Using plants to care for your body is all the rage right now. And for good reason. Botanicals provide natural, soothing, healing support. In this article, we’ll explore one particular plant — calendula — and what it can do for you.
In addition to looking at calendula benefits, we’ll go over what this plant is and how you can take advantage of it in your day-to-day. First, what is calendula?
What Is Calendula?
To put it simply, calendula is a gorgeous flower! The flower has bright yellow or vibrant orange petals and can grow up to one or two feet tall.
This plant, scientifically known as Calendula officinalis, is native to the Mediterranean but is now grown all over the world. Calendula is part of the Asteraceae (or Compositae) family, along with chamomile, chrysanthemums, dahlias, and marigolds.
Over the years, calendula has been used not only in food and tea but also as a dye. But, of course, there’s another reason we love calendula here at Babo Botanicals — it also provides significant benefits when applied to your skin!
Without further ado, we’d love to tell you about those benefits and why we get excited about this plant.
6 Calendula Benefits For Your Skin
Calendula is far more than just a pretty face. It’s also been studied for its benefits.
In an article entitled “A review on phytochemistry and ethnopharmacological aspects of genus Calendula,” researchers note, “Pharmacological studies reveal that C. officinalis exhibits antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and antioxidant properties.”
That’s a big brag for a small plant! Let’s look more closely at a few specific ways calendula can help you care for your skin.
1) Calendula Is Anti-Inflammatory
As we just read, calendula has anti-inflammatory properties and can help calm redness and inflammation and ease skin discomfort.
In addition to being soothing for any type of skin, this means that calendula can provide some relief from conditions like eczema or diaper rash.
If you or your little one deals with eczema-prone skin, keep in mind that eczema is a complicated condition, and your goal will be to avoid flare-ups and stay comfortable. Click here to learn about natural ways to prevent eczema discomfort.
2) Calendula Moisturizes Your Skin
Your skin has a natural barrier that helps keep hydration in and undesirables (like pollution and irritants) out. This barrier can become compromised for a variety of reasons and leave you with dry skin that’s easily irritated.
These are the times your skin needs a little extra help by way of a good moisturizer that aids in repairing its barrier.
Calendula contains fatty acids that help to moisturize and hydrate your skin. That means calendula can help you kick dry skin to the curb!
Skin hydration contributes to radiant skin every day, but it’s important for other reasons, too. Well-hydrated skin can also help delay skin aging, which brings us to our next point.
3) Calendula Can Help Delay Skin Aging
A study called “Calendula Extract: Effects On Mechanical Parameters Of Human Skin,” notes that in the study, calendula increased the hydration of the skin, which “may also prevent skin alteration and early aging.”
They also note that “it was found that the formulation had the ability of inducing skin tightness which prevents the damage of skin and also delays the aging process.”
Who knew calendula was such a powerhouse plant?
4) Calendula Is Healing
When we say “calendula is healing,” we’re not just referring to the fact that it’s hydrating and soothing and all that. It actually aids in wound healing!
In fact, recent research showed that using calendula ointment increased skin healing time in women who’d had c-sections.
And remember how we said earlier that calendula has antioxidant properties? Matthew J. Leach comments in an article that this plant “may facilitate wound healing via an important antioxidant effect,” though he notes that “clinical research is needed to validate these findings.”
He goes on to note that calendula can help prevent infection of a wound, which “may not only be attributed to the immunomodulating effect of the plant, but also to an antimicrobial effect.”
That’s big news!
But the great thing is that you don’t have to be dealing with a major wound or surgery like a c-section to benefit from calendula. It’s healing for small wounds to the skin — like bug bites, blisters, and little cuts — too!
5) Calendula Is Gentle
We’ve mentioned that calendula is anti-inflammatory, hydrating, anti-aging, and promotes wound healing through antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
But what we love most about calendula is that it provides all those benefits while being extremely gentle on your skin!
It’s so gentle that it’s safe for babies as well as folks with sensitive skin. That’s why you’ll find calendula in products like diaper cream, baby lotion, and those for adults with delicate skin.
6) Calendula Is Natural
One of the reasons we love calendula as an ingredient in skincare products is that it comes straight from nature. And we believe that nature knows best.
Because of this, we opt for all sorts of natural goodies, like coconut oil, aloe vera, sunflower seed oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, olive oil, and so much more.
But it’s important that your skincare products contain more than natural, beneficial ingredients like calendula and all the rest. You’ll also want to be sure that they are free of certain questionable chemical ingredients.
