Homegrown Calendula Hand Cream

Earlier this year we built some raised beds and beehives at the back of the factory, off the beaten track of the river bank. The idea was that we could grow some of the rarer herbs and flowers that we wanted to use in our limited editions.

Paddy and the team put in a trojan effort transforming a derelict area out the back of the factory, along the banks of the river. But nature has a sneaky knack of interfering with best laid plans (and raised beds!). We soon discovered that our new topsoil was laden with grass seed. So we had to patiently let our crops outgrow the grass before gently weeding out the grass, week by week. Needless to say it was worth the effort.

Our first blooms are the beautiful Calendula (or Pot Marigold). These edible flowers are sometimes used in salads but we were more interested in their anti-inflammatory and healing effects on the skin. Calendula has been used as a soothing agent for thousands of years and has well documented usage by the Romans for helping to speed up the recovery of cuts and wounds.

To extract the benefits of the calendula petals, we 'macerated' the flowers in local sunflower seed oil. This means we left the flowers soaking in a sympathetic neutral oil to draw out the beneficial properties. 

We used the oil in our award-winning hand cream formula, creating an extra nourishing seasonal treat for your hands. Then we fragranced them.

Donagh created the fragrance blend using 7 natural essential oils. On the bottom it has Oakmoss, Peru Balsam and Vetiver that combine to give a strong earthy base note. On the top there is Tarragon, Black Pepper and Lemon Myrtle which give a very uplifting herby note with a touch of spice. The fragrance is held together at the heart by a beautiful Lavender Absolute* which is a much rounder and softer but warmer lavender tone. It is almost heady in its calming effect, and has become a strong contender for our next body oil fragrance.

As always with our limited edition “Off The Beaten Track” products, we only made 200. We will included one in each of the first 200 orders over €50. 

If you're one of the lucky ones to receive one with your order, we'd love to hear what you think! 

*Remember we mentioned enfleurage when we were making our lip balm last month? A fragrance 'absolute' is the result of enfleurage. It basically leaves you with a highly concentrated, super fragrant essential oil.