Calendula Extract

INCI - Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract.

What is it - Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract is a botanical ingredient used in cosmetics for its soothing, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties. It helps calm irritated skin, reduce redness, and promote skin regeneration, making it ideal for sensitive or damaged skin.

Formulas used in - Soaps, oil blends, creams, lotions, balms, foot and hand products, poultices, perfumes, hair care products.

Formulation notes - Macerations can be made from dried calendula flower by infusing it in a carrier oil over an extended period. This can be done either on a low heat over a double broiler for a few hours, or by mixing the dried plant matter with a carrier oil in a jar and leaving it in a cool dark area for a couple weeks. These macerations can then be used in anhydrous products such balms and oil blends, or added during the cool down phase in emulsions. Remember when creating your own macerations to ensure you are adding a suitable antioxidant to prevent your maceration going rancid prematurely. Extracts can also be made by 30% concentrated infused water being mixed with 70% glycerin or propylene glycol - used at this amount it becomes self preserving. To make an extract steep the dried plant matter in distilled water as you would a tea, once adequately infused strain and allow to cool, before mixing with either glycerin or propylene glycol. When making your own macerations and extracts unless you get efficacy or clinical testing you cannot make any claims regarding its benefits as an active.

Odour - Characteristic warm floral odour.

Heat sensitivity - Extracts and Macerations using dried calendula should be treated as heat sensitive <40°C.

Solubility - Insoluble matter, extracts and macerations are easily solubilised.

Natural / synthetic status - Natural usually however check additives added to extract as these may synthetic.