Calendula and Plantain Salve Recipe

This recipe for how to make calendula and plantain salve is an easy-to-make useful herbal salve. Making salves from herbs and other medicinal plants and weeds is a fun beneficial activity. This salve made from calendula and plantain has many possible benefits. It is amazing what wonderful properties herbs really have.

A salve is a healing ointment, and usually a combination of oil and beeswax. The oil and beeswax are nourishing for the skin, you can use a variety of oils, including coconut oil, sunflower oil, and more. The wonderful part is that you can infuse oil with different herbs, weeds and flowers to make salve with different properties. You can then customize your salve for specific issues by infusing your oil with the plants of your choosing.

This salve made with calendula and plantain plantain can be used to soothe bug bites and irritated skin.

Plantain is a very common weed found growing everywhere and is sometimes considered a nuisance. However, plantain is not only edible, but has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Plantain weed contains many healing compounds that can reduce inflammation, improve digestion and promote wound healing.

I have a lot of plantain growing on my property.

Calendula is a type of marigold, but not the same marigold that is commonly grown in flower and vegetable gardens. Calendula is an annual or short-lived perennial herb in the daisy family and originates from southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean area.

I grew calendula in my raised garden this summer. I bought the seeds and raised gardens from amazon.

I found the calendula flowers so beautiful. They are so dainty and all look different from each other.

Skin Care Benefits of Calendula

According to this article, calendula petals are rich in naturally occurring compounds called flavonoids. These compounds are said to have anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombogenic, antidiabetic, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects. The article also states that calendula has been used to treat a variety of skin conditions, such as diaper rash, wounds and other conditions.

Benefits of Plantain

This article by MedicineNet includes a lot of information about plantain including how to identify, the many uses and how to use plantain. The article states, that “Plantain poultices have traditionally been used to treat wounds. This plant has anti-microbial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties that may help heal wounds. A study of 40 people with diabetic foot ulcers found that a gel of aloe vera and plantain weed helped significantly reduce the size of the ulcers compared with people who received a placebo gel. The people who used the aloe vera and plantain gel also didn’t experience any negative side effects.”

The website Indigo Herbs has an interesting article about plantain. The article includes folklore history, traditional uses and benefits. The article includes a discussion of the benefits of plantain including for respiratory heath, immune boosting, digestive and gastrointestinal health, and skin health. it states that plantain “is considered one of the best healing herbs on the planet.”

How to Make Calendula and Plantain Salve

To make salves, balms, lotions and lotion bars, you need to start with an infused oil.

How to Make an Infused Oil

To make the calendula and plantain infused oil, the first step is to pick the calendula flowers and plantain leaves.

The second step to make an oil infusion is to dry the plants. You can let the plants air dry by spreading them in a single layer on a dish towel or paper towel and let them dry for several days. The other option is to use a dehydrator set at a low setting.

The next step for the diy calendula and plantain salve is to make an infused oil with the leaves by steeping the dried petals/leaves in a carrier oil over a period of time. As the petals/leaves infuse in the oil (later strained), the natural essential oils in the petals and leaves are drawn out and into the carrier oil. Different kinds of oils can be used including sweet almond oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, sweetgrass oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil or coconut oil.

Add the dried calendula and plantain to a glass jar. I like to use a pint mason jar.

The amount of oil you want will depend on how much salve or other items that you want to make. You will add about twice as much oil as your dried flowers or herbs. For example, you can add the flowers or herbs to a pint jar about halfway and then fill the jar almost to the top. If you want less, you can fill the jar about 1/4 up with herbs and then 1/2 way with oil. Also, you can make more than you plan to use for now and save the additional oil for later.

There are several options for making the oil infusion:

Slow infusion method: Just add the lid to the jar and put it away in a dark place for 4 to 6 weeks. Shake the jar every once in a while. You can also put the jar in direct sunlight for a couple weeks to infuse the oil.

Fast double boiler method: Place the jar in a saucepan of a couple inches of hot water and heat the water on low for about 2 hours. Or add the oil and dried herbs or flowers to a double boiler pan and let it simmer but not boil for 1 to 2 hours.

Fast crockpot method: Add your dried herbs or flowers and oil to the crockpot, make sure that the oil covers the herbs. Heat the oil slowly and keep the crockpot on warm. Try to keep the temp between 120-130 F. Let it heat for several hours.

Making the Calendula and Plantain Salve

The next step to follow these easy instructions to make the homemade calendula and plantain salve. First, strain the dried calendula and plantain from the infused calendula and plantain oil.

Once you have the strained calendula and plantain oil-infusion, add the desired amount to a double boiler, with a small saucepan, then add the beeswax and shea butter. My measurements are 1 cup infusion oil to 2 Tbsp. beeswax and 1 Tbsp. shea butter. I used 1/2 cup infusion oil to 1 Tbsp. beeswax and 1/2 Tbsp. shea butter for the sage and rosemary salve to make a smaller batch. It made 2 2-oz tins. A lot of recipes for salves that I have seen use measurements in grams and oz. I feel it is easier with simple measurements and the salve turned out great.

Stir until the beeswax pellets and shea butter melt.

When the beeswax and shea butter are melted, pour the mixture, which will be in liquid form, into 2 2- ounce tins or 2 ounce jars. Option is to add essential oils or scents and also to add mica powder for color.

Let the salve set and set up. It does not take very long for it to harden.

Enjoy!

Enjoy making and using your own calendula and plantain salve made from natural ingredients. It is very easy to make small batches of these salves from simple ingredients. The wonderful healing salve would also make a lovely gift!

I have made many other flower and herbal homemade salves including  salve from purple nettle, salve made from lavender, honeysuckle salve and a salve made from sage and also peony salve, elderflower salve, white clover salve, yarrow salve and lilac salve from flowers. I have also made some flower and herbal lotion bars including lotion bars from rose petals and lotion bars from sage, lilac and peony.

See my website at www.HawkPointHomestead.com to learn more and for additional made from nature recipes, such as my flower jellies including my dandelion jelly recipe, redbud jelly recipe, lilac jelly recipe peony jelly and apple blossom recipe.

The website also includes canning recipes and other favorite great recipes, plus posts about other homestead-type activities, such as gardening and raising chickens.

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Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only.  It should not be seen as medical or any other advice. I am not a medical expert so individual precautions should be considered.

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