Category: General Crafts

Difference Between Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils

Essential Oils

Many of the projects I’m working with now include at least one essential oil. These oils impart a subtle scent to the products I’m making with added benefits like being soothing to the skin, or especially healing to damaged skin. Many essentials oils can be taken internally or can be used in aromatherapy.

Essential oils are extracted from different parts of a plant, such as flowers, stems or roots, usually through the process of steam distillation and are not cut with a type of carrier oil. Essential oils are difficult to reproduce synthetically since they can be made up of 50-500 different naturally occurring chemicals found in the plant. Many of these chemicals have not even been identified.

Most of the oils I use are essential oils. With a few exceptions, my products are meant to be soothing or healing to the skin…whether human or canine! For example, my lotion bars and soaps often include Lavender and Manuka Essential oils.

The Flea and Tick repellent includes Lemongrass, Eucalyptus, Rose Geranium and Lavender essential oils. This mixture needs to be safe for the dog’s skin.

Oils used in the flea and tick repellent.

Fragrance oils

Fragrance oils are created in a laboratory. One of the main benefits of using these oils is that they are are non-volatile and the scent generally lasts longer than essential oils. However, they don’t provide the same health benefits as essential oils. They are designed purely for the purpose of mimicking a scent. Fragrance oils are problematic because these synthetic compounds are drying and irritating to the skin and can cause many other health problems. These compounds are hard to get away from as they’re found in most commercially offered cleaning products, room fresheners, personal care products, laundry soap, baby diapers, toilet paper, food, drinks, candy, toys and so on! If you have allergies, you have already learned how to read the fine print on products you buy.

A benefit of fragrance oils is their cost! They cost about half as much as the essential oils. Taking advantage of their long-lasting scent, I use fragrance oils in a few products. In my air-dry clay air freshener, I’ve found the essential oil lasts about a day. The fragrance oil will last for several weeks. In an air freshener, the scent is what matters to me.

Before I realized the cost difference, I used Citronella essential oil in my beeswax candles. I could have saved some money with the fragrance oil…although I don’t know if that scent would still repel mosquitos or if it’s something in the components of the oil that is given off when the candle is burned. We’ll see this summer!

Read Labels Carefully!

I can see it would have been very tempting to use a Lavender Fragrance Oil instead of Lavender Essential Oil in my products, since I use so much of it, but I think I would not have been able to say my products are good for your skin. However, they might have had a nice strong scent of Lavender for a longer time.

Read labels carefully on the products you buy. If it is supposed to be soothing to your skin, make sure it says Essential Oil! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly if you have questions, at marykisner@comcast.net.

Natural Bug Repellent for Dogs

All my work with essential oils has been geared for human use. I’ve been asked if this salve or that lotion can be used on their dogs and cats for their skin issues. (At the end of this post is an article from a veterinarian about which essential oils are safe for dogs and cats. This helped me a lot in choosing which oils would be safe in my spray.)

Today was my “chemistry experiment” day…where I experimented with making a Flea and Tick Repellent for dogs (but not cats). Here are two books I just got that have lots of recipe ideas.

The recipe I’m using today came from a website on the internet. Most of the recipes are pretty similar, with water, essential oils and something that serves as an emulsifier to disperse the oils in water.

Forgot to add the 1/4 teaspoon of Polysorbate 20 to the recipe. It was the emulsifier.

Last week I prepared to make this spray by ordering the 8 oz. spray bottles, the Lavender Hydrosol (basically lavender-infused water) and Rose Geranium essential oil. I already had the other oils. Then it was recommended I include an “emulsifier” to help the various essential oils disperse in the water. So, I ordered the Polysorbate 20.

I chose 8 oz. spray bottles because I was planning to give these to several folks that would test it for me.

I did not have enough Lavender Hydrosol to use only that instead of plain water, so I portioned it out so each spray bottle had 2 ounces. It smells really good!

Since the total amount of drops of essential oils measured to about 1/4 teaspoon, I added 1/4 teaspoon of the Polysorbate 20 that would help disperse the oils in water.

