This was one of the very first soap I created when the kids were young. Our youngest son had very dry skin and no matter how much baby lotion I slathered on him he still looked flaky and I assumed itchy (he couldn't actually tell me if he was!). I started taking a closer look at the products we were using that might be contributing to the dry skin. Switching to a laundry soap without perfumes or dyes helped along with not using fabric softners.
One of my daughters had begun her adventure raising dairy goats and since we
had extra milk a friend suggested I try using some for making soap. Thus began
my interest in soap making. Doing a little research I found that calendula was
widely used in several topical preparations for youngsters so I decided to use it in homemade soaps. It worked great for my son and is used by the grand-girlies now and still a staple in my home.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis), also known as pot marigold, is not the
same as the marigolds that you see in vegetable gardens to ward off pests.
Calendula belongs to the same family as daisies, asters and ragweed. The
orange-yellow petals make a colorful addition to gardens. It was once used to
flavor broths or soups hence the name "pot marigold". Calendula was named in
2008 as the Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association. Although
Calendula has been used for medicinal purposes it is most often used as a
topical preparation.
Scientific evidence to support the use of Calendula is limited but some
findings suggests there are several benefits for the skin. You will see it
listed as an ingredient in many creams and lotions, especially for those used on
children. We love it as an ingredient in A Touch of Eden's soap.
Feel free to do your own research to the benefits of this wonderful little
flower! Here are a couple links to help you get started:
http://www.herbcompanion.com/Cooking/Calendula-Officinalis-Herb-of-the-Year-2008.aspx#ixzz1qhNxDmOJ
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/calendula--000228.htm#ixzz1qhLAbrlK
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/m/marigo16.htm
http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/benefits-of-calendula.htmll