Botanical Name: Calendula officinalis
Plant Part: Flowers
Infused In: Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Standardization: 20% dry herb/L of oil (i.e., 200 g herb per 1000 ml of oil)
 
Common Uses: Calendula Herbal Oil is used in preparations for creams, ointments, tinctures, cosmetics, shampoo and baby wipes. It has soothing and skin softening properties, and is considered a good choice as a support oil when preparing a massage oil blend with other carrier oils and essential oils.
 
Calendula’s sunny blooms are an external remedy for practically every manner of skin complaint. The flowers are used topically as a wound healing, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory herb. For optimal strength, be sure you’re using the whole flower—including the green flower base—instead of the “petals” only (the herb is sometimes sold this way). Calendula-infused oils and salves are some of my favorite topical applications for soothing and repairing the skin.

Calendula is also an edible flower, a cheerful garden medicinal, and an internal remedy for the digestive and lymphatic systems.
 
Calendula’s Skin-Healing Benefits:
Rashes
Stings
Wounds
Burns
Sunburns
Abrasions
Swellings
Eczema
Acne
Insect bites
Scrapes
Bruises
Chicken pox
Cold sores
Cracked nipples from nursing
Bacterial vaginosis (douche)
Yeast infections (douche)
Cervical dysplasia (douche)
Postpartum perineal tears (sitz bath)
Calendula’s Herbal Actions:
Vulnerary (wound-healing)
Anti-inflammatory
Antimicrobial
Antifungal
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Safety and Contraindications: Do not use calendula internally during pregnancy since it has traditionally been used to bring on menses. As calendula is in the aster family, it may cause a reaction for people who are highly sensitive to plants like ragweed (Ambrosia spp.) and chamomile (Matricaria recutita); this possibility is rare, but sensitive individuals should proceed with caution when using calendula for the first time. Rare incidences of allergic contact dermatitis have occurred with the topical use of calendula.