Calendula is the ingredient on the Lips label that people recognize first. The orange flower has a long history in skin care, and it turns up in creams, soaps and ointments of every kind. That familiarity makes it reassuring, and it's also the reason it's worth a closer look. Our guide to vulva balm ingredients puts calendula among the ingredients that earn their place; this article goes into what that rests on.
We'll cover what calendula is, what researchers have actually tested, how safe it is in cosmetics, and the one group of people who should leave it alone.
In this article
- What calendula is
- What the research has tested
- How safe calendula is in cosmetics
- The daisy family allergy
- Extract, oil or macerate: reading the label
- Calendula in Lips
- Who should skip calendula
- Frequently asked questions
What calendula is
Calendula is Calendula officinalis, a garden flower often called pot marigold. It belongs to the daisy family, the large group of plants that botanists call Compositae or Asteraceae. It isn't the same plant as the French marigolds sold in garden centres, even though the names overlap.
The part used in skin care is the flower. A safety review of calendula cosmetic ingredients lists what these ingredients may contain: flavonoids, triterpenes, sterols, tocopherols (the vitamin E family) and many other plant compounds. The flowers can be soaked in oil or extracted in a liquid, the seeds can be pressed for oil, and each of those becomes a different line on a label.
What the research has tested
Most of the research on calendula looks at wounds and damaged skin, not at everyday dryness. The best summary is a 2019 systematic review in Wound Repair and Regeneration, which gathered 14 studies, 7 on animals and 7 clinical trials of calendula flower extract used on its own.
In animal studies of fresh wounds, the redness and swelling phase of wound repair passed faster with calendula. In people, the results were mixed: two studies of leg ulcers reported smaller wounds, while a trial in diabetic leg ulcers and a trial in burns found no benefit. Two trials of skin care during radiation treatment disagreed with each other. The authors called for larger, better-designed trials.
| What was studied | What it found | What it tells you about a balm |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh wounds in animals | The inflamed phase passed faster | Says little about people, or about dry skin |
| Leg ulcers in people | Two studies saw smaller wounds; one trial saw no change | Mixed, and about wounds, not dryness |
| Burns in people | No benefit in one trial | No support for using it on burns |
| Skin during radiation treatment | One trial helped, one didn't | Mixed |
| Cosmetic safety tests | Not irritating or sensitizing in animal or clinical tests | Generally well tolerated in cosmetics |
| People tested at an allergy clinic | About 2 in 100 reacted to marigold | A real, if uncommon, allergy |
None of these studies looked at vulvar skin, and none tested a balm like ours. So we won't tell you calendula does anything in particular for the vulva. What the research does support is that calendula has a long history in skin care, a reasonable safety record and some early evidence on wounds that still needs better trials.
Why we don't borrow the wound studies
A finding on an ulcer or a burn is about broken skin under a doctor's care. A vulva balm is for intact skin that feels dry, and the Lips page asks you to avoid broken skin entirely. The two situations aren't comparable, and using one as proof for the other would be misleading.
How safe calendula is in cosmetics
In the United States, an independent expert panel called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review assesses the safety of cosmetic ingredients. Its 2010 report on calendula ingredients found they were not irritating, sensitizing, or photosensitizing in animal or clinical tests, though they may mildly irritate the eyes. The panel concluded they are safe in cosmetics at the amounts used.
That's a good record. It doesn't mean nobody reacts, because a panel looks at how most people respond, and a minority always responds differently. That minority is the subject of the next section.
The daisy family allergy
Some people are allergic to plants in the daisy family. DermNet, the dermatology reference, explains that the most important allergens in this family are sesquiterpene lactones, and that extracts of these plants turn up in skin treatments, cosmetics and herbal supplements. Daisies, sunflowers, asters, chamomile and marigold all belong to the family.
Reactions to calendula itself are uncommon. A study at an allergy clinic patch tested 443 patients in a row and found that about 2 percent reacted to marigold. Those were people already being tested for a suspected skin allergy, so the rate in the general population is likely lower. A 2002 review in the same journal counted calendula among at least 15 daisy family plants suspected of causing reactions, and noted that for most species the evidence is anecdotal and the risk to people already sensitized is largely unknown.
DermNet's advice for anyone with a confirmed allergy to this family is direct: cosmetics and creams containing these plants should not be used. It also notes that more than a third of people with this allergy react to fragrances too, which is one more reason fragrance-free matters on sensitive skin.
Extract, oil or macerate: reading the label
Calendula can appear on a label in a few forms, and they aren't the same thing.
- Calendula extract. The flowers soaked in a liquid such as water, glycerin or alcohol, which pulls out part of what's in them.
- Calendula macerate, or infused oil. The flowers soaked in a plant oil for some time, so the oil takes up part of what's in the petals. This is the form used in balms, since a balm is made of oils.
