Friday, January 1, 2010

Calendula



i am about to begin making a special salve for a sweet baby.
he is 4 months old and had had quite a time with excema.
poor little pumpkin.
i began by buying an ounce of calendula petals

because the ones i grew & harvested this year are all used up.
they are VERRRRY easy to grow & come back every year from self seeding.

i am covering the dried petals with good olive oil in a glass jar.
then i have been giving it a few shakes every time i walk by.
this will be the basis of my special skin soothing salve.

here is an article on how calendula works:

Calendula has a long history of use as a wound-healing and skin-soothing botanical. This lovely marigoldlike flower (although called pot marigold, it is not a true marigold) is considered a vulnerary agent, a substance that promotes healing. Calendula also has anti-inflammatory and weak antimicrobial activity. It is most often used topically for lacerations, abrasions, and skin infections; less commonly, it is used internally to heal inflamed and infected mucous membranes.

and here is a nice article on making salves from herbs:

Herbal Salves

Salves are made by adding an herbal oil to beeswax in proper-like proportions to make a firm salve. Herbal salves are used externally to heal cuts, scraps, skin irritations etc. I like a nice mild salve just for winter chappies.

* Mix 1-1/2 oz. dried/powdered herbs or 3 oz. fresh herbs with 1 cup olive or sesame oil in a non-reactive pan (non-reactive = stainless steel, glass, porcelain).

* Simmer on low for 20 minutes.

* At the same time, melt ½ oz. beeswax in another pan or double boiler.

* Pour herbal oil over beeswax. Mix together.

* Add 1/8 teaspoon vitamin E oil as a preservative.

* Test for hardness: dip teaspoon into oil and place in the fridge until it gets hard, about 3-5 minutes. If it’s too hard, reheat gently and add more oil, too soft, more beeswax.

* Pour it into a small container with a lid.

Helpful herbs and essentials to add on in: calendula, comfrey, mullein, lemon balm, yarrow, plantain, echinacea, lavender, frankincense (I love the smell of frankincense and it's good for acne, rashes, and more), chickweed, etc.

Guess what everyone I know is getting for Christmas? Salves, baby. So you can see from here, is not a big stretch to lip balms. Just make sure the herbs/oils you use are safe for ingestion. I know you aren’t chomping on your chapstick but it let’s just say, licking your lips adds up. Vanilla, cinnamon, and honey make nice additions for your pucker slicker.

And if you haven't yet, check out http://www.MountainRoseHerbs.com. They have wonderful products and are a great company.


i actually am expecting my first mountain rose order
in the coming week. can't wait!!
once it is here with the remaining ingredients
the salve will be made. i will update you then.
until then i will keep shaking the oil with calendula petals.
i have made plenty of soap, lotions, salves and the like...
they are pretty easy to do and there are many books to help you
learn at the library, bookstore and articles on the internet.
if you haven't tried them yet- go for it! it is very satisfying.
you know what is in your product and it's waaay cheaper too.
save some nice little glass jars just for these treats.
the squat kind with wider openings are the very best kind
cause you can get your fingers in to scoop the last bit out.
:)

stay healthy!
xoxo
snowdrop

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