Posted by Les Mauvaises Herbes
We are particularly fond of four plants that are just waiting to be transformed into body care products and cosmetics:
- Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
- Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)
- German chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
- Greater plantain (Plantago major)
There is nothing like growing your own medicinal plants to realize just how precious they are! Imagine the pride of holding an ointment or cream in your hands made from a plant you cared for from seed to flower.
These are four plants renowned for their anti-inflammatory, calming, revitalizing, and regenerating properties, which are used in a thousand and one ways in skin care for the face, body, and even hair.
They are not only beneficial for the skin, but they also have therapeutic properties when taken internally! Although these are fairly gentle and harmless plants, we always recommend doing your own research and consulting a qualified herbalist or naturopath for internal use if you have any health issues, are taking medication(s), or are pregnant!
Calendula
Calendula is a plant that has long been used in skin care, both for home remedies and luxury products! The flower is ideal for products intended for sensitive or irritated skin thanks to its anti-inflammatory, revitalizing, soothing, and healing virtues. Calendula is gentle enough for children's and babies' skin. A must!
Cultivation
Sow calendula directly into the ground between April and June. It germinates quickly, 5 to 10 days after sowing, but takes up to 10 weeks before it begins to bloom. It will be happy in the ground or in a pot, but it needs sun to thrive. Although calendula is an annual plant, it self-seeds and blooms from the beginning of summer until the first frost. It requires little maintenance, tolerates all soil types, and brightens up any garden! It is very useful in vegetable patches, where it keeps harmful insects away from vegetables.
Harvesting
Like most flowers, calendula is harvested shortly after opening. It is primarily the petals that are used, so you can leave the centers aside. Use the petals fresh or dry them in a dark, dry place.
Use
We particularly enjoy it in the form of an oil macerate for making our ointments. It is also used in skin care for the face and hair.
Calendula is used more rarely internally, but its infusion can help soothe inflammation of the digestive tract.
In the kitchen, you can use calendula petals in a salad, as a dessert garnish, or prepare capers with the flower buds before they open.
Tip: Infuse calendula petals in unpasteurized honey to get a fragrant honey, which is just as useful for sweetening tea as it is for preparing an express facial mask.
Precautions for use
Avoid internal use during pregnancy and when taking anxiolytics, calmants, or sedatives.
Marshmallow
Marshmallow is not just a confection that we love to roast over a campfire; it is first and foremost an extraordinary medicinal plant for skin care! Its trumpet-shaped mauve flowers and leaves that are as soft as fur make it unique. It is mainly its root that is used in cosmetics and health care, as it is easy to preserve once dried. However, the flowers also have significant properties. Marshmallow root is rich in mucilage, a substance that develops when the root is in contact with water. It is a kind of natural emollient jelly, meaning it softens the skin and mucous membranes.
Cultivation
Marshmallow can be sown directly into the ground in May or June, after the risk of frost but while the soil is still cool, and germination takes 10 to 30 days. Marshmallow loves sun and moist soil. It blooms from July to September. Unlike its three companions in this kit, marshmallow must be planted in the ground and does not enjoy living in a pot.
Harvesting
The root is ready to use from the plant's second year of life. Harvest in the fall, after the leaves have died back, and preferably after rain so that the soil is easier to work with. The root must be well cleaned and dried before being processed. Flowers are picked in early summer and used immediately after harvest because they are very fragile.
Use
It is used in skin care for the face, body, and hair (it is the star of our detangler!). Marshmallow root powder can be incorporated into solid shampoos and shaving bars.
You can slip it into syrups, glycerites, and tinctures. It is to be taken in case of dry cough: it will reduce inflammation of irritated respiratory tracts. The flower is consumed as an infusion and possesses properties similar to those of the root.
Tip: If you have never tried marshmallow root glycerite, now is the time! Combine dried marshmallow root with 3 parts vegetable glycerin to 1 part spring or distilled water, and let macerate for 3 weeks before straining. It tastes like candy!
Precautions for use
When taken internally, marshmallow could theoretically slow the absorption of medications, so we recommend spacing the intake of marshmallow from medication by at least 2 hours.
German Chamomile
This mini-daisy is well known to insomniacs. Highly fragrant, its infusion is ideal for calming stress and helping to induce sleep in adults, children, babies, and even our canine friends! It calms spasms of the digestive tract and uterine spasms.
