Officially called Calendula officinalis, it’s a member of the family Asteraceae. Calendula has been used as a medicinal plant for centuries, and thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, it’s also effective when used topically on skin . Calendula gets its name from the Latin word kalendae, which means the first day of every month. That’s because the bright yellow and orange perennial is believed to only bloom on the first of the month. Calendula extract, which comes from the leaves, petals, and seeds of the flower, is traditionally used in Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine, but is also used to internally treat ulcers, prevent muscle spasms, reduce fevers, and more. Calendula is popularly known as Pot Marigold or Garden Marigold is a Mediterranean flowering plant that can help, relax, moisturize and protect the skin it can also cure inflammation and dryness year or a few healing powers of Calendula for skincare care.
Calendula is great for skin that is sensitive, oily or acne-prone. It helps eliminate dark spots, blemishes, acne and acne scars. It also helps smoothen skin texture.
Calms Inflammation
Inflammation can be quite damaging to the skin. Calendula is a natural medicine with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects. It can relieve skin irritations caused by acne, sun burn, psoriasis, eczema or collagen breakdown. Flavonoids, saponins and tri-turpenoids in them have inflammatory properties.
Helps in Keeping Skin Moisturized
Failure to keep skin hydrated can result in a variety of skin problems from itching to the onset of fine wrinkles. As it has some essential fatty acids like linoleic acid which helps to enhance the moisture retaining capacity of skin cells and provides nourishment. Calendula serves as an excellent way to moisturize skin as its oil has a light texture which allows it to quickly enter the skin and hydrate the deepest layers.
Helps in Increasing Collagen Production
Calendula is used in cosmetic skin care products because of it’s capacity to accelerate the metabolism of glyco-proteins, nucleo-proteins and collagen during the skin’s healing process. It prevents wrinkles and sagging.
Helps Protect Skin from Harmful UV Rays
Without protection excessive sun exposure or UV light can cause a painful burn. Calendula has skin rejuvenation benefits and can be used as a sunscreen cream to protect the skin from UV rays while still maintaining the skin’s natural pigmentation.
Are there any side effects?
If you are allergic to marigold, ragweed or any flowers of Asteraceae family then it’s always a good idea to do a patch test before trying any new skincare product. Doctors recommend opting out if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Ingesting calendula may impact your hormone levels or even induce menstruation. Check with your healthcare provider before incorporating calendula into your regular routine.
Reference:
IANS
https://www.verywellhealth.com/health-benefits-of-calendula-4582641
https://www.scielo.br/j/asagr/a/vvhNKBgz9xFnvkWrjy7XVZx/?lang=en&format=pdf
