This homemade calendula salve is an all-purpose, gentle topical remedy that can be used for dozens of skin ailments, such as nappy rash, scrapes, scratches, pinkeye, a sore throat, razor burn, dry skin, splinters, insect bites, skin irritations, and more. Calendula petals contain natural anti-inflammatory properties and have the ability to soothe, nourish, hydrate, and support skin healing. But you don’t just need a cut or scrape to make use of it, I love to apply this salve to my face every now and then to help give my skin an extra glow.
This homemade calendula salve came about after I received a very painful splinter in my finger. I wasn’t able to remove it with tweezers, so I applied this healing ointment to the affected area a few times over the course of the day, and by the afternoon, it popped out all on its own!
This calendula salve is a nourishing topical balm made from dried calendula flowers, oil, and wax that is used to heal skin irritations and ailments or to provide some overall hydration as a moisturiser. Calendula salve recipes can be customised with a variety of different oils, natural waxes, butters, essential oils, vitamin E oil, herbs, and more.
What is an Salve?
A salve or ointment is simply a healing moisturiser that you can rub onto the skin, similar to a cream or a balm, and this will stay on the surface of the skin for an extended period of time before penetrating deeply into the skin. Salves and ointments tend to be more oily and have a thinner consistency than creams or balms, which are usually more thick and waxy.
Beeswax is a great natural wax to use in calendula salve recipes because it is easy to source, easy to work with (especially when purchased in pastilles), and creates a wonderfully smooth cream that rubs into the skin well.
The Health Benefits of Calendula
Calendula is a wonderful healing herb that can be used both internally or externally to help support the immune system, heal skin infections, and promote cell repair and growth. This beneficial herb is a natural anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and contains antiseptic properties. Calendula is very gentle in its healing, so you don’t have to worry about “over doing it” with this herb.
If you’re new to calendula, check out this article to explore how to grow, harvest, and dry calendula at home. It’s a very easy plant to care for as it requires little maintenance, and can even be grown in containers and in a wide range of climates.
The part of the plant that is most potent in its medicinal properties is found in the sticky green base of the flower head, known botanically as the sepal and receptacle. The medicinal oils are also found, but to a lesser extent, on the petals themselves, which is why I like to use the whole dried flowers rather than just the petals that have been plucked when making calendula-infused oil.
Uses for Calendula Salve
Topically, calendula salve can be used to soothe and heal a range of skin conditions such as rashes, eczema, acne, sunburn, swelling, stings, wounds, burns, scrapes, dry cracked cuticles, hangnails, scars, cuts, chapped lips, dry skin such as that on the feet or elbows, chicken pox, cold sores, and even genital herpes sores.
Calendula salve or oil can also be applied on babies skin to naturally soothe cradle cap, nappy rash, or other skin ailments. Just be sure to choose a base oil that is safe for use on babies.
This calendula salve can also be used as a natural hand moisturiser, as a child’s chest rub, applied to the skin after shaving, and may even help to lessen the appearance of varicose veins and soften scars.
Homemade Calendula Oil
A calendula-infused oil can be used instead of the two individual ingredients of dried calendula and olive oil when making this homemade calendula salve, as the infused oil combines the two in one. For the full recipe for calendula-infused oil, see here. Alternatively, if you don’t wish to DIY it, you can purchase a ready-made organic calendula oil in select health food stores or online.
Once you have the calendula oil, it’s very simple to turn it into a calendula salve. All you need from there is beeswax.
If you’re interested in making homemade calendula oil at home, check out this step-by-step tutorial. All you need to do is steep the dry calendula blooms (either homegrown or purchased dried flowers) in a chosen carrier oil, like olive oil, to extract the medicinal resins and oils from the plant, and then strain out and compost the blooms. I prefer to use a long, slow infusion method (that takes around four to six weeks) rather than heating the calendula flowers in oil for a quick extraction. To preserve the beneficial properties of the blooms, it is best to reduce heat exposure.
Some great choices for a carrier oil when making calendula-infused oil include jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, and olive oil. Keep in mind, the various oils will have different textures (for example, some are more or less greasy than others), different comedogenic levels (coconut oil tends to block the pores more than oils like jojoba oil), and an array of healing properties specific to each oil. For this particular batch of calendula salve, I used organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil as a carrier oil.
Before we get started in learning how to make this healing calendula salve, if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!
How to Make a Homemade Calendula Salve
This recipe can be scaled up or down as needed, depending on how much calendula oil you have. As a rule of thumb, use about one part of beeswax to approximately four to seven parts of oil. A higher ratio of beeswax to oil will result in a firmer salve, while a lower ratio will create a softer, creamier balm.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (4 oz or 115 g) calendula-infused oil (you can make your own calendula oil using this recipe, or buy a pre-made calendula oil)
- 1 tbsp (1/2 oz or 15 g) beeswax pastilles or shaved from a block of beeswax*
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
- 5 drops frankincense essential oil
- 5 drops German chamomile essential oil
- Glass storage jars or salve tins
To make:
- Set a stainless steel bowl inside a pot of water, and bring the water to a boil to create a double boiler. Add the beeswax to the bowl, then heat the wax on the stovetop over medium-low heat until the beeswax melts, stirring frequently.
- Once melted, add in the calendula-infused oil and allow it to warm up on the stove for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring the mixture until the beeswax and oil are thoroughly combined.
- Once fully melted together, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the essential oils.
- While the mixture is still warm, carefully pour the liquid salve into your chosen containers. If it starts to solidify while you’re still filling the jars, return the bowl back to the pan of hot water and heat it on medium-low heat until it liquifies again.
- Once filled, set the calendula salve containers aside (with the lids off) and allow them to fully cool and set at room temperature. The calendula salve will harden as it cools down, and once set, it’s ready to use.
- To use the salve, use either clean fingers or a teaspoon to collect a small amount of the salve, and apply the ointment to your skin as needed. Please note that a little goes a long way.
- Store the calendula salve in a cool, dark place. This homemade salve can last for several years, however, the potency of its medicinal properties may decrease with time and age. I always keep one salve container out for regular use, then stash the rest away in a cabinet or in my many different handbags for easy use when I’m out and about.
*The beeswax may be substituted for 1/2 tablespoon (1/4 oz or 7 g) of candelilla wax. This recipe makes approximately 5 oz of this calendula salve.
The shelf life of herb-infused oils is mostly determined by the shelf life of the carrier oil that was used and the type of storage conditions. Olive oil tends to have a shelf life of around one to two years provided it is stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
Healing Calendula Salve Recipe Tutorial
As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products. I am not a doctor. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts and feelings of the products mentioned. Check with your doctor or health practitioner if you are uncertain about trying out any of the products, recipes or tips mentioned in this post.
Have you made homemade salves, ointments, balms, or creams before? What were they like? Share in the comments below.
Lots of love,
Vanessa
