Homemade Calendula Salve is Super Simple
If you’re wondering how to make calendula salve, you’ll be pleased to learn that salves are actually quite easy to make.
Compared to lotions and creams which usually require an oil and liquid phase combined in various formulas, salves are often just two to three ingredients. Calendula salve is easy to make especially if you already have calendula infused oil and beeswax.
Once you have prepared calendula infused oil, you are ready to make your salve. Following is a very simple basic recipe for how to make calendula salve.
Calendula Salve
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup calendula infused oil (buy or make your own)
- 1 ounce beeswax (bars or pellets)
- 15-18 drops lavender essential oil (optional or choose other favorite essential oil)
- Containers for the salve
All of these are available from Amazon, with free shipping if you have Amazon Prime.
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DIRECTIONS:
- Chop the beeswax up or use the beeswax pastilles and place them in the top of a double boiler along with the prepared calendula infused oil.
- Stir and heat over medium to low until all the beeswax has melted being careful not to let the oil get too hot, just enough heat to melt the beeswax.
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the essential oil if using it.
- Carefully pour the melted product into containers.
You may use any size sterile container for your product – four 4 ounce containers, eight 2 ounce containers, or smaller. I prefer the one or two ounce containers as I keep the finished product in a cool dark place, often the refrigerator, until I am ready to use it. You can also make half this recipe.
Calendula Salve with Coconut Oil
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 cup Calendula infused oil
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 oz beeswax
INSTRUCTIONS
- Chop the beeswax up or use the beeswax pastilles and place it in the top of a double boiler along with the prepared calendula infused oil.
- Stir and heat over medium to low until all the beeswax has melted being careful to let the oil get just hot enough to melt the beeswax.
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the essential oil if using it.
- Carefully pour the melted product into containers and let it cool.
Depending on how hard a salve you want, you may want to add less beeswax. The coconut oil will thicken the final product, however it will be more liquid in warmer weather.
Frankly, it is trial and error with finding the consistency that’s best for you as it really is a matter of personal preference. Like when testing for the gel phase in making jam, you can put a small amount of the melted product on a spoon and put it in the freezer for a minute or two to test for consistency.
Add more oil for a softer salve or more beeswax to make it harder.
Calendula Salve Storage
While your salve can be stored in a cool dark place, I use the refrigerator if I know I will not be using it for a while to help it keep for longer. Even when in use, take care not to expose the containers to extreme heat and sun.
Calendula Salve Uses
- Abrasions
- Antibacterial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Antiseptic
- Bee stings
- Cuts
- Diaper rash
- Eczema
- Skin – improves condition & suppleness
- Abrasions
- Antibacterial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Antiseptic
- Bee stings
- Cuts
- Diaper rash
- Eczema
- Skin – improves condition & suppleness
- Abrasions
- Antibacterial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antiviral
- Antioxidant
- Antiseptic
- Anti-tumor
- Bee stings
- Cuts
- Diaper rash
- Eczema
- Skin –
- reduces sun damage / UV-B radiation damage [1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3447623/
- speeds healing of wounds, rash and inflammation
- Central nervous system disorders[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3841996/
Calendula salve, made from calendula infused oil can be used on the skin for cuts, abrasions, eczema, bee stings, and other conditions. Soothing, easy to use, calendula salve makes a great addition to any medicine cabinet as well. It can also be used on the skin daily for conditioning.
You can read more on the benefits of calendula here, and also the best medicinal calendula plants here.
🐝Bee well, bee happy 😎 and take good care of yourself! 🍯
ABOUT Contributing writer, Jane Seeley:
With the creative flare of an artist and the eye of a photographer, Jane Seeley is a master at creating lovely gardenscapes reminiscent of a painting.
“Growing up in North Carolina, my first gardening friend was an elderly neighbor who grew a huge garden and engaged the neighborhood in evening bean shelling and corn shucking.
Transplanted to Mt. Shasta California in the mid 90’s, I learned how to garden organically at 3,500 feet at the base of a volcano where summers are short and winters long and cold. Each year I learn how little I know as each season brings its challenges and rewards. Now I’m breaking new ground as a garden writer, sharing from my lifetime of experience and love of gardening.”
I’m LeAura Alderson, a garden, herb and plant enthusiast with a passion for discovering the many edible and medicinal benefits of the plants all around us, including the weeds! I’m a writer, editor and media publisher for our family of websites.
While I was certified in fitness and life coaching, I am NOT a health practitioner. However, I’m a lifelong health enthusiast, with a keen interest in healthy, organic foods and making home remedies and the content we share is from our own experience and usage as well as that extracted from scientific research so that you can explore further on your own.
Always seek the advice and guidance of your health practitioners first and foremost.
As a family we’re steadily expanding our gardening, experimentation and knowledge around all things gardening, edible landscaping, fresh organic foods and self sustainability with farming in our future. I also own and manage iCreateDaily.com, a site all about transformation through creation, and the power of positivity, optimism and mindset.
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