calendula-infused oil?

[MaryMarg]

Want to make some (with olive oil) for DS extremely dry skin and (doc diagnosed, but I'm not so sure) eczema. I've found the dried organic flowers and now am searching for the how-to! Any tips would be awesome!

[MamaMamaMama!]

Fill a bone dry clean glass jar halfway up with the flowers, then fill the jar up all the way with your oil. Stir well with a bone dry spoon until the flowers are completely surrounded in oil. Top off with a little more oil if you need to. Cover the top of the jar with a clean dry cloth held in place with a rubber band and place in a dry place, preferably a little warm but not absolutely necessary.

Stir the oil every day (with a bone dry spoon) to get the air bubbles to rise to the top of the oil, then re-cover. Do this for two weeks. Keep your eye out for any pieces that raise above the oil (make sure they aren't moldy). Let the flowers infuse for another 2-3 weeks, checking it periodically to make sure it remains mold-free.

When you strain it use a bone dry strainer and make sure the jar you strain it into is clean and bone dry.

I learned how to do this at http://www.herbmentor.com; they have SO much info on making herbal remedies and I highly recommend it.

I am using the calendula oil I just finished making on my son's chicken pox right now and it is working wonders!

[MaryMarg]

Thank you so much!! I am so excited to have some guidance and am planning to order the flowers this week. I found Mountain Rose Herbs... Any other recommendations for where to purchase the flowers? Does 4 oz sound like enough flowers to make a reasonable amount of oil with? Is it correct to assume if you see mold, it will be on the top and should simply be lifted off? Finally, do you keep the oil in the fridge? [I know the olive will eventually solidify, but it's already in the 80s here; I worry about rancidity.] I am so grateful for your time and will check out the site!

[MamaMamaMama!]

Mountain Rose Herbs is great; you can look around and see if it's possible to wildcraft for certain herbs in your area (that's always a lot of fun, and fresh is often better for things like calendula). Alternatively calendula isn't hard to grow yourself, eithe, even in a pot in an apartment!

4 oz sounds like more than plenty; I think I only used 1/2 oz for my first try at oil and it made plenty for me to start out with. Since fresh is preferred I wouldn't buy more than that dry--although in my experience it was nice to start out with the dry stuff since mold was less of an issue. If any part of it molds you have to get rid of that part really quick (that's why it's important to keep an eye on it every day, especially in the beginning) or it will spoil the whole thing.

The olive oil won't solidify on its own; to get a firmer product you need to add melted beeswax. I don't store mine in the fridge; I just have it in a cool cupboard (where I normally store my olive oil). I don't see why you couldn't store it in the fridge if you wanted to, as long as you made sure it didn't get moist on the inside.

HerbMentor is great; they even have a discussion board where you can ask details of more professional herbalists (not me--I just started learning!) and get lots of new ideas.

Good luck!

[ian'smommaya]

how did this turn out for you?
if you have any more questions....

[MaryMarg]

The oil turned out well--Left it in a sunny windowsill for about four weeks and had no problems with mold. [Shortly after posting, Mountain Rose Herbs put a how-to-infuse video on You Tube.] We keep it in small amounts to use beside the tub etc. and keep the extra in the fridge b/c of randicity with the high heat here (I keep all oils in the fridge). DD goes to it for minor cuts or scrapes and it's used for all-purpose. I am disappointed, however, that there was minimal change in DS's eczema with the oil. Thanks for following up and I'll be excited to chat with you about future oil/herb questions!