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Home » Herbalism » Herbal Bath and Skincare Recipes » Salves and Creams » How to Make Calendula Cream: Homemade Skin Care Recipe

How to Make Calendula Cream: Homemade Skin Care Recipe

May contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my privacy policy and affiliate disclosure.

Originally published on July 18, 2021. Last updated on April 18, 2022

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Homemade calendula cream is the perfect way to incorporate healing herbs into your homemade all-natural beauty and body care products! Calendula is well known for its medicinal benefits. It is a powerful medicinal herb, particularly for skin ailments and rashes. This all-natural calendula cream is an easy herbal remedy to make at home – even for beginners!

a womans hand scooping a spoonful of calendula cream from a glass jar

 

Homemade Calendula Cream

I can’t wait to tell you about this! I’m going to show you how to make homemade calendula cream. It turned out so good and is incredibly easy to make.

This calendula cream is thick and rich, almost like a body butter, and can be used like lotion or like a healing salve. In other words, it’s a perfect way to incorporate herbs into your body products!

Calendula, also called pot marigold (not to be confused with regular marigold), is well known for its healing benefits. It’s anti-inflammatory, excellent for the skin, and a powerful wound healer.

It is a potent medicinal herb, particularly for skin ailments and rashes, including eczema, acne and even diaper rash. It would also be a perfect addition to an herbal salve.

Related: 10 Ways to Use Calendula Infused Herbal Oil

calendula flowers of different shapes and sizes

Make the Calendula Infused Oil

The first step in making this calendula cream, just like in my herbal salve recipe, is to make an infused oil.

This can be done by putting dried calendula flowers in a jar, cover with a carrier oil, and let it sit for several weeks to infuse.

You can also use the quick method of heating the oil and dried flowers in a pot on low heat for up to 12 hours.

a hand pouring oil into a jar with dried calendula flowers

You will need 1 cup total of infused oil for this recipe, but I always figure it’s better to make more than you need so you have it ready for next time! It will keep for quite a while.

Use a ratio of 3 parts olive oil to 1 part coconut oil when making this infused oil. So, if you’re making 1 cup of oil, that means ¾ cup olive oil and ¼ cup coconut oil.

Feel free to incorporate other herbs into the infused oil if you like. Dried lavender flowers or chamomile would be great additions!

a jar of calendula infused oil

Once the calendula infused oil is made, strain out the flowers. The oil will be a nice golden yellow color.

a hand pouring calendula infused oil through a strainer

How to Make Calendula Cream

After you have made and strained the calendula oil, it’s time to make the cream.

The first thing you want to do is bring several cups of water in a pot to a boil.

Put about 2 cups of the boiling water into a blender to preheat it. This is to help keep the cream from sticking to the blender.

boiling water in a blender

Turn the rest of the water in the pot down to a simmer and make a double boiler.

This can be done by putting the infused oil and beeswax either in a heat proof bowl on top of the pot of water, or in a glass measuring cup that you place in the simmering water.

calendula infused oil and beeswax in a makeshift double boiler

Heat until the beeswax melts completely into the oil.

Pour the hot water out of the blender and put the oil/beeswax mixture in.

calendula oil in a blender

Cover the blender except for the hole that is used for drizzling liquids in. Turn it on and slowly drizzle the tepid water in. Make sure the water is tepid – not too hot or too cold.

It should become a creamy emulsification quite quickly! You may need to scrape down the sides of your blender once or twice to make sure all of the water gets incorporated.

calendula cream in a blender

Let the cream cool a bit and then add the preservative and blend again to combine.

Pour the cream into containers, it will make about 2 cups total. Small glass jars or tins work well for this.

Let the cream set up for several hours before use.

small glass jars of calendula cream

How to Use Calendula Cream

This calendula cream is so amazingly rich and luscious! It is perfect to use on very dry and even cracked skin, or even on minor wounds and scars.

It is better than any lotion that I’ve tried, plus it’s so nice to know that it has beneficial herbs and none of the yucky stuff that might be in the store bought cream. Makes me feel better!

three glass jars of calendula cream on a round wooden table

One thing is for sure, this calendula cream smells absolutely wonderful. This is definitely a recipe that I will make again and again. It’s super easy to make and is great for the skin.

