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Calendula Cream Recipe To Make at Home

Are you looking for an all-natural, thick and creamy body butter? Make Calendula cream or body butter at home – it is easy and affordable.

Commonly known as Pot Marigold, Calendula Officinalis comes in as many as twenty varieties of shrubs, perennials, and annuals. A native flower of Egypt and the Mediterranean parts of Europe, it arrived in North America with the pioneers and is now a common ornamental flower in gardens and flower pots across this continent.

Calendula Body Butter Recipe

Calendula cream is a topical skin cream whose main ingredient is the flower of the genus Calendula (species Calendula officinalis ). As more and more people choose to use natural and herbal remedies over chemical and synthetic skin care products, lotions, ointments, and creams, Calendula cream is a popular option as a skin therapy cream.

This dry skin cream is effective at combating excema due to the anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties of the Calendula flowers. It is becoming increasingly popular with mothers of newborns dealing with babies and dry skin, and now baby calendula cream and baby calendula ointment is often available at drug stores and pharmacies.

Due to its healing properties, calendula cream is also gaining notice as an alternative to aloe vera gel. Note: Calendula is a daisy-like flower, and is NOT of the same family as the native American Marigold. Calendula should NOT be ingested if you are pregnant.

Calendula Officinalis Through the Ages

The name Calendula comes from the Latin word kalendae, meaning first day of the month. The flowers were so named as they often appear to bloom at the beginning of the month in the Roman calendar. Used as far back as the time of the Saxons, they referred to Calendula as ymbglidegold, meaning “turns with the sun”, also referring to the regular blooming. The common name of Pot Marigold is thought to be derived from this Saxon word, but is also explained as a reference to the Virgin Mary, as the early follower’s of Christ referred to it as Mary’s Gold. References to Calendula appear in Roman, Egyptian, and Greek ancient works. Pot marigold petals were used by doctors during the American Civil War and World War I as a topical applicant to help slow the bleeding of the wounded. Introduced to India by the Portuguese, the orange and yellow petals of Calendula decorate Hindu shrines and holy temples and are a common ornament at Hindu weddings.

Uses of Calendula Cream and Calendula Oil

Calendula can be used for the following:

  • diaper rash
  • dry skin
  • chapped lips
  • eczemacalendula cream
  • burns
  • sunburn
  • scars
  • scrapes
  • chafed skin
  • scalds
  • athlete’s foot
  • stretch marks
  • face cream
  • bee stings
  • rashes
  • chicken pox
  • acne
  • pimples and boils
  • sore nipples from breast-feeding
  • minor abrasions
  • skin dermatitis

Recipe for Calendula Cream or Calendula Body Butter

Calendula cream can be made at home using this simple recipe – only 3 ingredients!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 ounces (60 grams) of dried calendula flowers

18 ounces (500 grams) of organic vegetable shortening*

1 1/2 teaspoons of organic beeswax (available from your local health food store)

*Note: you can make Calendula Cream with clear or creamy petroleum jelly instead of the organic vegetable shortening if you wish. I have also heard of recipes that use a block of Crisco! The idea is to use something creamy as a base.

Combine dried flowers, beeswax, and shortening in a large, non-metallic bowl. Heat over boiling water for approximately 2 hours, but don’t allow the mixture to boil, just warm slowly and gently, and keep stirring to mix the flowers and beeswax in well – you don’t want any waxy lumps. Pour (while still warm) into clean, dark glass jars. Allow to cool, uncovered. Store in a cool location.

Recipe for Calendula Essential Oil

Calendula Oil can be used as for treating acne, eczema, diaper rash, and extremely dry skin. Here are two options for making Calendula Essential Oil at home:

Calendula Oil Recipe

9 ounces (250 grams) of dried Calendula Flowers OR 27 ounces (750 grams) of fresh Calendula Flowers

17 ounces (500 mls) of organic grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil

Heat these ingredients together in a double boiler or a bowl over boiling water for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly, then pour into dark glass jar.

How to Make Calendula Oil Using the Immersion Method

This is the preferred method as there is no heating involved! Using the same ingredients as above, fill a large glass jar (the big pickle jars are great) with flowers. Cover with oil, and add a few drops of your favourite essential oils if you like. Cover and place on a sunny window ledge for 2-3 weeks. Your oil will now be ready to use. If you prefer a more concentrated oil, replace the flowers with fresh ones and leave for another 2-3 weeks.

Growing Calendula in Your Home or Garden

Calendula or Pot Marigold is hardy, easy to grow, and useful to have in your home garden, or even in a container on your patio or front porch. Buy a package of seeds, plant them in the pot or ground, water them, and watch them grow. Calendula grows best in a sunny location,and can be planted outdoors from early spring onwards (note: I am in Canada and this works well here). The seeds are large, easy to see, and your seedlings will generally start to flower about one-and-a-half months after you plant them.

