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Learn how to make a skin soothing DIY Calendula Lavender Salve with natural ingredients.
I have always had skin that needed extra moisturizing to keep it looking its best. While I often buy salves like this Golden Salve, I love making my own salves and balms. It gives me the peace of mind of knowing exactly what I’m putting on my skin.
When I decided to learn how to make skin salves, I was surprised by how easy it is. You can use dried flowers, essential oils or both depending on your preference.
I chose to use both dried calendula and lavender flowers to this homemade skin salve recipe as I love how lavender and calendula smell together, and they are both very moisturizing for dry skin.
If you’re worried about this tutorial being too challenging since you infuse your own oils, I promise it’s easier than it looks to make this calendula lavender salve! You can also use this same method for infusing oils with other herbs.
Try some of these herbs:
One batch of this homemade Calendula Lavender Salve will last you for quite some time. Use smaller containers if you want to be able to carry one in your purse or tuck it into your kid’s backpack for school.
DIY Calendula Lavender Salve
Supplies
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ¾ cup dried calendula
- ¼ cup dried lavender
- ¼ cup beeswax pastilles
- 10-15 drops lavender essential oil - or your favorite essential oil
Tools
- 2 quart-sized mason jars
- Wood stirrer
- Pan filled with water
- Cheesecloth
- Glass storage containers
Instructions
- Put the Calendula and Lavender flowers in a mason jar, the cover the flowers with the extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil (they should be completely covered).
- Fill your pan with water, then place the jar into the water being careful not to get any water into the oil. Turn the heat on low and allow the flowers to infuse into the oil for 3-5 hours. You'll know it's ready when the oil smells strongly of the flowers. The oil will also change colors.
- Remove the jar from the pan, then strain the oil from the flowers using cheesecloth into a clean mason jar. Make sure you squeeze the cheesecloth so you get all of the oil from the spent flowers.
- Pour the beeswax into the infused oil, then place it back into the water in the pan. Stir occasionally until the beeswax is melted (around 5 minutes for the pastilles I use).
- When it's totally melted, remove the jar from the water and add your essential oils. Immediately pour the mixture into your glass containers and allow it to cool.
- Once completely cooled, keep the lid sealed when not in use.
Notes
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Your calendula lavender salve should last around a year. I always go by the earliest expiration date on my ingredients for non-water based DIY beauty projects like this one.Popular DIY Beauty Recipes
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So how much of the calendula oil would i use if I already have it infused??
Can’t wait to try it.
Hi Camie, if you already have calendula infused oil, you’ll want to use 1 ½ cups of it, since that’s how much olive and coconut oil this salve recipe calls for. Enjoy!
Hi, mine turned out looking like olive oil (very green!). Did I do something wrong? Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Sara, I’d need to see exactly what you did, but if you had an olive oil that was a greener hue or your dried flowers maybe had more pigment in them, that could have affected the color.
I have a small crockpot that I use. I made one batch of plantain salve and I used a mason jar lid to prop up the mason jar off of the direct heat. This way, I can just let the infusion work without having to hover. I then used a metal flour sifter over a small mixing bowl that would make it easy to pour once the beeswax was added. It is miraculous stuff.
I had bug bites on my arms that I kept picking at because my skin was so dry and the edges were so rough. My arms had been an ugly mess for literally three years because of this. They are scarred because of the incessant picking, but I’m hoping that this too, will go away with time. Within two days, all sores were healed up and my skin is now deeply moisturized. Any unconscious desire to pick was completely gone instantly. I use it all over my body. It is not greasy at all! My skin just drank it in.
I’ve heard that calendula also has healing properties, so I ordered some online. I’m looking forward to trying this. I also ordered a sample set of 20 essential oils and of course, one is lavender, however, I grow my own, and have tons of it. I have a slight aversion to the smell of beeswax and honey, so I’m hoping that this will subdue its aroma a bit.
Thanks for sharing your experience Barbara!