Now when the summer is at its best, my thoughts are also in the summer and I’d like to write only about herbs. Heal-all, (Prunella vulgaris), is a tiny little herb that grows on the edges of the lawn. It is such a small plant that many do not even notice it. Heal-all often thrives nearby of conifers. It is a very modest looking plant. The plant is also odourless and almost tasteless. A little bitterness comes from the tannins contained in the plant. However, heal-all is one of the most useful herbs for skin care. That’s why I’d like to tell you about the amazing properties of the heal-all in caring cosmetics.
Heal-all is an old and respected medicinal plant
Heal-all has been used as a healing herb for hundreds of years. Heal-all is a very common curative herb in Central Europe. Its Latin name is Prunella vulgaris. The word Prunella originally comes from the German language and means throat infection. Heal-all was once used in Germany as a medicine for sore throat. The plant has also been used to treat many other ailments around the world.
In England, the name of the Heal-all is Self-heal. The name suggests that Heal-all has been a healing herb in England as well. Other names include Heal-all, heart-of-the-earth, woundwort.
Wong Lo Kat drink
In China, heal-all is added to a popular herbal tea blend called Wong Lo Kat together with liquorice, chrysanthemum and honeysuckle. In China, Wong Lo Kat is also currently one of the most popular soft drinks. This Heal-all drink has also recently been the subject of furious copyright disputes there. The value of the Wong Lo Kat beverage brand is currently about 280 billion euros. This says a lot about how much the Chinese appreciate this little plant.
Heal-all is a completely non-toxic plant
Heal-all does not contain any toxic substances. It is basically completely edible. However, the culinary popularity of Heal-all is not great as the whole plant tastes like wood. However, you can use the flowers of Heal-all, for example, in a salad as a decoration.
The importance of Heal-all on the skin
Heal-all is especially rich in skin-protecting and soothing ingredients. Even if your skin doesn’t have any actual problem that requires a treatment, Heal-all protects and soothes your skin from the stresses caused by the environment.
Heal-all contains a significant selection of nature’s best chemicals
The effectiveness of Heal-all is based on the plant chemicals it contains. The small, modest plant has an enormous amount of wonderful ingredients. These ingredients work together to heal, care for and protect your skin.
- betulinic acid; In 1995, betulinic acid was reported to be a melanoma inhibitor
- D-camphor: relieves itching, reduces inflammation, etc.
- D-fenchone; terpene with antimicrobial effects
- cyanidin; an antioxidant that protects the skin from oxidative stress
- Hyperoside; a chemical found also in St. John’s wort (Hypericum) that has a calming effect
- Manganese; an important trace element for humans
- Lauric acid; fatty acid
- oleanolic acid; a triterpenoid with a skin-protecting, antimicrobial effect
- rosemary acid; antimicrobial properties (preservative in cosmetics)
- Myristic acid; fatty acid
- Rutin; A bioflavonoid that strengthens and protects the skin
- Linoleic acid; fatty acid
- ursolic acid; commonly used in anti-aging creams to stimulate collagen production
- Beta-sitosterol; plant sterol equal to cholesterol present on the skin. Moisturizing and caring effect
- lupeol; an anti-inflammatory agent used extensively in medicine
- Tannins; astringents, have a calming effect on the skin
- Vitamins K and C; Heal-all are rich in vitamin C, which is good for the skin, as well as vitamin K.
Heal-all and sunlight
During hot summer days, the skin is easily exposed to excessive sunlight. Heal-all protect the skin thanks to their numerous plant chemicals.
However, Heal-all do not provide the skin with real UV protection. Plant chemicals in Heal-all do not block sunlight from reaching the skin. However, skin cells exposed to the sun benefit from the effects of these plant chemicals. Therefore, it is worth adding Heal-all to skin care products on hot summer days.
Heal-all soothes the skin
Heal-all has a protective and soothing effect on the skin. Its numerous herbal chemicals have a soothing effect on the skin and eliminate inflammation. Therefore, Heal-all is particularly suitable for treating irritated skin. The tannins in Heal-all shrink pores and brighten the skin.
How should Heal-all be used in home made cosmetics?
The best way to obtain the active ingredients of heal-all is to prepare an oil extract using dried flowers. Only dry the freshly blown flowers of the Heal-all. Heal-all is a wonderful plant that you can take advantage of along the summer until the fall comes. Namely, the Heal-all always makes two new flowers to replace the one you just picked up. So start collecting Heal-all flowers now.
How to dry Heal-all flowers?
You can dry the flowers by using a plant dryer or oven. The flowers are quite dry. You can also pre-dry the flowers in a dark but dry and warm place.
Heal-all flowers can also be dried on a towel protected from light. Depending on the moisture level, they dry relatively quickly. Personally, I prefer this rather effortless way of collecting and drying flowers. You can add new flowers to dry whenever they pop out.
When there are enough dried flowers, you can make an oil extract. Do not use them all. Leave the rest of dried flowers to wait for winter and the moment when you want to make fresh herbal oil.
Instructions for making herbal oil can be found here; Here’s how to make herbal infused oil
Heal-all suits well for many products
I have used Heal-all in products intended to protect my skin from the sun. Heal-all treat sun-sensitized skin.
Oil serums made from Heal-all are convenient to use. Remember that you should not use any other products when applying the actual UV protection. They may affect the effectiveness of UV protection. Therefore, use heal-all oil serum at different times. Heal-all serum is suitable to be applied immediately after the sunbathing, for example, as it also soothes the skin.
Heal-all can be used to make skin soothing emulsion creams. Such creams can be helpful when the skin is particularly stressed. I do not recommend using lotions or creams containing Heal-all on daily basis because it is rich in herbal chemicals. It is suitable for efficient creams designed to control the situation on the skin. For example, a week’s treatment of Heal-all cream can make wonders on irritated skin.
What are your favourite herbal skin care products?