Calendula for Skin: Benefits & What the Research Says

Calendula (Calendula officinalis), commonly known as pot marigold, has a long history of traditional use in preparations intended to soothe and care for the skin. Today, calendula continues to be used in creams, balms, oils, salves, and other topical formulations.

What makes this golden flower especially interesting for modern skincare is its complex phytochemistry. Calendula flowers contain numerous naturally occurring compounds, including flavonoids, triterpenoids, carotenoids, saponins, sterols, and other phytochemicals that have been investigated for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing-related biological activity (Shahane et al., 2023). 

Calendula and Skin-Soothing Properties

One of the best-known traditional uses of calendula is for soothing irritated or stressed skin.

Modern research provides a biological rationale for this use. Reviews of Calendula officinalis describe a variety of constituents and experimental findings associated with anti-inflammatory activity, including activity attributed to compounds found within the flower (Shahane et al., 2023). 

Research into calendula's role in wound healing also suggests that its extracts can influence processes occurring during the inflammatory phase of tissue repair. However, these effects depend on the type of extract, concentration, experimental model, and other factors.

For cosmetic skincare, this makes calendula an attractive ingredient for formulations intended to soothe, condition, and support stressed or dry-feeling skin. It does not mean that a calendula-containing cosmetic should be considered a replacement treatment for inflammatory skin diseases.

Calendula and Wound-Healing Research

Wound healing is one of the most extensively investigated areas of calendula research.

A systematic review by Givol et al. (2019) examined 14 in-vivo studies, consisting of seven animal experiments and seven clinical trials evaluating Calendula officinalis flower extract.

For acute wounds, the review found evidence of faster resolution of the inflammatory phase and increased granulation-tissue formation in calendula-treated groups. However, results for chronic wounds, burns, and radiation-related skin injury were less consistent.

The researchers concluded that there is some evidence of beneficial effects of calendula on wound healing, but emphasized that larger, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed (Givol et al., 2019). 

Calendula has promising biological and clinical research surrounding wound-healing processes, but the available evidence does not justify saying that a cosmetic containing calendula is clinically proven to "heal wounds."

What Happens in Human Skin Cells?

Some of the most interesting calendula research has been performed using human dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes.

Fibroblasts play an important role in producing and maintaining the extracellular matrix of the skin, while keratinocytes are the predominant cells of the epidermis.

Dinda et al. (2016) investigated a hydroethanolic calendula extract and its water fraction using primary human dermal fibroblasts. The researchers found that the calendula preparations significantly stimulated fibroblast proliferation and migration and increased expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) under their experimental conditions. They also investigated the preparations in an excisional-wound mouse model (Dinda et al., 2016). 

These findings provide interesting mechanistic evidence for calendula's association with tissue-repair processes.

Calendula and Collagen-Related Processes

Calendula extracts have demonstrated effects on collagen-related processes in laboratory models involving human skin cells, supporting continued research into their potential role in skin repair.

A separate study by Nicolaus et al. (2017) examined three calendula flower extracts, n-hexanic, ethanolic, and aqueous, in models involving human keratinocytes and human dermal fibroblasts.

The researchers investigated several stages associated with wound healing. Interestingly, the ethanolic calendula extract inhibited collagenase activity in vitro and increased the amount of soluble collagen detected in the supernatant of human dermal fibroblasts (Nicolaus et al., 2017).

Antioxidant Properties

Calendula also contains compounds with measurable antioxidant activity.

Antioxidants are relevant to skin biology because skin is continuously exposed to oxidative stress from environmental factors, including ultraviolet radiation.

Alnuqaydan et al. (2015) investigated calendula flower-head extracts using human HaCaT skin cells exposed to hydrogen-peroxide-induced oxidative stress.

Under the experimental conditions, calendula extracts demonstrated free-radical-scavenging activity and increased cell survival following oxidative challenge. The researchers concluded that the extracts contained bioactive and free-radical-scavenging compounds capable of protecting against oxidative stress in this human skin-cell model (Alnuqaydan et al., 2015). 

Calendula and UV-Induced Oxidative Stress

Another particularly interesting study examined calendula in relation to ultraviolet-induced oxidative stress.

Fonseca et al. (2010) investigated a hydroalcoholic Calendula officinalis flower extract and evaluated antioxidant activity along with markers including reduced glutathione and matrix metalloproteinase secretion.

Their findings provided experimental evidence that calendula extract could influence aspects of UVB-induced oxidative stress in the studied skin model (Fonseca et al., 2010). 

This is interesting from a skincare perspective because oxidative stress is one of the mechanisms involved in environmental skin damage.

However, calendula should not be described as sunscreen or a substitute for broad-spectrum sun protection based on this research.

The evidence instead supports describing calendula as a botanical with antioxidant properties that can complement a thoughtfully designed skincare formulation.

Human Clinical Research

Although much calendula research is preclinical, human clinical research does exist.

One more recent randomized controlled trial examined a standardized Calendula officinalis extract in acute wounds of the hands and fingers healing by secondary intention.

The study included intervention and control groups. Among the analyzed wounds, the calendula group had a mean epithelization time of approximately 8.6 days compared with 13.2 days in the control group, and healing speed was also greater in the calendula group (Giostri et al., 2022). 

This is encouraging human evidence, and we hope future studies will continue to explore the potential of this remarkable golden herb in supporting wound healing.

What Does the Overall Wound-Healing Evidence Tell Us?

Looking at one positive study can sometimes make an ingredient appear more clinically established than it actually is.

That's why systematic reviews are especially useful.

