Teach Soap

That is exactly why they are called pot marigold hehe Keeps them contained

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Thought I would give an update on growing calendula for the first time. The first plants were started indoors and were transplanted to pots on my deck. They were doing great when we had a terrific hail storm that wiped them out. I replanted seed right in the pots. So they got a later start than I wanted. I was still able to harvest quite a few flowers. Late in the season I let them go to seed so I have seed for next year. Now I want to use them but don't have enough to infuse in oil and to put directly in the soap. I was wondering if the petals could be put into the soap after they were used to infuse the oil. I also grew loofa this year but only a few matured before we had a hard freeze. But I guess I really only needed a few anyway.

MaryLou

You can use the petals in your soap. Lots of soapers do and they stay a pretty yellow. You can use the petals whole or chopped up for a speckled look.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

If you need more calendula finneychick, I could fix you up!

I just ordered a pound of dried calendula from BB. My gosh, it was WAY more than I was expecting. I am infusing a lb. of sweet almond oil with it, but that only took maybe 2 cups of calendula, about 1/12-1/20 of the entire bag. And that is all the sweet almond oil I have. I'm planning on using a few petals sprinkled on top of a soap and I tried calendula tea with it, but both of those uses only takes a handful or two of petals. What else can you do with dried calendula? I don't want it to go bad if I don't use it soon enough. Any ideas?

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Olivia :)

Your sweet Olivia. If you keep it in a dark dry place I think it will keep for a good long time. Light is what will make the petals fade. When I dry my herbs I keep them in a dark dry closet and when a new crop is ready the next year I am always surprised at how good the year old ones still are.

MaryLou

Thank you for the advice finneychick! I put my calendula in a dark closet.

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Olivia :)