The Journal

Origins

• Skin
• Body

Calendula

Calendula: the marigold in your diaper cream, examined

Calendula officinalis (pot marigold) has long been used on wounds and rashes. Recent laboratory and animal work is extensive; human trials are small and formulation-dependent, so clinical conclusions are tentative.

Origins

• Hair

Scalp

Scalp oiling: tradition, trend and what the science says

Scalp oiling is an old care ritual whose modern popularity rests on texture, comfort and smell as much as any biological effect. Laboratory work shows coconut oil can change hair-fibre mechanics and has antibacterial activity in vitro; a randomized trial in preterm infants shows topical coconut oil increases skin moisture. Clinical evidence for scalp oiling specifically is thin.

Origins

• Skin

Rosehip

From Andean hedgerows to vanity shelves: a short history of rosehip

Rosehip has long served as food and a wartime vitamin source in Europe; modern cosmetic interest rests on laboratory, animal and a few human studies that show antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound‑healing potential, but most topical claims still rest on preclinical work.