Calendula Benefits & Uses: A Beginner’s Guide to This Skin-Loving Herb
Bright, cheerful, and incredibly useful, calendula is one of those herbs that deserves a place in almost every home herb garden.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) produces beautiful yellow and orange flowers, but herbalists value this plant for much more than its appearance. Calendula flowers have a long history of traditional use in herbal oils, salves, balms, teas, and skincare preparations.
It's especially well known as an herb traditionally used for skin care and soothing topical preparations.
If you're just beginning to explore herbalism, calendula is a wonderful plant to get to know.
What Is Calendula?
Calendula is a flowering herb in the Asteraceae—or daisy—family.
You may also hear it called:
- Pot marigold
- Garden calendula
- Common calendula
- English marigold
Its botanical name, Calendula officinalis, is important because calendula is often confused with ornamental marigolds from the Tagetes genus.
They're related, but they're not the same plant.
We'll explore that common mix-up later in our guide:
Calendula vs. Marigold: Are They the Same Thing?
What Part of Calendula Is Used?
The flower is the part most commonly used in herbal preparations.
Depending on the product or recipe, herbalists may use the entire flower head or primarily the colorful petals.
Calendula flowers can be used fresh for certain preparations, but dried flowers are especially convenient because they can be stored and used throughout the year.
You'll commonly find calendula in:
- Herbal infused oils
- Salves
- Balms
- Creams and lotions
- Soaps
- Herbal teas
- Bath products
- Other topical herbal preparations
It's an incredibly versatile little flower.
What Are the Traditional Benefits of Calendula?
Calendula has a long history in traditional herbal practices, particularly for the skin.
It has traditionally been used in preparations intended to:
- Soothe dry or irritated skin
- Condition and soften skin
- Support healthy-looking skin
- Calm minor everyday skin irritation
- Protect and moisturize dry areas
Calendula contains a variety of naturally occurring plant compounds, including flavonoids, triterpenoids, carotenoids, and other constituents that continue to be studied.
While traditional herbal use and preliminary research are interesting, calendula products shouldn't be considered treatments for medical skin conditions.
Why Is Calendula So Popular for Skin?
If you've ever looked at the ingredient list on a natural salve, baby balm, herbal lotion, or botanical skincare product, there's a good chance you've encountered calendula.
One reason is its long-standing reputation as a gentle topical herb.
Calendula-infused oil can easily be incorporated into many different formulations.
For example, an herbal maker might first infuse dried calendula flowers into:
- Olive oil
- Sunflower oil
- Jojoba oil
- Sweet almond oil
That finished herbal oil can then become an ingredient in salves, balms, body oils, creams, soaps, and other products.
It's one of the reasons calendula is such a useful herb for beginning herbal makers.
Calendula for Dry Skin
Calendula frequently appears in products designed for dry or weather-exposed skin.
The calendula itself isn't necessarily responsible for all of the moisturizing properties of these products.
The carrier oils, butters, and waxes used alongside it play an important role too.
For example, a calendula salve might contain:
Calendula-infused olive oil + beeswax
A richer balm might combine:
Calendula-infused oil + shea butter + beeswax
The result is a protective, moisturizing topical product that's particularly nice for areas such as:
- Hands
- Elbows
- Knees
- Feet
- Cuticles
We'll take a much deeper look at topical uses in:
Calendula for Skin: Why Herbalists Love This Golden Flower
What Is Calendula Infused Oil?
Calendula-infused oil is one of the most popular ways to preserve and use the flowers.
Dried calendula flowers are placed into a carrier oil and allowed to infuse.
Over time, oil-soluble plant constituents move into the carrier oil.
The plant material is eventually strained away, leaving behind the finished herbal oil.
Calendula-infused oil can then be used on its own or incorporated into other products.
If you're new to making herbal preparations, calendula oil is a great beginner project.
We'll walk through the entire process in:
How to Make Calendula Infused Oil at Home
Can You Drink Calendula Tea?
Calendula flowers also have a history of internal use and can be prepared as an herbal tea.
The flavor is generally mild but somewhat earthy, herbal, and slightly bitter.
Calendula is sometimes blended with more flavorful herbs such as:
- Chamomile
- Lemon balm
- Peppermint
- Ginger
- Rose
- Hibiscus
Calendula petals have also historically been used in foods, which is one reason the plant acquired the name pot marigold.