Givol et al. (2019) found promising results in several areas but also identified mixed findings. For example, some studies involving venous ulcers showed decreased ulcer surface area, while another randomized trial involving diabetic leg ulcers did not demonstrate improvement. Research involving burns and radiation-related skin injury was also inconsistent.

The authors ultimately concluded that calendula has some evidence supporting beneficial wound-healing effects, but that larger and better-designed randomized controlled trials are needed. 

Calendula and Healthy-Looking Skin

Taken together, the available research provides several reasons calendula is interesting for topical skincare.

Experimental studies have investigated calendula in relation to:

Antioxidant activity • Oxidative stress • Inflammatory processes • Fibroblast proliferation and migration • Keratinocyte activity • Collagen-related processes • Granulation tissue • Wound-healing mechanisms

Some of these effects have been demonstrated in human skin-cell models, while others come from animal experiments or human clinical studies. 

The evidence is therefore promising, but its strength differs depending on the specific claim being made.

What is Calendula CO₂ Extract?

Calendula CO₂ extract is a highly concentrated botanical extract obtained from Calendula officinalis flowers using supercritical carbon dioxide.

This gentle extraction method helps preserve many of calendula’s naturally occurring lipophilic compounds, including triterpenoids, carotenoids, and other beneficial phytochemicals.

In skincare formulations, calendula CO₂ extract is valued for its soothing, antioxidant, and skin-conditioning properties, making it especially useful in products designed to nourish and support dry, sensitive, or stressed skin.

Why We Use Calendula

Calendula combines a long history of topical use with fascinating modern research.

Its flowers contain a diverse collection of naturally occurring compounds, including flavonoids, triterpenoids, carotenoids, saponins, and sterols. Modern research has investigated calendula for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and for its effects on fibroblasts, keratinocytes, collagen-related processes, and wound-healing mechanisms (Shahane et al., 2023). 

Human skin-cell research has demonstrated antioxidant protection under experimental oxidative stress (Alnuqaydan et al., 2015), while other studies have demonstrated activity involving dermal fibroblasts and collagen-related processes (Dinda et al., 2016; Nicolaus et al., 2017). 

At the same time, systematic reviews remind us that laboratory activity doesn't always translate directly into a clinically proven benefit in people (Givol et al., 2019). 

That's why we view calendula as a supportive botanical ingredient designed to help nourish, soothe, condition, and maintain healthy-looking skin.

Its traditional history brought attention to this remarkable flower. Its phytochemistry and evolving scientific research give us even more reason to appreciate it today.

A Note About the Research

The word “calendula” can refer to different preparations, and this distinction is important when interpreting scientific research.

Studies may investigate hydroalcoholic extracts, ethanolic extracts, aqueous extracts, standardized extracts, isolated fractions, or formulated topical products. These preparations are not necessarily chemically equivalent to one another or to a traditional calendula-infused carrier oil.

In our formulations, we use carefully prepared calendula-infused ingredients as well as a high-quality Calendula CO₂ extract, a concentrated botanical extract produced using supercritical carbon dioxide to capture many of calendula’s oil-soluble constituents. Even so, a CO₂ extract should not automatically be considered equivalent to the specific calendula extracts or concentrations evaluated in individual studies.

Likewise, results obtained in cultured cells or animal models cannot automatically be assumed to occur to the same degree when a finished cosmetic product is applied to human skin.

For this reason, the research presented here should be understood as evidence surrounding Calendula officinalis, its extracts, and its biological potential, rather than proof that every calendula preparation—or every calendula-containing skincare product—will produce every effect described in these studies.

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References

Alnuqaydan, A. M., Lenehan, C. E., Hughes, R. R., & Sanderson, B. J. S. (2015). Extracts from Calendula officinalis offer in vitro protection against H₂O₂ induced oxidative stress cell killing of human skin cells. Phytotherapy Research, 29(1), 120–124. (Read Article Here)

Dinda, M., Mazumdar, S., Das, S., Ganguly, D., Dasgupta, U. B., Dutta, A., Jana, K., & Karmakar, P. (2016). The water fraction of Calendula officinalis hydroethanol extract stimulates in vitro and in vivo proliferation of dermal fibroblasts in wound healing. Phytotherapy Research, 30(10), 1696–1707.  (Read Article Here)

Fonseca, Y. M., Catini, C. D., Vicentini, F. T. M. C., Nomizo, A., Gerlach, R. F., & Fonseca, M. J. V. (2010). Protective effect of Calendula officinalis extract against UVB-induced oxidative stress in skin: Evaluation of reduced glutathione levels and matrix metalloproteinase secretion. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 127(3), 596–601. (Read Article Here)

Giostri, G. S., Novak, E. M., Buzzi, M., & Guarita-Souza, L. C. (2022). Treatment of acute wounds in hand with Calendula officinalis L.: A randomized trial. Tissue Barriers, 10(3), 1994822. (Read Article Here)

Givol, O., Kornhaber, R., Visentin, D., Cleary, M., Haik, J., & Harats, M. (2019). A systematic review of Calendula officinalis extract for wound healing. Wound Repair and Regeneration, 27(5), 548–561. (Read Article Here)

Nicolaus, C., Junghanns, S., Hartmann, A., Murillo, R., Ganzera, M., & Merfort, I. (2017). In vitro studies to evaluate the wound healing properties of Calendula officinalis extracts. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 196, 94–103. (Read Article Here)

Shahane, K., Kshirsagar, M., Tambe, S., Jain, D., Rout, S., Ferreira, M. K. M., Mali, S., Amin, P., Srivastav, P. P., Cruz, J., & Lima, R. R. (2023). An updated review on the multifaceted therapeutic potential of Calendula officinalis L. Pharmaceuticals, 16(4), 611. (Read Article Here)