It’s nearing the end of the autumn and my marigolds are starting to look a little sad. I’ve been dead heading them and saving as many seeds as I can, remembering to dry them well after my entire stock last year was lost to mildew. I still havean awful lot of flowers though which left me wondering if there was anything I could do with them before the frosts arrive. As you may have noticed we carry the calendula line of hair and skin care from People’s Friend which got me thinking. Calendula is supposed to have wonderful moisturizing properties so how difficult would it be to create my own hair or skin lotion? Not very difficult at all, it seems. Here are some great ideas to try:

1. Crush marigold flowers, mix well with two teaspoons of olive oil, then add to a warm bath.

2. Make an infusion which you can then use as a hair rinse. For a cold infusion add a good handful of crushed flowers to cold water and leave overnight. Strain before use. For a hot infusion just add a generous handful to three cups of hot water, let stand for an hour, strain and use.

3. Make your own oil infusion. Get as many flower heads as you can. Dry them a little and pick off any dead or diseased bits. Crush them and place them in a jar then fill the rest of the jar with olive oil. Make sure you have no air pockets. Cover with a cloth and leave on a sunny windowsill for two to eight weeks, shaking occasionally to mix the oil and flowers. Strain and use as a hair or skin moisturizer.

4. Make your own vinegar infusion. Boil about 2 cups of water, add 2 tbsp vinegar and a generous handful of crushed flowers. Leave to cool before use. Store in the fridge if you’re not going to use it all in one day.

Let us know if you have any other ideas!