Not many people know about calendula. Calendula is a plant native to Mediterranean countries. People have been using it for medicinal purposes since at least the 12th century. Calendula oil has been used on wounds, such as burns, bruises and cuts, to speed up healing. People also use calendula oil on their skin to add firmness and to fight infections. Did you know that you can make your own homemade calendula oil? And it’s SHOCKINGLY EASY to do. Homemade calendula oil has 2 all natural ingredients: dried calendula flowers and a carried oil. The toughest part about making homemade calendula oil is that it requires a little (OK, a lot of) patience.

I was one of those people who had no idea what calendula was. Hadn’t heard about it and had no interest learning about it. This changed when I had my little bug and wanted to learn more about natural remedies. Both WebMD and the U.S. National Library of Medicine say: “Early research suggests that applying a 1.5% calendula ointment to the skin for 10 days improves diaper rash compared to aloe gel.” University of Maryland Medical Center also says that calendula is a “safe and effective remedy for diaper rash.” Yes, that’s right! In addition to its ability to treat a host of skin ailments, calendula oil can be used to treat diaper rash. Calendula oil is one super duper ointment and salve to have around. And what’s better than calendula oil?? Well, homemade calendula oil that you can whip up yourself, of course!

Ingredients Needed to Make Homemade Calendula Oil

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1. Dried Calendula Flowers – 1 cup. I use Organic Calendula Flowers. I keep my calendula flowers in the freezer to prolong their freshness.
2. Sunflower Seed Oil – approximately 12 oz. I use Whole Foods Organic Sunflower Oil. You can also try Life-Flo Organic Sunflower Oil. In addition to sunflower oil, organic sweet almond oil works very well too.
3. Empty Glass Containers – 1 container. I use an empty Trader Joe’s Coconut Oil jar. Be sure to thoroughly clean and dry your jar before use. You can also use a Ball Jar.

Instructions on How to Make Homemade Calendula Oil – 3 Different Methods to Infuse Flowers into Oil

1. Fill a glass container with dried calendula flowers to about 1/2 inch from the top.

2. Add sunflower seed oil until the dried calendula flowers are completely covered.

3. Close the glass container lid tightly.

4. Finally, infuse calendula flowers into the sunflower seed oil (or another pure carried oil, like sweet almond oil).  There are 3 different methods:

• Method 1 (the Dark, Cool Place Method) – Place the tightly closed container in a dark, cool place. Shake the container gently every 2 to 3 days. Infusion time, aka wait time, 3 weeks.
• Method 2 (the Sunny, Warm Place Method) – Place the tightly closed container in a brown paper bag. Place the paper bag where it will get sunlight during the day. Sunlight doesn’t infused the oil. It’s the warmth from the sun that helps with the infusion. Shake the brown paper bag gently every 2 to 3 days. Infusion time, aka wait time, 2 weeks.
• Method 3 (the Crockpot, Quick Method) – Place the tightly closed container in a crock pot, filled with 2 to 3 inches of water. Turn the crockpot on to its lowest heat setting (warm or low heat). Infusion time, aka wait time, 8 hours.

My personal favorite is the Sunny, Warm Place Method (Method 2) because Method 1 has a 3-week waiting period and Method 3 doesn’t produce a very strong infused oil. Is anyone else thinking of Goldilocks?? It’s not too hard, it’s not too soft, it’s just right! That’s what Method 2 is for me – just right!

5. After the necessary waiting period, somewhere between 8 hours and 3 weeks, use a strainer to separate the calendula infused oil from the calendula flowers.

When you harvest your homemade calendula oil, you will notice that the color of the oil and calendula flowers is darker, and the scent of the oil now takes on calendula’s natural aroma. Here is a side-by-side comparison between a Day-1 Homemade Calendula Oil and a Week-2 Homemade Calendula Oil.

The Week-2 container has a lot less oil than the Day-1 container. No, the oil didn’t evaporate or disappear during the infusion period (waiting period). I just wasn’t patient enough to wait to use my homemade calendula oil before taking this side-by-side comparison picture. Sorry!

That’s it! I told you. It’s shockingly easy to make your own homemade calendula oil. The toughest part is to be patient. You have to wait, while the oil absorbs all the healing properties of the calendula flowers. I didn’t use homemade calendula oil as a diaper rash remedy. My little bug was one of the lucky babies who didn’t have much issues with diaper rashes. But I have used my homemade calendula oil to make a bunch of bath, body and personal care products, including soap and coconut oil free body butter. I have also used the homemade calendula oil as an ointment and salve by itself when I have minor cuts or scratches, or when I or my bug get itchy winter skin. Homemade calendula oil has worked wonderfully for us.

So will you be giving this homemade calendula oil recipe a try? I’d love to hear which method you decide to use to infuse your oil and how effective you find homemade calendula oil in treating various skin ailments. I’d love to hear from you, so reach out!