Turn golden calendula flowers into a versatile oil for your homemade skincare. Learn about calendula’s traditional uses, follow our simple infusion method and discover five ways to use your finished oil, from body care to balms.
You only need dried flowers, a suitable carrier oil and a little patience.
What is calendula oil
Calendula oil is an infused oil made by soaking the dried flowers of Calendula officinalis in a carrier oil, such as sunflower or olive oil. During the infusion, some of the flowers’ oil-soluble compounds transfer into the oil.
It is different from an essential oil. There is no distillation involved, and the finished oil retains the texture and much of the scent of your chosen carrier oil.
Calendula is also called pot marigold. When buying flowers, look for the botanical name Calendula officinalis: other plants commonly called marigolds belong to the Tagetes genus.
The benefits and traditional uses of calendula
Its reputation as a soothing herb is supported by traditional use, although evidence from human clinical trials remains limited. A homemade oil infusion also differs from the preparations used in research, so it should not be presented as a proven treatment for skin conditions. European Medicines Agency (EMA)
How to make calendula oil
This slow-infusion method requires no heating. Use commercially dried flowers from a reputable supplier for your first batch.
What you’ll need
- Dried Calendula officinalis flowers or petals
- Fresh sunflower oil, olive oil or jojoba oil
- A clean, completely dry glass jar with a lid
- A clean, dry spoon
- A fine strainer and clean, dry muslin
- An amber glass bottle and a label
Before you begin
Clean your work surface and wash your hands. Wash the jar, bottle and utensils, then let everything dry thoroughly.
Use fully dried flowers, never fresh or partly dried flowers. Residual moisture can encourage spoilage. Whole flower heads take longer to dry than loose petals, so professionally dried material is the simplest starting point. blog.mountainroseherbs.com
Method
- Add the flowers. Loosely fill your jar about halfway with dried calendula. Avoid packing them down.
- Cover with oil. Pour in enough carrier oil to cover the flowers completely, leaving roughly 1–2 cm of oil above them and some space below the lid.
- Release trapped air. Stir gently with a dry spoon. Check again once the flowers settle and add more oil if needed to keep them submerged.
- Label and infuse. Close the lid and label the jar with the ingredients and date. Leave it in a cupboard away from heat and direct sunlight for four to six weeks. Gently swirl the closed jar every day or two.
- Strain. Pour the oil through a strainer lined with dry muslin into a clean, dry container. Let it drain, then gently press the flowers to recover the remaining oil. Strain again if visible particles remain.
- Bottle. Transfer the strained oil to your amber bottle. Label it with the carrier oil, infusion start date and bottling date.
Four to six weeks is the traditional timeframe many herbalists use when making calendula-infused oil.blog.mountainroseherbs.com
Some oil will remain in the flowers, so your finished quantity will be smaller than the amount you started with. A deeper yellow colour is common, but colour alone does not tell you how strong the infusion is.
5 simple ways to use calendula oil
Once your oil is ready, there are plenty of simple ways to incorporate it into your skincare routine.
1. As a body oil for dry skin
Massage a small amount into slightly damp skin after a shower, focusing on dry areas such as elbows and shins.
2. For cuticles and hands
Rub a drop or two into your cuticles and the backs of your hands, especially after washing. It is a simple evening ritual for softening dry skin around the nails.
3. In a homemade balm
Use calendula oil as the liquid oil in a suitable, tested balm recipe. Combined with butter and wax, it makes a richer product for dry hands, elbows or heels.
For a vegan balm, choose a recipe formulated with candelilla wax. It behaves differently from beeswax, so avoid swapping the waxes gram for gram.
4. In a lip balm
Calendula-infused oil can replace the carrier oil in a compatible lip balm formula. Its mild scent works well in an unfragranced balm, alongside ingredients such as mango butter and candelilla wax.
Use an oil suitable for lip products and strain the infusion carefully so no flower fragments remain.
5. As a massage oil
Use it on its own, or blend it with another carrier oil you enjoy, for a simple massage oil.You can leave it unscented if you prefer a simple, minimalist blend. Test a small area first and protect towels and clothing from oil marks.
Storage and shelf life
Keep your oil tightly closed in a cool, dark place, and dispense it with clean, dry hands or utensils. Do not leave decorative flowers in the finished bottle.
There is no guaranteed shelf life for a homemade infusion. It depends on the freshness of the carrier oil, how thoroughly the flowers were dried and how the oil is handled.Because homemade infusions aren't laboratory tested, it's best to make small batches and use them within about three months of straining. Always follow the expiry date of your carrier oil.
This is a cautious use-by target, not a tested shelf life.
Discard it if you notice mould, unexpected changes or a rancid smell. Appearance and smell cannot confirm that an oil is free of contamination.
A genuinely water-free oil generally does not need a conventional broad-spectrum preservative, but adding one cannot make damp flowers safe to infuse. Vitamin E may help slow oxidation; it is not a preservative. If you use the oil in a water-containing cream or lotion, that finished product needs an appropriate preservation system.
A few precautions
Patch test before use and stop if irritation develops. Avoid calendula if you have a known allergy to plants in the daisy family, including ragweed and chrysanthemums. Skin sensitisation has been reported with calendula preparations. European Medicines Agency (EMA)
This recipe is intended for adult cosmetic use on intact skin. Keep it away from the eyes and do not use a homemade infusion on open wounds or infected skin. Seek advice before using it during pregnancy, while breastfeeding or on babies.
