angie A.
You can definitely use them though I focus more on the flowers myself. I have seen many infusions that include the leaves.