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When it comes to plant-based skin care ingredients, there’s a rock star floral extract that addresses almost every skin care concern, visibly improving the appearance of your overall complexion every time you use it. Calendula flower extract is balancing and anti-inflammatory, while still being gentle and nourishing enough to use everyday. If you haven’t already heard of this pretty little flower, it’s time to school yourself on calendula. This powerful botanical packs some serious skin-boosting benefits. Not to mention the smell is amazing!
Calendula is a flower – more commonly known as the marigold –that has been recognized for hundreds of years for its powerful healing abilities. The pretty orange, yellow and, gold colored flowers get their official name, Calendula Officinalis,first from the Latin kalendae, used by the Romans to indicate that it bloomed with the calendar throughout the year; the second word officinalis indicates that calendula was included in centuries old official lists of medicinal herbs. The petals and seed oils of the calendula plant have been used in both ingestible remedies and topical treatments dating back to the Middle Ages. That’s some serious flower pedigree.
Calendula has amazing benefits for your skin, and if you’re not already incorporating it into your routine, read on for all the calendula info, including seven reasons to incorporate this magical floral into your product lineup now.
In terms of anti-aging benefits, calendula is preventative in two major ways. It increases your skin’s tightness (through encouraging collagen production), and also amps up the skin's ability to retain water (meaning fewer fine lines and crow’s feet). In other words, it's an anti-aging skin conditioner which stimulates collagen and reduces dry or flaking skin. Calendula also treats eye puffiness, another dreaded sign of aging.
Applying calendula oil directly to those nasty skin blemishes has been shown to speed up the healing process. Calendula increases blood flow to the affected area, stimulates skin tissue, produces collagen, and encourages new cell growth. This in turn, reduces inflammation and calms the skin, making it a staple in your medicine cabinet for treating everything from sunburns, pimples, and eczema to dark spots and those less than desirable acne scars.
Though virtually everyone can benefit from calendula’s healing and soothing skin-loving properties, if you struggle with breakouts or have acne-prone skin, this will be your new favorite ingredient! Calendula’s anti-microbial properties make it a powerful astringent to fight pesky acne causing bacteria. Calendula is gentle enough to use as frequently as two to three times a day and also works together paired with other blemish-busting ingredients such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to further calm, heal, and prevent breakouts.
Since calendula stimulates (you guessed it!) collagen production which boosts skin hydration, the oil makes an incredibly effective warrior against dull, dry or flaky skin. The flower is also filled with vitamin E, yet another antioxidant with mega skin hydrating abilities. And studies show that using a balm or cream containing calendula extract not only promotes skin hydration, but firmness too.
Calendula is a major redness reducer, soothing (and even in some cases preventing) dermatitis (which is really just a catch-all term for various types of skin inflammation). Herbal advocates and holistic healers have long promoted extracts from the calendula plant as a substitute for powerful antibiotics and topical steroids to calm irritation and soothe flare-ups of eczema and dermatitis. In fact, studies have found it effective for treating several skin conditions.
Who doesn’t want a brighter, more even, glowing complexion? Calendula extract contains high levels of carotenoids, an organic component responsible for the flowers’ yellow-orange pigment. Carotenoids are naturally present in our outer layers of skin, so calendula-rich formulas can enhance and even out blotchy skin tones.
Calendula can make your SPF work even harder, through its powerful skin cell regenerating properties. This means that on a chemical level, calendula inhibits tissue degeneration. Because of this, calendula-based formulas are great when used in conjunction with sunscreen. They’ll maximize your cream’s sun-protective qualities. Yay for science!
