When most people think of chamomile, they usually associate it with a good cup of tea to help them unwind at the end of a long day. But this little white and yellow blossom is so much more than that.
For centuries, the chamomile plant has proven to have many great skincare benefits, including the ability to fight acne, reduce aging signs, and keep the skin hydrated. So, if you’re looking for a natural way to improve your skin regime, chamomile might just be the answer!
In this article, we’ll share the many incredible benefits of chamomile for your skin and, most importantly, how to use it to get the best results.
But first, do you know what chamomile actually is?
What Is Chamomile?
Chamomile is an ancient herb that has many great benefits. Matricaria recutita (commonly known as German chamomile) and Chamaemelum nobile (commonly known as Roman chamomile) are the two popular varieties of the plant.
Physically, the herb looks much like a daisy (yellow in the middle with white blossoms), and that’s because it belongs to the same Asteraceae family, which includes daisies and sunflowers.
The more common variety is the German chamomile. This herb was first found in Europe and Western Asia but is now grown in many parts of the world.
In ancient times, the chamomile plant had many uses. For instance, the Egyptians used it as incense, while Europeans used it as an air freshener.
Despite using it for many different reasons, there’s one that seems to have stuck through the ages: the use of the plant for medicinal purposes, including digestive problems, insomnia, and anxiety. Incredibly, chamomile can also help with PMS symptoms and headaches.
While the plant’s medicinal benefits can’t be denied, today, we’ll be focusing on one particular area — the skin.
Everyone wants healthy-looking, well-nourished, and hydrated skin. The chamomile plant can offer us this and so much more!
5 Amazing Benefits Of Chamomile For Skin
1) Reduces Inflammation And Redness
If you’ve ever had sunburn (who hasn’t?) or experienced a skin rash, then you know how irritating and sometimes painful these conditions can be.
Unfortunately, it can also be challenging to find the right product to treat your skin. This is where chamomile comes in.
Ancient Greeks crushed the chamomile plant and applied it directly to irritated skin. Why is that? Because chamomile contains apigenin (an antioxidant), which helps reduce inflammation on the skin.
It works both deeply and gently to get rid of inflammation and skin redness.
2) Helps Relieve Eczema And Acne Symptoms
Eczema is a skin condition that affects up to 20 percent of children worldwide and three percent of the adult population. In America specifically, over 30 million people have some signs of this skin condition.
Common symptoms of eczema include dry and itchy skin, red to brownish patches, and sometimes thickened and scaly skin.
There are many products that claim to help with eczema. But over the years, we’ve found that the most effective treatments are those that use natural ingredients over harsh chemical products.
This is why we’re not surprised that chamomile can also help ease eczema symptoms!
For example, since the plant contains anti-inflammatory properties, it can relieve a lot of the discomfort that comes from the skin irritation mentioned above.
In addition, when applied directly to your skin, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the chamomile plant can also help reduce the inflammation that often comes with acne-prone skin.
3) Soothes Sensitive Skin
If you have sensitive skin, you know how frustrating it can be to try new products or even come in contact with everyday household items. These things can cause itchiness, stinging, or redness to your skin.
Understandably, people with sensitive skin tend to avoid many products. But if you suffer from skin sensitivity, chamomile is one ingredient you don’t have to avoid. That’s because of its incredible healing properties.
The plant contains a combination of three natural compounds — chamazulene, bisoprolol, and apigenin. These compounds are found to help soothe sensitive skin.
It’s these same compounds that also play a role in helping heal damaged skin.
4) Helps Heal Wounds
Another surprising and incredible benefit of the chamomile plant is that it helps with the healing of wounds.
This might be surprising to you. How can a little herb heal cuts, abrasions, and the like? The “magic” is in the antimicrobial properties of the plant.
These properties kill viruses and bacteria and slow down the spread of microorganisms. So, when you apply cream or ointment directly onto the affected area, the antimicrobial properties can speed up the healing process.
5) Minimizes The Signs Of Aging
We’ve saved the best point for last!
One of the benefits of chamomile (and our favorite!) is that it can reduce the appearance of fine lines, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and other common signs of aging.
There are two antioxidant properties of the plant that make this possible — polyphenols and phytochemicals. These protect the skin from free radical damage, which accelerates skin aging.
When applied to your skin, chamomile helps with cell and tissue renewal, giving you a youthful glow.
Now that you’re aware of all these amazing benefits that chamomile has to offer, let’s take a look at some natural products you can use today.
How To Use Chamomile
With the chamomile benefits we’ve listed above, it’s no surprise that people have been using it for centuries to help them achieve a healthy glow.
Here are a few ways to add chamomile to your everyday routine so you can do the same:
- Drink it. Consuming chamomile is common, especially for more medicinal purposes like aiding with digestion, anxiety, and insomnia. Chamomile teas are just what you need!
- Crush the plant. Some people crush and apply the herb directly to affected areas.
While these options may be common, the challenge with choosing to consume the tea is that some varieties may leave you feeling drowsy. And crushing and applying the plant directly may be a time-consuming (and messy!) endeavor.
On the other hand, one of the easiest and most effective ways of incorporating chamomile into your skin regime is to use natural products that contain the ingredient.
As plant-based, all-natural skincare experts, we offer a few products that contain chamomile so you can reap its amazing benefits.