Calendula is a beautiful little orange or yellow flower with tons of potential! It has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, astringent and immunostimulating properties which makes it excellent for healing various conditions, especially on skin. It's also extremely gentle so it's perfect for even young children.
I grew a TON this year because they're beautiful and so versatile! I'd like to share some of its uses in this post :)
I usually use it infused in oil and make it into various skin creams and products like lip balm, lotion, diaper cream, sugar scrubs, deodorant, hair masks and bath oil.
If you're familiar with making soap calendula is a perfect addition!
I simply get a large jar and pour in organic oil, usually olive and let it sit in a dark place for a while, usually a few weeks. Next I strain it off and mix it up in different recipes!
I dried all my flowers, when infusing plant matter in oils it's important to make sure it's fully dry if you wish for it to have a much longer shelf life. Many recipes can use either dried or fresh, when using the fresh, often your creation won't last near as long.
You can also use fresh calendula flowers in salads and other dishes, it looks beautiful!
Calendula also makes a lovely tea. This tea can be used for many internal issues such as ulcers, UTI's, lymphatic congestion and you can gargle it for a sore throat. Externally you can use the tea for many more things like rashes, blisters, disinfecting wounds, in a foot bath for athletes foot, and even use it to wash your face to help get rid of pimples!
Just a note: Calendula tea in higher doses can also bring on menstruation in mammals, so if you're pregnant it's best to avoid drinking it.
I'd love to know if you've ever grown calendula before and what you used it for! Let me know :)
