Homemade Calendula Lip Balm
Calendula oil is one of the most popular garden medicinals for soothing and repairing the skin. The flowers are infused in olive oil for a few weeks and then strained to produce a liquid ointment that can be used topically as a wound healing, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory remedy. Although you can use the oil directly on the skin - for stings, wounds, bites, sunburns, eczema, and insect bites - I like to turn it into a solidified balm that’s a little easier (and neater) to store and use. Once solidified, I keep a tube of calendula balm in my medicine cabinet, my bathroom, my car, and my shoulder bag and use it daily as a natural Neosporin (on wounds) or as a lip balm (on my lips).
If you grow your own calendula flowers, you can dry them and use them for this recipe; otherwise, you can source dried organic flowers from Woodlark or Mountain Rose Herbs. Both shops carry beeswax pellets and containers for storing balms - I prefer cardboard tubes, but metal tins work well too.
Ingredients for calendula oil
3/4 cup dried calendula flowers
1 cup cold-pressed olive oil
3 tbsp calendula infused oil
1 tbsp beeswax pellets
1 tbsp shea butter
10 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
pint-size mason jar
quart-size metal canning ring
medium-size pot
glass dropper or metal spoon
Directions
1. To make calendula oil: Place dried flowers in a clean pint size jar. Pour in the olive oil, submerging the flowers by at least an inch. Stir well, cover with an airtight lid, and let infuse for 4-6 weeks. Once the oil has infused, strain it, and transfer it to a clean glass jar. You can use the oil plain or turn it into a balm (my preference).
2. To make calendula balm: Create a double boiler by filling a medium-size pot with 1-2 inches of water.
3. Placing a metal canning in the center of the pot. Set the pint size glass jar on top of the canning ring. Take care to make sure it’s perfectly balanced and secure.
4. Add the calendula oil, beeswax, and shea butter to the glass jar.
5. Heat the pot on medium heat until the beeswax and shea butter have completely melted. Using the popsicle stick, stir the ingredients until they’re fully incorporated.
6. Remove the double boiler from the heat and add the essential oils. Stir again.
7. Carefully pour the mixture into the cardboard tubes. A spoon will work if you have a steady hands, but I find a glass dropper works best!
8. Allow the balm to cool until it has completely solidified.
9. Once the balms have completely cooled, cap the tubes with the kids and store in a cool, dry place for you to one year.