It all started with a handful of calendula seeds given to me by a dear friend. I had no idea how prolific calendula would be. Before long I was up to my ears in dried calendula so I set out to find ways we could utilize this healing plant in our home. Calendula has anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and antiviral properties along with being incredibly healing for the skin and the list doesn’t end there.
Now that we’ve grown it, harvested it, dried it, and stored it we needed to actually do something with it! I settled on an easy oil infusion that can be used in numerous ways. Here is my concoction.
Quick oil infusion:
2 Cup sunflower oil
2 Cups coconut oil (fractionated)
1.5- 2 Cups Calendula, fresh or dried
(Optional additions)
Chamomile or Lavender make great additions to this healing oil.
Put everything in your crockpot and set it on the lowest setting, for us this is warm. Give it a stir every hour or so for the first few hours to be sure all of the petals are covered and that nothing is burning. Keep warm for 8-24 hours. When it’s done strain and store your new infused oil into a glass container and store away from direct light.
Notes: you can use 2-4 cups of any individual or combination of oils I chose these for two reasons
- They are recommended for dry skin & We live in a desert.
- I happened to have these plants on hand and I am a fan of using what you got!
Alternative slow method-
Pack a glass jar or bottle with your dried flowers, and pour oil over to fill the container. When doing this method, I generally stick with one or two oils and “eyeball” it rather than measuring them each out. Put it in a dark cabinet or pantry for 4-6 weeks, then strain and store away from direct light.
Notes:
- In this recipe you need to use fractionated coconut oil, the kind that stays liquid. (Here)
- When I say 4-6 weeks I mean it loosely, I have left mine for 3-4 months steeping, forgotten about in a cabinet. Oops! 2020 was rough.
Wondering what to do with your calendula-infused oil? Check out our recipe for Calendula salve HERE
