Saturday, 25 August 2007
What's So Great About Nettle?
At first glance, nettle doesn’t appear an obvious choice as an ingredient for skincare products. If you’ve ever come in contact with nettles in your garden, you know they can pack quite a sting. The Romans took advantage of this and used fresh nettles as a skin-warming stimulant, hence the Latin word for nettle, ‘uro’, which literally means ‘I burn’. Ouch!
But dried and infused nettle has quite the opposite effect on the skin. It contains high levels of calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium, all essential minerals for skin. Nettle also contains formic acid, a natural antibacterial agent.
Nettle is an astringent, similar to witch hazel because it contains high levels of gallic acid, which is anti-viral and anti-fungal. Gallic acid also acts as an antioxidant and helps to protect our cells against free radical damage. Like green tea, another powerful antioxidant, nettle is full of flavonoids, sterols, tannins and vitamins.
In skincare products, nettle clarifies and soothes dry, sensitive skin. It can be used to treat itchy skin conditions like eczema. And it makes a wonderful addition to lip care products, especially those for dry, chapped lips.
Elizabeth
Alchemist in Training
posted by Longcroft Soap Company at
11:32
