Posted by Les Mauvaises Herbes
For the uninitiated, nettle may certainly look like an undesirable plant: it’s invasive in the garden, isn't particularly decorative, and if you brush against it too closely, it irritates you with its acid (nothing less!). However, for foraging enthusiasts, herbalists, and flora groupies in general, it is actually precious and irreplaceable, despite its little imperfections!
NETTLE, WHO ARE YOU?
It is a perennial plant with serrated leaves that generally measures 1 meter in height, although it can reach 2 meters tall. Native to Eurasia, it is now found in practically all temperate zones. Unlike Pinky and the Brain, this one actually succeeded in taking over the world! It can be used as food, a cosmetic ingredient, a medicinal plant, and fertilizer to enrich the soil. Give it a little more and it would come change your flat tire on the highway. It’s not for nothing that many herbalists nickname it the queen of plants!
It is also called stinging nettle, common nettle, or greater nettle. Another of its nicknames is “stinging nettle,” for good reason. It stings like crazy! Why? Because its leaves and stems are covered in tiny hairs that secrete formic acid and histamine, two substances that cause redness and itching when touched. This defense mechanism keeps herbivores from nibbling on it, but forces us to wear gloves up to our elbows before picking it! Some people seem immune to the stinging effect of nettle, while others, less fortunate, are covered in red welts just looking at it (or almost). By soaking or cooking the leaves, or putting them in a blender, you neutralize the formic acid and histamine, which allows us to handle the nettle and consume it without any problems. Dried nettle is much less irritating than fresh; therefore, you won't need to put on a hazmat suit before making yourself a herbal tea.
"Foraging" tip: If you use fresh nettle, you must pick it in non-polluted areas (like a good weed, it likes to grow on contaminated soil) and before flowering or immediately after (this is when its leaves are richest in active ingredients).
SOS nettle burn
If you ever feel burning sensations or itching after touching a nettle plant, here is what to do!
- Rinse the affected area with cold water.
- Use adhesive tape to remove any stinging hairs that might still be on your skin.
- Apply plantain, either in the form of crushed (or chewed) leaves, an infusion, oily macerate, or ointment.
The essential oils of spike lavender or lavandin super are truly super (haha!) for soothing inflammation! You can add them to your ointment or dilute them in a vegetable oil or oily macerate before applying them to the affected area. Our mentholated SOS spray recipe for sunburns is perfect for calming nettle stings.
Another option is to apply a poultice of oatmeal mixed with water (or a cooled, calming infusion of plantain, calendula, or chamomile, for example) to calm the pain.
Recette · Beginner
Mentholated after-sun spray
An ideal mixture to quickly soothe irritated skin, more suitable for the body than the face. The cooling effect of this mentholated spray is much appreciated during heatwaves, but mint can be replaced by lavender for a more subtle refreshing action.
Préparation10 min
Conservation1 month in the fridge
Rendement100 ml
THE 1001 USES OF NETTLE
1. Nettle in your cup… it’s so good!
Nettle has several therapeutic properties whose effects are felt quickly! Making it into a herbal tea is probably its most widespread use.
Its main quality is its high mineral content (iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, silica) which tones the entire body and could even contribute to preventing anemia and fatigue. It is slightly diuretic and helps prevent seasonal allergies, provided you start taking it a few months before the appearance of said allergies.
Some herbalists classify it as an adaptogenic plant, a category of plants that support the entire body in moments of stress or adaptation, particularly the nervous system and the immune system, and help prevent asthenia and exhaustion. Holy basil, chaga, reishi, rhodiola, and astragalus are also considered adaptogenic plants.
Nettle also helps in cases of difficult and/or very heavy periods: its richness in iron helps replenish our reserves, and its astringent effect acts on torrential menstrual flows.
It is also useful in cases of gout, water retention, urinary tract infections, and eczema due to its diuretic and depurative power.
Although the leaf is more often used, nettle root is said to have interesting properties for relieving benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Nettle is one of the few plants that can be consumed during pregnancy and breastfeeding, by people who are very ill or convalescing, or by children (in moderation). People suffering from hemochromatosis should, however, avoid it; nettle can also interfere with antidiabetic and antihypertensive medications.
For more information on the internal medicinal use of nettle, consult an accredited herbal therapist.
Nettle infusion
For all nutritive plants, the longer the infusion, the more concentrated the liquid will be in minerals.
– 3 heaping tbsp of dried nettle leaves
– 1 liter of hot water
Let macerate overnight. Strain and drink the infusion cold the next day. You can add a little shot of lemon juice and maple syrup to make a super medicinal lemonade!