- Calendula seed oil. Pressed from the seeds, a different material from the flower.
Where calendula sits on the list tells you roughly how much there is, since ingredients are listed from most to least. A macerate high on the list is mostly the carrier oil, carrying a share of the flower.
Calendula in Lips
Lips, our vulva balm, carries calendula as a macerate: the flowers soaked in oil. On the label it follows sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, candelilla wax and cocoa butter, and comes before castor oil and vitamin E. Five essential oils (ho wood, geranium bourbon, peppermint, palmarosa and blue tansy) add up to about 1% of the formula, and Lips contains no fragrance, no hormones and no petroleum.
The balm as a whole moisturizes, softens and soothes dry skin, and helps protect the moisture barrier. It's made in Montréal, formulated by women, and comes in a 1 oz amber glass jar. One buyer summed up her experience as "Great formula and soft comfort" (C., verified buyer, September 2026).
One note for anyone with a daisy family allergy who also uses our lube: the aloe version of Honey contains calendula and chamomile as well, so the same caution applies there.
Who should skip calendula
Calendula suits most skin, and a few people should leave it out.
If you're allergic to the daisy family. That includes reactions to chamomile, arnica or other plants in the group. Choose a product without them, and ask your doctor or an allergist if you're unsure.
If you've reacted to plant-based creams before and never found out why. A patch test with a dermatologist can name the culprit. At home, test any new balm on your inner arm twice a day for a week before using it on the vulva; our article on vulva balm for sensitive skin explains how. Vulvar skin also lets more through than the skin on your arm, and the reasons are worth knowing.
If the skin is broken or raw. Calendula's wound research doesn't make a balm a wound product. Let broken skin be looked at.
If the skin is changing in a way a moisturizer can't explain. Itch that's intense or wakes you up, a new discharge, skin that looks whiter or thinner than before, or burning when you pee all call for a doctor's visit before any new balm.
If none of that applies, our article on what a vulva balm is explains who tends to find one useful. A 1 oz jar of Lips is $36 CAD ($27 USD) with free shipping on its own in Canada and the US; the product page has the full ingredient list.
Frequently asked questions
Is calendula safe for the vulva?
Yes for most people, as long as it stays on the outside and the skin is intact. An expert review of cosmetic ingredients found calendula was not irritating or sensitizing in testing and is safe in cosmetics. People allergic to the daisy family can react to it. Test any new product on your arm first, and never use it inside the vagina.
What does calendula do for skin?
It's a traditional skin care plant with a good safety record. Research has mostly studied wounds, with mixed results in people and a call for better trials. No study we found tested it on vulvar skin. In a balm, it's one ingredient in a formula that moisturizes and softens dry skin.
Can calendula cause an allergic reaction?
It can, in a small number of people. Calendula belongs to the daisy family, and people allergic to that family can react to it. In one allergy clinic, about 2 in 100 patients tested reacted to marigold. If you know you react to chamomile or arnica, avoid calendula products and ask your doctor.
Is calendula the same as marigold?
Calendula officinalis is often called pot marigold, but it isn't the same plant as the French or African marigolds sold for gardens. When a skin care label says calendula, it means Calendula officinalis. Some research papers use the word marigold for calendula, which is why the two names get mixed up.
What is calendula macerate?
It's calendula flowers soaked in a plant oil for a while, so the oil takes up part of what's in the petals. It's the form used in balms and oils, since they contain no water. On a label, it may appear as calendula macerate, infused oil, or the Latin name with the carrier oil.
Can I use calendula cream instead of a vulva balm?
You can use a gentle calendula cream on the outside if you tolerate it. Check the full label first, because many creams contain fragrance or a long list of extras. Avoid anything with fragrance or strong warming or cooling ingredients, and test it on your arm before using it on the vulva.
Sources
- What clinical and animal studies of calendula found: Givol and colleagues, Wound Repair and Regeneration, 2019, PubMed 31145533
- Composition and cosmetic safety of calendula ingredients: Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, International Journal of Toxicology, 2010, PubMed 21164072
- Patch test reactions to marigold in 443 patients: Reider and colleagues, Contact Dermatitis, 2001, PubMed 11722485
- Daisy family plants in cosmetics and the strength of the evidence: Paulsen, Contact Dermatitis, 2002, PubMed 12492516
- The daisy family allergy, its allergens and what to avoid: DermNet, Compositae allergy
About this article
Written by the Peach & Cream team, based in Montréal. Published October 15, 2026. Last updated October 15, 2026. Product facts come from the Lips and Honey product pages and labels; the buyer's words are quoted exactly from a verified review on our store. This article is general information, not medical advice. Lips does not treat or prevent any condition.