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What is Calendula Cream?
Calendula cream is typically made from a solid fat base of vegetable oil or lanolin infused with calendula flowers, commonly known as garden marigolds or pot marigolds. Calendula is known to be high in anti-oxidants that may help prevent skin cell damage caused by free radicals; it also is believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Calendula cream is often used as a topical salve to heal and prevent dry skin as well as to promote wound healing. It also may be used to help soothe the irritation and redness caused by skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.
The calendula flower, or calendula officinalis, is native throughout the Mediterranean and Egypt. The name comes from the Latin calend, which means the first day of the month, because that was when the flower was thought to bloom. It is also associated with the sun because of the bright yellow and orange colors of its petals. Calendula has been used for centuries in herbal medicine to treat skin ailments and injuries such as burns, scrapes or insect bites.
Calendula cream can be made at home by combining dried calendula petals with a solid fat, such as vegetable shortening, and beeswax. The mixture is heated and the petals are allowed to steep in the hot oil until thoroughly infused. The petals are then removed and the fat is allowed to solidify. The cream can then be put into clean jars and applied to any external part of the body. Special uses for this cream can include healing cracked heels or palms, hangnails, and wind chapped or sunburned skin.
There are also several commercial calendula cream preparations that can be found in health food stores or pharmacies that stock natural remedies. Calendula is not only a skin cream ingredient, but may also be found in shampoos for oily hair and herbal mouth rinses used to soothe painful canker sores. Calendula cream bath products are also commonly available for children and adults who need a cleansing agent that is also soothing to dry and irritated skin. For babies, this cream often is used as an ointment to heal and prevent diaper rash and flaky dry scalps, commonly called cradle cap.
Calendula cream is generally considered safe and effective, but it should not be used by anyone who suffers from allergies to daisies or plants of the daisy family such as asters or sunflowers. Typical allergic reactions may include a rash, hives, or in severe cases, difficulty breathing. A physician should be consulted if any allergic reactions occur.
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![Calendula cream can be found in some canker sore treatments.]()
By: Antonio GravanteCalendula cream can be found in some canker sore treatments. -
![Calendula cream can be used to hydrate and heal skin.]()
By: Africa StudioCalendula cream can be used to hydrate and heal skin. -
![Calendula cream may be used to treat hangnails.]()
By: Ubi Desperare NescioCalendula cream may be used to treat hangnails. -
![Calendula cream can be used to treat and prevent some types of diaper rashes.]()
By: Tomasz TrojanowskiCalendula cream can be used to treat and prevent some types of diaper rashes. -
![Calendula cream can be used to treat sunburned skin.]()
By: robert mobleyCalendula cream can be used to treat sunburned skin. -
![Calendula bath products are available for children and adults.]()
By: Gabriel BlajCalendula bath products are available for children and adults.
Discussion Comments
I've read about Arbordoun's Calendula Cream in a review blog somewhere. It's made by a group of all-female herbalists who grow and make the ingredients themselves on their island. Got intrigued by the testimonials so I gave it a try.
The eczema on my face that can't be cured by any cream or meds for almost a decade is now gone! Another great thing about it is that it's so smooth and fragrant, like flower-scented, melted white chocolate.
My daughter uses Nelson's Calendula Cream and Tea Tree Cream instead of harsh chemicals and her acne prone skin seems to be a thing of the past.
She washes with Cerave Foaming Facial Cleanser and will do an ACV toner using Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (1 tablespoon vinegar to 2 or 3 tablespoons water). That is it. Oh, and Neutrogena "on the spot treatment" for the occasional pimple. I can't believe how great her skin looks. The acne products out there made things so much worse for her. We're glad to be going the natural route.
You can purchase calendula cream from most naturopaths just simply by walking in and asking. Or just try calling ahead of time. You will be sure to get a good homeopathic one this way.
@galen84basc -- I don't know about Nelson's but I have a friend who swears by Weleda Calendula Face Cream. She uses calendula cream for her acne, and she says it works really really well. Hope you find one that works for you!
Has anybody ever used Nelson's Calendula Cream? I am trying to find a good homeopathic calendula cream for my acne, and had heard good things about Nelson's. Does anybody reading this know about it, or can recommend a good calendula cream to me?
And while we're on the subject, does anybody know where to buy calendula cream in south Chicago? I'd appreciate any leads; I'm new to the area.
I am absolutely such a fan or my organic homeopathic calendula cream -- a friend of mine kept telling me for years about all the different calendula cream uses, and it sounded like one of those "miracle cream" things.
So finally, to get her to stop sounding like an infomercial, I got some calendula face cream, and my acne was so much better after using if for just a week.
So now I've turned into the infomercial, touting the benefits of calendula cream for eczema to one of my friends who gets chronic skin flares.
Anyway, suffice to say, I would really recommend calendula cream for acne or eczema.
Fascinating!
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