Recette · Beginner
Seasonal Allergy Elixir
We love spring, but not so much the allergies that come with it! This recipe is an oxymel featuring nettle, a great champion among antihistamine plants, along with plants that soothe the respiratory tract and calm allergic reactions. Also useful for respiratory allergies such as those to dust and pets!
Préparation15 min
Conservation6 months
Rendementabout 200 ml
2. Nettle on your plate
Greenery lovers can cook fresh nettle the same way as spinach! It can be incorporated into a pesto, a soup, scones, or even muffins. You will find a variety of mouth-watering recipes on the web!
3. Nettle in your hair
Nettle, again thanks to its richness in minerals, is an excellent hair tonic, meaning it helps stimulate hair growth. It can be used in several forms:
– as a powder, which can easily be slipped into our solid shampoo or conditioner recipes,
– as a medicinal vinegar (maceration of nettle in apple cider vinegar) that you spray on your hair and scalp (in our book À fleur de pots, we actually suggest a revitalizing vinegar recipe based on nettle and horsetail!) and
– as an oily macerate (maceration in a vegetable oil) that we use as a hair mask or incorporate into our solid shampoo or conditioner recipes.
Recette · Intermediate
Nettle solid shampoo - normal/all hair types
A solid shampoo recipe that’s as easy as pie, versatile, natural, and suitable for all hair types.
Préparation15 min
Conservationindefinite
Rendement100 g
Recette · Intermediate
Nettle "one-pot" liquid revitalizer
While we're obsessed with solid conditioners, we know they're not for everyone. We absolutely adore this lightweight liquid version, especially how simple it is to make with the famous "one-pot" method. Yes, really! Like those fantastic recipes where you put all the ingredients in a pot and 30 minutes later, it's ready! Thank you, good night.
Préparation15 min
Conservation3 months
Rendement200 g
4. Nettle on your body
In another era, joint and muscle problems like arthritis or rheumatism were relieved by whipping yourself with nettle stems. Yes, yes, you read that right! They would whip themselves with big stinging nettle stems! Apparently, even if this "treatment" was quite painful during, it was after that one reaped all the benefits.
Not much of a whipping type? Neither are we, haha! You can still benefit from the anti-inflammatory effect of nettle by making an oily macerate to massage painful areas, and this without needing to whip yourself with a nettle branch. You can also use your maceration to make a massage gel, a massage oil, or incorporate it into our magic ointment for sore bodies or our SOS muscle balm.
Nettle macerate can also be used for facial care, and oily skin will particularly appreciate it.
5. Nettle in your garden
You may already know about nettle slurry, a fermented nitrogen fertilizer based on nettle and rainwater. It's hard to find anything more rustic to nourish your garden! It is used to amend the soil at the beginning of cultivation and also to keep parasites away.
And, did we say that nettle does everything? We hope this is the beginning of your new love story with nettle, or that we have rekindled the flame of an old passion! Tell us about it in the comments!
Recette · Intermediate
Massage gel for massage therapists
Are you a massage therapist looking to make your own massage gel? You've come to the right place! Natacha, our naturopath-massage therapist-super boutique manager (!), shares her recipe for a silky, hypoallergenic massage gel made from organic and accessible ingredients!
Préparation30 min
Conservation6 months
Rendement240 ml
Recette · Intermediate
Magic ointment for sore muscles
Are you suffering from muscle pain because you went a little too hard on your yoga to relieve anxiety? Does your weekly (or daily, good for you!) jog cause you joint pain? Does the arthritis that flares up in your hands in humid weather make you suffer? Whatever the cause of your discomfort, this magic ointment will be your best friend.
Préparation15 min
Conservation6 months +
Rendement100 ml
Recette · Intermediate
Muscle rub
Feeling stiff and sore? Luckily, nature has it all figured out: several plants come to the rescue for our stiffness and aches. A wide range of essential oils provide quick relief thanks to their anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and muscle-relaxing properties. Benefit from their wonderful qualities in this amazing balm.
Préparation15 min
Conservation12 months +
Rendement125 ml
References
www.healthline.com/nutrition/stinging-nettle
www.mondeavie.ca/clef-des-champs-ortie-en-feuilles.html
www.agrireseau.net/agriculturebiologique/documents/guide-ortie.pdf
www.ledevoir.com/opinion/chroniques/413576/les-purins-stimulants-nutritifs-et-protecteurs
www.altheaprovence.com/ortie-urtica-dioica-urens/
