Calendula Flower Extract + CBD = The Ultimate Calming Duo

You may be curious about the ingredients we have hand-selected for our Wellness Garden Medicinals Calming & Anxiety Relief Salve. Although CBD is the star of the show and promotes many of the calming benefits when you use the salve, there are other ingredients that help to make the salve even more effective. One of these ingredients is calendula flowers. 

What are calendula flowers? How do calendula flowers and CBD work together? Why use calendula with CBD? Those are probably a few of the questions you have, and we’ll answer them all in this article. 

WHAT ARE CALENDULA FLOWERS?

Calendula flowers, also referred to simply as calendula, are an herb with a variety of health benefits. The calendula plant is also known as ‘marigold’ or ‘pot marigold’. It is a flowering plant that typically has bright yellow or orange petals, and it grows approximately 1-2 feet tall. 

You’ve likely seen these daisy-like flowers around as they’re popular in many gardens. Although the plant originated in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Egypt, they now grow in most parts of the world, including North America. 

The calendula flower has many different uses and is often used to create calendula extract oil or calendula tea. The extract is found in many different ointments, skincare products, and oils. This is because it is known to have many potential benefits including promoting stress-relief, reducing inflammation, hydrating skin, and more. 

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CALENDULA FLOWER EXTRACT

You may be thinking, “What’s so great about this common garden flower?” Calendula is more than just a pretty addition to your flower pots - it’s known to have a variety of health benefits as well. A few of the most common benefits include the following:

Anti-anxiety properties

Although there isn’t a lot of research yet on calendula flower oil and its effect on anxiety, it has traditionally been used as a treatment of anxiety. Although it has a history of anti-anxiety treatment, not enough research has been conducted to prove anything conclusively. 

The extract was used in a preliminary anti-anxiety study in 2017, and the results found that the extract produced significant results when compared to diazepam (a common anti-anxiety drug). More studies are sure to be completed in the future that can hopefully paint a better picture of why calendula can reduce anxiety levels. 

Anti-inflammatory properties

Calendula has anti-inflammatory compounds that may help to reduce overall inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation in humans is linked to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and more. These anti-inflammatory compounds in calendula extract may help to revert the depletion of antioxidant levels, as shown in this 2012 experiment. 

These anti-inflammatory effects can also be beneficial on your skin as well. Calendula oil may reduce pain from dermatitis, and even help treat dermatitis and psoriasis as well. However, it’s important to note that more research needs to be done on the effects of calendula extract on the human body before we can get a clearer picture of how it works.

High antioxidant content

Antioxidants are helpful little compounds that work to neutralize oxidative stress inside your body. Calendula extract is known to have a few different powerful antioxidants. In fact, this study shows that extracts from calendula can offer protection against the degradation of certain human skin cells. 

Skin health properties

Many skin products include calendula extract because of its potential to enhance skin hydration and also improve elasticity and firmness. These benefits are most likely due to the high antioxidant content found in calendula. Antioxidants work to repair skin damage that is caused by oxidative stress, so utilizing a product with calendula extract may help promote healthy skin. 

This is always a great benefit for any product designed to be rubbed into the skin so you don’t have to worry about dryness after use. 

Other research has also shown that calendula may help heal certain wounds as well. Although more research is needed on the subject, what scientists are discovering about calendula extract is looking very promising. 

Antifungal and antimicrobial properties

One study found that calendula flower oil was effective against nearly two dozen strains of Candida yeast. This common type of fungus is a leading cause of many different types of infections. Another study found that calendula helped to inhibit the growth of a parasite that is responsible for the leishmaniasis disease, which causes skin sores and can even affect internal organs. 

These antimicrobial and antifungal benefits are a great bonus for any salve with the extract. 

HOW CBD MANAGES ANXIETY

CBD works especially well when paired with calendula flower extract. This is because they both share many of the same beneficial properties, including being anti-inflammatory, promoting skin health, and potentially reducing anxiety as well. 

One of the biggest reasons many people choose to use CBD is for its potential to relieve anxiety. It’s believed that one of the primary ways that CBD helps reduce anxiety is by helping the human body process serotonin better. It can increase the availability of serotonin (commonly called the ‘happiness hormone’) in the brain. This helps to boost your mood overall, ultimately diminishing the anxious thoughts associated with common psychological disorders. 

One study tested using CBD as a treatment for people with anxiety and sleep disorders. The results of the study found that anxiety and sleep improved overall for most patients. The study also found that many of the patients appreciated using a natural anxiety remedy to avoid the use of psychiatric medication. This is one of the biggest benefits of using CBD, as it is all-natural and isn’t known to have the side effects that certain prescription medications may pose. 

If you’re interested in trying out a product that can potentially help ease your anxiety, you may want to give our Calming & Anxiety Relief Salve a try. It includes CBD oil, calendula flower extract, and a variety of other beneficial compounds as well.