Now that I’ve started on the path of making my own herbal remedies and natural healing products I really don’t see any reason to spend the money on buying these sorts of things.

Time to start making them yourself!

If you want to learn more about making homemade lotions and creams, I highly recommend Jan Berry’s (of the Nerdy Farm Wife) Handmade Lotions & Creams ebook collection!

a hand holding a spoon of calendula cream above a jar

Do I need to use a preservative for calendula cream?

One thing to note, since this calendula cream is made with water it is best to add a preservative of some kind so that mold and other bacteria don’t grow.

While you could technically skip the preservative, it makes the cream quite perishable with a short shelf life of no more than a week. It also needs to be stored in the refrigerator between uses.

The Nerdy Farm Wife has a great post all about natural preservatives for homemade beauty products, so please check that out if you’d like to learn more. She also has a great list of 10 natural preservatives for homemade skincare.

I chose to use Leucidal Complete Protection which is a natural preservative that works well.

glass jars of calendula cream on a table

More Calendula Recipes

Explore more uses for lovely calendula flowers. Yes, they are even edible!

  • 10 Ways to Use Calendula Herb Infused Oil
  • Calendula Lotion Bars
  • Calendula Salve 
  • Diaper Rash Salve
  • Calendula Soap
  • Herbal Bath Salt with Calendula
  • Calendula Shortbread Cookies
  • Calendula Iced Tea
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.87 from 15 votes

Calendula Cream

This calendula cream is easy to make and wonderful for the skin. It is amazingly rich and luscious! It is perfect to use on very dry and even cracked skin, or even on minor wounds and scars.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Active Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 2 cups
Cost $7.00
Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Equipment

  • Pint Mason Jar
  • Fine Mesh Sieve
  • Small Saucepan
  • Small Glass Measuring Cup
  • Blender
  • Jars or Tins

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Calendula Infused Oil

  • ½ cup dried calendula flowers
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil melted

Calendula Cream

  • 1 cup calendula infused oil
  • 1 ounce beeswax 4 Tbsp
  • 1 cup tepid water
  • 2 tsp Leucidal Complete Protection or another preservative (follow instructions on the bottle for amount to use)

Instructions

Calendula Infused Oil

  • Combine the dried calendula flowers with the olive and coconut 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.
  • When you are ready to make the cream, 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.

Calendula Cream

  • Bring several cups of water in a pot to a boil. Put about 2 cups of the boiling water into a blender to preheat it.
  • 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 one cup of the calendula infused oil. Top off with extra olive oil if needed to make exactly one cup of oil.
  • 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.
  • Pour the hot water out of the blender and put the oil/beeswax mixture in.
  • Cover the blender except for the hole that is used for drizzling liquids in. Turn it on and slowly drizzle the tepid water in. You may need to scrape down the sides of your blender once or twice to make sure all of the water gets incorporated.
  • Let the cream cool a bit and then add the preservative and blend again to incorporate it.
  • Pour the mixture into jars or tins.
  • Let the cream set up for several hours before use.

Notes

  • I adapted this recipe from the book Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post Consumer World by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen of Root Simple.

calendula cream on a board with flowers

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristian says

    October 27, 2022 at 1:38 pm

    Have you ever added clay to this recipe? If so how did it work? Feel? Change the texture?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 31, 2022 at 9:14 am

      Hi Kristian. No, I haven’t ever added clay to this recipe. If you experiment with it, I’d love to hear about it!

      Reply
      • Lesley Watts says

        December 6, 2022 at 9:41 pm

        Hi, not sure how to start my own comment, but I tried making the cream and it was too thick. I followed the amounts pretty closely and wonder if I over-blended it. I want to give it another shot and wonder if you might have any ideas as to how to avoid this? Thank you :)

  2. BIG says

    August 31, 2022 at 9:52 pm

    Hi,

    While I would like to make the recipe, you do not state how to get the ingredients. I have no idea how to find the majority of those items. Where? How? Please provide more information. Thank you

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      September 5, 2022 at 8:39 am

      Hi there. In all of my recipes, if you click on the ingredient in the ingredient list, you’ll be taken to where I bought it.

