The Earth is full of natural wonders. For example, consider a field of bright orange flowers that blossoms to life just once per month, every month. These plants exist, and they’re called calendula. In addition to their beauty, calendula have been used as an herbal medicine for hundreds of years. In today’s sulfate-saturated, synthetic-chemical-packed, artificial world, Aspen Kay Naturals is determined to provide lovingly crafted, handmade, organic soaps. We want to return to real, natural ingredients that offer exceptional results. In the following blog, we explain what exactly calendula is and how we use this plant in our products.

As WebMD explains, “calendula is a plant. The flower is used to make medicine.” Although calendulas do include types of marigolds, WebMD urges readers not to “confuse calendula with ornamental marigolds...which are commonly grown in vegetable gardens.” In other words, medicinal calendula is in a category of its own. As Mountain Rose Herbs points out, calendula is “native to Southern Europe, Egypt, the Mediterranean, and in the region spanning the Canary Islands to Iran” but it is “now naturalized in much of the world.” Calendula has spread around the globe due to its aesthetic appearance and useful attributes.

Given its medicinal qualities, it should come as no surprise that people throughout history have made use of calendula. The Herbal Encyclopedia explains that “Calendula was named by the ancient Romans” and used it frequently, while “Ancient Egyptians valued it as a rejuvenating herb.” More recently, “during the American Civil War, doctors on the battlefield used the flowers on a large scale to treat open wounds. It proved effective as an antiseptic, staunching bleeding, preventing infection, and speeding the healing of wounds. The practice continued by doctors during WWI.” Across cultures, centuries, and countries, calendula has been a popular natural remedy.

Benefits of Calendula
As you might expect given its long history of popularity, calendula offers clear advantages to those who use it. Evidence suggests that this plant may help to:

• Clean your mouth. Organic Facts explains: “certain antibacterial properties of calendula...have made it very popular in recent years” for “various herbal health and hygiene products, including toothpastes” and “mouthwashes...toothpastes and mouthwashes that contain calendula are very effective in killing bacteria that cause everything from gingivitis to cavities.”
• Prevent bone loss. Even beyond daily dental hygiene, a 2017 article published in Clinical Oral Investigations “[evaluated] the anti-inflammatory and anti-resorptive effects of Calendula officinalis (CLO) on alveolar bone [a bone in the jaw] loss” and found that “CLO can be a potential therapeutical adjuvant [later supplement to another therapy] in the treatment of periodontitis,” an advanced oral infection.
• Reduce swelling. Calendula’s anti-inflammatory properties have long been noted. They were further expanded upon in a 2018 article in Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, in which scientists studied tinctures from the leaves and stems rather than flowers of this plant and found “anti-inflammatory activity of all samples was observed.”
• Fight bacteria. A 2018 piece published in the Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research revealed that calendula “could be recommended for” patients struggling with a certain type of bacterial infection “who [are] uncomfortable with the potential side effects of synthetic drugs.”
• Heal injuries faster. Livestrong notes: “because of calendula’s anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, it’s often used in preparations for sunburns, rashes, insect bites, and other mild skin irritations...calendula’s effect on inflammation and tissue regeneration makes it an effective natural wound healer.”
• Give you healthier, more beautiful skin. Calendula’s effectiveness as a wound treatment and anti-inflammatory also make it an excellent herb for rejuvenating and moisturizing the skin. Livestrong explains: “calendula oil is often used for dry or damaged skin. It has natural restorative properties that infuse the skin with a youthful glow” and “is also used to protect the skin from premature aging and thinning.”

These are just a few of the myriad merits calendula offers in terms of health and wellbeing.

Given calendula’s outstanding effect on skin, it was a natural choice for our soap specialists to include it in our products. For example, when you wash with our Aloe Vera & Calendula Bar Soap, you can enjoy all the dermatological advantages of this powerful plant. Order your handmade soap today to see firsthand what calendula can do for you!