How to Make Calendula-Infused Coconut Oil | Gentle Enough for Babies
I’ve been searching for a gentle but powerful herb-infused oil for my toddler’s diaper rash. Calendula flowers have a laundry list of benefits, traditionally used for calming and soothing the skin.
Calendula-Infused Coconut Oil is a powerful natural remedy that is gentle on babies’ sensitive skin but also very healing. I hope you’ll give this simple and effective infusion a try.
Want to explore more ways to use herbs in everyday life? Don’t miss our complete guide to Herbal Oil Infusions.
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Ingredients for Calendula-Infused Coconut Oil
- Organic Dried Calendula: Here is some dried Calendula that is US-grown! Grow and dry your own, or if you don’t have access to fresh calendula, buying herbs and flowers from a reputable source is a great option! I love Mountain Rose Herbs because their values are so high, and the quality of all their organic products is top-notch.
- Organic MCT Coconut Oil
- Jars/Containers – I usually use mason jars because I have a plethora of them, but you can use any type of container that you have for storage.
- Oil of Choice – I used Organic Olive Oil in my recipe, but you could use other oils. This olive oil is organic, cold-pressed, and extra virgin.
- Labels – A piece of tape will work, but I like a cute label for my jars because why not?!
- Blender – I used my smaller NutriBullet for this! Use what you have, and if you don’t have anything that will blend, you can just skip the blending step; you’ll still have a great calendula-infused coconut oil by the end of it.
- Cheesecloth & Funnel
- Amber Glass Bottle for keeping your infused oil
Uses and Benefits of Calendula-Infused Oil
- Soothes Baby Diaper Rash: Calendula gently nourishes delicate baby skin, helping to maintain skin hydration and comfort that may be disturbed by a diaper rash.
- Safe for Breastfeeding Nipple Care: This oil is baby-food safe, making it a natural, soothing option for breastfeeding mothers to apply to sore or cracked nipples.
- Calms Skin Irritations and Supports Hydration: Known for its moisturizing properties, calendula-infused coconut oil helps to keep skin soft and hydrated while soothing minor skin irritations.
- Gentle on Sensitive Skin: Ideal for those with all skin types, including sensitive skin and precious babies, as it is mild and nourishing.
- Natural Soothing for Dry, Cracked Skin: This oil provides hydration and relief for dry or chapped skin, especially in the dry winters where I live! Calendula adds a softening effect, ideal for daily use to keep skin smooth and nourished.
Why I Used MCT Coconut Oil in my Infusion
Coconut oil is often chosen for calendula infusions because it offers several benefits. MCT coconut oil is a refined coconut oil and is a liquid at room temperature, which makes it easy to infuse. It provides natural moisture, helping to hydrate and nourish, while its rich fatty acids, like lauric acid, contribute to a smooth and soft skin feel.
Additionally, it acts as an effective carrier oil, ensuring that calendula’s properties are well absorbed into the skin. MCT coconut oil absorbs quickly, providing a lightweight, non-greasy feel, making it ideal for those who prefer a lighter, smoother product. By combining MCT coconut oil with calendula, you can create a moisturizing, nourishing, and easily absorbed oil perfect for sensitive skin.
How to Make Calendula-Infused Oil
Start with dried calendula flowers. Use the whole flower, not just the petals. If you use only the petals, you will be missing out on all the nutrients packed into the green base of the flower. After drying your flowers, measure them into a jar. You can eyeball it and loosely fill your half-pint jar about halfway full with or measure about 1/4 oz.
Pour in the coconut oil to fill the jar. You don’t want a lot of room at the top. The more air in your jar, the more chance there is for bacteria and mold to grow, so fill up all the extra space with oil. Pour the mixture into the blender and blend until you feel a little heat coming from the blender. It will take just a few minutes, usually, but you can blend it longer if you want.
Blending the calendula/oil mixture is to help increase the surface area so more of the plant is being exposed to the oils. It helps expedite the infusion process and get all of the beneficial oils out. It also helps to break down the plant cells, allowing more oils, nutrients, and medicinal properties to be released into your oil.
Infuse for 4-6 Weeks
Pour the blended mixture back into the jar; it should fit perfectly. Look at the beautiful color of the oil after it was blended! Cover, label, and put into a warm, dark place that doesn’t have a lot of moisture for 4-6 weeks. Shake your oil infusion every day or whenever you think of it. This is my daughter’s favorite job whenever she walks by, infusing oils.