      Reply
      • Gina says

        September 28, 2022 at 9:38 pm

        Do you sell the cream at all? I’d like to test it to see if it helped eczema? Thank you!

      • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

        October 3, 2022 at 9:39 am

        Hi Gina. I’m sorry, I don’t sell any of my creams, but calendula has been known to help with skin conditions like eczema.

  3. Honey says

    August 8, 2022 at 1:28 pm

    Are there any other preservatives I can use other than the ones listed? Like alcohol, glycerin etc. etc.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      August 15, 2022 at 9:24 am

      Not for this recipe, sorry!

      Reply
  4. Yvonne says

    January 22, 2022 at 3:22 pm

    5 stars
    I had good luck with this lotion and did not use any preservative (hopefully I will use it all up before it goes moldy) I used my stand mixer which works great!
    I always strain my herbs ( calendula, lavender, rose petals and rosemary thru a cheesecloth tie a knot in it and use it for my bath! then I compost them, just an idea!! After my bath I slather on this beautiful lotion. Sweet.
    Thank you for this great lotion recipe.
    Yvonne

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      January 24, 2022 at 9:39 am

      Thanks for sharing, Yvonne. I love your idea of reusing your herbs and flowers in a bath! I’ll have to try that.

      Reply
  5. Natalie says

    January 13, 2022 at 4:56 am

    Hi there, thanks for sharing this recipe. I m finding it very greasy, I used olive oil to infuse the calendula. So I am not sure if it the olive oil, beeswax or if I should put more water in, as I didn’t put all the water in from the recipe.
    I also followed a recipe from the Botanical Skin Care Recipe book, and it too is very greasy!
    By any chance would you know what I’ve done wrong? or should do.
    Thanks so much

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      January 17, 2022 at 9:16 am

      Hi Natalie. Olive oil isn’t easily absorbed into the skin, which is why I recommended adding coconut as well. It could be that or because you didn’t add all the water in the recipe or something else entirely. It’s really hard to say.

      Reply
      • Marilyn says

        April 14, 2022 at 2:59 pm

        Try avocado oil. Less greasy

  6. Apple says

    September 22, 2021 at 1:06 am

    Hello, can you make video tutorial how to make this calendula cream?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      September 27, 2021 at 9:13 am

      Hi there. I do have a video for making this calendula cream! If you click the “jump to video” button under the title of the post, it will take you directly to it.

      Reply
  7. Mélissa says

    September 9, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    How do you store it? And how much time? Thank you! :)

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      September 20, 2021 at 9:37 am

      You can store it for several months in a cool cabinet in your house.

      Reply
  8. Kenyce says

    August 29, 2021 at 9:02 pm

    Could I used hydrosol in replace of water? If so would u need two preservatives? One fir tge hydrosol and one for the cream?

    Reply
  9. Fernie says

    August 22, 2021 at 6:00 am

    Would an emulsifying wax work better for this recipe rather than beeswax? Mountain Rose Herbs has a great emulsifying wax and I ordered some but have not used it yet. Would it keep the formula from sweating?

    Reply
  10. jennifer adams says

    April 11, 2021 at 12:42 pm

    hello , where does one get calendula flowers please?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      April 12, 2021 at 8:53 am

      You can get dried calendula flowers from Mountain Rose Herbs.

      Reply
  11. olga says

    January 25, 2021 at 10:06 am

    i suppose you need a separate blender for this? one that will not be used with food afterwards??

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      January 25, 2021 at 11:00 am

      You can if you want, but all the ingredients are safe. If they weren’t, I wouldn’t put them on my skin!

      Reply
  12. lara says

    November 7, 2020 at 1:52 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing!
    I have made it now 3 times and I never get the consistency that you show on the images😭

    I try reducing the amount of water thinking that was the issue but still…i have the same outcome. Maybe even worse.

