by Missy Tonin
Infused Calendula oil has long been used as a component of natural skin care preparations for its special soothing properties. The oil of the flowers had not been available as an essential oil for most of its history, as the flowers had been too delicate to process in the typical steam distillation process. With the recent introduction of the Supercritical cold-extraction process, a concentrated Calendula CO2 essential oil is now readily available, making it very easy to include this wonderful concentrated in any skin care and wound healing recipe. This new Calendula extract has been the subject of much research over the last several years, confirming its nearly miraculous regenerative, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions — further encouraging its use for natural skin care products, whether purchased already blended or for you to make a personal formula at home.
Calendula Flowers: Nature’s Gentle Healer
Calendula flowers show off their antioxidant content with their deep red, orange and gold colors. The plants are a type of Marigold, commonly found in home gardens the world over. An oil infusion of the flowers, made by simply soaking the flowers in a “fixed” oil (like Almond or Jojoba oil) for up to several months. This infusion has been an exceptionally popular, if hard to come by, ingredient in skin care recipes, especially for infants and toddlers. Anyone prone to skin irritation would benefit from application of this very soothing oil. However, the infused oil has been generally difficult to find, and limits one to the oils included in any recipe. By using the Calendula essential oil in small concentrations, any carrier, with specific desired therapeutic properties can be used.
Calendula Essential Oil Made Available By High Technology
The Calendula essential oil concentrate is often labeled as Calendula CO2, meaning all the lipid-soluble components of the plant have been extracted using pressurized, liquified carbon dioxide. At the end of the process, the carbon dioxide is released and only the essential oil remains. A search through the data provided by the US Nation Library of Medicine uncovers hundreds of references to Calendula officinalis extract. The database is hosted at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov — simply search for the therm “calendula” for pages of facinating results to browse through.
A Summary of the Research
The research focuses on several of Calendula’s healing properties. Scientists have investigated the following effects of Calendula: an increased rate of wound healing, treatment of radiation burns from chemotherapy, powerful antioxidant activity, inflammation reduction, liver protection, plus anti-parasitic, antibacterial, antiviral, antispasmodic and even anti-tumorial effects. Most of the conclusions of these studies straightforwardly hail the healing effects of Calendula; in Volume 20, 2009 Journal of Basic Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology, Indian scientists note “The data indicate potent wound healing activity of Calendula officinalis extract”. Other researchers concluded in the 2009 Indian Journal of Experimental Biology: “Results suggest a protective role of the flower extract of C. officinalis against…hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity) and cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity (kidney toxicity)…has been found to contain several carotenoids of which lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene predominate…action of the flower extract may be due to its antioxidant activity”. One can read a great many of these studies coming to the same conclusions — that Calendula extract (ie. the CO2 essential oil) has nearly miraculous healing powers. So then, how to use it? Let’s have a look at some classic methods.
Making Healing Recipes at Home
Simply adding a few drops of Calendula essential oil to topical wound healing and pain relief formulas is the most simple means. Calendula will synergize with essential oils such as Helichrysum, Lavender and Tea Tree depending on your needs. For wound healing, with the possibility of scar and hematoma reduction, try 5% Helichrysum, 3% Calendula, 3% Lavender and 3% Tea Tree in a base of virgin Tamanu and Coconut oils. This formula can prevent infection, sooth the injury, and speed the overall healing process. For joint and muscle pain, or injuries to muscles and connective tissue, increase the amount of Helichrysum essential oil to up to 25%, and use 5% Calendula in any carrier oil as a base. Helichrysum is known to be very effective at relieving pain and reducing inflammation, as is Calendula — the two together may provide an even more profound healing effect for many people. Calendula’s profound antioxidant activity make it a first choice for beauty care preparations as well, as its radical-scavenging activity will likely prevent premature skin aging.
Liver and Kidney Protection Through Reflexology
Topical therapeutic application may be best performed using the practice of reflexology. Calendula and other essential oils used for support of the liver and kidney can be massaged into the reflex points of the feet corresponding to these organs. These points are directly behind the ball of the foot (away from the toes, toward the arch) — the liver point is in-line between the big toe and the second toe, the kidneys in-line with the split between the 4th and pinky toe. These areas can be massaged, with the practitioner and massage recipient communicating to find the exact points most in need of attention. An excellent detoxifying blend can be made with Calendula (10%), Helichrysum (3-5%), Blue Tansy (5%) and Carrot Seed (5%) in virgin Coconut oil. This same blend can be diluted in half again and applied on the body in the regions of the organs themselves.
Safe, Safe, Safe
Calendula essential oil has been listed by the FDA as being safe for ingestion in commonly-used amounts. What does this mean? When essential oils are ingested, they are typically consumed by the drop, and usually in the range of only 1-3 drops per day. Ingesting the oil may be a way to utilize the liver and kidney anti-toxicity protective effects described in the research. While typically essential oil ingestion is frowned upon in the United States, the real challenge is proper education about dosages. Calendula CO2 extract specifically should be quite tame, although perhaps the most tasty thing one has ever put in their body! Ingestion of 3 drops daily, put in an empty cellulose capsule if you like, may impart a range of benefits, from antioxidant activity, to chemo-protective, to antibacterial and antiparasitic potential actions.
Taking A Place with the Natural Medicine Essentials
The flowers of the Calendula plant have an exceptionally rich history of medicinal, therapeutic use — backed by a large amount of scientific data. This data elucidates the mechanisms for the medicinal actions, and allows us to make better use of Calendula extract than ever before. Calendula essential oil has such a wide range of healing properties that it really deserves a place in everyone’s natural home care kit. It is safe for use with children and elderly, and addresses many of their common ailments. The essential oil is exceptionally easy to use, and could even be blended into preparations you may already have on hand. For all its beauty (the flower) and its healing potential (the extract) Calendula officinalis is certainly worth a closer look.
Missy Tonin Beauty aging, alternative health, aromatherapy, Beauty, Children, essential oil, Health, health care, massage, pain, skin care, Supplements, Wellness, women