Calendula Extract

Calendula extract is a liquid made by putting calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis) in a solvent such as ethanol or olive oil, which dissolves compounds from the plant. In cosmetics it serves as a skin-conditioning and fragrance ingredient, and calendula flower preparations are also traditionally used as medicines for minor skin inflammation and small wounds.

Type

Plant extract

Botanical name

Calendula officinalis

INCI name

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

CAS number

84776-23-8

Other names

marigold, pot marigold, garden marigold (for the plant)

Plant and extraction

Calendula, also called marigold, pot marigold or garden marigold, is a plant of the Asteraceae family (Compositae). Medicinal grades use the dried, fully opened flowers of cultivated double-flowered varieties.

Cosmetic extracts are made by soaking dried flowers in propylene glycol, butylene glycol, glycerin, water or vegetable oil, or with water and alcohol or supercritical carbon dioxide. The solvent decides what passes into the extract. Oil extracts take up fat-soluble substances such as fatty acids and tocopherols, while extracts in glycol and water contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins and polysaccharides.

Composition

Calendula flowers contain flavonoids, triterpenes, carotenoids, polysaccharides and volatile oil; the carotenoids differ between orange and yellow flowers. Flowers for medicinal use must contain at least 0.4% flavonoids.

Uses

The European Union's cosmetic ingredient database lists the flower extract as a fragrance, perfuming and skin-conditioning ingredient. US industry surveys reported its use in cosmetics, including in seven baby lotions.

Herbal medicine

Medicinal use of calendula flowers and ointments goes back at least to Hildegard von Bingen. Calendula flower preparations are traditionally used for minor skin inflammation such as sunburn, as an aid in healing minor wounds, and for minor mouth or throat inflammation.

These uses rest on long experience, not on proof from clinical trials. Studies on leg ulcers, burns and skin inflammation had design problems, so no firm conclusions could be drawn. The medicines are for people over 6 years for the skin and over 12 years for the mouth and throat. If symptoms worsen or last more than a week, a doctor should be consulted.

Safety

Calendula can cause skin allergy. People allergic to plants of the Asteraceae family must not use calendula flower medicines.

In animal and human tests, the cosmetic ingredients did not irritate or sensitise the skin or make it sensitive to light. They may mildly irritate the eyes. In 2010 the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), a US expert panel, found them safe as used in cosmetics.

Products containing it

• Anti-Irritation Face Cream With Calendula (I 890)
• Body Lotion With Calendula And Avocado (I 783)
• Deodorant Cream With Calendula, Sensitive (I 889)
• Eye Contour Cream, Secret Of Serenity (I 406)
• Shampoo With Calendula (I 778)
• Skin Cream With Calendula (I 781)
• Skin Cream With Dead Sea Salt, Viva Activ (I 877)