Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Who wouldn’t want glowing, clear and smooth skin like Lupita Nyong’o? The beautiful Hollywood actress and style icon swears by calendula oil as part of her healthy skin regimen!
What is Calendula Oil?
While a lot of us are out here spending hundreds of dollars on skin creams and serums that are filled with ingredients that we can’t even pronounce, many women and men have been using natural ingredients like calendula oil to help treat everything from eczema to skin irritation and acne.
Calendula Oil is derived from the plant Calendula officinalis, also called the ‘pot marigold’ or ‘common marigold.’ The flowers of the calendula are a beautiful orange-yellow color, and they are often used to make medicines and tinctures for the skin.
Courtesy: Eatcha
Calendula Oil: Skin Benefits
- Calendula oil may have many benefits for the skin, including:
- Decreasing inflammation and irritation
- Helping with wound healing
- Helping to soothe rashes
- Preventing oxidative stress (antioxidant)
- Helping to prevent the signs of aging skin.
Calendula Oil for Wound Healing
Many people use calendula oil to help heal minor cuts and wounds. One study found that calendula oil helped to speed up healing after episiotomies in women that had given birth. Women who used calendula oil, in addition to standard episiotomy care, healed more quickly than those who didn’t use the calendula oil.
Calendula Oil for Sun Burns
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, many people use calendula oil to help soothe minor irritation from sunburn. Lupita Nyong’o carries calendula ointment with her when she travels. She recently told the New York Times this about calendula oil:
“Sunscreen is the name of the game, but I think it’s also really important to find products that are not poisonous to the world we live in. I carry calendula ointment, which is a good healer for burns, scrapes, scars. I had a terrible sunburn and the oil cured me of it in just one night. I swear by it. I guess that’s really the one thing I wouldn’t travel without.”
Calendula Oil as Sunscreen?
Some people also use calendula oil as an all-natural sunscreen. One study from 2012 claimed that a sunscreen cream made with calendula oil had an SPF of 15 and concluded that calendula oil cream can be used to protect the skin from UV rays. We do not advocate calendula oil or cream alone as an adequate sunscreen. More studies will need to be done on this. For now, our recommendation would be to stick with a sunscreen that is proven to protect you from the sun, help even out your complexion, and help to prevent skin cancer. Check out this post for information on finding the right SPF and sunscreen for your skin.
Calendula Oil for Rashes
People have used calendula oil to treat dry, scaling and irritated skin. One study found that diaper rash, treated three times daily with calendula ointment for 10 days, helped heal diaper rash faster than even aloe vera cream. The authors hypothesized that the calendula ointment helped to heal diaper rash because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Another study looked at the ability of calendula ointment to help prevent radiation rash (radiation dermatitis) in women with breast cancer that were undergoing radiation therapy. The authors found that using calendula ointment twice daily was more effective than a traditional therapy in preventing radiation dermatitis during breast cancer treatment.
Calendula Oil for Acne
While some people use calendula oil for acne, the jury is still out on this. There is one study that shows that calendula oil can help kill some of the bacteria on the skin, and the authors of the study conclude that calendula oil could be used to help formulate acne treatments in the future. At present, we’d recommend sticking to treating acne with more traditional–and well-studied– medications. A good one to try to acne prone skin is Differin. You can read more about acne treatments here.
Calendula Oil for Anti-Aging
Creams and serums formulated from calendula oil may also have anti-aging properties, or at least help improve the appearance of your skin. A study published in 2011 found that calendula extract helped with skin tightening and also improved the hydration of the skin, which together can improve the appearance of aging.
Should You Try Calendula Oil?
Calendula oil appears to be a promising herbal preparation. While much more research is needed, it may be worth trying. It should be noted that calendula oil may cause irritation on your skin, so you should always do a patch test before using it. Also, we recommend avoiding calendula oil if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, and also if you’re allergic to plants from the Asteraceae/Compositae family–since you could have an allergic reaction.
Credits: Lupita Nyong’o: Photo courtesy: Gage Skidmore
