As English Poet Laureate Alfred Austin said, “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” Here in the beautiful Willamette Valley, our Mediterranean climate can stretch the gardening “season” through most of the year, and many green thumbs take full advantage of this fact! That means spending a lot of time wrist-deep in soil, which can take its toll on hardworking hands. That’s why the gardeners at Mountain Rose Herbs are never without this tried-and-true, DIY skin-softening calendula salve, an exceptional blend for restoring working hands and for rubbing on tired muscles after a long workday. If your lips suffer from the change in seasons, it makes a good lip balm as well, and is equally helpful for other minor skin irritations… because, you know, calendula is amazing like that!

This simple three-ingredient salve is crazy easy to make in your home kitchen. To delight your nose and increase the soothing, balancing properties of the salve, we’ve added lavender essential oil, but you can change the olfactory profile to suit you by using these tips on aroma notes.

Simple Calendula Salve

 Makes about 5 ounces.

 Ingredients

• 4 oz. organic calendula herbal oil (or homemade calendula-infused oil)
• 1/2 oz. coarsely chopped beeswax or beeswax pastilles
• 20 drops organic lavender essential oil (optional)

Directions

1. Combine beeswax and calendula oil in a double boiler.
2. Heat until beeswax has melted and mixture is incorporated.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Quickly stir in lavender essential oil.
5. Pour into tins or upcycled glass jars with lids
6. Allow salve to cool completely before placing lids on containers.
7. Remember to label your containers!
8. Store in a cool, dry place. If stored properly, salves can last 2 to 3 years.