In a previous blog on The Healing Storm website, I discussed manual lymphatic drainage, and how it has several varieties that do different things and are done in different ways. But maybe you’re wondering why I am mentioning MLD when the article is about Calendula Infused Oil?
The answer is simple. Calendula Infused Oil is one of the best tools used for manual lymphatic drainage.
Let me introduce you in greater detail to the wonderful calendula infused oil.
Calendula (Latin name: Calendula officinalis) is an incredible flowering plant that gets its name because it has been known to flower in every month of the year. Most people have heard of this wonderful plant by its more common name, Marigold.
You read that right. Marigolds are one of the best herbal treatments for so many different ailments. The main part of the plant that is used is the flowering head, from the base of the flower through the petals. However, the leaves are also used in many herbal treatments along with the flower.
This incredible herb can be part of an herbal infusion or tea and taken internally. It can be used externally as a poultice or fomentation. But my favorite way to use it is externally as an infused oil.
One of the reasons I love calendula infused oil is that it helps with the flow of lymph and the reduction in swelling in the lymph nodes, specifically in the armpits, sternum, back of the neck, and hip areas. It also works on the lymph nodes under the jaw and along the front of the neck, the knees and ankles, and elbows and wrists.
This plant helps because it helps the lymph move which moves the toxins from the system. These toxins are part of what causes the swelling of the nodes and then the back up of lymph fluid causing swelling in specific areas, such as around the ankles, hands, feet, or incisions (post-operative).
I guess you could call this herb a garbage man for the body and when used on the skin, the body’s largest organ, with a subdermal oil, the herb goes straight into the lymphatic system to help the healing immediately.
The reason why I love this infused oil is because calendula is considered a vulnerary, which means that it is one of the best herbs to use on wounds (or incisions).
How does the calendula do this? Because it moves the fluid from around the wound away from the wound. When we have cuts or incisions, the lymphatic system and blood system bring a host of helpers to repair the wound, such as fascia for scar tissue, macrophages, T Cells and more. These helpers not only knit the skin and muscle back together but also fight any infection that may have entered the wound.
- Calendula is astringent which pulls the wound together to help it heal more quickly without leaving a major scar.
- It removes the dead/used healing helper cells that can become stuck and stagnant creating extra swelling
- It helps stop inflammation by helping the immune system to remove toxins and infections from the site through the lymphatic system.
In fact, an expert herbalist, Matthew Wood, states that this herb is known to “clean the wound from the inside out.” So not only does it seal the wound on the outside, but it works internally to knit it all back together and remove toxins.
Because of this, I use calendula infused oil with all my post-operative MLD clients at the end of their sessions starting around the third week after surgery. It helps with the itchiness, the drying, and the healing of the incision and reduction of the scar. It also helps to reduce swelling faster than MLD alone. My clients see a reduction in the scar tissue and visibility when using this at home as well as at the end of our sessions. I know it works because I’ve been using it for years in this way.
BUT this is not the only thing I use calendula infused oil for with my clients!
Especially in winter, the skin can become exceptionally dry and flaky. There is no better remedy for this dry, flaky, chapped, cracked skin than the calendula infused oil. I use it during therapeutic massage sessions to give the skin a nice hydrating session.
Sure, other oils, gels, and lotions can work, but in the colder months, calendula is the best. And for the most part it is safe for people of all ages. However, it should not be taken internally if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and it should not be used externally on the breasts if you are breastfeeding.
For example, calendula infused oil is a great remedy for baby skin care, cradle cap, and diaper rash. Now you want to make sure it is organic and chemical free, but yes, this can be used on babies.
The fact is that calendula infused oil is not only a vulnerary (wound healing), but is also a circulatory stimulant, emollient, and is considered to be anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory.
This means when you use the infused oil externally you can treat a lot of different problems.
Some other things that it can help with include:
Varicose veins
Athlete’s foot
Boils
Bed sores
Bruises
Chapped lips
Cysts
Dermatitis
Eczema
Fungal infections
Hemorrhoids
Inflammation and swelling of skin, muscles, sprains, and strains
Insect bites
Itching and rashes
Minor burns and sunburns
Psoriasis
Scars
The main takeaway here is that this plant was used by medical professionals for thousands of years before the introduction of today’s pharmacology. It is coming into a renaissance of use because people are realizing that it works and is safe. All I would say is to make sure that any oils you purchase are organic and chemical free, that way you know you are getting real calendula infused oil.
Since I use this so often with my clients, The Healing Storm Apothecary has this in stock at all times. We use only organic oils and herbs in their products. The Calendula infused oil is made with organic calendula flowers and leaves, and organic safflower oil or an organic olive and avocado oil blend. I know personally because I oversee every batch made since I use it on my clients.
Anyway, I just wanted everyone to know about this wonderful herb and how great the infused oil is for our bodies whether post-operative or just because. It is a great way to keep your skin feeling great and to keep down swelling, inflammation, and remove toxins without ingesting anything.
DISCLAIMER: This blog was written by Chanin Storm and is not AI generated. We want to ensure that what is in the blogs matches our mission and vision of The Healing Storm Holistic Wellness, LLC., which means that we want to be transparent in the information that we provide. We want to be authentic in what we say and do. This is just one way that we feel we can keep our authenticity with our clients and followers.
This blog is for educational purposes only.