Calendula’s beautiful blossoms repel garden pests and have incredible healing properties. It is a herb we use within our Anti-Inflammitory tea blend for it’s anti-inflammatory properties, but what many people don’t know is that it is equally as popular for it’s antimicrobial, astringent, antifungal, antiviral, and immunostimulant properties making it the perfect accompaniment to post training/exercise, alternatively equally as beneficial as a preventative for a common cold when taken from the onset. What you might not know is it has also been used for centuries for disinfecting and treating minor wounds, conjunctivitis, cuts, scrapes, chapped or chafed skin, bruises, burns, athlete’s foot, acne, yeast infections, bee stings, diaper rashes, and other minor irritations and infections of the skin. In addition it stimulates the production of collagen at wound sites to help minimize scarring and assist with stretch marks.

Despite Calendula being a wonderful healing and medicinal herb it is also very helpful in the garden! Calendula repels a significant number of garden pests including eelworms, tomato hornworms and asparagus beetles and is a companion plant for potatoes, beans, and lettuce. In addition it grows quickly and is easy to cultivate from seed. Many use the bright petals decoratively when serving food!

We found this gorgeous little recipe to share with you all using one of our favourite herbs, alternatively, visit the shop page on our website to pick up your very own Anti-Inflammatory tea blend today and add Calendula to your diet.

Calendula and Shea Butter Lip Balm
This nourishing lip balm is made from healing ingredients which soothe dry and chapped lips.
1 Tablespoon Shea Butter
3 Tablespoons Calendula Herbal Oil (from above recipe)
1 Tablespoon plus
1 teaspoon Beeswax
10-15 drops essential oil of choice
A few drops of Vitamin E Oil
Coarsely chop the beeswax or use beeswax pastilles. Place beeswax, butter, and oil in a small pot or glass Pyrex measuring cup and gently heat in the top of a double boiler until the beeswax and butters have melted. Once melted, remove from the stovetop and stir in the essential oil and Vitamin E Oil. Immediately pour the mixture into lip balm tubes or small containers. This recipe will make approximately 1.5 oz of lip balm, enough to fill 10 lip balm tubes, 6 of your 1/4 oz plastic jars, or 3 1/2 oz tins or plastic jars.

Source: The Mountain Rose Blog