Many women and men ask about some essential oils to have at their fingertips for First Aid.  I always have a few oils in the seat pouch of my mountain bike or in my backpack for a day hike.  I learned about the properties of Marigold, first, from my love of flowers and planting annuals in my gardens.  For years, in my vegetable garden, I would always have Marigold be a companion to my tomatoes.  The pungent, potent smell of this oil, also called Tagetes, kept pests at bay and prevented the tomatoes from falling prey to a whole host of unwanted bugs.  Any gardener knows of the value of companion planting.  Well, we are no different, as human ecosystems.  Our soil, our inner soil, also loves diversity and the use of supplements and medicines that keep unwanted guests from colonizing in our vessel.  

Such is my love for Tagetes.  The antiseptic properties of this oil are well known.  I do use Geranium, often, for antiseptic concerns as well, but my favorite comes from this most wondrous burst of sunshine all balled up on the end of a flower shoot!  Happiness and warmth and power all wrapped up in a pretty package.  The smell is most unique.  Those who have ventured a smell of a Marigold can likely tell you why bugs to not want to co-exist with this flower, AND that it is rather quite appealing in some strange way to the human nose as well.  

Use Tagetes for any skin disease such as itching or abrasions or rashes, for antiseptic issues - where infection is a concern (I have had good luck using it on open cuts or abrasions), for muscular pain as in the case for a strain or sprain or torn, overused muscle, for intestinal worms and parasites.  Placing one drop of oil in a glass of water calms my stomach upset, and if I was stranded on any of my outdoor adventures and HAD to drink from any dubious water source for survival, you can be sure I would add some the this oil to the water in hopes of remediation.  The flower has such a beautiful staying power and hardiness to it in my garden and responds by re-blooming many times for my enjoyment when I pop the old dead bloom off the top.  Its hardiness extends to the power of the essence that comes from the flowering tops, as well, for it packs a potent punch when First Aid is needed.