When the time has passed, use cheesecloth and a funnel to strain the calendula out of the coconut oil. Make sure you squeeze all of the oil out of the flowers. Store in a dark jar or bottle for up to a year out of sunlight. I can’t wait for you to try this calendula infusion! You can use this calendula-infused coconut oil as is or make it into a balm or salve.
Explore More Herbal DIYs
If you loved learning how to make calendula-infused coconut oil, you’ll enjoy diving into more simple herbal projects. Each of these projects builds your skills and adds to your home apothecary, one jar at a time.
- Lemon Balm Infused Oil – A calming oil perfect for easing stress and soothing skin irritations, and it’s a great base for homemade balms.
- Dandelion Tallow Sugar Scrub – A nourishing scrub that combines the moisturizing power of tallow with dandelion’s skin-loving benefits for soft, glowing skin.
- Plantain Salve – A go-to herbal salve for bug bites, scrapes, and skin irritations, made with the healing power of plantain leaves.
FAQs for Making Calendula-Infused Oil
Questions always come up, and we hope that we’ve answered some of them below! If you have any others, make sure to comment below.
No, you need to use dried calendula flowers for your oil infusion. There is extra moisture in fresh flowers and herbs that will lead to mold and spoilage. Always dry your herbs and flowers before infusing.
Extracting using alcohol makes a stronger extraction because it extracts specific compounds, while the oil extracts other compounds. Using two different solvents makes for a more potent, vibrant, and aromatic infusion. For this infusion, I skipped the alcohol intermediary step because I am making it for the most sensitive skin, like a baby. I wanted the most gentle infusion
Yes! Once you blend your oil and flowers, cover and heat the jar in water in an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or double boiler for about 8 hours. Do not let the water boil or get hotter than 110ºF. When the temperature of an herbal infusion gets above the 110º mark, the beneficial compounds in the herbs will start to break down the antioxidants and nutrients, making the infusion less potent. The high temperature can also lead to degradation of the fatty acids in the carrier oil.
Take the jar out of the hot water periodically and shake it. After about 8 hours strain the oil and store in an amber bottle.,
Infused oils are best stored in a dark glass bottle out of the sun and in a cool, dark place.
Infused oils are generally good for about a year when stored properly, in a dark spot that stays cool and dry.
Yes! You can infuse all kinds of herbs and flowers in different oils to see a range of benefits. Look at our other infusion how-tos to see some examples:
Dandelion-Infused Olive Oil
Plantain-Infused Sunflower Oil
Lemon Balm-Infused Olive Oil
You can make all sorts of homemade skincare products with your infused oils like soaps, balms, lip balms, salves, or use them as is! Here are some of the products we’ve made with infused oils:
Plantain Salve
Dandelion Tallow Sugar Scrub
Lemon Balm Lip Balm for Cold Sores
Ready to Put Your Calendula Oil to Use?
Your infused oil is now a powerful ingredient you can use in countless ways, soothing salves, moisturizing balms, or even gentle skin scrubs. Don’t let it just sit on the shelf; start experimenting and see how calendula transforms your DIY skincare. And if you’re ready for more recipes, be sure to check out my Herbal Remedies and Natural Living page for inspiration!
Calendula-Infused Coconut Oil
Equipment
- half pint jar
- amber bottle
- cheesecloth
- funnel
- blender
Materials
- 1 cup MCT coconut oil
- 1/4 oz whole calendula flowers dried
Instructions
- Start with whole dried calendula flowers. Fill half a jar loosely with flowers or measure 1/4 oz.
- Pour about 1 cup of coconut oil to fill the jar to the top. You don’t want a lot of room at the top. The more air in your jar, the more chance there is for bacteria and mold to grow, so fill up all the extra space with oil.
- Pour the mixture into the blender and blend until you feel a little heat coming from the blender. It will take just a few minutes usually but you can blend it longer if you want.
- Pour the blended mixture back into the jar, it should fit perfectly. Cover, label, and put into a warm, dark place that doesn’t have a lot of moisture for 4-6 weeks.
- Shake your oil infusion every day or whenever you think of it.
- After 4-6 weeks, use cheesecloth and a funnel to strain the calendula out of the coconut oil.
- Store in a dark jar or bottle for up to a year out of sunlight.
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