With its brilliant golden flowers, Calendula officinalis has been used in traditional herbal skincare for centuries. Long before calendula became a popular skincare ingredient, herbalists prepared its flowers in infused oils, salves, ointments and washes for the skin.
Today, calendula remains one of our favorite herbs for dry, sensitive-feeling and weather-stressed skin.
What Is Calendula?
Calendula officinalis is a golden flowering herb in the Asteraceae family.
The flower contains naturally occurring plant compounds including flavonoids, carotenoids and triterpenes. Calendula flower preparations also have a long history of topical use for irritated and compromised skin.
In fact, the European Medicines Agency recognizes calendula flower as a traditional herbal medicinal product for minor skin inflammation and as an aid in the healing of minor wounds.
Calendula Benefits for Skin
So, what does calendula do for the skin?
Calendula is best known as a soothing botanical. Its naturally occurring plant compounds have been studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, helping explain why this flower has such a long history in topical herbal preparations.
In everyday skincare, we love calendula for:
- Dry and sensitive-feeling skin
- Visibly irritated or stressed skin
- Supporting a healthy skin barrier
- Softening and conditioning the skin
- Skin exposed to dry air, wind and changing weather
It's one of those gentle herbs that fits beautifully into simple skincare formulas made for skin that needs a little extra care.
Why We Use the Whole Calendula Flower
When you picture calendula, you probably think of its beautiful orange and yellow petals.
But the petals aren't the whole story.
We work with the whole dried calendula flower head, including the green base beneath the petals. If you've ever harvested fresh calendula, you may notice that this part of the flower can feel surprisingly sticky and resinous.
Rather than choosing calendula for its pretty petals alone, we prefer working with the whole flower and the naturally occurring constituents found throughout it.
How We Make Calendula-Infused Oil
One of the traditional ways to prepare calendula for the skin is through an herbal oil infusion.
At OCASA, we slowly infuse whole dried calendula flowers into organic jojoba oil. During the infusion, oil-soluble botanical constituents from the flower move into the jojoba before the plant material is carefully strained away.
The result is a simple calendula-infused oil that can then be incorporated into our skincare formulas.
Whole flowers + jojoba + time.
A Golden Herb for Dry, Sensitive Skin
Calendula isn't a new skincare trend. It's a humble golden flower with generations of traditional use behind it and a fascinating plant chemistry that continues to be studied today.
That's why it has earned a permanent place in our apothecary.
Sometimes skincare doesn't need to begin with the latest ingredient.
Sometimes it begins with a flower.