Then I filled the bottle the rest of the way with filtered tap water, screwed on the spray top and shook it up. Looks like the oil is dispersed just fine!

This spray is just for dogs. My research into which essential oils are safe showed that this will work for dogs, but NOT for cats. See the information below:

What Veterinarians Say About Essential Oils

I’d like to share what various veterinarians have recommended for which essential oils are safe for dogs and cats. There are many long lists of essential oils that are BAD for your pets. It’s easier to show you the list of oils that are SAFE for your dogs and cats.

This list came from Dr. Maranda Elswick, who is a licensed Veterinarian in Florida and Virginia:

Essential Oils Safe for Dogs include:

Cedarwood oil, Chamomile oil, Citrus oils (including lemon oil and orange oil), Eucalyptus oil, Fennel oil, Frankincense oil, Helichrysum oil, Lavender oil, Lemongrass oil, Certain mint oils (peppermint, spearmint), and Rose oil.

Essential Oils Safe for Cats include:

Chamomile oil, Jasmine oil, Lavender oil, and Rose oil.

So you can see, it matters what your pets are exposed to.

If you find your dogs or cats are experiencing mild respiratory irritation after inhaling an essential oil, move them to an area with fresh air.

If an essential oil causes irritations after contact with your pet’s skin or fur, wash the area with a pet-safe dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn.

If your dog or cat ingests an essential oil, consult with your veterinarian or poison control center immediately. Do NOT induce vomiting.

Good advice from Dr. Elswick!

I will make sure that the label on the final spray bottle will say NOT FOR CATS! I may also print out the list of safety warnings above on how to help your dog or cat if they have a reaction to this spray.

That was my chemistry experiment of the day! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly if you have questions at marykisner@comcast.net.

A Dog Shampoo for Fleas and Ticks

Now that I’ve fallen in love with making my own soap and learning about the uses of essential oils in skin care products, why not think about making a shampoo bar for dogs that would help with fleas and ticks? While I don’t have a dog to care for, my greyhound connection is always giving me great ideas about products I could make.

Usually, I start collecting ideas by going to Pinterest. That always gives me ideas about what other folks have tried. Lots of folks have dog shampoo bars for sale or recipes to make your own. They are “all natural” and “safe” and cute!

I guess a dog’s needs are becoming just as important as they are to their owners. The chemicals in commonly used treatments for fleas and ticks are pretty strong and frequently systemic.

“Give your dog this pill and fleas and ticks will die if they bite your dog.”

“Put this chemically-laced collar on your dog and the chemicals will be absorbed into their skin…and the fleas and ticks will die if they bite your dog.”

Then dog owners are faced with the side effects of the chemicals…skin irritation, vomiting or even respiratory problems. Just like with people, sometimes the side effects of a treatment are not worth it!

Basically, you want to remove the fleas and ticks before they bite your dog. Any soap and water will do the trick. Often Dawn dish washing liquid is used as the base for a liquid shampoo. Shampoo bars start with simple soap bases, like Goats Milk or Shea Butter soap bases. Then essential oils can be added that naturally repel fleas and ticks.

CAUTION: Do not apply essential oils directly to the skin. Essential oils are extremely potent and can cause irritation, itchiness, redness and other side effects when applied undiluted. Always use a neutral, plant-based oil that is safe for the skin (like coconut oil, sweet almond oil or jojoba oil) to dilute essential oils before applying them to your pet’s skin.

Just as burning a Citronella candle will keep mosquitos away, essential oils like Lemongrass, Eucalyptus and Neem oil have strong scents and will serve the same purpose.

The scent of Lavender oil naturally repels fleas and ticks, making it unlikely that any will burrow into your animal’s fur. It also prevents tick eggs from hatching, so if they did make it onto your dog’s skin, they would not be able to reproduce and would quickly die off. Lavender oil is extremely soothing and has antibacterial properties to help prevent infection.

Fleas hate the scent of Lemongrass oil and will generally stay away from it. The active ingredients, citral and geraniol, are natural repellents.

