Calendula Oil Infusion Vs Calendula Tea?

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lucysky

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I've been wanting to make cp soap w/ dried calendula. Correct me if I'm wrong, but following the theory that lye eats watever oils it wants, would calendula tea (calendula & water) have greater chances of surviving compared to calendula infused in oil? I just want the most out of the calendula. Thanks in advance :)
 
Do both. That's what I do. I make a calendula-infused olive oil tincture. I take dried calendula- you can either use the flowers or get pure calendula tea bags- and soak them for a week in the sunlight. It is way more economical to get a bag of dried flowers and do it yourself and then sift and strain them out. I make a bunch of oil at once and save it. I then make a calendula tea for the lye mixture. I make the tea the day or night before and refrigerate it. I also mix it with eucalyptus oil. A lot. And ground eucalyptus leaves. One of my favorite bars that I make. Calendula has a lot of historical medicinal significance and importance.
http://www.thecleanfighter.com/product/eucalyptus-calendula-bar
 
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FWIW I recently made a batch of soap using calendula-infused olive oil and fresh dandelion tea - http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=45599

It came out very nice, though is still curing. I do not think any sort of scent from either flower comes through...no idea about any other sort of calendula/dandelion based benefit though
 
I do a double infusion on my calendula.. I have about 30+ herbs I do different things with from tinctures to infusions to salves, and I use Calendula more than any other. The fragrance and properties just can't be surpassed IMO.
That being said, I use my infused oil a lot for soaps. If it's a single infusion the smell doesn't come through as much but the double does and its wonderful. I don't do a tea though as I like to use a milk with mine and the heat with the lye always does off things to my teas.
My caledula infusions are strong though after 'cooking' for weeks... if I use a clear oil like fractioned coconut oil, its almost a brown when I'm done, and it smells heavenly!
 
Oh yes.. Even with single you should have a nice scent from it.
You're using dried?
Double infusion is just taking the first infusion oil and adding new herbs to infuse it a 2nd time. Normally not necessary but I just love the medicinal and scent properties of it.

Here is a single and double infusion of fractionated coconut oil I have here.

image.jpg
 
Jennee, can you explain what a double infusion is? I've never noticed a scent with my calendula infused oil and it barely changes color even after steeping for weeks.
I am thinking that a double infusion is infusing one carrier twice with two sets of an herb. I remember watching a video in e-how regarding infusing vodka with flowers for homemade perfume. The woman simply added vodka to some flowers and set it aside for a day or two. Then she would take another set of the same type of flower and and add the already infused vodka to it.

If not that, maybe using twice the amount of an herb to infuse with. Carriers come out stronger in both cases. Feel free to correct me (my mind is drifting to bed-time mode).
 
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Im going to try doing both tea and oil infusion for my soaps. I never thought of that, hahaha! I never heard of double infusion, can't wait to do that for my lotions for more more calendula power! hahaha! Thanks for all your help :)
 
Obsidian you need your oil to come just above your petals to get the best oil. There shouldn't be any significant room to add anymore when it's just sitting.
I do a cook for 4 days, then jar for 4 weeks minimum.. just depends on the weather. I'm a stickler for warmth leading to better results with herbs.
I have do a 7 day cook only (I like to do this with roots especially) and that also comes out very nice. Just hard to keep a watch on it that long but it goes quicker.

I think I have a pic on my computer of one of mine just getting started on the stove. I'll find it.
 
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I could only find this one.. sure I have another somewhere. This has calendula as you can see.. also rose petals and lavender because it blends well I think. This one was coconut oil 76.
You can see how much herb to oil there is. I like the oil about 1 inch above the herbs.

calendula.jpg
 
jenneelk, how much infused oil do you use? Your's looks potent. Is that infusion for a specific recipe or do you use it as an additive like say EO? :)
 
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