It is a major anti-inflammatory plant: it comes to the rescue of irritated, red, or tight skin and is excellent for soothing tired eyes. It can be integrated into skin and hair care, particularly for blond hair.
It is also called matricaria chamomile. Do not confuse it with Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile, formerly known as Anthemis nobilis) and even less with feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), whose properties (and taste!) differ significantly.
Cultivation
Chamomile is sown directly outdoors in May or June, or in the fall. It germinates quickly: between 0 and 15 days are required. It grows well in the ground, in a pot, or in a planter, as long as it gets full sun. It is very generous with its flowers and also self-seeds.
Flowering and harvesting
Chamomile blooms in abundance from July until frost. Like plantain, chamomile has much more therapeutic value when freshly picked. Harvest only the flowers and process them quickly according to your needs.
It is possible to dry the flowers, however, they must be used within 6 months. Dry them flat rather than hanging them so that they remain intact.
Use
The chamomile oil macerate is very versatile and useful for calming skin irritation in children and babies; it can be used pure on the skin or transformed into an ointment, butter, or cream. Mature skin also appreciates it, as it brightens the complexion and can help relieve eczema, couperose, and rosacea.
To consume chamomile as a drink, you can infuse it in water for a classic herbal tea, or in plant-based milk, as in our moon latte with rose and chamomile recipe.
Fresh chamomile flowers can garnish a salad, slip into a smoothie, or flavor a dessert.
Tip: Infuse about fifteen fresh chamomile flowers in a bottle of dry white wine overnight. Strain and enjoy a glass of chamomile-scented wine!
Precautions for use
Slight risk of allergy. Avoid combining chamomile with anticoagulants. Long-term internal use of chamomile during pregnancy is not recommended.
Plantain
There is a good chance you already know plantain without realizing it! It is found everywhere, in the country and in the city, in fields, flower beds, and even sidewalk cracks, on almost every continent! Since it is quite tricky to harvest plantain leaves anywhere due to pesticides and car pollution, growing it yourself is the best way to ensure its quality.
Plantain leaves are known to reduce inflammation and accelerate tissue regeneration. They are used in particular to soothe insect bites, superficial burns, and small cuts or scrapes.
Internally, plantain helps reduce inflammation of the digestive tract as well as the respiratory system and accelerates the renewal of mucous membranes. People suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases appreciate it very much, as it can help calm pain and diarrhea. Plantain infusion helps relieve symptoms of respiratory allergies and asthma.
Cultivation
Plantain germinates better in the cold, so it is preferable to sow it in the fall, on the surface. However, it is also possible to sow it at the end of spring or start seedlings indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Plantain can take up to 60 days to germinate, but once it gets going, nothing can stop it! It is a very robust plant that requires almost no maintenance: we can see how urban plantain survives even when merrily trampled by passersby.
Harvesting
Ideally, harvest the leaves before the plants begin to flower, although mature leaves are still useful later in the season. Fresh leaves have much more concentrated properties, so it is advisable to process the plant shortly after harvesting.
Use
The fastest way to use plantain leaves in an emergency is to chew a few of them to reduce them to a paste and apply it directly to the wound.
Of course, plantain lends itself to more elaborate recipes: tincture, vinegar, infusion, syrup, and oil maceration for making creams, body butters, and ointments. Pure plantain macerate can be applied to the skin to calm irritation in adults, children, and babies.
We use plantain vinegar in our homemade calamine recipe, and the oil macerate in our anti-itch ointment (a camping staple) as well as in our cough syrup, for which it is the star ingredient.
Young plantain leaves are edible and very rich in minerals! You can eat them raw in a salad or cook them as you would spinach.
Tip: Slip a handful of fresh young plantain leaves into a pesto to garnish pasta, pizza, or a dip! Plantain leaves curiously have a mushroom-like taste that pairs wonderfully with Italian-inspired dishes.
Precautions for use
Avoid as a precaution during pregnancy, as internal use of plantain possibly has uterotonic properties.
References
www.passeportsante.net
www.altheaprovence.com
www.promessedefleurs.com
www.theherbalacademy.com
www.gardeningknowhow.com
www.practicalselfreliance.com
www.naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com
