Infusing calendula in oil is straightforward: pack dried flower heads into a jar, cover them with a carrier oil, and let the oil slowly extract the plant’s anti-inflammatory compounds over two to six weeks. The result is a golden, skin-soothing oil you can use directly or as a base for salves, balms, and lotions. There are two main methods, a slow cold infusion and a faster heat-assisted version, and both produce excellent results if you follow a few key rules.
Why Calendula Oil Is Worth Making
Calendula flowers contain a group of compounds called faradiol esters that give the plant its reputation for calming irritated skin. In lab studies, preparations with higher concentrations of faradiol monoesters produced stronger reductions in inflammation. The flower extract appears to work by dialing down the body’s inflammatory signaling molecules and blocking the enzyme pathway that produces swelling and redness. This is why calendula oil shows up so often in formulas for dry skin, minor rashes, diaper creams, and lip balms.
Choosing Your Ingredients
Dried vs. Fresh Flowers
Always use dried calendula flowers, not fresh ones. Fresh petals contain moisture that will eventually introduce mold into your oil, ruining the entire batch. You can dry flowers in a dehydrator or spread them in a well-ventilated, cool area out of direct sunlight. They’re ready when the petals feel papery and snap rather than bend. If you’re buying dried calendula, look for whole flower heads with vibrant orange or yellow color, which signals that the plant material hasn’t been sitting on a shelf for too long.
Picking a Carrier Oil
Your carrier oil determines how the finished product feels on skin and how long it lasts before going rancid. Cold-pressed options are best because heat processing can strip oils of their own beneficial properties. A few solid choices:
- Olive oil: The classic choice for herbal infusions. It has a long shelf life, absorbs well, and is inexpensive. Extra virgin works fine.
- Grapeseed oil: Lightweight and affordable, making it a good pick for body and lip applications.
- Argan oil: Non-comedogenic, meaning it’s unlikely to clog pores. A better option if you plan to use the oil on your face.
- Hemp seed oil: Another good body oil, though it has a shorter shelf life than olive or argan.
Whichever oil you choose, make sure it’s one you’d be happy applying to your skin on its own, since the carrier makes up the bulk of the final product.
The Ratio to Follow
A standard weight-to-volume ratio is 1:5, but a 1:10 ratio is more practical and easier to work with, especially for beginners. That means for every 1 gram of dried calendula (measured by weight), you add 10 milliliters of oil (measured by volume). So 25 grams of dried flower heads would go into 250 milliliters of oil. This gives the oil enough room to fully surround and extract from the plant material without the jar turning into a packed, hard-to-strain mess.
Cold Infusion Method
This is the gentlest approach and preserves the most delicate compounds in the flowers. It takes patience, but requires almost no effort.
Fill a clean, dry glass jar about halfway to two-thirds with dried calendula flowers. Pour your carrier oil over the flowers until they’re fully submerged with at least an inch of oil above the top of the plant material. Any flowers poking above the oil line can trap air and encourage spoilage. Seal the jar tightly.
Place the jar in a warm spot that gets indirect sunlight, like a sunny windowsill. Let it sit for four to six weeks, giving it a gentle shake every day or two to keep the oil circulating around the flowers. The oil will gradually shift from its original color to a rich, deep gold. After four to six weeks, your infusion is ready to strain.
Heat-Assisted Infusion Method
If you don’t want to wait a month, gentle heat speeds up extraction significantly. You can have finished oil in a single day.
Combine your dried calendula and oil in a double boiler, slow cooker, or a glass jar set inside a pot of water. Warm the oil on the lowest possible setting. The critical rule here: keep the temperature below 120°F. Higher heat degrades the very compounds you’re trying to extract. If you don’t have a thermometer, the oil should feel warm to the touch but never hot, and it should never simmer or bubble.
Let the mixture warm at this low temperature for four to eight hours, checking occasionally. Some people repeat this process over two or three days for a stronger infusion, letting the oil cool overnight and reheating it the next day. When the oil has turned a deep golden color and smells distinctly herbal, it’s done.
Straining and Filtering
Good straining is the difference between a clean, shelf-stable oil and one full of tiny plant bits that can go off. Set a fine mesh strainer over a clean, dry jar and line it with cheesecloth or a reusable nut milk bag. Pour the infusion through slowly. Once most of the oil has drained, gather the cheesecloth around the spent flowers and squeeze firmly to press out every last bit of oil. You can also line a canning funnel with cheesecloth over your storage jar for a neater setup.
If you notice any cloudiness or sediment after the first strain, run the oil through a fresh piece of cheesecloth a second time. Any remaining plant particles can shorten the oil’s shelf life.
Storage and Shelf Life
Pour your finished oil into dark glass bottles, since light accelerates rancidity. Amber or cobalt blue bottles work well. Store them in a cool, dark place like a cabinet or pantry. Properly stored calendula oil lasts about one year.
Adding vitamin E oil extends shelf life by acting as a natural antioxidant that slows oxidation. A half-ounce to one ounce of vitamin E oil per batch is a common amount. Stir it in right after straining, while you’re transferring the oil to its final container. Label your bottles with the date so you can track freshness.
Signs your oil has gone bad include an off or rancid smell, visible mold, or a change in color toward murky or dark brown. If any of these appear, discard the batch.
Common Uses for Calendula Oil
The simplest use is applying it directly to skin as a moisturizer or spot treatment for dry, irritated patches. A few drops massaged into cuticles or rough elbows goes a long way. Many people use it as the oil base in homemade salves by melting beeswax into the infused oil at roughly a 1:4 beeswax-to-oil ratio, then pouring the mixture into tins to solidify. It also works well blended into body butters, lip balms, and lotion bars. Because the infusion process is gentle, the oil retains a mild, pleasant herbal scent that pairs well with essential oils like lavender or chamomile if you want to add fragrance.