Cedarwood oil, Rosemary oil, Clove oil and Manuka oil are some of the others that are effective.

Basically, you can mix 5-10 drops of these oils to your dog’s regular shampoo and it will keep the pests away. In a solid shampoo bar, the oils are added after the soap mixture is melted and before pouring the mixture into molds.

You can also mix the oil with water and make a spray for your dog’s coat or pet bed. Adding essential oil to a diffuser is another great way to debug your house.

I made up a simple batch of a dog shampoo bar with Goats Milk and Shea Butter soap bases, Vitamin E oil (for a preservative), and Lemongrass, Lavender and Manuka essential oils. Amounts of each are still being tested with a pet groomer.

Now we’ll wait and see if the bars are the right size and shape for the groomer to use. My experiment of the day! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

From a Collection to a Collage

Profile of an Artist: Toni Duchi

Today I’d like to tell you about a very talented and artistic friend of mine: Toni Duchi. She also happens to be my connection to Nittany Greyhounds and has been a friend for over 30 years.

While she has many creative talents, I think her current endeavors in making mixed media pieces (also called Assemblage Art) have produced some stunning pieces. I call them collages, which is defined as…an artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface. Let me share an example of one she made specifically for me.

The Collection

Two years ago, Bert and I drove across the country to visit Ted’s family in California. We planned our trip to go through many National Parks along the way. As we traveled, I tried to NOT collect tacky t-shirts that I would never again. Instead, I picked up some books about the parks we were visiting and a few postcards that did the views justice. I did take a lot of pictures, but nothing was as good as the professionally done ones that got chosen to be on a postcard. At gift shops there were some tiny medallions representing each park, and even some polished rocks from the Petrified Forest. I wasn’t sure what I would do with these things, but they fit in my suitcase!

Books and pamphlets.
Postcards
Rocks and shells

When I got home, I had a pile of stuff (called a collection) that was fun to look at, but eventually ended up sitting on a shelf.

Making a Collage with my Collection

Finally, I begged for help. Toni told me to choose a section of the country or part of the trip that had special meaning to me. It was obvious most of the stuff I had saved was from the Southwest; the landscape was so different from what I saw here in Pennsylvania.

I picked out an assortment of items from postcards, medallions, rocks, fossils and a Native American symbol (the metal hand below):

Part of my collection

I handed this stuff over and had no idea what she would create with it. Several weeks later, this is what she brought me!

My collage of the Southwest.

This shadow box collage is 12 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches. It beautifully represents my memories of the Southwest. The postcards became the background and the three-dimensional pieces built up the scene. She added a few pieces of driftwood she had on hand to pull it all together. Amazing!!!

This now sits on my desk and I’m reminded every day of the places we visited. The guide books are nearby if I want to read more. I still have more postcards and rocks leftover of the many other places we visited, but his collage pulls together a whole host of memories.

With all the various projects I enjoy doing, designing scenes like this is NOT one of my talents. Thank you, Toni!

A Second Request for Toni

I recently had another design dilemma that Toni helped me with. I was working on a new wall hanging for my living room. It will be a sampler quilt wall hanging using new colors for the room…silver and burgundy. Here are the blocks laid out on the floor to show the colors:

These quilt will have burgundy inside borders between the blocks.

I showed these blocks to Toni and asked if she’d make me something to go on the wall by the front door. Using her talents with polymer clay, she made me a framed collage made of individual tiles in silver and burgundy. Here are some pictures!

This piece is 16 1/2″ by 20 1/2″.
A close-up of the saying and the tiles. The pattern on each separate tile has been pressed into the clay.

Amazing! I will treasure this picture forever! Thank you, Friend!

If you’d like to see more of Toni’s work, her store on Etsy is called the PaisleyArtStudio. Her work often has tiny hidden greyhounds or inspirational sayings added to the collage. I really appreciate her ability to visualize and create such stunning works of art! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net. Thanks!

