Calendula is great anti-inflammatory properties are most useful in cases where tissue degeneration is an issue - such as stubborn wounds, sores, acne, ulcers, bed sores, varicose veins, bruises, rashes, eczema etc. Effective on rashes, dry, chapped or cracked skin. Wonderful in salves for diaper rash.
Calendula officinalis flower oil is the oil derived from the flowers of Calendula officinalis. It is classed as an essential oil and is used as a fragrance ingredient and is also known as marigold and pot marigold oil. Calendula is used in skincare, for its soothing properties and to assist with circulation.
It is the combination of the lipophilic (oil) extracts and the hydrophilic extracts which contains flavonoids and saponins that has shown to promote healing and skin repair, while having excellent anti-inflammatory properties.
The ancient Greek and Roman civilizations used Calendula as a medicinal herb, but it should not be confused with Tagetes oil, which is an essential oil made from Calendula erecta (African or Aztec marigold, cempazuchil).
Calendula oil is great to help with sore, inflamed and itchy skin conditions, for burns, eczema and nappy rash, as well as sore cracked nipples. It is also used to treat thread and spider veins as well as varicose veins.
The properties of calendula are anti-inflammatory, styptic, antiseptic, anti-hemorrhagic. It is used in the treatment of ulcers and inflamed cutaneous lesions as well as slow-healing wounds and bruising.
The main constituents are volatile oil, saponins, flavonoids, clendulin, sterols, fatty acids, calendic acid, oleanic acid, triterpenoids, tocopherols and flavonol glycosides.
Apart from the anti-inflammatory effect that it has, it is also most effective in healing sores and wounds and in fighting fungal infections - such as Athletes foot.
It has been shown that Calendula stimulates the regeneration of wound tissue, since it intensifies the metabolism of glycoproteins, nucleoproteins and collagen during the healing process.
