Calendula Carrier Oils Information

Massage therapists and herbalists prize calendula carrier oil for its extensive healing properties. Packed with carotene and Vitamin A, Calendula officinalis, also known as pot marigold, delivers a beneficial punch when infused in either nutrient-rich olive or sunflower oil. This soothing liquid can be used alone or with the addition of essential oils and other botanicals. Calendula carrier oil is most often used in treating skin problems.

Extraction Method

• Unlike other carrier oils, calendula carrier oil isn't made exclusively from the botanical for which it is named. Producers of olive, peanut and vegetable oils, for example, extract liquid from the plants by pressing them, straining out the solid matter, and bottling the resulting oil. But the calendula doesn't yield great quantities of fixed oil, so in order to capture the flower's essence, it must be macerated in a base liquid, usually olive or sunflower oil. With maceration, the flowers are gently heated in the carrier oil for several hours, then strained. The resulting liquid contains the healing qualities of both the calendula and the base oil.

Uses

• Calendula carrier oil is an ideal base for any number of massage oils, salves and lotions. Not only is calendula rich in healing properties, but both olive and sunflower oils are also known for their beneficial fatty acids and other nutrients.

  Calendula oil also combines well with melted beeswax for an excellent healing salve, which is particularly effective on diaper rash and other skin conditions. Calendula's soothing, antimicrobial properties work well on eczema and minor burns. It is also used facially to minimize broken capillaries and for varicose or spider veins elsewhere on the body.

Where to Find It

• Calendula carrier oil can be found in many health food stores or through reputable online sources of essential and carrier oils.

  It is also easily made at home. Noted herbalist Jeanne Rose estimates that calendula carrier oil costs as much as forty times more to purchase than to make at home, even factoring in the cost of buying both the flowers and the olive oil. Rose's method involves mashing 4 to 8 ounces fresh calendula flowers in a quart of olive oil, then simmering in a double boiler for at least four hours. Once cool, the liquid is strained through a sieve and bottled. Vitamin E capsules or refrigeration help preserve homemade calendula carrier oil.

Considerations

• While the two most common oils to macerate calendula in, sunflower and olive, are each renowned for their healing properties, there are subtle differences between the two. Normal to oily skin responds well to sunflower oil, while normal to dry/mature skin thrives with olive oil.

Warning

• If growing or buying your own calendula flowers, remember that while they are sometimes called "pot marigolds" or just "marigolds," calendulas are an entirely different kind of flower than the annual known as the common, or African, marigold. Make sure to check the botanical names; you want Calendula officinalis, rather than Tagetes patula.

  If possible, find a supplier that carries cold-pressed carrier oils, as extraction through heat destroys more of plants' healing properties.