6 Reasons You Need to Start Using Calendula Flowers Right Now

Calendula flowers are these gorgeous yellow flowers that are commonly referred to as marigolds. In truth, calendula flowers are a different species of marigold, but they still have that bright yellow-orange color and are easy to grow.

Many of us have seen marigold flowers before—but few of us have used them. Calendula is an excellent healer and its bright yellow color just can’t help but make you smile. Here are 6 reasons you need to start using this flower right now! 

1. It’s Better Than Neosporin

Calendula flowers are so great at healing that they actually help to heal wounds twice as fast as wounds that are untreated. If you’re trying to heal a wound with Neosporin plan on waiting a little longer—it’s meant to act as an antibiotic on your wound, which means it's also stopping the good bacteria from doing their job. Make a salve out of calendula and discover just how much better it is for healing and protecting your skin than Neosporin! 

2. Helps Detox You

Did you know that calendula actually helps to detox your lymphatic system?

Your lymph nodes are those wonderful glands located in your neck, underneath your arms, and groin area that help keep you from getting sick. Their job is to stop invaders from entering the body.

Our lymph nodes don’t properly detox, for a number of reasons. One reason is related to religiously wearing a bra, which can put pressure on your lymph nodes and prevent them from freely detoxing. Another reason is not exercising. Did you know that you have twice as much lymph fluid in your body than blood? Pretty crazy, right?

Calendula can help effectively detox the lymphatic system and therefore keep your body toxin-free and better prepared to handle sickness. 

3. Acts as a Guard Against Illness

Because calendula is anti-inflammatory and detoxes your lymph nodes, it can help your body to effectively fight off illness and reduce inflammation that happens through stress, sickness, or toxins. You can use calendula to help support immunity by drinking it as a tea, bathing in some luscious calendula flowers, or even using it as a tincture!

4. Gets You Gorgeous Skin

Calendula is gentle and can be used internally or either topically on the skin (although I would recommend consulting an herbalist before doing either). Its high level of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory action on the body can help balance your skin and give you a gorgeous glow!

For the skin, calendula can help heal dermatitis, stop acne, and even be an effective remedy for eczema. You can make a calendula lotion or use it as a salve, but either way, take advantage of this herb for gorgeous skin all fall and winter long!

5. Helps Menstrual Cramps

I don’t know about you, but sometimes during my period I actually do look like Kristen Wiig from Bridesmaids: “You look like you have menstrual cramps.” Definitely not showing my “love is eternal” face at that time of the month, am I right?

Luckily for you ladies out there, calendula is anti-spasmodic. This means that it can help prevent and treat uterine spasms, which is common during dysmenorrhea, or the condition of having really painful menstrual cramps.

Drinking calendula tea may be effective either before your cycle starts or during your painful menstruation. You can also use calendula essential oil in a massage on your tummy.

6. Improves Happiness

Calendula flowers are beautiful. They act as tiny globes of sunlight during those depressing winter months. So whether you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or just want some more sunshine when there’s five feet of snow on the ground, calendula can help. 

Some people use calendula for its soothing effect on the nervous system as well as to help with depression. Grow some calendula flowers in your garden or get some dried flowers to use all winter!

In short, calendula flowers are beautiful additions to food, can be used as a pick-me-up during the winter, can prevent the onset of Kristen Wiig-like behavior during your period, and kicks Neosporin to the curb when it comes to healing. Do you need any more reasons to check out this flower? Get some today!