The Powers of Chamomile
Chamomile is one of my favourite oils (and also a great tea to drink!) as it is so calming, healing, and a real comfort. I use it in my natural skincare products for two main reasons:
It soothes and calms skin, making it ideal for sensitive and irritated skin
Its amazing sweet floral smell
Also known as “scented mayweed”, chamomile flowers blossom throughout the summer and look similar to daisies, with their white petals and orange centres. There are different varieties of chamomile, with their properties differing slightly:
Blue / German Chamomile - the liquid is a deep ink-blue colour. It is one of the best aromatherapy oils for treating inflammation
Roman Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) - is milder and sweeter than the blue variety. It has similar anti-inflammatory properties that are particularly suitable for infants and children
Chamomile Roman British - I use this variety in my natural skin care products, which is grown organically in Surrey, England
Chamomile Benefits
Chamomile is a deeply soothing and calming oil, making it a key component for the best vegan skincare solutions, and it is gaining recognition for its many remarkable benefits in the world of vegan and organic skincare. With the growing demand for natural products for skin, chamomile stands out as an esteemed ingredient. Some of its benefits are:
Anti-inflammatory properties
Anxiety and depression relief
Heals wounds and cleanses skin
Promotes restful sleep and relaxation
Helps with digestive upset
My Chamomile Skin Care Products
I love using chamomile in my vegan skincare products thanks to its sweet smell and its anti-inflammatory properties. I use the Roman British variety in my Calming Calendula Facial Oil, which keeps your skin soft and smelling sweet, and my Soothing Flower Facial Balm, which soothes and calms skin.
Brief History of Chamomile
1550 BCE - earliest recorded use of chamomile for medical purposes. Featured in Eber’s Papyrus (an Egyptian medical papyrus of herbal knowledge)
476 AD to 14th century (Middle Ages) - used in Europe as a diuretic and a tonic to manage pain and fatigue
The Romans used chamomile to treat headaches. Roman chamomile was not cultivated by them, but was discovered by a British botanist and cultivated in the 16th century. It was first listed in the pharmacopoeia of Wurtenberg as a carminative (relieving flatulence), painkiller, diuretic and digestive aid
16th and 17th centuries - chamomile was used extensively for intermittent fever
The chamomile plant is native to Europe and the mediterranean and its flower has a strong, sweet, apple-like scent. Its name is derived from the Greek words kamai and melon, meaning ‘ground-apple’. Chamomile is manzanilla in Spanish, which means ‘little apple’
It was one of the Saxons ‘nine sacred herbs’
Known as the ‘plant’s physician’ as it promotes the health of plants growing nearby
The famous physician Hippocrates refers to chamomile in his writings, as he used it to help reduce fevers
Chamomile was sacred to the Egyptians. Medicine texts from the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans have descriptions of using chamomile as a herbal tea infusion, for treating erythema (superficial reddening of the skin) and xerosis (abnormally dry skin) caused by dry, harsh weather
Chamomile plants are very favoured by Slovakia and a common folk in their country says that people were expected to bow to chamomile plants when they faced them as a sign of respect. The plant has been used for over 100 years in folk medicine of the country