As with any herb used internally, make sure you're using the correct species and an herb intended for consumption.
Is Calendula the Same as Marigold?
This is one of the biggest sources of confusion surrounding calendula.
Calendula is sometimes called marigold, but not every marigold is calendula.
True medicinal calendula is generally Calendula officinalis.
Many of the common ornamental marigolds planted around vegetable gardens belong to the Tagetes genus.
When purchasing calendula for herbal preparations, look for the botanical name:
Calendula officinalis
Botanical names can seem intimidating when you're beginning herbalism, but this is a perfect example of why they're useful.
Common names can refer to completely different plants.
Can You Grow Your Own Calendula?
Absolutely.
In fact, calendula is one of my favorite herbs for beginner gardeners.
The plants prefer plenty of sun and are relatively easy to grow from seed.
Once they begin flowering, regularly picking the blossoms can encourage continued flower production.
That means a small patch of calendula can provide repeated harvests throughout the growing season.
The flowers are also beautiful enough to grow simply because you enjoy looking at them.
We'll cover the entire process in:
How to Grow, Harvest & Dry Calendula
How Do You Harvest Calendula?
Calendula flowers are typically harvested once they've fully opened.
Choose healthy flowers on a dry day, ideally after morning moisture has evaporated.
You can pinch or snip off the flower heads and collect them in a basket.
If you're growing calendula specifically for herbal projects, you'll probably find yourself harvesting flowers repeatedly throughout the summer.
Once harvested, the flowers can be dried for later use.
Why Proper Drying Matters
Calendula flower heads can hold more moisture than you might expect.
That's important when you're drying them for storage or preparing them for an infused oil.
Plant material containing too much moisture can spoil or encourage microbial growth.
For that reason, calendula intended for long-term oil infusions is commonly thoroughly dried first.
Your flowers should feel completely dry before they're placed into storage or used for a shelf-stable oil infusion.
Calendula in Herbal Salves
Calendula is probably best known in home herbalism as a salve ingredient.
A basic herbal salve begins with an infused oil.
The oil is gently combined with beeswax, which transforms the liquid oil into a semi-solid balm.
Other ingredients can then be incorporated depending on the formula.
Calendula is frequently combined with herbs such as:
- Plantain
- Comfrey
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Yarrow
Each herb brings its own traditional uses and characteristics to the finished preparation.
Calendula in Soap & Skincare
Calendula isn't limited to old-fashioned herbal salves.
You'll also find it in modern botanical skincare.
Calendula can appear in:
- Facial oils
- Body oils
- Lotions
- Creams
- Lip balms
- Body balms
- Handmade soaps
- Baby skincare
- Bath products
The beautiful petals can even be incorporated into certain handmade products for visual appeal.
That makes calendula particularly interesting because it bridges the worlds of traditional herbalism and modern natural skincare.
Is Calendula Safe?
Calendula is widely used, but herbs aren't automatically appropriate for everyone.
People who are allergic or sensitive to plants in the Asteraceae family—which includes plants such as ragweed, chrysanthemums, daisies, and chamomile—should use additional caution with calendula.
If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medications, managing a health condition, or considering regular internal use of calendula, consult an appropriate healthcare professional.
And don't use home herbal preparations as a substitute for medical treatment of serious wounds, infections, burns, allergic reactions, or persistent skin problems.
A Beautiful Herb With Plenty of Uses
Calendula is a wonderful example of an herb that can be both beautiful and practical.
You can grow it in your garden.
Harvest the flowers.
Dry them.
Turn them into infused oil.
Use that oil in homemade salves and skincare.
Or simply enjoy learning about a plant that herbalists have valued for generations.
For someone beginning to build a home apothecary, calendula is an excellent herb to start with.
Continue Learning About Calendula
This article is part of our Calendula Herb Guide Series.
Continue with:
- Calendula for Skin: Why Herbalists Love This Golden Flower
- How to Make Calendula Infused Oil at Home
- How to Grow, Harvest & Dry Calendula
- Calendula vs. Marigold: Are They the Same Thing?
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This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult an appropriate healthcare professional regarding medical concerns or before using herbs if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medications, or managing a health condition.