Calendula Body Butter

It feels absolutely wonderful to slather myself with freshly whipped calendula body butter made using some of the flowers from my Happy Valley garden.

Pretty calendula, also known as the pot marigold, and chamomile flowers were picked just a few hours earlier and truly made this a luxurious mixture. Easy to grow, I planted the calendula in my garden this year by directly sowing the seeds in amongst a bed of other flowers. Although an annual, once established, will tend to reseed itself year after year. The chamomile, a plant tucked in a corner of my herb garden and another flower bed at my Happy Valley garden, is another one of those annuals that when once established will continue to reseed itself for years to come.

An edible flower, a pinch of calendula petals adds pretty color to a tossed salad, and I especially like the spicy flavor they add to vegetable dishes. The flowers and leaves possess medicinal qualities as well. Calendula extract has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties and used topically, it is soothing to irritated tissue. Chamomile, also considered a medicinal plant, is said to have healing properties. Shea butter, extracted from the fruit of the West Afican shea (karite) tree, quickly penetrates deeply into the skin to help restore elasticity, moisture and protects the skin. It doesn't clog pores and is naturally rich in vitamins A, E & F, some of the essential vitamins needed for good skin balance. Extracts of herbs rosemary and sage are also soothing to the skin. The lemon essential oil with natural dissinfecting and astrigent properties is used in aromatherapy to relieve mental fatigue, improve alertness, reduce stress, revive, energize and calm. I quite simply like its fragrance.

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Containing many of the wonderful ingredients often found in a healing salve, it really is no wonder that my whipped calendula body butter feels so very good! Here's how to make it.

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Calendula Body Butter Recipe

2 Cups Olive Oil

1 Cup Calendula Blossoms

6 Chamomile Blossoms

1/2 Cup Beeswax

1/4 Cup Shea Butter

2 Small Sprigs Rosemary

1 Small Sprig Sage

Few Drops Lemon Essential Oil

Carefully remove petals from calendula flowers and gently wash them with the chamomile blossoms and fresh sprigs of herbs. Dry completely then place in a saucepan with the olive oil. Heat, stirring frequently, until the boiling point. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for at least a thirty minutes. Strain the oil, squeezing as much of the oil as possible out of the flower petals and herbs. Stir shea butter into hot oil until it dissolves. Add beeswax and stir continually over a double boiler until the wax has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon essential oil. Cool. Once the mixture is cool, place in a food processor and process until the mixture is creamy and somewhat fluffy. Fill jars and cap with lids. With no artificial ingredients or preservatives, whipped calendula body butter will keep for up to one year when stored in the refrigerator. Because it is whipped soft and fluffy, it instantly melts when applied to the skin and feels very refreshing. Makes four 8-ounce jars. Enjoy!

Knowing where all the ingredients in this body butter comes from feels good too. The flowers and herbs, from my Happy Valley garden. The olive oil, a popular organic brand from a grocery store within walking distance of my home. The shea butter, beeswax and lemon essential oil, from Otion, a reputable shop in downtown Bellingham that carries the Bramble Berry soap and lotion making supplies and products.

Oh so soothing!

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Click here - Purchase Calendula Body Butter - to buy an 8-ounce jar of this yummy calendula body butter for yourself.