Homemade Calendula and Plantain Infused Oil

This recipe for how to make homemade calendula and plantain infused oil is an easy-to-make useful herbal skincare item. Making infused oils, salves, lotion bars and body butters from herbs and other medicinal plants and weeds is a fun beneficial activity. This infused oil made from calendula and plantain has many possible benefits. It is amazing what wonderful properties herbs really have.

This infused oil recipe is made with very simple ingredients, a combination of dried herbs and your choice of carrier oil. The oil is 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 customize your oil for specific issues by infusing your oil with the plants of your choosing.

This infused oil 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.

Skin Care 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 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 to make an infused oil is to steep the dried calendula and plantain in a carrier oil over a period of time. As the dried calendula and plantain infuse in the oil (later strained), the natural essential oils in the flowers 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.

Add about twice as much oil as your dried calendula and plantain. For example, you can add the flowers and leaves 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 leaves and then 1/2 way with oil.

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.

When done infusing, you can strain the dried material from the oil and either keep it in the jar or another glass container.

Enjoy!

Enjoy your homemade Calendula and Plantain infused-oil that has so many benefits and uses. It is wonderful to make your own skincare items that do not have preservatives and chemicals. Plus it saves money!

More Great Recipes and Simple Homestead Information

For more of my DIY skin care recipes, favorite recipes and canning recipes, plus posts about other homestead-type activities, such as gardening and raising chickens, go to my website at www.HawkPointHomestead.com. For updates, please follow my Facebook page at Hawk Point Hobby Homestead.