Calendula Officinalis (Pot Marigold) – Essential For Your First Aid Kit

Calendula Officinalis, commonly known as pot marigold, is prized for its properties as wound healer making it an essential remedy for any first aid kit. It can be taken internally as a homeopathic remedy and also applied topically as a tincture, cream or lotion. For best results I like to combine both approaches so in the first part of this blog I will discuss the Homeopathic benefits of Calendula, followed by the therapeutic effects of topical applications.

Benefits of Calendula taken internally as a homeopathic remedy:

Calendula is a remarkable homeopathic remedy for promoting the healing of open wounds, cuts, tears and grazes as it helps the skin and deeper tissues to knit back together. It helps alleviate pain and prevent infection. Its effects are also valuable for resolving infected, inflammed wounds with pus.

Calendula is an excellent remedy to aid healing after surgery of any kind. I have prescribed arnica and calendula post surgically to many people and have never known any of those people to suffer complications. In many cases, healing has been remarkably rapid and has even been commented upon by medical staff during check ups. Calendula is also a soothing remedy after dental surgery to help prevent excessive bleeding and to repair gums that have been cut.

Calendula is a great remedy for new Mums as it excels in healing the cervix and perineum after giving birth and is fantastic for helping heal vaginal tears. Its also well indicated after caesarian sections to promote healing and can help soothe sore and cracked nipples in breastfeeding Mums.

Other uses of homeopathic calendula include promoting the healing of minor burns and scalds, varicose swellings and ulcers and injuries or surgery to the eyes.

We are currently living in rural Portugal and a few weeks ago, my partner popped out to the car in the dark without a torch and walked face first into a cork oak tree. He came into the house dripping with blood, badly cut and grazed. I immediately gave him arnica 200c for the shock and to help prevent excessive bruising and then followed this with calendula 30c which he continued to take 3 times daily for 5 days. He also bathed the wound immediately with diluted hypercal tincture and once the wounds were no longer open, he used our friend Jayne’s rosehip seed oil* several times daily. Within a week his face was totally healed.

Recently our Serra De Estrela puppy Chewy suffered a nasty tear on the pad of his paw. He was limping and the tear was quite large and ragged. I gave him a few doses of Calendula 30c which resulted in it being much easier for him the following morning and within a couple of days he was totally back to normal.

Calendula

Topical Calendula

Just as the Homeopathic remedy calendula is valued for its wound healing, anti microbial and anti inflammatory properties, the same can be said of the plant when it is used in tinctures, creams and lotions and this has been supported by scientific studies. For example, a 2015 study found that calendula offinalis tincture potentiated wound healing.¹

Calendula is extremely effective at healing wounds but as it works so quickly it is really important to make sure that the wound is clean first to avoid sealing in any dirt. Calendula can then be applied as a cream or lotion to cuts, grazes and tears.

Several studies have been conducted in to the use of Calendula in dental health. One recent study found that, when calendula was used as a irrigant during dental surgery and as a mouthwash afterwards, it protected bone preservation following the extraction of a molar.²

In another study, 240 patients were asked to dilute 2 ml of tincture of calendula with 6 ml of distilled water and rinse their mouths once in the morning and once in the evening for six months. The study concluded that calendula mouthwash is effective in reducing dental plaque and gingivitis adjunctive to scaling. ³

Massaging calendula into the perineum during labour can help to soften the area and help avoid an episiotomy.

Calendula is helpful to complete healing in the later stages of burns, especially when the blisters have broken.

Topical Hypercal:

Hypercal tincture is a blend of calendula and hypericum. The combination of the healing properties of these two plants is especially soothing and healing. There are many ways that Hypercal is beneficial and in our household we wouldn’t be without it. It can be used diluted to bathe wounds, as a soothing eye bath for irritated eyes and as a gargle for sore throats. Applied neat to bites and stings we have found that it facilites healing and alleviates some of the itching. It can also be dabbed onto spots. I once used hypercal topically on an area of my finger where I had a splinter and within a couple of days the splinter had been pushed to the surface so that it could be removed.

Hypercal cream or lotion can be applied to wounds after they have been cleaned and its is also effective for soothing and healing cuts and tears to the perineum as well as taking Calendula 30c internally.

Doses:

For bathing wounds: dilute 1 teaspoon of Hypercal in a bowl of water.

To bathe the eyes: use 2 drops in an eyebath

To make a gargle for sore throats: 40 drops in ¼ pint of water used as often as required

Where to buy:

Homeopathic Pharmacies including

https://www.helios.co.uk

https://www.ainsworths.com/

* Jayne Norman sells organic rosehip seed oil (Rosa Mosqueta) from Chile. Soothing and moisturising, Rosa Mosqueta is highly valued as an ingredient in anti-ageing serums, skin care creams and personal care products. Jayne fragrances her blends with restorative frankincense and neroli essential oils and also offers a summer version including organic carrot seeds and raspberry seed oil for a higher SPF. To find out more or to make a purchase you can contact Jayne by email: jaynenorman@gmail.com

Photography by Beach Davies at 8-19 Photography. Email: beach.davies@gmail.

References:

¹ Dinda M1, Dasgupta U, Singh N, Bhattacharyya D, Karmakar P. PI3K-mediated proliferation of fibroblasts by Calendula officinalis tincture: implication in wound healing. Phytother Res. 2015 Apr;29(4):607-16. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5293. Epub 2015 Jan 13.

² Uribe-Fentanes LK1, Soriano-Padilla F2, Pérez-Frutos JR3, Veras-Hernández MA4. Action of Calendula officinalis essence on bone preservation after the extraction. Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2018 Jan-Feb;56(1):98-105.

³ Khairnar MS1, Pawar B1, Marawar PP1, Mani A1. Evaluation of Calendula officinalis as an anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis agent. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2013 Nov;17(6):741-7. doi: 10.4103/0972-124X.124491.

External Use of Mother Tinctures – Helios Guidelines