Reduce Reuse Recycle For Kids

I have the good fortune to have parents who were “environmentally aware” long before it was popular.

Words like eco-friendly, environmentally friendly and eco-tourism weren’t in our vocabulary when I was small. The choices that were made were simply the way my family did things.
Always avid readers and DIY types, our kitchen table held Harrowsmith magazines, Foxfire books, and newsletters from various back-to-the-land type groups.

Looking back, I realize there were many things  my parents did consciously or otherwise that encouraged us to be environmentally friendly – most of which involved some aspect of reduce, reuse, recycle.  Here are some suggestions to encourage your kids to be more aware of their environment.

Reduce Reuse Recycle For Kids

In our recent quest to enjoy the health benefits of drinking more water, the world has been using and throwing away millions of plastic water bottles. Our landfill sites are full of them.  Bottled water is a great example of a place to start teaching your kids about reduce, reuse and recycle.

  • Reduce the amount of bottled water you buy.
  • Rinse out and reuse the bottles.
  • Be sure to recycle them or repurpose them (here are some water bottle crafts to try at home) when you are  finished with them.
  • Don’t buy them at all!  Instead, choose a water bottle for each child (bright coloured stainless steel ones work well) and fill them up before school and sports practices or outings.
  • Remind your kids that each time they use their refillable water bottle they are saving a plastic water bottle from cluttering up the environment.

Recycling Games For Kids

As soon as children are old enough to learn to sort their toys and put them away in their proper place, they are old enough to start learning how to sort household waste. The whole idea of reduce reuse recycle for kids is a lot more fun when presented as a game.

A Weekly Garbage Goal Challenge

Try using a black or brown garbage bin for garbage, a green bin for compostable items, and a blue bin for recycling. The colour coding makes it even easier and fun to learn….for pre-schoolers, anyways.  Try to set a goal to minimize the amount of refuse that is garbage – when my older children were small we began by trying to produce just one full garbage bag a week. Once that was accomplished, we tried for just one grocery bag full.  We then tried for just one ice-cream container full….sadly we never could quite make it, but I felt the lesson was learned as the exercise made them a lot more aware of the excessive packaging of so many grocery items.
January 2014 update: Today our family has grown (again) and we now live off the grid near Yellowknife, NWT in northern Canada. I’m happy to say our garbage production has been drastically reduced – it’s a real pain to cart garbage out of here to the dump. Watch for my upcoming post on the tricks we use to minimize our household garbage production.

Reward Your Children’s Recycling Initiative

A quick and easy recycling game for older children is simply a competition to see who can identify the most ways to reduce a household item. Some examples are ice cream cartons, pop containers, and milk jugs.  Set a time limit and allow the winner to choose the after school snack, family movie or dessert.

Recycling Facts for Kids

Every day there is at least one story in the news regarding the state of the environment.  Discuss these stories with your children. Depending on the school system your children attend, they may be covering various green and environmental topics at school, and if you homeschool, make it a unit study.

There are some fabulous websites full of recycling facts for kids that are a wonderful resource for green family activities and school projects. Two of our kids had assignments on reducing their carbon footprints while still in elementary school.  Number Four was a member of the Environmental Club at his high school, and took part in various community projects with a “green” focus.  Have teenagers? Grab their attention with a movie based on potential environmental fiascos. This is a great way to encourage your teenager to become more environmentally aware….and ultimately more environmentally friendly.

We’d love to hear from you. What’s your best tip to encourage kids to reduce, reuse, and recycle? Let us know in the comments below.

Organic Grapeseed Oil

 

Grapeseed oil comes from byproducts of winemaking, and is used today in cooking, baking, and healthy and beauty treatments. Once the grapes are crushed and juice extracted for wine, the fleshy fruit and seeds that are left is called pomace. Instead of being used for compost or simply thrown out, organic grape seed oil is produced.

Organic Grapeseed Oil Good For Cooking at High Temperatures

Lighter in flavor than olive oil, grapeseed oil is popular with cooks and chefs because of its very high smoking point of about 216 degrees Celsius, which makes it a good choice for deep frying and sauteing. As it has a mild, somewhat nutty flavor it also lends itself well as a base for herb salad dressing recipes.

Use this oil for cooking, baking, and in cosmetics  for hair and skin. Recently, grapeseed oil has been attracting increased interest for its health benefits.

Rich in Anti-oxidants

Rich in anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids, studies show health benefits of grapeseed oil include a reduced risk of heart disease as well as naturally rejuvenating aging skin. It can help slow the signs of aging by minimizing wrinkles and fine lines naturally. Containing oleic, linolec, palmitric and stearic acids, it is becoming more and more popular with women over forty who are looking for all natural anti-aging products.

