Want to make your own body care products at home? This Calendula Salve recipe only has 3 ingredients. Making your own salve not only helps you live a non-toxic lifestyle because you know what's in your products, but it helps the environment too because there's one less plastic container you'll be consuming when you make your own instead of buying.
This calendula salve aims to relieve skin itchiness due to eczema. This recipe was inspired by Jan Berry’s Create Your Own Salve recipe.1
Health Benefits of the Key Ingredients
Calendula has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and skin healing properties that may help relieve eczema, skin irritation and rashes. Typically used in diaper creams for babies, it also helps skin regenerate.2
Coconut oil moisturizes and protects the skin, has antibacterial properties.3
Beeswax softens the skin and helps skin retain moisture.4
Tips:
- Beeswax can be purchased in blocks or as little pellets. If you bought a beeswax block, you can melt it and make your own beeswax drops for easier handling.
- You may want to have a dedicated glass jar or measuring cup for beeswax as it can be hard to remove. You may use the same jar or cup for future body care projects.
- To clean beeswax from a glass jar, you may have to heat it up again to melt and wipe away to clean.
Making Calendula Infused Oil
There are a few steps to making your own salve. Usually, you'll want to infuse an oil with some herbs.
For this recipe, I used coconut oil, but olive oil, almond oil or jojoba oil can also be used. I used a quicker way to infuse the oil, it can also be infused without direct heat or by sunlight which would take a few days or weeks.
In a small mason jar (I used a 250mL or half pint mason jar like these), add the calendula flowers and oil. Cover the jar.
Create a makeshift double broiler by adding some water to a sauce pan, then place the mason jar inside it. Warm on low heat for 2 hours and do not let it boil. Remove from pan and let the jar cool.
Strain out the flowers using a sieve into another jar and discard the herbs. This infused oil can be stored in a cool, dark place for 9 months to a year.
Making the Calendula Salve
Now that you have calendula infused oil, it's time to add the beeswax to harden it into a salve.
Place the oil and beeswax into a small jar (I used a 125mL or 4oz mason jar like these.).
I used the jar for the final product so I didn't need to transfer it again.
Create a makeshift double broiler by placing the jar into a sauce pan and adding some water.
Warm over low heat until the beeswax and oil melt together. Remove from heat. Allow the salve to cool down then cover.
This will keep for 6 to 9 months. If the salve is too soft, you can re-melt and add more beeswax. If the salve is too solid, re-melt and add more infused oil.
This recipe is versatile, you can use different herbs and oil depending on the condition you want to relieve.
I've made a lavender salve with olive oil. And I have some chamomile infused oil I need to make into a salve too.
P.S. This was one of those recipes I learned to create through the Culinary Nutrition Expert program. Read more about why I loved the CNE program here.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment or rating below!
Calendula Infused Oil
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dried calendula flowers
- ½ cup virgin coconut oil
Instructions
- In a small mason jar (I used a 250 ml jar), add the dried calendula flowers and coconut oil. Cover the jar.
- In a small saucepan, add several inches of water. Place the jar in the saucepan to form a makeshift double boiler.
- Warm over low heat for about 2 hours. Do not let the water boil.
- After 2 hours, remove jar from pan and let it cool.
- Strain the oil using a fine mesh sieve into another small clean mason jar. Discard the herbs.
- Store in a dark, cool place like a cupboard where this can keep for 9 months to a year.
Calendula Salve
Ingredients
- 100 mL calendula infused oil recipe above
- 1 ½ tablespoon beeswax
Instructions
- In a 125 ml mason jar, add beeswax and oil.
- In a small saucepan, add several inches of water. Place the jar in the saucepan to form a makeshift double boiler.
- Warm over low heat until oil and beeswax melt together.
- Remove from heat. Allow the salve to cool down and solidify, then cover and store in a cool, dark place where this can keep for 6 to 9 months.
- If the salve is too soft, you can melt it back to a liquid state and add more beeswax to firm it up. If it’s too solid, add more oil instead.
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