Healing Lotion Bars with Manuka Essential Oil

A lotion bar is a convenient way to have hand lotion nearby. They are easy to make, easy to carry in your purse or briefcase and safe to put in your carry-on luggage without worry about restrictions on liquids.

I’ve been making lotion bars for several years and I was interested in making them not only convenient but also healing for your hands. I tried to incorporate Manuka honey into the mix, but it doesn’t incorporate easily and I couldn’t add enough to make a difference. I tried using Aloe Vera gel, but that posed a similar problem. The heavy gel would sink to the bottom of my mix and the last bar I poured was big glop of Aloe Vera gel! Very frustrating!

I often start with Calendula-infused olive oil (see my post from April 7, 2021) and calendula has healing properties of its own, but I have a few folks that can’t use that herb. Lavender also has healing properties so I decided to use that.

About Manuka Essential Oil

Then I discovered Manuka Essential Oil was on the market. This essential oil has been found to have many of the same healing benefits of Manuka honey, and does not have the issue of being a bee product. The oil is made through steam distillation of the leaves, branches and other parts of the tree…no bees involved! That’s good, because folks who are very allergic to bee stings could also be triggered by honey and other bee products.

Manuka essential oil, like Tea Tree oil, possesses antifungal and anti bacterial properties. Unlike Tea Tree oil, Manuka oil is non-toxic and non-irritating. It is 20-30 times more active that Tea Tree oil against certain bacteria and more effective against strains of fungi and viruses. It is safe and soothes symptoms of itching skin, rashes and exzema.

Essential oils also do well when added to hot oil/wax mixtures. A small amount can make a difference. Now I had a better way to enhance the healing properties of my lotion bars.

(Please note: Do not use Manuka Essential Oil directly on your skin…always mix it with a little carrier oil like almond or olive oil.)

First Make Lavender-infused Olive Oil

Most lotion bars start with a good olive oil infused with herbs. Instead of using dried calendula flowers, I decided to use dried lavender buds. This would be better for some folks.

Infusing olive oil with lavender is the same process I used to infuse calendula (see the recipe below). I basically did the quicker method.

I started with a 1-quart canning jar and used about 2 cups of lavender flower buds. I simmered the oil/flower mixture for about 6 hours. Once I strained the flower buds out of the oil, I had about 2 cups of oil. I stored this oil in the refrigerator until I was ready to make these lotion bars.

Making the Lotion Bars

Now that I had the oil prepared, I was ready to make the lotion bars. Here’s the recipe:

You can see, the recipe is the same whether you are making Calendula-or Lavender-infused oil. The rest of the ingredients are shown below.

I measured and/or weighed out the ingredients into a glass heat-proof measuring cup, set the cup into a saucepan with water and slowly brought the water just to a boil. Then I reduced the heat until everything melted.

After removing it from the heat, I mixed in the Vitamin E (which acts as a preservative), the Lavender essential oil and the Manuka essential oil.

I poured the now clear, hot mixture into molds. This time I chose the paw print mold.

Your choice of mold will depend on what you plan to put them in and how many you want to make…the smaller the mold, the more you make. These bars do need a container of some kind. To take up less space they could be dropped into a zip lock bag, but the tins really are easier. I used 2 oz. tins with a clear window in the lid. I put a sticker/label on the back so folks know what it is (you may laugh, but I also make small soaps like this and it pays to label everything). When the bars are cool, I like to wrap them individually in clear plastic wrap so they look nice until I give them away!

When I package them, I include a card with the ingredients. On the back I’ve pasted a paragraph describing how to use them. The card says they will melt at temperatures above 75 degrees, but while they may soften, I haven’t found that to be a problem.

Now I’m ready to have lunch with some high school friends! Maybe they’ll agree to test these lotion bars! Enjoy!

Please comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net.

Simple Guest Soaps for Gifts

I’m in production mode today to make enough tiny guest soaps for a future greyhound event. I’m pretty sure I have enough molds to do it all at once, but I always have an extra mold ready just in case.

