All Natural Ingredients

Last spring, I attended a 'Seedy Saturday' event in Western Quebec. It was awesome. I purchased alot of seeds from locals but there was also lots of seeds being given away for free. Looking through the boxes and boxes of free seeds that were all packaged in small brown packets with hand-written labels, the Calendula caught my eye. I'd heard of it - as an ingredient in skin care - but had no idea what it looked like or how to grow it. A few months later, in the midst of the busy planting season, I had all but forgotten about my little package of calendula seeds, but one day I grabbed them, pressed them into the soil of a forgotten corner of my front garden and proceeded to forget about them again. Until about 6 weeks later when I thriving plant emerged in the area; a few weeks later, the orange and yellow flowers burst into bloom and for the rest of the summer of fall, these plants were the star performers of the garden. The flower is plucked off, just like a dandelion head, and the more you prune, the more flowers you get. I began infusing olive oil with the flowers and then using the oil to make salves, balms and face cream. 

Calendula: Calendula oil has antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties that make it useful in healing wounds, soothing eczema, and relieving diaper rash. That’s where calendula comes in. Calendula flowers are rich in antioxidant compounds, including flavonoids, polyphenols, and carotenoids. These antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, limiting the effect they can have on the skin. In practice, this means calendula helps protect the skin from stressors, which keeps it functioning optimally and looking its best. In addition to antioxidants, studies show that calendula flower extract is rich in various skin-friendly oils. Though the exact quantities of these compounds vary depending on where the flowers were grown, when they were harvested, and how the extract was made, research indicates that calendula seeds typically include a high concentration of linoleic and calendic acid. Linoleic acid is the most abundant fatty acid in the skin’s natural moisture barrier and is involved in maintaining the skin barrier’s proper functioning. Evidence suggests that using topical skincare products containing linoleic acid—like those made with calendula extract—may help promote a more hydrated, healthy skin moisture barrier.