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Calendula

John Montgomery4 min read

Calendula

Calendula (Calendula officinalis, pot marigold) is a daisy-family flower. Its extracts go into ointments, “natural” baby balms and nappy creams, which are often marketed for sensitive or eczema-prone skin. It is said to soothe and heal the skin, and to work as a mild anti-inflammatory. Botanically it belongs to the Compositae (Asteraceae) family, which also includes Chamomile, arnica, dandelion, sunflower and ragweed. That family is the source of Compositae Allergy, a contact allergy driven by Sesquiterpene Lactones.

Calendula [part-of] Herbal and Home Remedies for Eczema Calendula [relates] Chamomile Sesquiterpene Lactones [part-of] Calendula

Strength of evidence. No randomised trial of calendula for Atopic Dermatitis was found in round 0 or this round. The paediatric RCTs that do exist are for nappy (diaper) dermatitis, which is a different, irritant condition, and neither shows a benefit. In a triple-blind RCT of 76 children under 2, 1.5% calendula ointment performed no better than 1.5% olive ointment (Sharifi-Heris 2018). In a double-blind RCT of 100 infants, bentonite cleared 86% of rashes within 3 days, against 52% for calendula (P<0.001) (Mahmoudi 2015). In adults, an underpowered RCT for radiation dermatitis found calendula no better than sorbolene, a basic glycerine emollient (Siddiquee 2021). For eczema, the case for calendula therefore rests on tradition and marketing. Calendula has not been shown to beat a plain emollient.

Calendula [relates] Emollient Therapy Calendula [relates] Olive Oil

Traditional use. Calendula has a long folk use as a wound and skin salve. Today it sits mainly in over-the-counter herbal ointments and baby-care products. Its popularity is part of the trend toward “medical remedies of plant origin” that Reider 2001 links to rising rates of eczematous and anaphylactic reactions. Evidence: traditional/anecdotal.

Calendula [relates] Traditional Herbal Registration

Toddler safety: Compositae contact allergy. Reider 2001 patch-tested 443 consecutive patients. 2.03% reacted to marigold, and only 4 of those 9 were picked up by the standard Compositae mix, so routine screening misses many calendula allergies. A review of Asteraceae allergy reports that about 2% of allergic patients react to marigold allergens, and that contact allergy and severe anaphylaxis have both occurred (Denisow-Pietrzyk 2019). In children, Compositae sensitisation is concentrated in atopic children. Paulsen 2008 notes that every paediatric case report involved an atopic child, and that sensitisation was significantly more common in children with AD than in non-atopic children. In Paulsen 2020, 12 of 388 Danish children and adolescents patch-tested (3%) were Compositae-sensitised, and 11 of the 12 had a personal history of atopy. Compositae allergy is usually lifelong (DermNet).

Calendula [causes] Compositae Allergy Compositae Allergy [worsens] Atopic Dermatitis Atopic Dermatitis [relates] Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Plant allergens on broken skin can sensitise

Applying a Compositae extract such as calendula or Chamomile to inflamed, cracked eczema exposes the immune system to Sesquiterpene Lactones through a damaged barrier. Atopic children are the group most often sensitised (Paulsen 2008, 2020). Once sensitised, a child may react to the whole daisy family, including chamomile, arnica, echinacea and dandelion, and usually stays allergic for life. If eczema worsens where a “natural” balm was applied, stop it and ask for patch testing. Standard mixes can miss calendula, so request a calendula extract test.

What parents report (evidence: anecdotal). This round found no parent-community data specifically on calendula for toddler eczema, because the Reddit API returned 403. The vault’s existing natural-oils parent threads (round 2) include reports of eczema flaring that settled once “all the natural stuff” was stopped. Those reports do not name calendula.

Calendula [relates] Adulterated Herbal Creams

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