I decided to use plain goat’s milk soap base, since it seems to work for most everybody and did not need extra ingredients. The point of these soaps is the shape of the soaps…dog bones and paw prints!

Here’s the recipe:

I started with 3 pounds of soap base so I could do a double batch.

I chopped up the soap into 1″ cubes (approximately!) and piled them into two 4-cup glass measuring cups. This made 1 1/2 pounds of soap in each cup.

I set the cups into water in saucepans and brought the water to a boil. I turned the temperature down so the water would just simmer.

When the soap was all melted, I added the soap tint, the biodegradable glitter and the lemon essential oil. The glitter just gives the soap a little sparkle!

I poured the soap into the silicone molds. No need to be too exacting…it is hard to pour into these tiny cavities. The extra dribbles just lift off easily. I use a spray of alcohol at the end to disperse any bubbles that form on the surface of the soap.

And my double batch turned out OK!

Finally, I’ll package the soaps up with about three in a cellophane bag. I always make up a card to go with each item I make that includes a list of ingredients…you never know what folks may be allergic to!

This batch did not take too long…most of the time is spent watching the soap melt! Clean up with soap projects is so easy, compared to dealing with beeswax crafts. It just washes away!

You can buy goat’s milk soap base at craft stores and Amazon. Silicone molds can often be found with the candy making supplies. Have fun!

Comment here or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net. Enjoy!

Beeswax Citronella Candles

Getting ready for summer bug season? A citronella candle is always handy on the patio as the weather warms up. I figured with all the DIY ingredients I have here, it should be easy as pie. NOT! The directions to make these candles in a canning jar came from a website I read almost every day, (https://joybileefarm.com), and it didn’t sound too hard.

I collected some small canning jars meant for jam and a pound of beeswax. I had ordered citronella essential oil and the special wick anticipating this project.

From the website directions, apparently the size of the wick is important: “Beeswax is a hard wax with a melting point of 145 to 147 degrees. The wick needs to maintain the flame long enough for a pool of wax to form. This pool of wax feeds the candle flame and ensures that the candle stays lit. It’s the citronella essential oil vaporizing in that pool of wax that keeps the mosquitoes away.”

Here is my version of the recipe:

I collected the ingredients and my equipment.

First, I poured the beeswax into the measuring cup and put it into the saucepan with water. I brought the water to a boil and reduced the heat to keep it simmering.

Then, I attempted to get the wicks stuck to the bottom of the jars. The wicks were stiff with wax so I didn’t think this would be hard. HA! How to stick a small piece of metal the bottom of a glass jar so it would stay stuck while I poured hot wax around it?? I was sure glue wouldn’t work and the beeswax had not melted enough yet to dip it into the wax. So, I improvised!

I reached for my small piece of BlueStik, a reusable adhesive putty, that I’ve used to stick all kinds of things, like the back corner of a hanging picture so it sticks to the wall and doesn’t hang crooked. A tiny piece on the bottom of the metal base of the wick and it stuck just fine to the bottom of the jar.

Now, this whole business of using two sticks and a bobby pin to support the top of the wick so it stays straight up while I pour the wax, was a challenge.

It really did work once I figured it out. After pouring the wax, I could move the bobby pin down to the sticks so it held the wick straight. It really was coordination issue for me. It might have helped if the sticks were squared off instead of round…maybe pencils could work?

Anyway, I did all this while I was watching the wax melt. I’ve never tried melting that much beeswax at one time. In the future, a metal pitcher dedicated to melting beeswax would be better. Then it could just be stored without having to clean out the container when I was done. I did notice they were for sale on Amazon, of course!

Let me tell you, it took over an hour to melt a pound of beeswax! I had to add water to the saucepan before it was done. The last little bit of wax looked like a lone iceberg, smaller on top, more under the surface.

Then I added the citronella essential oil. WHEW…what a strong smell! (I guess that’s the point.)

I poured the wax into the jars, filling them about an inch from the top. I reserved a small amount of wax and kept it warm in the hot water on the stove.

