Spring has sprung and my heart is happy with seeing all the blossoms that are popping up unexpectedly around my property. I recently took a trip to Trader Joe’s and found that they, too, were in bloom with bunches and bunches of gorgeous flowers. In particular, they had several types of Chamomile and I brought 3 different varietals to adorn my home. Chamomile has always been a favorite because of its calming principles but these two new species had me exploring the other uses of this beautiful flower for its use in mood balancing and topical applications.
Most of us have heard of Chamomile as a plant ally to use for soothing the nerves. There are also many uses for children to help calm colic and as an aid to reduce discomfort of teething. The flowers can be used to create a gorgeous, relaxing bath and can reduce muscle tension, especially if combined with Epsom salts (2 cups per bath). It can be made into a calming tea by placing the fresh or dried flowers (1 Tablespoon) into hot water (8-10 ounces) to steep for 10 minutes. And, if you cool the tea and place in ice cube trays those ice cubes can be applied to sore gums of teething infants. The sweet, straw-like taste of Chamomile is quite lovely and no sweeteners are necessary!
The most common species of Chamomile is German Chamomile (Matricaria recutitia), which has the highest content of chamazulene, the essential oil of the Chamomile plant. This essential oil not only has a gorgeous dark blue color but also has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. Known as Blue Tansy oil, it has been used topically to heal wounds, ease wrinkles and soothe skin. It is used in many anti-aging facial serums for its beneficial effects and I have started incorporating it in a few of my skincare products (Tansy treatment balm).
If you see these stunning, delicate white and yellow flowers in your local store or farmers market, pick some up and enjoy them in as many ways as you can think up. We use Chamomile in our DHB Sleep tea as part of the synergistic blend to calm you and your nervous system.