In the quest for radiant, healthy skin, nature often provides the most potent solutions. Two botanical powerhouses, calendula and licorice root, stand out for their incredible soothing, healing, and brightening properties. Incorporating products like calendula salve, or balm, or liquid versions calendula oil, calendula balm, and licorice cream into your routine can transform your complexion, especially if you struggle with sensitive or irritated skin conditions.

Calendula: The Skin Soother

Calendula (Calendula officinalis), often called "pot marigold," has been prized for centuries in traditional medicine for its remarkable ability to heal and soothe the skin. Its vibrant yellow petals are packed with flavonoids (colorful plant compounds that have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties), saponins (plant compounds that are anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory) , and carotenoids (plant compounds that protect against sun damage, brighten skin, have anti-oxidant properties), which are responsible for its therapeutic benefits.

Key Skincare Benefits of Calendula

• Anti-inflammatory Action: Calendula's compounds significantly reduce skin inflammation and redness, making it an excellent ingredient for sensitive skin and conditions like rosacea and eczema.

• Wound Healing and Repair: It promotes rapid cell turnover and encourages the formation of new tissue. This makes a calendula salve or calendula cream ideal for minor cuts, scrapes, and burns and eczema related scratches.

• Hydration and Protection: When used as a calendula oil or calendula balm, it provides deep moisture, strengthening the skin barrier and protecting it from environmental stressors.

• Natural Eczema Care: Calendula oil is a cornerstone of natural eczema care. Its gentle, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing properties offer relief from the itching, dryness, and cracking associated with eczema. Many turn to calendula salve or specific eczema remedies containing calendula for targeted relief.

Licorice Root: The Brightening and Calming Hero

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is more than just a confectionary flavor; licorice skincare is highly revered, particularly among herbalists as well as Asian beauty traditions. Its primary benefits come from active compounds called glycyrrhizic acid, glabridin and licochalcone A.

Key Skincare Benefits of Licorice Root

• Calming Redness: Licochalcone A, a compound that is in a category you may have heard of, the polyphenols, is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. This makes a licorice oil, salve or cream excellent for calming general facial redness and soothing irritated skin. Two examples of skin that benefit from this are eczema, psoriasis and some chronic hive conditions.

• Brightening and Hyperpigmentation: Glabridin is a potent tyrosinase inhibitor—meaning it helps block the enzyme responsible for producing melanin. Regular use of products containing licorice root, like licorice cream or licorice oil, can help fade dark spots, sun spots, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, resulting in a more even skin tone.

• Oil Control: Licorice root can help regulate oil production, benefiting those with oily or acne-prone skin.

• Sun Protection: While not a substitute for sunscreen, some studies suggest that the compounds found in licorice oil, like glycyrrhizic acid, offer antioxidant protection against UV-induced damage.

• Anti-Aging Benefits: Glycyrric acid has major anti-microbial and anti-oxidant properties and can help prevent skin cell damage from free radicals and oxidative stress. It can help preserve hyaluronic acid in the skin, which helps maintain plumpness and hydration.

A Powerful Combination for Problem Skin

When calendula and licorice skincare root are combined, their benefits are amplified, creating a potent regimen for skin health, especially for managing chronic dryness and irritation. Using calendula oil to soothe and heal, followed by a targeted licorice oil for brightening, offers a comprehensive approach to achieving a clear, calm, and luminous complexion.

For those seeking gentle but effective eczema remedies, look for formulations that blend the intense anti-inflammatory benefits of calendula with the redness-reducing benefits of licorice root. You don’t need to look any further than Ora’s Amazing Oil for products that contain this dynamic duo. 

Ora’s Amazing Herbal Calendula Oil is an infusion of GMO-free grapeseed oil and jojoba oil with calendula, licorice root, and vitamin E.

Ora’s Amazing Herbal Calendula Salve contains GMO-free rapeseed oil and castor oil infused with calendula, licorice root, beeswax, and vitamin E. 

The minimal and gentle formulas of the Calendula Oil and Calendula Salve are the very same ones used in Ora's Amazing Herbal's Newborn Salve and Baby Oil. If your baby is experiencing  cradle cap, eczema, or diaper rash, give these products a try!

Embrace this natural duo and watch your skin thrive!

Further reading:

1. Impact of licorice root on the burn healing process: A double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial - this study shows how when extracts from licorice root are applied to second-degree burns, they healed faster than the control group. - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36870516/ 

2. Effect of oral Calendula officinalis on second-degree burn wound healing - this study demonstrates how patients in a burn unit were given calendula in oral form and that it helped speed up the healing process of the burns compared to the control group. - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9827526/ 

3. The treatment of atopic dermatitis with licorice gel - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14522625/ 

4. Phase III randomized trial of Calendula officinalis compared with trolamine for the prevention of acute dermatitis during irradiation for breast cancer - this is something that we have heard back from customers with our Touchy Skin Salve and Calendula Salve. Cancer patients receiving radiation therapy have reached out to us at how it has helped their skin recover from the inflammation they received from treatment. - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15084618/ 

Disclaimer: This blog post is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment or making changes to your current healthcare regimen.