As the winter holidays approach, my home is humming with the excitement of handmade gift making. While much of this activity happens in secret, each year we all gather in the kitchen—not for holiday baking, but to make herbal gifts to share with family and friends.

Herbal salves are a favorite: Making a batch or two is relatively inexpensive and easy, doesn’t take long and results in plenty of skin-soothing salve to share. My kids like to customize salves to give to friends, creating their own special blends and decorating labels for the containers.

This recipe describes how to create an herbal oil using calendula, an edible medicinal herb from the Aster family known for its gentle yet effective wound-healing and anti-inflammatory qualities. The calendula oil is combined with beeswax to create a salve.

Calendula Oil

Makes approximately 1½ cups

Calendula-infused oil can be used directly on skin to heal scrapes, burns and dry skin or as a therapeutic massage oil. The infusion may be prepared with either a cold or warm method. The color of the oil you choose to infuse will influence the color of the salve.

• 1½ cups (1 ounce) dried calendula petals or flowers
• 1½ to 2 cups olive oil or a neutral oil of your choice (such as sweet almond, jojoba or avocado oil)

Cold Method

Use a clean, dry, pint-size glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (canning jars work well). Loosely pack the jar full with dried calendula petals or flowers. Fill the jar with oil to the top, gently stirring with a chopstick or spoon to release air bubbles. Tightly seal the lid on the jar, invert and gently shake.

Label the jar and place it on a saucer or cloth to catch any oil that might seep out, and store in a spot away from direct sunlight. Check the jar daily for the first few days, adding more oil if petals have absorbed enough that they are no longer submerged.

Leave oil to infuse for 4 to 6 weeks, shaking the jar daily or when you think of it. Strain it through a piece of cheesecloth or muslin or a clean coffee filter in a strainer, squeezing or pressing the herbs to extract as much oil as possible. Transfer to a clean, dry, labeled jar.

Infused oil will keep for up to one year.

Warm Method

Use a clean, dry, pint-size glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (canning jars work well). Loosely pack the jar full with dried calendula petals or flowers. Pour in enough oil to cover the calendula by 1 inch, gently stirring with a chopstick or spoon to release air bubbles. Loosely seal the lid on the jar.

Put a dish towel in the bottom of a slow cooker and place your sealed jar on top. Add water to the crock until it’s halfway up the side of the jar. Set the slow cooker to the lowest setting and, without the lid, warm the oil for 2 to 6 hours, or up to 24 hours. Temperature should remain between 100° to 120°. Turn off the cooker as needed to avoid overheating the oil.

You can also infuse the calendula oil directly in a double boiler or a small saucepan, warming the oil over low heat for 2 to 6 hours or more. Turn off the heat if needed to avoid overheating the oil.

Cool the infusion if needed, and strain it through a piece of cheesecloth or muslin or a clean coffee filter in a strainer, squeezing or pressing the herbs to extract as much oil as possible. Transfer to a clean, dry, labeled jar.

Infused oil will keep for up to one year.

Calendula Salve

Makes approximately 1¼ cups

Combining calendula-infused oil and beeswax creates an easy-to-use, all-in-one hand and face moisturizer for dry winter skin. The salve can also be used as a lip balm, cut and scrape ointment, or a great baby bottom balm!

• 4 tablespoons grated beeswax or beeswax pastilles/beads
• 1 cup calendula-infused oil

In a small, nonreactive saucepan or double boiler, warm beeswax over very low heat until just melted. Add the calendula oil, stirring to melt any beeswax that solidifies.

Pour the mixture into clean, dry glass jars or metal tins (small jelly jars or 2- to 4-ounce metal tins work well), taking care to not get any water into the salve. Allow the tins or jars to sit undisturbed until cool, then cover with a lid and label.

Salve will keep for up to one year.

Variations

Add more oil if a softer salve is desired.

To customize your herbal oil and salve, swap out part of the calendula for another herb or make smaller batches of additional herbal oils to combine in your own custom-blended oils and salves. Here are some suggestions for other dried herbs to use:

Chamomile: Like a relaxing cup of chamomile tea, chamomile-infused oil is known for its soothing properties for skin. It is also helpful for tired, achy muscles.

Lavender: Dried lavender buds make a relaxing and wonderfully scented oil to massage into sore muscles. Lavender is also good for healing cuts, burns and bites.

Lemon balm: Calming yet uplifting, lemon balm makes a delicious tea and useful herbal salve. The antiviral and antiseptic qualities of lemon balm help with itches, bites and cold sores.

Sources

Dried herbs, oils and beeswax pastilles are available at Maple City Market in Goshen, and dried calendula and oils can be found at Purple Porch Co-op in South Bend, IN. Beeswax blocks are often available at farmers markets, local apiaries and health food stores. Mountain Rose Herbs and Starwest Botanicals are reputable online sources for organic herbs, beeswax and tins or containers for oils and salves.