Most of the ZÉORA Ritual shares one Samos Garden of botanicals across every step. Clarus, our cleanser, adds a few flowers of its own, and one of them is Calendula, the bright orange-and-gold pot marigold. In the Ritual you'll find it only in Clarus.
Here's what calendula is, what published research says about it (and what it doesn't), and why it sits in the first step of the Ritual.
What calendula is
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is a garden flower in the daisy family, the same plant family as chamomile and yarrow. It's often called pot marigold, and it has long been grown in gardens, with petals that are also used in cooking. On skincare labels it usually appears as Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, an extract made from the flower heads.
Like many botanicals, calendula flowers contain plant compounds such as flavonoids and phenolic acids. These are part of why it's so often studied as a cosmetic ingredient.
What research says about calendula in skincare
It's worth being precise about what the studies cover, because much of the research is on specific creams or extracts rather than everyday products.
- A small study on skin feel and firmness. A 2011 study in Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica applied a cream with calendula extract and a plain base cream to the cheeks of 21 volunteers for eight weeks. Measured with a skin-testing device, the calendula cream showed improvements in skin hydration and firmness (Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica, 2011). It was a small study of one specific cream.
- One of many botanicals studied in creams. A 2015 review looked at creams made with plant extracts and their antioxidant activity, and lists calendula among the botanicals studied in cream form, alongside green tea and chamomile. The authors point to phenolic acids and flavonoids as the plant compounds of interest, and note that more evidence-based studies are still needed (Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2015).
Neither paper tested ZÉORA products, and a leave-on cream isn't the same as a cleanser you rinse off. The research helps explain why calendula is such a familiar skincare botanical, not how it performs in a finished formula on your skin.
Why calendula is in Clarus
ZÉORA began with a notebook from 1850, kept by a woman named Zéora on the Greek island of Samos. She had reactive, sensitive skin and studied the plants around her, keeping only what her skin accepted. Today's Ritual carries that idea forward with a small group of gentle botanicals in every step.
Clarus, our 100 ml gel cleanser, is built on aloe vera, which comes right after water on its ingredient list. Calendula sits among its botanical extracts, after green tea, damask rose and chamomile and alongside sage, lemon balm, lavender, Greek-sourced yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and marjoram. Ingredients are listed in order of concentration, so it's one supporting part of the cleanser rather than its main base.
Neither Oktélia, our serum, nor Hydronéa, our cream, contains calendula, so Clarus is the step that brings it into the Ritual.
Where Clarus fits in the Ritual
The ZÉORA Ritual has three steps, used morning and evening:
- Clarus · Cleanse, the gel cleanser with calendula. Massage 1–2 pumps onto damp facial skin for a few seconds, rinse lightly and pat dry.
- Oktélia · Calm, the serum.
- Hydronéa · Restore, the cream that finishes the routine.
Hydronéa doesn't contain SPF, so in the morning finish with a sunscreen of your choice.
A note for sensitive skin
Hydronéa is our fragrance-free step. Clarus and Oktélia do contain fragrance. Calendula, chamomile and yarrow all belong to the daisy family, so if you know you react to plants in that family, please check with your doctor first. Every full ingredient list is on its product page, so you can check each one before you buy.
If your skin is sensitive, introduce one new product at a time and patch-test first. The American Academy of Dermatology explains how to test a skincare product before using it on your face.
Keep reading
- Chamomile & Bisabolol for Sensitive Skin: The Flower in Every ZÉORA Step
- Aloe Vera for Sensitive Skin: Why It's Ingredient #2 in ZÉORA
- Green Tea for Sensitive Skin: The Leaf in Every ZÉORA Step
- The Samos Garden: 7 Botanicals in Every ZÉORA Step
This article is general skincare information, not medical advice. ZÉORA products are cosmetics, not medicines. If you have a skin condition, or notice persistent redness, itching, swelling or a rash, please speak with a board-certified dermatologist before changing your routine.
