5 Clarifying Calendula Benefits For Skin You Can Utilise At Home

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is one of the most versatile plants you can grow at home. It has been used for centuries, both internally and topically, to help heal all things skin, like wounds, burns, and rashes. You can also use the flowers to help support immunity, digestion and detoxification.

How to grow calendula

Calendula is very easy to grow - even if you don’t know much about growing things! You can seed it straight into the ground in spring or in a tray of potting mix. It should take about two weeks for them to germinate. Once seedlings, you can transplant them into your garden. It does like free-draining soil, so don’t plant it in boggy areas. While it likes the sun, it can handle shade and survive ‘warmer’ winters.

Use the calendula petals

Calendula's benefits for the skin come from its petals. The flowers are full of antioxidants that help support your skin's health. Once you have your plants established and you want to harvest them - pick them in the middle of a warm day once the morning dew has evaporated and the flowers are looking open. When you pick calendula, you will notice that your fingers will be sticky with resin. This resin comes from the flower's base and contributes to its skin benefits.

Dry the flowers on screens or in a dehydrator. When dry, you can use the petals for herbal tea, infused oils, tinctures or glycetracts. It is an edible flower, so it can be added to salads, stir-fries, baking, crackers and pasta, making a beautiful and medicinal addition to your meals.

1. Calendula helps your skin heal

Calendula is one of the most skin-loving plants you can find. It is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal and works as a vulnerary herb (helps with healing).

For this reason, it is great for skin that is struggling to heal. Calendula's benefits for the skin include healing burns, insect bites, cold sores, and abrasions, or helping people who are breastfeeding and have cracked nipples.

2. Relieve skin

Calendula also benefits your skin by bringing relief as a poultice, compress, or soak. You can make a strong hot water infusion with dried or fresh calendula petals and leave it to cool. Immerse a cloth or bandage in the liquid and use it to help with pain, irritated skin, swelling or to help with the itchiness some things can bring (like chicken pox).

You could also use a poultice of crushed calendula flowers as a compress. Traditionally fresh poultices of calendula were used to reduce scarring, especially with chicken pox.

3. Calendula benefits acne-prone skin

Internally, calendula helps support your digestive system and detoxification pathways, making it very helpful for clarifying skin and supporting skin health. When your body can't get rid of waste via your kidneys and liver, it tries to eliminate it through your skin. This often results in itchy rashes or acne.

Calendula can help support your lymphatic system, which is how you eliminate waste. We use organic calendula in our Liver Bitters. Taking bitters is an easy way to incorporate calendula into your diet to help support healthy digestion and detoxification.

The specifically formulated bitters help to support waste elimination and clearer skin by working with your lymphatic system to reduce the load on your liver, bowels, kidneys and, therefore, your skin by supporting the easiest way to eliminate waste.

🌿Related: The 3 Ingredients In Liver Bitters That Will Help You Feel Amazing

4. Viral skin issues

Calendula mixed with St John’s wort oil can be very helpful for skin issues that arise from viruses like cold sores or chicken pox. You could combine your homemade calendula oil (recipe below) and some store-bought St John’s wort oil to have a base oil to help with outbreaks or use this oil to make a balm if that is more convenient. 

5. Eczema

Calendula benefits for skin also include helping skin conditions like eczema. This plant can help calm eczema-prone and irritated skin due to its vulnerary action. It can help accelerate and support healthy skin regeneration and reduce the painful, itchy feeling that occurs as your skin starts to heal. 

How to use calendula

Here are two ways you can use this plant at home so you can see how calendula benefits your skin. Both an oil and a balm are super easy to make and can help soothe itchy and irritated skin or even work as a moisturiser. 

How to make calendula oil

• 1 cup whole dried calendula flowers 
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (or substitute jojoba or almond oil)

1. Combine the whole dried flowers with your oil of choice in a blender or food processor and aim for a thick, pesto-like consistency. If you don't have a blender you can just infuse it them in the oil. Blending the oil and flowers helps concentrate the oil as it increases the surface area available for absorption. 
2.  Leave as is in a cool dark place for 4 weeks and then strain and use. Or you could gently heat it over a double boiler at very low heat for 4 hours. 
3. Strain the oil through an old nut mylk bag or muslin cloth and pour into a clean sterilised bottle or jar that is labelled with the name of the oil and the date.
4. You can use this oil on irritated or itchy skin or after a bath or when your skin needs more moisture.

How to make a calendula balm

You can use your calendula oil to make your own balm.

1. In a double boiler, add in 150 ml infused oil and 30gm beeswax.
2. Keep stirring at low heat until beeswax is melted.
3. Pour into labelled containers and leave to set.
4. Calendula balm can be used for grazes, itchy or irritated skin, dry lips and in a balm form makes it easy to travel with - so it can live in your bag without the risk of spillage.

 

When using any Wild Dispensary products, always read the label and use as directed. Discontinue use if irritation occurs.