Then I waited 10-15 minutes as the candle cooled and watched for any cracking. I topped each candle with a little more wax and walked away. I did not want to bump the table and dislodge the wicks. Several hours later the jars were still warm. By the next day, I could trim the wicks to 1/2 inch and put on the lids.

I now have five VERY fragrant citronella candles for the patio.

What did I learn?

Citronella essential oil is a VERY strong scent. By the time the candles were poured the whole house smelled of citronella and my stomach was unsettled. I had to find a way to counteract the smell.

Soooo…I made a batch of microwave popcorn! That was a much better smell!

I’m not sure I will ever make these candles again…or any poured candles for that matter. I think I would have to invest in a dedicated pitcher to hold the wax and figure out a better way to keep the wicks straight while they cooled. However, that BlueStik putty worked great! I think I’ll keep some on hand!

Please leave a comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net! Enjoy!

Make your own Dog Paw Balm & Protection Wax

Is your dog having trouble with his (or her, of course) paws in the winter with salt on the sidewalks? Is he biting or chewing on his paws like they itch…especially after a walk around the block in the spring? Taking care of your dog’s paws is an important part of being a dog owner. While this is true no matter what breed of dog you have, the greyhounds that are newly re-homed are not used to walking on gravel, salt or ice. They may be especially bothered with exposure to lawn care chemicals. Their feet are like our bare feet in the spring…remember how tender your feet are after a winter of protective shoes and boots. At any time in our lives, our dog’s feet could be affected by changing weather conditions, chemicals around them and their own changing health issues.

There are quite a few salves available on the market, from the simplest DIY recipe from the American Kennel Club to very expensive salves with Hemp oil in them and everything in between. I’d like to think we would have choices to find the one that works for our dog and is affordable.

In general, ingredients in these salves include oils (like olive oil, coconut oil and almond oil), shea butter and waxes (like beeswax, carnauba wax and paraffin wax). In addition, Vitamin E oil helps healing and serves as a preservative for the mixture. Essential oils like Lavender or Rosemary can also help with healing. I’m not sure the dogs care about the smell one way or the other but it can’t hurt.

The recipe I’ll share with you is very similar to the DIY recipe suggested by the American Kennel Club.

Here is the recipe I’ve used:

As you can see, I started with the calendula-infused oil I made recently (see the article, “Making Calendula-infused Oil…” published on April 8, 2021).

I kept the oil in the refrigerator until I needed it. The shea butter, beeswax and carnauba wax can be ordered from Amazon. The food-grade carnauba wax will leave a thin shiny coating that will help protect the paw pads from ice, salt or lawn chemicals.

This recipe begins with the glass measuring cup and saucepan with boiling water. Measure out your oil, shea butter, beeswax and carnauba wax into the measuring cup and set it in the saucepan of water. Bring the water to a boil and let it simmer until all the oil and wax is melted.

Remove the cup from the saucepan and stir in the Vitamin E oil and the Lavender essential oil.

Pour the melted ingredients into your holders. I first tried one ounce jars and then realized if I were trying to apply this balm to a dog’s paws, the jar would not be a convenient way to store and access it. Using these mini deodorant holders seemed like a much better idea. Even lip balm tubes would be easier to apply the balm. These are not too expensive from Amazon.

Allow the wax to cool completely before capping to prevent condensation from forming on the inside of the lids.

And my last step is always making a card to go with the item that lists the ingredients, with information on the back about how to apply it.

Take good care of your pets and they’ll have happy, healthy feet!

Please leave a comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net! Enjoy!

Calendula Salve for summer itches!

My first Covid shot reaction of itches made me think of my Calendula Salve! I was out of it so it was time to whip up a batch. First, I had to make the Calendula-infused olive oil. (See my previous post about “Making Calendula-infused oil”). That takes a whole day so I set it up on Monday, the day of the second shot. I knew all I had to do was monitor the low simmer on the stove. I wasn’t sure exactly what reaction I might have from the second shot, but the first one gave me an itchy arm. I wanted to be ready!

