Herbs are in and so are herbal remedies and products. It’s not a hippy thing anymore but it’s more of a decisive choice made by thousands for their health and wellbeing.
Herbs have been used forever. They have been part of our lives whether for food or for medicine. Although many see herbs as culinary condiments and no more, there are the hundreds of herbs that grow in the wild, each with its own unique properties and medicinal qualities. Even the herbs we use in our kitchen have medicinal properties for example Rosemary is wonderful for circulation while the fragrant Sage has been used for treating sprains, swelling, ulcers. So there you go, medicine in the food cupboard!
Herbal remedies are used by many and there are trained and qualified herbalists who offer expertise and prescriptions of herbal blends. Herbs can come in either capsule form or tincture form. Herbal tinctures are to be used for therapeutic purposes and are made by macerating herbs in alcohol and water. It’s a lengthy process and can take several weeks during which time the active constituents of the plant or herb dissolve or is absorbed into the alcohol and water, this is then strained of plant material to produce the liquid tincture.
Many wellbeing brands offer organic herbal blends for everyday health lifestyle concern. Most popular herbal health and beauty products include those for sleep, stress, energy, PMS and for skin health and detox. Other popular and well known herbs are Fennel and Pppermint which are excellent digestive aids and great as teas as well to boost healthy digestion. Horsetail is a herb known to help with hair strength as it contains silica, and experts say Milk Thistle and Dandelion are wonderful detoxing herbs that boost elimination and promote healthy function of the kidney and liver.
Many health and beauty products online now include herbs as part of their ingredients and promote this as a unique selling point. There are organic herbs which are certified organic while wild crafted herbs that may not be certified organic but are herbs that have been sourced from their natural environment and habitat. You can grow every day herbs in your garden too.
Many skin care and hair products now use the benefit of herbs. Calendula and Lavender are used widely in skin care while Rosemary and Bay are very popular for hair products as they help stimulate the scalp and promote hair growth.
Beauty products in the UK and now moving in the direction of inner nutrition for beauty and beauty supplements or herbal beauty drinks and many of these are made with herbs and other plant extracts. Herbal extracts like Aloe Vera, Shikakai and Neem are also often used for skin soothing and anti bacterial benefits. Tea Tree oil is very popular for acne and skin prone to breakouts. So herbs are making their presence felt, perhaps more so in the niche market, but there is a big following and it looks set to grow. Next time you browse the web for herbal organic remedies you might be surprised to find more than a thing or two for the common cold and flu.
