Calendula is more than just a garden beauty; it also has a long-standing reputation as a natural anti-inflammatory skincare treatment. These lotion bars are made with grapeseed oil infused with calendula petals to give them a beautiful golden hue and all the delightful skin properties of calendula. These summer lotion bars glide on your skin easily, are absorbed quickly, and don’t leave you with a greasy feeling.
During the summer, we put our skin through a lot. We expose it to the sun’s rays. We spend days at the beach swimming in salt water which is drying on skin, and we generally spend a lot more time playing outdoors, which is wonderful but can lead to more scrapes, bruises, and minor cuts than usual. Calendula-infused lotion bars heal and moisturize skin without the heaviness of my winter lotion bar recipe that I use during the colder months.
Throughout history, calendula has been used in ointments, salves, and poultices to treat burns, wounds, bruises, and inflammation of all kinds. Calendula speeds up the growth of tissue, which means that it does wonders for healing minor cuts and scrapes quickly. It is also moisturizing and extremely gentle, so it is a good choice for children or those with sensitive skin. This lotion bar harnesses the healing and moisturizing powers of calendula and is perfect for summer skin.
Makes eight 57.5 gram bars
Ingredients
- 200 g calendula-infused grapeseed oil (see how to make it)
- 100 g virgin coconut oil
- 100 g beeswax
- 60 g cocoa butter
- A pinch of dried calendula petals (optional)
- 2 ml (40 drops) lavender essential oil (optional)
Materials
Make it!
Infuse the grapeseed oil with calendula petals as described in this post.
Weigh your ingredients and add them to the top pot of a double boiler.
Stir the ingredients in the double boiler until they have all melted together.
If you’re adding calendula petals and lavender essential oil, stir them in at this time. Pour the ingredients into the silicone mold, dividing the contents equally.
Leave the lotion bars undisturbed until they are set. If you are making them in a warm room, move the silicone tray into the fridge to firm up.
Remove from the mold and store them in the refrigerator when not in use.
Give it!
Package up one lotion bar in a metal tin on a bed of shredded paper and calendula petals. Create a 2.5” round craft paper canning lid label on a printer and use a 2.5” hole punch to cut out a perfectly round circle. Add the label on to the top of the tin and the lotion bar is ready to give.
SARAH SUDA says
August 2, 2019 at 9:35 amI had to stop using lotion bars for the summer as the temperatures where I live are above 30 degrees celsius, sometimes goes up to 40… so the lotion bars get greasy and start melting. I think it’s the coconut oil in them that liquidises also in the heat… any alternative you suggest?
Allison says
August 2, 2019 at 2:20 pmThis recipe sounds awesome! I’ve never used lotion bars before. Thanks for sharing!