My favorite thing so far about this project has been the excuse it’s given me to attempt to recreate products I use in a zero waste format. I like trying new things, especially if they seem a little weird, and it also makes me happy that I’m cutting out a lot of the crap that’s added to XYZ when purchased at the store.

My handwritten notes! Irony: I have since made a recycled notebook. Poor timing on my part, really.

Here’s one that I’m particularly excited to share: Calendula oil (source). Basically you just need dried calendula petals and a carrier oil, like olive or sunflower, and a clean jar and lid. There’s a cold infusion and a hot infusion method — I chose cold — and that involves placing the petals into your container, filling it with oil to cover the petals plus an inch, and then leaving it in a sunny spot for four weeks. (I forgot to check the calendar, so mine soaked for five. Eh, what could happen?) Then it’s just a matter of draining the petals and storing the oil.

I’m only a recent convert to calendula oil. About a year ago, Johanna was complaining about itchy skin, and a talk with the natural foods lady led me to a bottle of the stuff, which is a powerhouse of awesome: It moisturizes, can be used to help heal cuts and burns, removes makeup, can be used for shaving … and the bottle also lists tattoo care, post-wax care and baby care. So basically anything you have going on, you can use this oil. And as far as expiration dates go, you’ve got an entire year. I like those odds.

It also is fairly expensive at almost $17 for 3.5 ounces. Not to mention the plastic bottle, the spritz nozzle, and the outer cap that protects an inner cap that it’s packaged in.

My little grocery might not have the most extensive bulk aisle ever, but it does have some pretty odd stuff. I was able to find calendula flowers without any trouble, and a quick search through the bowels of the internet gave hope that this was one project I could do on my own with some level of success.

This stuff is expensive, yet light.

So it turns out that these little petals ring in at almost $23 a pound. It also turns out that they are incredibly light. I filled up one of my small glass jars, and wasn’t necessarily shocked when the clerk rang me up at $10 and change. Until I got home and started thinking about it — there was no way I’d gotten a half a pound of those things, so what she really charged me for was the weight of the jar.

I HATE going back to the store and challenging stuff, but I did it. This checker noted that, once you take off the tare, the petals were so light they weren’t ringing up at all. We tried putting them in the cap, too. No weight was registering. I told her I was perfectly OK with paying for an ounce — that’s a mere $1.29 — but she ended up just refunding my money and giving me the petals for free.

Huh. I was not expecting that outcome.

Yadda yadda yadda, followed the cold infusion process using sunflower oil as my base, and then set it on the windowsill to do its thing. That was May 1. On May 30, I cracked open the jar, drained the petals, and found I had not only enough to refill my old container with bonus spritz feature, but extra besides. So we’re going crazy with the calendula oil in this household because why not, really. I’m using it as a makeup remover and facial moisturizer mainly, but I’m not above spritzing it on my legs and arms, too. It seems to absorb more quickly than lotion, so that’s a big plus in my book.

The oil at the start of its soak.

Now it’s part of the decor.

Ready to drain!

Wow, that was a long explanation for a short little recipe. Words, you guys, they do what they want.

Next up: Stories! Probably.