Matricaria chamomilla flower
Common Names: (/’kæm?mi?l/ kam-?-meel or /’kæm?ma?l/ kam-?-myl), camomile (British spelling), from Greek for “earth apple,” daisy, “the friendly flower”The most commonly used species for cosmetics...
Matricaria chamomilla flower
Common Names: (/’kæm?mi?l/ kam-?-meel or /’kæm?ma?l/ kam-?-myl), camomile (British spelling), from Greek for “earth apple,” daisy, “the friendly flower”The most commonly used species for cosmetics and skin care:
Matricaria chamomilla (also known as Matricaria recutita)– German or wild chamomile
Chamaemelum nobile (Anthemis nobilis) — Roman, English or garden chamomile
What’s the world’s friendliest flower? Many people will say it’s the daisy. There’s something so cheerful about the yellow center with the white petals radiating out around it, like a child’s drawing of the sun. Lovers check their relationships, pulling off a petal at a time while saying, “He/She loves me, he/she loves me not…”
But there’s more to this sunny flower than meets the eye; certain varieties have powerful herbal properties with significant health benefits. Essences from the chamomile daisy are known for calming, moisturizing, and skin soothing properties and may even improve healing and tissue regeneration.
The dried petals of members of the Asteraceae family (which includes daisies, sunflowers, and ragweed) have long been used in herbal medicines as well as modern skin care and cosmetics. Extracts from the petals are made into herbal teas and essential oils.
The wild or “German” chamomile is an annual herb, which flourishes throughout Northern Europe and grows to 2-3 feet tall. The Roman, English or “garden variety” chamomile is a very short ground cover that only grows 4-12 inches high and appears mainly in English and North American gardens. Both varieties prefer light, sandy, acidic soil with good drainage.
Children all over the world first learn about the soothing powers of chamomile from Beatrix Potter’s famous story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Naughty Peter tries to steal vegetables from the farmer’s garden and barely escapes with his life. His mother, Mrs. Rabbit, puts her undisciplined son to bed with a dose of chamomile tea to help him sleep, saying “One table-spoonful to be taken at bedtime.” Like warm milk, chamomile is an age-old remedy to soothe and calm.
Many folk remedies have a proven scientific basis. Chamomile is considered to be to Europeans what ‘ginseng’ is to Asians; it is one of the most important plants used in herbal medicines and there is a growing awareness of its potency among Western doctors as well.
One of the herbs of choice of Asclepiades, a Greek physician who lived around 90 B.C., the word ‘Chamomile’ comes from the Greek words for ‘ground’ and ‘apple’ and is often translated as “Earth-apple.” It is believed the name comes from the scent of the flowers, which resembles the smell of fresh apples. When made into an essential oil, it has a spicy, relaxing scent and has proven healing and antiseptic properties.
Medical use and pharmacology – Alpha-bisobolol
Medicinally, chamomile is soothing for upset stomachs and irritable bowels, and is a gentle sleep aid. It is also known for its anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects. Topical applications of chamomile in a cream or lotion promote wound healing and reduce scarring.
Scientists report anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, and mild sedative effects, which they believe mostly come from a component of the chamomile flower that chemists call “alpha-bisabolol.”
Alpha-bisabolol has also been shown to reduce fever and shorten the healing time of skin burns. Alpha-bisabolol is an antiseptic with anti-inflammatory properties when applied to skin. Alpha-bisabolol is the primary ingredient in the popular Paul Penders Cellular Renewal Serum.
Alpha Bisabolol Cell Renewal Serum
Its major ingredient is clinically proven to reduce scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone. With antioxidants, enzymes, collagen and elastin that act as “cell communicating agents,” this serum is a natural power-house product that increases cell regeneration due to degradation and cell damage due to overstret