Below, we’ll discuss this before diving in to talk about how to reap calendula benefits in your everyday life.
Choosing A Natural Skincare Product
Skincare products that contain botanicals, minerals, and ingredients that come straight from nature can nourish your skin in ways that no other ingredients can.
But since the skincare products you see on store shelves contain many ingredients, you’ll want to ensure that what you’re putting on your and your family’s body doesn’t contain chemical ingredients or allergens that will harm your body or irritate your skin.
Here are a few ingredients to avoid.
Ingredients To Avoid
Sulfates
You might have heard talk about sulfate-free shampoo. This typically refers to two specific compounds: sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).
But what are sulfates exactly? And why do we advise staying away from them?
They are synthetic ingredients that can be made from petroleum, coconut oil, or palm oil and create bubbles and suds, washing away oil, dirt, and the like.
However, one concern with sulfates is that during the process of manufacturing SLES, a carcinogenic substance called 1,4 dioxane can make its way into the compound. We don’t know about you, but we’re not fans of the idea.
Plus, sulfates are drying to both your skin and hair and can irritate sensitive skin. We’d rather stay away entirely and opt for more natural, gentle ways to stay clean.
Parabens
Parabens, which are preservatives used to increase the shelf life of skincare products, can also be irritating to your skin. But there’s something even more concerning.
They are an endocrine disruptor, meaning that they can mimic your body’s hormones and upset the natural order of things. The safest bet is to avoid the daily use of products that contain parabens.
Phthalates
Phthalates are plasticizers and are used in all sorts of objects, but when used in cosmetics, they help the fragrance bind to the product.
However, similar to parabens, this ingredient can irritate your skin and interfere with your hormones — think sperm damage, genital defects, and early puberty.
Bad news.
Synthetic Fragrances
The topic of synthetic fragrances versus natural fragrances is important to us. The founder of Babo Botanicals, Kate Solomon, spent time developing scents for large fragrance companies. But she had allergic reactions to all of the fragrances.
This is no surprise since synthetic fragrances are considered one of the top five known allergens.
The other problem is that many different ingredients can go into a synthetic fragrance, which is often listed simply as “fragrance” or “parfum” on the ingredients list. This means that a lot of questionable chemicals can be hiding in this one ingredient.
This is why our fragrances at Babo Botanicals are not synthetic. Instead, we use essential oil blends, which means that our fragrances not only smell wonderful but also have medicinal, holistic, and aromatherapeutic characteristics.
Win-win!
Common Allergens
While not everyone needs to avoid certain allergens, for some, it’s important that a skincare product is free of allergens like gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, and more. If you’re avoiding a specific ingredient, simply check the label of the product you’re interested in.
Rest assured that all Babo Botanicals products are free of gluten, dairy, soy, and peanut, almond, and walnut oils.
Read more about how we formulate our products here.
Knowing several of these wonderful calendula benefits and how to choose a natural product, we’d like to move on to the practical step: how to use calendula in your everyday life.
6 Ways To Experience Calendula Benefits
Calendula is an incredible plant that can do a lot for your skin. But, the first thing to note is that if you have a known allergy to other flowers in the Compositae family, you may want to stay away from calendula just in case of an allergic reaction.
Regardless, if you have very sensitive skin, it’s always a good idea to do a patch test before trying any new skincare product.
All you have to do is apply the new product to a small area of skin and wait a day or two to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction.
That said, full steam ahead with this beneficial botanical! Here are seven ways to experience calendula benefits on the daily.
1) Treat Your Baby’s Diaper Rash
As we’ve seen, calendula is gentle yet provides your skin with some wonderful benefits. This is why it’s an ideal ingredient in baby skincare products!
Since calendula is anti-inflammatory and healing, here at Babo Botanicals, we make our Sensitive Baby Zinc Diaper Cream with calendula and other calming and soothing ingredients, like colloidal oatmeal, shea, and cocoa butter.
You can rest assured that this fragrance-free diaper rash cream is safe for your baby’s skin. It’s EWG Verified, made with 25% zinc oxide, and preservative-free.
This diaper cream helps protect your little one’s diaper area and provides a moisture barrier for the skin, keeping it dry yet soft and supple.
Diaper cream isn’t the only way to use calendula to care for, hydrate, and soothe your baby’s kissable skin. It’s also perfect for bathtime!