Remember, when applying anything to your skin you want it to be easily absorbed rather than sitting on your face and possibly clogging your pores, causing pimples,and/or blemishes. And if something is going to be absorbed into your skin it should be all-natural and free of chemicals. Here are some of the cosmetics containing grapeseed oil, many of which can be made at home.

    • Massage oil
    • Bath oil
    • Sunscreen
    • Lip Balms
    • Body Lotion
    • Facial Lotion – locks in moisture
    • Acne treatment – it is mildly astringent and has anti-inflammatory properties
    • Eye Creams – helps slow the signs of aging skin

Organic Grapeseed Oil Moisturizer Recipe

Try this at home – be sure to store it in the fridge in a dark glass jar, and use it within the week.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon Cold Pressed Organic Grapeseed Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Organic Honey – preferably a medium to dark honey
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Mix all together, and apply as needed. Try lime juice if you prefer. If you use buckwheat honey, you may find the smell a little strong.

Storing Grapeseed Oil

Buy cold pressed grapeseed oil only, especially for cooking. As chemicals can be used to extract the grapeseeds from the pomace on the winepress, ensure you are buying cooking grade grapeseed oil as opposed to the oil that is sold for cosmetic purposes.

Store your organic oils in a dark, glass bottle in a cool dark place such as a cold cellar or a refrigerator.

Baking With Organic Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is a healthy alternative to vegetable oils in baking.  As it has a very mild, nutty flavour, it’s great in cakes, muffins, and pies.

Grapeseed oil is now widely available in your local large-chain grocery stores, as well as specialty cooking stores and health food markets.  If you live in a rural area, you may prefer to buy your organic grapeseed oil online.  Beware of buying in bulk though; remember that cold pressed oils can turn rancid if not properly stored, and you may not be able to use all of yours prior to it going bad.

 

 

Raising Green Kids

As you may have learned the hard way, kids watch everything we do and want to be just like us….. at least until they are teenagers. Keep that in mind as you make environmentally-friendly choices. Here is a short list of some things you can do to help raise environmentally-aware kids.

  • walk or ride your bike instead of using the car for errands
  • choose a fuel efficient or hybrid vehicle
  • pack reusable lunch bags/boxes, containers, and water/juice bottles
  • don’t let the water run when you brush your teeth
  • use cloth grocery bags
  • use cloth towels and dishtowels instead of paper towels when possible
  • buy in bulk and bring your own containers – (less packaging)
  • if you have a baby, use cloth diapers

Winter hiking is a great family activity.

Head to the Dump!

That’s right, the local landfill site. Or, as it used to be called, the dump. Nothing will drive home the point of reduce, re-use, recycle to your older kids as much as a day trip to a nice smelly dump. Keep the trip between just half an hour to one hour, and try to choose a hot, humid, day, to get the full effect. If possible, head straight to a hiking trail, creek, or other lovely natural wooded spot for a picnic or a hike afterwards. Teens and tweens may grumble and complain, but they will remember the sights and smells of both…..

Outdoor Activities for Kids

In my youth television (and MTV specifically) was to blame for keeping kids indoors. Today it is xBox, Playstation, computers, etc. One of the best ways to engage your children in the pursuit of environmentally friendly behaviors is to show them the beauty in nature. Try the following:

  • Go for a walk along a walking trail, hiking trail, beach, or in a wooded area (remember to keep safety in mind). Whether they are in a stroller or a backpack, on a bike or on a skateboard, get your kids outside. While you may not see many outward signs of their appreciation for clean air, trees, birds, and squirrels, it is all making an impression. Being aware of what we are trying to preserve and protect is the first step to promoting environmentally-friendly choices in kids.
  • Hiking with kids: Nature walks were a family requirement for my dad when he was growing up, and he carried on the tradition with me. I do the same with my children. These are more structured than the walks mentioned above, as there is a specific goal stated. The easiest way to get started is on a marked hiking trail. Check your local conservation areas, provincial parks, or state parks for maps with short trails. They will have signs along the way to point you in the right direction and to point out interesting flora, fauna, wildlife, and sometimes even local history.
  • Community sponsored cleanups are becoming more and more common, and a great way for the entire family to contribute to the care of the local environment. Check your city or town website or local papers. Often held in the spring, volunteers are always needed to clean up public greenspaces, creeks (remember the safety issue), and parks. If you have teens who require community service hours for high school, they may be able to get them here.

Plan a Family Camping Trip

Best introduced once everyone is out of diapers and prior to potential teenage attitude issues (but where will I plug in my flat-iron?) tent camping is a truly wonderful way to introduce children to our beautiful natural environment.  As long as the weather is cooperating, and sometimes even when it isn’t, camping can be a crash-course in getting to know the outdoors. I have been tenting for over thirty-five years as both a child and a parent, and have camped all over Ontario. Some of the activities we have enjoyed while camping include canoeing, hiking and nature walks, fishing, swimming, visiting interpretive and nature information centres, and learning to live without so many of the conveniences that we take for granted.