Calendula flowers are highly beneficial and nourishing for the skin. These calendula lotion bars are easy to make and the perfect natural remedy for dry skin!
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Calendula for Dry Skin
I always have dry fingertips. It it just me? The heels of my feet are often dry as well. I’ve tried many different products to try and alleviate the issue, but nothing I buy in the store works very well.
My homemade calendula cream or calendula salve work well on dry skin, but they’re not always the best to tote around as they can melt in warm weather.
Lotion bars, on the other hand, can be easily stored in small tins and kept in a purse. Perfect for everyday use, anywhere you are!
Calendula flowers are great for the skin, and are especially nourishing for dry, irritated, and chapped skin. I decided to make these calendula lotion bars and I absolutely love them!
Lotion bars are surprisingly easy to make. If you have all the ingredients on hand and the infused oils made, then you can whip these up in no time! They make wonderful gifts, too.
More Calendula Recipes
Make the Calendula Infused Oil
The first step in making these lotion bars is to make calendula infused oil.
To make the infused oil, you will need dried calendula flowers. I have tons of fresh calendula growing in my backyard, so I pick them in the spring and early summer (and fall when they often return). Then I dry them on my homemade drying screens.
Once the flowers are dry, you can make the infused oil. If you don’t have access to fresh calendula flowers, you can purchase dried calendula from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Combine dried calendula flowers with the coconut, olive, and sweet almond oils in a mason jar. Cover the jar with a lid and shake to mix well. Put the jar in a cool and dark place to infuse for 4-6 weeks.
How to Make Calendula Lotion Bars
When you are ready to make the lotion bars, strain the calendula flowers from the oil using a fine mesh sieve. If the coconut oil has solidified in the oil infusion, gently heat it by setting the jar in a pan of warm water to melt the oil before straining.
Create a makeshift double boiler by putting a smaller pan, bowl, or glass measuring cup in a larger pan that has an inch or two of water in it, and bring the water to a simmer.
Measure out ½ cup of the calendula infused oil (save any excess oil you may have to use topically).
Put the oil into the double boiler. Add the beeswax to the oil and continue to heat until it has completely melted. A wooden skewer works well as a stirrer.
Stir in the shea butter (or other butter) until everything is fully liquefied, then remove the mixture from the heat.
Quickly stir in your essential oils, if using. I used 20 drops of sweet orange oil and 10 drops of lavender oil. Use what you like!
Quickly and carefully pour the mixture into your soap or lotion bar mold.
Let the lotion bars sit undisturbed until they solidify completely. This will take several hours. Then pop them them out of the mold.
Just like that you have your own calendula lotion bars! I am seriously in love with these lotion bars. They will definitely be something I make all the time!
To use a lotion bar, simply rub it on your skin as though it was a bar of soap. Your skin will warm it up.
No more dry fingertips!
Other herbs that work well in lotion bars are chickweed, wild violet leaves, lavender flowers, rose petals (see my rose lotion bars recipe), and dandelions.
More Homemade Skin Care Recipes
- Rose Lotion Bars
- Dandelion Lotion Bars
- Pine Lotion Bars
- Rose Hip Lip Balm
- Vanilla Lavender Lip Balm
- Dandelion Salve
- Calendula Salve
- Homemade Calendula Lip Balm
- Whipped Body Butter with Calendula
- How to Make Calendula Cream
- Arnica and Yarrow Skin Cream
Calendula Lotion Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Calendula Infused Oil
- ¼ cup dried calendula flowers
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup sweet almond oil
Calendula Lotion Bars
- ½ cup calendula infused oil
- 3 ounces beeswax
- 4 ounces refined shea butter or butter of your choice
- essential oils of choice I used sweet orange and lavender (optional)
Instructions
Calendula Infused Oil
- Combine the dried calendula flowers with the coconut, olive, and sweet almond oils in a mason jar. Cover the jar with a lid and shake to mix well.
- Put the jar in a cool and dark place to infuse for 4-6 weeks.
Calendula Lotion Bars
- When you are ready to make the lotion bars, strain the calendula flowers from the oil using a fine mesh sieve. If the coconut oil has solidified in the oil infusion, gently heat it by setting the jar in a pan of warm water to melt the oil before straining.
- Create a makeshift double boiler by putting a smaller pan, bowl, or glass measuring cup in a larger pan that has an inch or two of water in it, and bring the water to a simmer.
- Measure out ½ cup (120ml) of the calendula infused oil (save any excess oil you may have to use topically).
- Put the oil into the double boiler. Add the beeswax to the oil and continue to heat until it has completely melted. A wooden skewer works well as a stirrer.
- Stir in the shea butter (or other butter) until everything is fully liquefied, then remove the mixture from the heat.
