Calendula or Marigold is a beautiful simple garden flower that makes you happy just by looking at it. Its radiant yellow and orange flowers shine like suns and the foliage has a very particular bright green hue. It is a very hardy plant that grows on any type of soil, even through cracks on the pavement. It requires no care at all and it is very easy to propagate from seed. Calendula not only makes your spirit warm but it is an incredible healer of most skin conditions: burns, boils, cuts, insect bites, you name it.  It has antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that make it useful in healing wounds, soothing eczema and relieving diaper rash.  It also improves circulation and thus also used to soothe haemorrhoids and varicose veins and to reduce the discomfort of canker sores.   

To use for skin conditions you can apply the salve liberally as needed until feeling better. In varicose veins I recommend making a poultice using the leaves, stems and flowers and place it over the veins for a few hours, then apply the extract. For wrinkles and aging skin aplly the extract as it increases skin hydration and prevents skin damaging. 

How to make remedies using Calendula

The salve is made by macerating flowers in oil for then adding bees wax. The extract is made by macerating the flowers,  stems and leaves in a mixture of natural glycerine and water. 

To make the oil:  Fill a mason jar with fresh flowers and add bio olive oil.  Let the plant macerate in the oil at a sunny spot for 40 days and turn th ejar occasionaly.  After this strain the liquid and store in a jar in a dry and dark place. 

To make the salve you simply need to use something that will thicken the macerated oil so that you can apply it onto your skin.  Heat the macerated oil in a small jar on a double boiler or bain-marie making sure that the oil does not reach temperatures over 40ºC (the oil’s healing properties will be destroyed) and add 10% beeswax or 50% agar-agar. When the wax or the agar-agar have dissolved let the oil cool naturally. The mixture will thicken and you will have a salve ready to use. 

To make the poultice: grab a handful of calendula leaves, flowers and stems. Ct in small peaces, then crush with a pestle and mortar. Add a bit of water and some flower to make a paste. Toss all the ingredients together until they get a clay-like texture. Apply the poultice over your veins and wrap uo your legs  with some bandage and leave for a few hours. You can do this every three days to see your circulation improve and sooth the discomfort associated to varicose veins. If you are interested in acquiring fresh plant to make poultices please write to me. 

To make the extract macerate chopped flowers, leaves and stems in a medium of 2/3 natural glycerine and 1/3 water. Macerate for 40 days, turning the jar around every two to three days. Then strain into a jar and keep in a dry and dark place

If you would like to try my salve or extract please follow these links: 

https://thegreenwitchharvest.etsy.com/listing/1702743861

https://thegreenwitchharvest.etsy.com/listing/1702858317