    Any tips that you wouldn’t mind sharing with me? Thank you in advance!

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      November 16, 2020 at 1:41 pm

      Hi Lara, I wouldn’t change the amounts called for in the recipe, but do make sure that the water you are drizzling in is tepid – not too cold or too hot. Using filtered water rather than tap water may help. Also, try not to overmix in the blender if possible.

      Reply
  13. A M says

    October 9, 2020 at 6:40 am

    5 stars
    Hi Colleen
    This looks gorgeous,
    How much essential oil did you add to your lotion recipe?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      October 12, 2020 at 10:34 am

      Thank you! I just added a few drops of each.

      Reply
  14. monica says

    October 7, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    I’m a little confused because I thought okive oil wasn’t good for ezcema but this cream is said to help with ezcema

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      November 9, 2020 at 11:52 am

      I think what works for some, may not work for others. If olive oil is aggravating to your skin, don’t use it.

      Reply
  15. Edwina says

    November 20, 2019 at 12:05 pm

    This came out splendidly! I used Thieves essential oils. I can’t wait to get new infused oil going for Christmas gifts. Thank you.

    Reply
  16. Sadie says

    November 3, 2019 at 6:14 pm

    I enjoyed making this recipe but it makes my blender such a greasy mess. I wash it with hot water, tried the dish washer in extra hot but ultimately had to wipe down every piece with a paper towel. How do I avoid such a difficult clean up?

    Reply
    • Polly Kaczmarek says

      March 3, 2021 at 11:06 am

      I solved this problem by using my Kitchenaid
      Stand Mixer with the whip Accesory. Worked like a charm! I also use cook top cleaner to cut through grease.

      Reply
  17. Amber says

    August 25, 2019 at 11:18 pm

    How much natural preservative would I add?

    Reply
    • Nana Karen says

      May 2, 2021 at 6:40 am

      I’m about to start radiation therapy for breast cancer. They recommended moisturizing twice daily. I am going to make this with Leucidal, the natural preservative I use. It says to use 2-4%. Will calculate before whipping.

      Reply
  18. Robbin Whaley says

    August 11, 2019 at 8:44 pm

    aren’t calenula and marigolds the same flower? Also, can you use fresh flowers instead of dried? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Corinne Craig says

      April 30, 2020 at 5:29 pm

      My recipe 25 years ago was simple. 1/2 lb lard. Heat it up and remove from heat. Test the oil by touching the plant in oils -should hear a WEE bit of crackle. Cut fresh flowers and leaves in the midday sun, a few chops and throw them in and promptly put the lid on them. Let sit over night..Warm up to strain. Let sit on paper towel to ensure any water and condensations is gone and keep in the fridge. Lasts until the next season. I did not buy any antiseptic cream for my 2 kids form that day forward. Even for the husband who was in construction. Rashes and all. To this day (30 years) I still make it that way …..simple, and give it away.

      Reply
      • Ivana Matjasko says

        June 11, 2020 at 12:54 pm

        I saw similar recipe using lard and infusing calendula in it for other two days for ten minutes each day. I would like to know what kind of lard should be the best for this recipe, commercial, such as Crisco or Vegetable Shortening or homemade, such as pork lard. Thanks for your reply.

  19. FlowerFairy says

    May 25, 2019 at 7:49 am

    Hello, I made a batch of the cream with chamomile tea instead of water. The cream feels great and very cooling on the skin but it is day 2 and it is sweating. I put 1 jar in the fridge, where the cream solidified and if I touch it the water and oil separate. Another jar I left outside and it was fine yesterday but today this jar is also sweating. Do you know what could be the possible reasons and is there something I can do about it now? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
  20. Bonnie Mower says

    April 25, 2019 at 9:20 am

    I don’t have a blender are there other ways to blend this together?

    Reply
  21. Martha Hanna says

    February 25, 2019 at 6:58 am

    I’d really like to try this. Just one question: How much dried calendula per cup of oil? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      March 16, 2019 at 9:57 am

      Honestly it doesn’t really matter! I just fill my jar about 3/4 full of dried calendula, then cover it with oil.

