Calendula

Calendula.....
Latin name:Calendula officinalis

Common names: Pot Marigold

Medicinal actions: anti inflammatory,anti-spasmodic,astringent,vulnerary,anti-microbial,anti-fungal,lymphatic,emmenagogue,diaphoretic

Uses:Calendula is one of the best herbs for treating any kind of skin problem.Inflamation,infectionphysical injury,bleeding,bruising or strains Calendula is excellent.*Insect bites*Hemorrhoids*Skin diseases,Eczema,Psoriasis,fungal conditions(ringworm,athletes foot)*Sunburn/Burns*Ulcerations*Varicose Veins*Measles*Cancer*disorders of the liver*expels wormsJust to name a few......:)

My personal experience with Calendula.....I have *mostly* used Calendula externally and it seems to work really great! I just started a batch of Calendula ointment a few days ago. It is *one* of my favorite herbs for ointments.I also love to add Comfrey and Yarrow.They are great for skin conditions too.Calendula is a *safe* herb.You can drink it freely.I have heard that it loses alot of it's nutritional value when dried.I don't know if that is true or not but I freeze mine just incase.It is SO easy to grow! I start alot of seeds every spring.It is beautiful and it reseeds itself readily.It doesn't smell the greatest.....Sort of skunky like a regular marigold in my opinion.Then on the other hand it has sort of a good smell....:)

To make an ointment:Harvest herbs after the dew is off.You do not want moisture on your herbs as it will cause mold to grow in your ointment.Do not wash the herbs!Chop coarsley and pack into whatever size jar you are going to use.I like to pack my jar fairly tight.Cover with oil.(I use olive oil) Use a spatula and stick it down in the jar a few times to try and get as many air pockets out as you can.Top off the jar again with oil if necessary.The oil should come completely to the top of the jar.No air space.Let sit for 2-6 weeks.I like to do 6 if possible.Check your jar once in a while and top off with oil if necessary.(Usually it isn't) Make sure you have it sitting on a towel or something as it may seep.After you have let it sit as long as desired then it is time to strain the oil.Pour contents of jar into a cheesecloth and squeeze,squeeze,squeeze ! :) Let the strained oil sit undisturbed for several hours or overnight to allow water droplets to settle to the bottom of the jar.Pour the oil into another jar(after letting it sit), leaving water droplets behind!Now to make the ointment...For every ounce of oil you have you will need approx a TB of beeswax.You can buy little beeswax pebbles (which are really easy to use!),you can use a chunk of beeswax and grate it(isn't to hard),or you can raise bees and harvest your own beeswax AND propolis (like I am attempting to do!).Either way is fine! :) Heat the oil/wax *just* until the wax is melted,stirring constantly.Pour into containers! If you find that you want your ointment to be not so hard you can reheat it and add a little more oil(just plain olive oil is fine) or if it is to soft you can reheat and add more wax. It is fun to add Essential oils too.They add(depending on which kind you use) anti-bacterial/virus/fungal properties to the ointment and also smell wonderful! Tea tree/lemon/clove/lavender/calendula are a few kinds that work great in ointments!Have fun! I *love* to make ointments!