2) Incorporate Calendula Into Baby Bathtime
Bathtime is not only a necessity for keeping your baby squeaky clean, but it can also be playtime! However, the combination of the water along with certain products can dry out your baby’s skin.
This is one reason you’ll want to pay special attention to the products you use to bathe your baby — and work calendula into the mix.
Clean and moisturize their whole body by using Babo Botanicals and Moisturizing Baby Lotion!
When you clean your little one with , you’ll be soothing and nourishing their skin while you get their cute little rolls as clean as can be.
This gentle, plant-based, two-in-one product contains oatmilk to comfort dry, sensitive, or irritated skin and calendula oil, which provides all the benefits you read about above in addition to soothing cradle cap.
It also contains our organic Nutri-Soothe™ Complex rich in antioxidants and vitamins. And since it’s sulfate-free, pure, and mild, it’s ideal for your newborn’s skin as well as anyone with a sensitive scalp or sensitive skin.
Once you get your baby out of the tub, treat their skin to natural moisturization with Moisturizing Baby Lotion.
Like the shampoo we just mentioned, this lotion is soothing and nourishing. In addition to organic calendula, it contains non-GMO colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, and organic chamomile.
3) Moisturize Your Skin
Of course, calendula isn’t just for babies. You can moisturize your skin with calendula, too! Our Moisturizing Baby Lotion is also a great all-over natural moisturizer for the…let’s just say “young at heart.”
If you want to take advantage of calendula benefits for soothing and protecting patches of dry or chafed skin, try using a rich moisturizer, like Babo Botanicals Miracle Moisturizing Face Cream.
Made with colloidal oatmeal as well as organic calendula, this cream contains the perfect blend of active botanicals to help protect delicate skin.
It’s a must-have product to keep around for flare-ups, eczema, and patches of dry or irritated skin on your face, hands, or body.
4) Soothe Eczema
Think back on the calendula benefits we mentioned earlier. It’s anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, and healing — everything you want when treating eczema!
That’s why we use calendula in our sensitive skin line. For soothing moisturization created specifically for dry, sensitive, irritated, or eczema-prone skin, look no further than Sensitive Baby Daily Hydra Baby Lotion.
It’s a lightweight moisturizer that uses calendula, chamomile, colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, and jojoba oil to relieve and hydrate dry skin. Apply this fragrance-free lotion with confidence to even the most sensitive skin.
5) Take Advantage Of Shower Time
Reaping the benefits of calendula is not reserved for lathering up with lotion. Moisturize while you’re scrubbing up in the shower, too!
In fact, the shower is the perfect time to focus on skin-hydrating products since the hot water can be drying to your skin.
Your scalp will thank you for shampooing and conditioning with Babo Botanicals and Moisturizing Conditioner, which both contain calendula.
is a sulfate-free shampoo that’s a must-have for anyone with hair licks, knots, tangles, or frizz as it contains smoothing and detangling moisturizers for faster combing time and less pulling.
(If that’s not a shampoo win, we don’t know what is.)
After shampooing, moisturize your hair with Moisturizing Conditioner, which is formulated with colloidal oatmeal to nourish and hydrate your hair, coconut oil to leave it smooth and shiny, and, of course, calendula to work its wonders.
If you’re not quite sure that you’re using conditioner correctly (or why you should be using it in the first place), read our article here.
6) Clean Up Quickly
Harsh soaps and other products filled with drying ingredients can do a number on your skin. But staying fresh and clean doesn’t have to be drying!
Instead, use a product like Babo Botanicals for easy, quick cleanup on the go.
“Baby” is in the name of these wipes, but they’re just as good for your skin as they are for your baby’s bottom!
Our oat and calendula wipes gently cleanse your face, hands, and body without rinsing, leaving your skin soothed, soft, and moisturized. Use them to wipe your hands when you don’t have a sink nearby, to freshen up after the gym, or to wipe your makeup away at the end of the day.
Care For Your Skin With Calendula
You’ve learned about some calendula benefits — its anti-inflammatory properties, its ability to moisturize your skin and help delay aging, and how it gently heals and soothes your skin — now don’t wait to put calendula to work for you and your family!
Care for your littlest ones with Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Zinc Diaper Cream and Moisturizing Baby Lotion. And, of course, use calendula in your own skincare routine with Babo Botanicals Miracle Moisturizing Face Cream or Sensitive Skin All Natural Healing Ointment.
Try calendula for yourself and see just what this plant can do!
