Making an Herbal Oil

Herb-infused oils are easy to make and, depending on the herbs used, encompass a variety of healthful uses -- from healing up scrapes, cuts, bumps and bruises, to reducing scar tissue, to soothing a baby's rashy bum, to eliminating aches and pains.  In this article, I'll teach you how easy it is to make calendula-infused oil using dried calendula flowers and vegetable oil... but first, a little introduction to the benefits of using calendula topically.

Calendula possesses three main actions which give it high esteem as a topical medicinal herb.  First, it is considered a vulnerary, which is a funny way of saying it excels at healing wounds.  Combine this with the herb's anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties and you've got a winning combination.  I use calendula salve topically for a variety of conditions including eczema, burns, scrapes, bumps and bruises as well as diaper rash and other fungal problems like athlete's foot.  Calendula is high in carotenoids (an antioxidant pre-cursor of Vitamin A) and combined with chamomile, calendula excels at reducing the redness and inflammation of rosacea.  OK, so let's learn a "folk" method of making calendula oil.

Ingredients and Kitchen Equipment Needed:

• Blender or Vita-mix
• Spatula
• Quart Glass Jar with Lid
• Dried Calendula Flowers (I prefer just the orange flowers as it makes a deeper orange oil with more carotenoids).
• Organic Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Olive or Sweet Almond oil are nice choices).

Directions:

1. Add calendula flowers to your blender
2. Add some vegetable oil - do not cover the flowers in oil - maybe about 1/2 way (it's best to start out with less oil and add it as you need to).
3. Blend the herbs and oil, stopping to tamp down the flowers and then blend again.
4. Add just enough oil so that the oil and herbs blend together.  It should be thick.
5. Blend for a couple of minutes until the blender container becomes warm (this starts the maceration process).
6. Use the spatula to pour the contents of the blender into a clean glass jar.
7. Put the lid on and place the jar in a paper bag.
8. Set the jar in a warm spot for 2 weeks (I put mine out on the sunny porch in the summertime).
9. Strain through a muslin cloth and bottle.
10. Keep refrigerated to extend the shelf life.  This oil will last a year refrigerated.

Herbal First Aid Kits - Part I

Summertime is here... any for many people that means travel!  Don't leave home without your appropriate First Aid Kit to address issues ranging from emotional upsets to food poisoning to those pesky biting insects. Here are some suggestions for stocking an herbal first aid kit which you can use at home and on the road.  Each family's first aid kit is unique and what you put in your kit depends on your own personal needs.  My top picks for an herbal first aid kit includes items that address the following issues.

Trauma:  Every first aid kit needs something for mental/emotional upsets and jangled nerves.

• Flower Essences.  Rescue Remedy is a well-known Flower Essence formula originally made by Dr. Bach.  Flower Essences are gentle yet effective remedies that are suitable for the whole family (including your pets!).  We recommend Solace and Strength, a formula made by local Herbalist & Medicine Maker, Catherine Abby Rich of Combining Forces, an essence similar to Rescue Remedy.
• Passionflower or Kava Kava.  Both these herbs are extremely helpful for anxiety.  I like tincture best as it works quickly and is easy to carry.  A dropperful or two as needed up can help calm and quiet a worried mind and ease nervousness and angst.

Tummy Upsets: This can range from motion sickness to food poisoning to parasites and all of those are distinct possibilities when traveling, especially when going out of the country.

• Ginger Tea (or Candied Ginger).  Great for nausea.  Ginger is also helpful for aiding with digestion when taken before meals (good for people who run cold and have little digestive fire)... and for dispelling gas and indigestion thereafter.  
• Activated Charcoal and/or Bentonite Clay Capsules. Charcoal and clay both rock at absorbing pathogens within your digestive tract to be carried out.  (Be sure to drink extra water when taking these supplements as they can be binding).  I always carry these in my first aid kit when traveling out of the country, when food poisoning or parasites are a possibility.  Because of their absorbent qualities, these capsules are also helpful for traveler's diarrhea.
• Gut Soothing Herbs. To soothe inflamed mucus membranes of the digestive tract, Slippery Elm Bark is my go to choice of herb (simply add a heaping teaspoon to 4 ounces of water, stir and drink down).  Repeat as necessary up to 4x a day.  Slippery Elm will also help with acid reflux. Other herbs that can help an inflamed gut include Meadowsweet, Marshmallow Root and Fennel Seed.
• Bulk Laxatives.  If constipation is an issue, try adding chia or flax seeds to your diet.  I like to add chia seeds to my water bottle and drink throughout the day.  Psyllium husks are also helpful for constipation.  Drink plenty of water... at least 8 glasses a day.

Burns. First cool the burn with cool water (unless it’s a 3^rd degree burn, then simply cover with a clean sheet or other smooth cloth and keep the person quiet until help arrives). To soothe a burn, try:

• Aloe Vera Gel, Honey or Lavender Essential Oil.  All are soothing and will help prevent infection. (A spray of lavender essential oil dilute in distilled water makes a great after-sun spray for sunburns.  Add up to 30 drops of essential oil to one ounce of water.  I like to keep mine refrigerated.).

Abcesses, Bug Bites.  Here we want a drawing agent to pull out venum, toxins, pus, etc.

• Clay or Slippery Elm Powder both work well here. Make a paste of the clay or slippery elm powder by adding water and apply to the area.  Clay and Slippery Elm powder have a multitude of uses and are handy to keep on hand for topical application as well as internal disharmony.  Tips:  Clay paste with the addition of a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil will ease the itch and reduce the swelling of poison oak!  

Bumps, Bruises, Swellings, Rashes.

• Herbs that promote wound healing include Comfrey, Calendula, St. John's Wort, Yarrow and Plantain.  (Don't use Comfrey on a deep wound). For ease of use, infuse the herbs and oil and add beeswax to make an herbal salve.
• Arnica Homeopathically.  Arnica tablets and gel are wonderful for reducing swellings and bruising.
• Calendula cream, salve or oil is an excellent aid in healing rashes including mild eczema and diaper rash.

Next month we'll discuss herbal strategies for Pain, Sore Muscles, Headaches and more.  Stay tuned!