- Quickly stir in the essential oils, if using. I used 20 drops of sweet orange oil and 10 drops of lavender oil.
- Quickly and carefully pour the mixture into your soap or lotion bar mold.
- Let the lotion bars sit undisturbed until they solidify completely. This will take several hours. Then pop them out of the mold and store in tins or other containers.
Notes
- To use a lotion bar, simply rub it on your skin as though it was a bar of soap. Your skin will warm it up.
- Other herbs that work well in lotion bars are chickweed, wild violet leaves, lavender, rose petals (see my rose lotion bars recipe), and dandelions.
Can I pour the mixture into small “deodorant tubes” to use to apply the lotion or will it be too solid to use it that way?
Hi Amber. Good question. I haven’t tried it myself, but I’d imagine that it would stick to the sides and be hard to push up.
Is it necessary to use refined shea butter in the recipe?
No, unrefined shea butter is fine if you don’t mind the fragrance of it.
Approximately how many bars did this make for your mold? I’m wondering if I need to double it for gifts.
The recipe makes 6 2 ounce bars.
How long will these keep?
Hi Dawn, they’re good for a year or longer. If they smell rancid, no longer use them.
Hi Dawn, these will keep for a long time, even years!
Would it be possible to use a slow cooker for infusing the oils with calendula, as you do in some other recipes?
Yes, you can definitely do that.
I made these exactly as written, and I love them. The lotion is gentle on my hands, leave them incredibly soft, and I love the delicate fragrance.
I’ll be making them again!
I’m so glad you liked them, Colette!
I have Calendula oil that I infused this summer without the coconut oil- do i need to add a bit of coconut oil in for consistency or will it be ok without it?
It’s not necessary, but you could always add it in before you melt your beeswax.
I make these every year as gifts and they never disappoint! I’ve tried other recipes but this one is consistently great AND easy! Thank you for your wisdom and willingness to share your recipes!!
I would love to make these for my daughter but as vegan, I couldn’t use beeswax for her, is it possible to make them with an alternative to beeswax at all please x
Bees wax is cruel what may I use as a cruelty free substitute pls? X
You can use soy, candelilla, or any other vegan wax.
Hi, I was wondering how you use the lotion bars…..are they like soap?
Thank you.
Kathy
Just put them in your hand and they should soften and you can rub that on you, or you can do like a soap bar and rub directly on the skin. I just made a second batch, and used less beeswax just because I thought it didn’t soften as much as I would like. I might regret if it softens by itself too much, but they are in little zip lock bags so they will not make a mess. what I did this second time was fill a large pot with water and then put the ingredients in a quart mason jar and put that in the water. I did not make as much of a mess as I did the first time, and I will just reuse that jar after wiping out all of the oils. It poured nicely into the molds from the jar also.
Lotion sticks are my new favorite things to make. I like to get the 2 ounce molds that look like a giant Chapstick; that lasts a long time and it is TSA-friendly for travel. I was extra glad to have them on my last trip, everyone was sick and with frequent handwashing my hands were dry and peeling and a few days of slathering on the lotion they were smooth and soft again.
Hi, glad to find your site. I make my own pain paste. I very run out and about to make another batch. I collected calendula flowers from my garden this summer and now have 1 1/2 liters of oil. Your site has given me inspiration to get at it and maybe try new mixes!!!! Any ideas? Thanks
Hi Bonnie, I just ran across this site! You may not see this since this post is old but in case, I wanted to ask how do you make pain pastes? Thank you!
Some time ago I made my own lotionbars, I liked it.. But then I forget about it until I read your recipe! This is the first thing I’ll make when I have the time! I’m a little busy right know, but I can’t wait to make the bars.. I have all the ingredients in my house.. (I’ve to check if my calendula oil is still good)..
Love the other recepies of calendula oils too! Thanks for remembering! ☺️
I made lotion bars for a flea recently and it was a huge hit… I used jasmine EO in one and Vanilla in the other ones and they are just awesome.. I wanna try out with different smells..
2 oz. of beeswax is 1/4 cup. 4 oz. would equal a 1/2 cup.
So the 2 oz. I listed is a weight measurement, not volume. A one oz. bar of beeswax (by weight) is 1/4 cup, so 2 oz. would be 1/2 cup. Confusing, I know! This is according to Jan’s eBook. I will consult with her just to be sure, though.
Colleen, Lotion bars are soooo fun! I followed your recipe/instruction with some minor changes.. I made chamomile/calendula oil and add evening primrose oil to the mix for some extra healing and moisture. I didn’t have any soap molds so I used a mini loaf tray and dog-gone it these bars are so easy and cute I will be doing this again for sure.
Thanks,
Kathy