This recipe (from the internet) says that calendula oil can be purchased. I didn’t know that. I have never seen it available. However, it isn’t hard to make it yourself!

Once again, place your oil and beeswax into the glass cup in a saucepan of hot water. Let it simmer until it is all melted.

Once melted, remove the cup from the hot water and stir in the Vitamin E oil and lavender essential oil.

Have your jars or containers ready to fill. I always have a few extra just in case I need them! Let them cool before sealing. At the last minute I decided to include some container that could be used for deodorant and lip balm. They might make it easier for some folks to apply the salve this way.

I ended up making only 5 this size.
I made 6 small oval container (like small deodorant tubes) and 8 lip balm size from this batch of salve.

And of course, I always make a card to go with the products so folks know what is in the item. The back of the card has a statement about how to use the product.

Now…I’m ready for any itchy reactions, plus I’m ready for summer!

I put the extra calendula-infused oil in the refrigerator, ready to experiment with Dog Paw Protection Balm/wax next! Stay tuned!

Please leave a comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net!

Enjoy!

NOTE:

For Topical Use: Do a skin patch test to ensure you’re not allergic to any new skin care product like this one. Apply a small amount of the product to a small patch of skin, like your inner wrist. Wait for 24 to 48 hours. If you see or feel irritation in that area discontinue use.

Making Calendula-infused oil for topical salves

Calendula officinalis or Pot Marigold is a favorite of herbalists. Do not confuse it with the common variety of marigold of the Tagets genus, planted in many gardens.

We planted Calendula in our garden last year and it did well. I wanted to dry the flowers so I could use them in my salves and soaps. They are small plants and the flowers are quite “sticky” so the flowers needed to be picked at their peak, otherwise tiny bugs collected on the petals.

When I realized the amount of work involved to get enough flowers for my projects, I finally ended up ordering a bag of dried flowers from STARWEST Botanicals online (www.starwestbotanicals.com). This company also has dried lavender, which I also use, and many other herbs. Great resource!

Calendula flowers are used externally for a wide range of skin problems and inflammations. An infusion (like tea) made from the petals can be used in a compress to help slow-healing wounds.

As part of a cream or lotion, Calendula-infused oil is good for many problems involving inflammation or dry skin wounds, dry eczema, scalds and sunburn.

Calendula oil has antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties that might make it useful in healing wounds, soothing eczema and relieving diaper rash. It’s also used as an antiseptic.

Calendula oil is made by infusing flowers in a carrier oil. I use organic extra virgin olive oil. This Calendula-infused oil can then be used on its own or to make ointments, creams or salves.

Here’s one of my favorite books about using herbs:

Making Calendula-infused oil

Here are the basic instructions:

First, I filled a quart jar with dried Calendula flowers. This 1 lb. bag of dried flowers will probably last me the rest of my life! After the challenge of growing, picking and drying the flowers myself, this was a great compromise!

Then I poured olive oil over them and filled the jar. I used a long-handled spoon to gently poke the flowers to distribute oil. I set the jar into the sauce pan of water. I brought the water up to a boil and then lowered the temperature so it would just simmer for about 6 hours. I did have to add water to the sauce pan every hour or so as it evaporated.

Then, I poured the oil/flower mixture through the strainer, disposing of the flowers. I strained it again by lining the strainer with cheesecloth to make sure I didn’t have any crumbs from the dried flowers.

I ended up with almost 2 cups of lovely calendula-infused olive oil. This strained oil will be used in my next two projects…the Calendula Salve and a Dog Paw Protection Wax…which will be described in the next two posts.

Check the next post about using this oil to make a wonderful salve. I’m counting on it to soothe my itches!

Leave a comment or email me directly at marykisner@comcast.net! Enjoy!

NOTE:

For Topical Use…do a skin patch test.

Do a skin patch test to ensure you’re not allergic to a new skin care product like this one. Apply a small amount of the product to a small patch of skin, like your inner wrist. Wait for 24-48 hours. If you see or feel irritation in that area after that time frame, discontinue use.

For Internal Use…not recommended without consulting a health professional.