      Reply
  22. Sharon says

    April 23, 2018 at 2:12 pm

    This sounds amazing. I’d like to use rose hydrosol. Do you think that would work? Thank you :)

    Reply
  23. Missy F says

    January 8, 2018 at 12:01 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, I am very interested in trying this lotion recipe. Do you know if I could possibly substitute fresh aloe, (right from the plant), in place of the water, or in place of part of the water? Thanks

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      January 29, 2018 at 3:08 pm

      I don’t think that would work, but I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure.

      Reply
    • Olga says

      May 24, 2019 at 5:39 am

      I have done it, using fresh aloe plant – the gel from inside, it does not turn out right, even though i have a good blander. I use aloe vera gel, store bought, completely instead of water and it works very well. I like the healing properties of aloe.

      Reply
  24. Jennifer says

    December 9, 2017 at 4:58 pm

    5 stars
    Hi hun! Quick question I’m confused. I always thought oils and water when combined can cause mold to grow? Is this true? I want to make this because I been infusing calendula for 7 weeks now. The water does go into the oil mixture? Also is it distilled water or just boiled tap water? Is any preservatives added ? Can I used a kitchen aid instead of a blender? Sorry so many questions.

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      January 29, 2018 at 3:27 pm

      I address most of this in the post :) Boiled tap water is fine, the water does go into the oil. I do not add a preservative, but go ahead if you want to. I’ve never tried it with anything other than a blender.

      Reply
  25. Beth Carter says

    September 19, 2017 at 7:39 am

    Can you use avocado oil and what would replace the coconut or oil if you don’t use it?

    Reply
  26. Eleana W. says

    June 19, 2017 at 9:04 pm

    I am infusing my first batch of calendula oil in my crockpot with coconut oil. Do you think it matters if the oil is a standard coconut oil and not fractionated?
    I am super excited to try your body butter recipe. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      June 22, 2017 at 11:15 am

      I don’t think I’ve ever used fractionated and it’s never been an issue for me.

      Reply
  27. Cherie says

    May 25, 2017 at 7:41 pm

    I’ve made 2 separate batches of this over the last couple of months, & I’m having trouble emulsifying the water to beeswax/oils. The first time, I mistakenly used a stick blender & it was to watery, so I put it in an actual blender & it was a better, however still sweats at room temp. The second batch I made I was careful to only use a blender; it’s a little better, but I’m still getting a lot of water. The product itself feels great, I just find myself dumping excess water out before using it. What could I be doing differently? I wondered if I used Shea butter in addition to the beeswax, maybe it would help. Or maybe I could use less water? Advice?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      May 29, 2017 at 4:15 pm

      It can be a bit touchy. Is the water you use tepid? I find that if it’s too warm I have a similar issue. I’m not sure how much adding shea butter will help. Also, some have mentioned that adding a little borax helps to emulsify it.

      Reply
  28. Lori says

    April 17, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    what kind of skin problems does it heal

    Reply
  29. Jan says

    March 18, 2017 at 3:38 pm

    I have used sunflower oil for my infusions with great success! Sunflower oil is gentle enough for a baby’s skin.

    Reply
  30. Sharmee says

    February 27, 2017 at 6:50 am

    This sounds like a wonderful recipe.. however Im wondering after I make the Calendula infused Oil.. What do I do with the leftover Calendula after I strain it… Do I throw it away.?? I would imagine it would have some potent medicinal properties.. I look forward to hearing back from you..

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      March 1, 2017 at 8:17 am

      Most of the properties that we are interested in will be in the oil, not in the flowers anymore… so I usually just compost them :)

      Reply
    • Carin says

      November 10, 2020 at 11:15 pm

      You can use the leftovers in homemade soaps if you like that. Works well.

      Reply
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Hello there! I’m Colleen.

I want to inspire you to live seasonally, become more self sufficient, and protect your health. I share information on foraging and wildcrafting, fermenting and preserving, cooking whole foods from scratch, permaculture gardening, and making herbal products. And that’s just the beginning! Learn more.

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