According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, calendula contains large amounts of antioxidants, which protect cells from free radicals. This herb also has anti-inflammatory, healing and antibacterial properties. Making your own homemade calendula creams saves you money and provides healing nutrients to your skin. Find out about what ingredients you need to repair your body's largest organ from harmful exposure to impurities and too much sun.
Beeswax Cream
Heat in a double boiler a mixture of shea butter, avocado oil, jojoba oil, calendula-infused extra-virgin olive oil and beeswax. If you can't find calendula-infused olive oil, use regular olive oil and calendula oil. You can get these ingredients at most health food stores. Make sure that the heat is set low and the concoction doesn't boil, and wait for the beeswax to melt entirely before taking it off the heat.
Once melted, stir. Use a handheld mixer for optimal blending. When the mixture takes on a fluffy consistency, stop mixing. Add in a fragrance of your choice, like orange or vanilla. Pour the mixture in an airtight container and set it in the refrigerator overnight prior to using. The shea butter and oils will lock moisture into the skin as the calendula repairs cells. Beeswax is found in many lotions and creams for its moisturizing and emulsifying qualities.
Calendula Baby Cream
Make a cream for a baby's dry skin. Use dried lavender flower, calendula flower, comfrey leaf and chamomile flower to prepare your own oil. Place all the flowers in an airtight container filled with almond oil, and set the mixture in a sunny place by a window for four weeks. Strain the flowers out of the oil with cheesecloth, and be sure to squeeze any excess oil out of them.
Pour the oil into a double boiler with grated beeswax, vitamin E and lavender oil. According to Jane Higdon, Ph.D.of Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University at www.lpi.oregonstate.edu, vitamin E protects the integrity of cell membranes.Take the mixture off the heat once the beeswax has completely melted. Check to see if you have added enough beeswax by scooping the mixture into a container and placing it in the freezer. Wait 20 minutes to see if it has hardened. Add more beeswax if the mixture is still soft. When the beeswax level is right, take the mixture off of heat and pour it in an airtight container. Avoid using it until it has had time to cool. Do not use this recipe if you suspect your baby has an allergy to any of the flowers you've used.
Quick Cream
Mix together 1 cup glycerin with 1 cup rosewater. Make sure mixture is well-blended. Add in calendula oil. For those on-the-go, you can buy hand cream from a pharmacy and add a few drops of the calendula oil to the cream. For extra moisture, pour in 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Use some of these recipes as a springboard to make your own homemade calendula cream to suit your personal preferences.
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