🌼 Calendula: From Garden Abundance to Skin Soothing

Calendula (Calendula officinalis), or pot marigold, is one of those plants that gives far more than it takes. It happily self-seeds, fills bare patches, and bursts with bright orange and yellow flowers that bees can’t resist. In permaculture, that kind of “weediness” is a gift. It’s abundance in action — beauty, pollinator food, living mulch, and medicine all in one.

It’s a plant I grow every season. When the blooms are at their peak, I’ll gather baskets full — some to dry for tea, some to infuse in oil, and plenty just left for the bees. The petals find their way into the kitchen and the apothecary. If I’m making a tea for myself when I feel a bit off, calendula often makes it into the mix. But most often, I use it for skin care.

And it’s not just me. My mum swears by my calendula jojoba salve — she calls it her “liquid gold.” She smooths it on her face for fine lines and swears her skin looks more nourished. I use it every day myself, and it’s the first thing I reach for when one of the kids has a rash or irritated skin. My eldest, who rarely comments on this kind of thing, once tried it on an itchy patch on his neck and came back a few hours later and said: “Mum, that stuff really worked.” That’s high praise in our house.

📖 From tradition to science

Calendula has been called a “skin herb” for centuries. Traditionally, it was used to soothe wounds, burns, rashes, and inflammation. But what does modern research actually say?

• Healing support: Some studies suggest calendula ointments may help wounds heal faster and reduce swelling — including one trial with women recovering from caesarean sections.

• Sensitive skin: Calendula creams have been tested on nappy rash, with results showing less redness and irritation compared to some conventional creams.

• Radiation care: In women undergoing radiotherapy, calendula ointment reduced the severity of skin reactions compared to a standard moisturiser in one large French trial. An Australian trial later tested calendula against Sorbolene cream and found no difference, but the study was too small to give a clear answer.

• Lab findings: Researchers in Australia found that even very small amounts of calendula extract helped skin cells cope with stress and damage. That supports the idea that calendula’s compounds — like flavonoids and carotenoids — genuinely have protective and soothing effects.

• Reviews: Larger reviews of many studies conclude that calendula shows promise for wound healing and inflamed skin.

💬 What the research tells us

The research into calendula is encouraging. Across clinical trials and lab studies, calendula has shown activity in areas like wound healing, skin soothing, and protection against cell stress. That gives weight to the long-standing tradition of using this sunny flower as a skin-supportive herb.

At the same time, most of the studies so far have been small. Results are promising but not yet consistent enough to draw firm conclusions.

So while calendula isn’t a guaranteed fix, it stands out as a safe, gentle, and multipurpose plant — one that brings both beauty to the garden and practical support for everyday skin care.

🌱 What this means for us

Calendula is a generous and reliable plant. In permaculture, we value multiple yields, and calendula delivers them all: food for pollinators, beauty in the garden, petals for tea, and gentle support for skin. Its abundance means I can use it freely, and whatever’s left goes back into the soil through the compost, continuing the cycle.

For me, it’s also personal. It’s the herb that turns up in my mum’s daily routine, in my kids’ scraped knees and rashes, and in my own face cream. It’s part of our family life.

If you’re curious to try calendula in a simple way, I make small-batch calendula salves and skin butters here at Cedar Springs Homestead. They’re not medicines, but they are nourishing cosmetic products that celebrate this sunny herb’s long history of use. You can find them here — a little jar of sunshine straight from the garden.

🔍 Key References

• Pommier P, et al. (2004). Calendula ointment in preventing acute dermatitis during irradiation for breast cancer. J Clin Oncol, 22(8), 1447–1453.

• Parvizi P, et al. (2014). The effect of calendula ointment on cesarean wound healing: a RCT. J Family Reprod Health, 8(1), 15–21.

• Panahi Y, et al. (2012). Comparison of calendula cream and aloe vera cream for diaper dermatitis. Clin Dermatol, 30(5), 633–637.

• Preethi KC, et al. (2009). Pharmacological activities of Calendula officinalis – a review. Pharmacognosy Rev, 3(5), 179–187.

• Arora D, et al. (2013). Evaluation of anti-inflammatory and wound healing activity of calendula. J Ethnopharmacol, 149(2), 409–420.

• SAHMRI (2021). Efficacy of topical calendula on prevalence of radiation-induced dermatitis: an Australian RCT.Australas J Dermatol.

• Flinders University (2020). Extracts from calendula officinalis offer in vitro protection against oxidative stress in human skin cells.

• Charles Sturt University (2019). Systematic review of calendula officinalis extract for wound healing.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Products from Cedar Springs Homestead are offered as cosmetics and self-care items, not therapeutic goods.