Calendula Oil for Skin — What This Herb Actually Does When You Infuse the Whole Plant
In August, when the calendula flowers are at their peak, your hands get so sticky harvesting from the medicinal resin. They are so beautiful, the bright orange and golden glow make your heart sing.
That orange color comes from carotenoids, the same family of pigments that colors carrots. When the resin is that concentrated on the flower head, you can feel it between your fingers as you pinch each bloom from the stem. That peak of bloom is when we harvest, and those flowers are what go into our calendula oil.
I have written about calendula before in our face ritual, but this post is about the herb itself: what people have used it for, how an infused oil differs from an essential oil, and how I use it on my own face, body, and hair.
Calendula Oil Benefits for Skin
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) has been used in herbalism for centuries, traditionally on dry, irritated, or chapped skin. The flower heads carry carotenoids, the plant's own fatty acids, and compounds called triterpenoids, all of which dissolve into oil, which is why calendula has long been prepared as an infused oil or salve rather than a tea for the skin.
On my own skin, calendula oil is the one I reach for when something feels dry or a little angry. It sinks in, it soothes, and it leaves the skin soft rather than greasy.
Infused Calendula Oil vs. Calendula Essential Oil
When a label says "calendula oil," it can mean two very different things.
A calendula essential oil is made by steam distilling a large volume of flowers to capture the volatile, aromatic part of the plant. You get a concentrated scent and a tiny yield, and the pigments and fatty compounds that don't evaporate are left behind.
A calendula infused oil is made by steeping the flowers in a carrier oil, so the oil-soluble parts of the plant pass slowly into it. Ours is infused in organic golden jojoba oil, using whole calendula flowers from our farm, with no essential oils added.
The connection to the plant, the Earth and the soil through our oils is so important to what we make: for grounding, for the plant's nourishment, and for the spiritual nourishment that connection to the natural world brings.
How to Use Calendula Oil on Your Face, Body and Hair
On your face: one drop on clean, slightly damp skin, after a hydrosol or a warm water rinse. Calendula works as a nourishing layer in a multi-step routine or on its own as an evening moisturizer. If I am layering, I like to use it after a water-based moisturizer so the moisture is locked in with the calendula oil.
On dry or irritated areas: apply directly to patches of dryness or redness anywhere on the body.
On your hair: one drop warmed between your palms, then run through the ends from mid-shaft to tips. It adds shine and softness without weight, and I like to do this between haircuts when my ends get brittle.
Grown Here
We grow the calendula here at our farm, and we nurture the plants and the soil. We offer more than just a product, but a connection to the magical herbs, the grounding Earth and nourishing soil.
The frequency of our oils is different. It is a high vibrational experience with a direct connection to the land, meant to nourish you on a physical and energetic level.
From the farm
